Step by Step WordPress Installation

Although the WordPress installation is much easier than most people realize, you will save yourself a lot of frustration if you take some time to prepare first.

If you can host multiple domains with your hosting company, I recommend using a totally separate domain for your blog. At the very least you will need a subdomain.

Verify that your web hosting company supports the following programs.

• PHP version 4.2 or greater
• MySQL version version 4.0 or greater
• The Apache mod_rewrite module

You must also have an FTP program of some sort for uploading your files. This will also allow us to change permission on files as needed.

I fully recommend using a hosting company that uses a Linux based server. This may also be listed as Unix or Apache. I do not recommend using a Windows based server.

If you are unsure of the server used by your hosting company, you can determine this by doing a header check of your domain. Insert the URL of your site and click submit. The information returned will include the server type.

If your server does not support or provide the features you need to effectively run your online business, you should seriously consider moving to a reliable hosting company that will meet all of your business needs both now, and in the future.

Getting Started with MySQL

Setup your MySQL database from within your control panel, or in some cases you will need to contact  your host to set it up. SAVE the following information:

• Database Name
• User Name
• Password
• Host Name

Download and Configure WordPress

Download the WordPress directory from wordpress.org to your desktop where you can easily find it. The file will need to be unzipped in order to access the files.



Once you have downloaded and unzipped WordPress, we will  need to make a few changes BEFORE uploading the files.

Inside the WordPress folder is a file named wp-config-sample. Change that file name to wp-config.





Open the same file that you just renamed. Within that file you will see the following:

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress'); // The name of the database
define('DB_USER', 'username'); // Your MySQL username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // ...and password
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this value

We will be changing some of this information to include your data base information.

Insert Your MySQL Database Information

When you previously set up the MySQL database you would have been provided with the following information:

• The name of the database
• The MySQL database username
• The password of the database
• The database host (in some cases)

We need to change the default information in the wp-config to include your information. The following will cover those changes line by line. Do not remove the single quotes.

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress'); // The name of the database

Change the highlighted area of the line above to the actual name of your database that you were given when you set up the database.

define('DB_USER', 'username'); // Your MySQL username

Change the highlighted area above to the username you were given when you set up the database.

define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // ...and password

Change the highlighted area of the line above to the password you were given when you set up the database.

define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // chance you won't need to change.

If you were given information for the database host, you will likely need to change the highlighted area of the line above to the data you were given when you set up the database. If you were not given this information it is very likely you can leave this set to localhost.

Once you have completed the above, SAVE the changes you have made.

Upload WordPress Files

 

Using your FTP program, upload all of the files from within the WordPress folder. You will upload these files to the directory you have previously selected for your blog. Only upload the files INSIDE the WordPress folder. DO NOT upload the folder itself.

I personally use WS_FTP Pro. However, it is not a free program. If you need an FTP program available at no cost, you may want to consider FileZilla.

Begin the WordPress Installation

 

To begin the WordPress installation, you will need to run the WordPress installation script by accessing the wp-admin/install.php file from your browser window.



Example: http://www.madeupsite.com/wp-admin/install.php

In the address bar of your browser window, enter the URL of  the domain or subdomain where you uploaded the WordPress files to, followed by: wp-admin/install.php

A new window will open. Click First Step >>





When you click the First Step link, another new window will open.

1. Enter the name you have selected for your blog.
    
2. Enter your email address and double check it before continuing.
    
3. Place a check in the box for I would like my blog to appear in search engines like Google and Technorati. (This is important!)
    
4. Click "Continue to Second Step".

Once you have followed the instructions on each new window, your blog will be created automatically for you. Make sure to save the user name and password provided.

That's it for the basic WordPress installation. You are ready to log in!

For additional help, see Getting Started with WordPress on the WordPress site. You will find a wide range of articles answering frequently asked questions.

You are now ready to move on to the next tutorial. By default, WordPress uses dynamic web URLs that may hinder some of your search engine optimization efforts. This challenge can be easily overcome by creating SEO Friendly WordPress URLs. These simple changes will help you develop a blog that people will find in the search engines!