What Do I Need To Build A WordPress Website?
an in-depth glossary
You’ll need the following things to start your WordPress site.
A domain name – this is how people will visit your website, such as google.com. As such, it’s a good idea to have a descriptive name, but also make sure that people can say it.
To get a domain name, you’ll need an account at a registrar, which is a company authorized to sell and maintain domain names. Some examples you may have heard of (please note that I neither recommend, nor do I have an affiliate program with the following services):
Sometimes, you can also buy your domain name from the place you are going to buy your next thing: hosting.
A hosting account – this is where your website files are stored and made available to the public. There are a handful of good website hosting companies that cater to using WordPress, so that when you open your account with them, a basic WordPress website is already installed.
The first one is WordPress.com and is a really great place to start if you want a free website while you learn the basics. Once you have exhausted your free tier, you can choose from a lot of different plans. You can see WordPress.com pricing, but note that you can’t install any extra functionality until you choose the Business plan.
Other hosts that cater to WordPress include (please note that I neither recommend, nor do I have an affiliate program with the following services):
You might ask, “Why am I paying for anything if WordPress is free?” WordPress is open-source software, so the files are free to take and use them, but the services to make them available through a browser are not.
If you bought your domain name separately from your hosting plan, you have to go back and point your domain name to your new hosting plan. Your host, when you purchase a plan, should send you a document with detailing the settings you need to input at the registrar account.
If you need help with that, you can contact your hosting company and they will help you. You can also contact me!
