One of the biggest intimidation factors of self hosting the WordPress.Org software (vs. a hosted blog at WordPress.Com), is registering your domain name and deciding on hosting. This is actually pretty easy to do but there can be a couple of pitfalls. In this post, how-to-blog.tv will demystify WordPress, Domains, and Hosting.
Self Hosted WordPress – The Software Available at WordPress.Org
WordPress is open source blogging software freely available at WordPress.Org. To run WordPress, you need a hosting account that supports WordPress. WordPress runs on both Linux-based hosting as well as Windows Server-based hosting. WordPress requires a compatible web server (either Apache or IIS), PHP support, and a MySQL database server. WordPress DOES NOT support Microsoft’s SQL Server database server. If you are curious as to what each of those components are, use the hyperlinks for more information.
However, blogging is not about the technical intricacies of servers. Therefore, let’s keep this easy.
The first thing we are going to do is exclude Windows server based hosting, as there is absolutely no value in using the Microsoft platform with WordPress. Stay mainstream and select a hosting provider that provides a commodity LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack. Other qualities you should look for in a hosting provider for WordPress are:
- 1 Click Installation of WordPress (meaning an easy to use Wizard to get your blog installed)
- PHP5 Support
- They pick up the support phone in 5 minutes or less when you call with questions
How WordPress Works
Without getting into too many details, I will explain how WordPress works, which will help you better understand the platform.
WordPress consists of themes, plugins, and information stored in a database.
Themes are what provide your WordPress blog its look and feel. Themes can be purchased or downloaded for free from within WordPress.
WordPress Plugins are added functionality for your blog. When describing plugins to people, the saying I like to use is “anything you think you need to pay a developer to do on a website, there is generally a WordPress plugin for”.
Do you want to have your blog look good on an iPhone? there’s a plugin for that!
Need forms for a marketing initiative? there’s a plug-in for that!
Need your WordPress blog backed up every night automatically? Yes, there is even a plug-in for that!
Last, all of your blog’s configurations and the content you write is stored in a database. This is convenient and makes it very easy to backup your blog and protect your content.
The way it all fits together is that your hosting takes your theme, plugins, and the content in your database and delivers it to users who request it when they type your domain name in their browser.
Domain Names, Registrars, and Name Servers
One of the most confusing concepts about the Internet is the relationship between domain names and hosting. This is probably due to the way that these services are bundled and marketed.
A fully qualified domain name is a three part name that looks like WWW.MYDOMAIN.COM. The first part (e.g. www) is called a subdomain. The second part is the actual name you select (e.g. mydomain), and the third part is referred to as the top level domain (e.g. .com).
You can purchase a domain name at any reputable, ICANN accredited registrar such as GoDaddy or Network Solutions. A registrar is a company that is in the business of selling and registering domain names. Many registrars also provide name server hosting and Linux hosting.
Name Servers are actual internet servers that contain a portion of the directory of the Internet including the information about your domain name. This information includes details such as the location of your web server, your email server, and other services you might have. Ideally, you will use the name server at the same hosting company that provides all of your services, but you do have complete flexibility from this perspective which as a consumer is a good thing.
Hosting
Hosting refers to the services associated with providing and maintaining computer-based services. The most common types of hosting services are email and web server services.
When it comes to blogging, it is very important to understand that your blog can sit somewhere completely separate from the other computer services used to run your business. Why is that important?
First, you might use hosting services for your main website or other aspects of your company that are not compatible with WordPress. Or, you might want to simply bypass your IT department and use a one-click install service from an external hosting company that specializes in WordPress.
The bottom line is that you have complete flexibility as you can point those records in your name server anywhere.
Two common scenarios for a blog are the “all-in-one” approach where you buy a domain, hosting, and use name servers all at the same provider. Many people do this with GoDaddy. The second scenario would be to buy a domain and use name servers at GoDaddy but point to hosting at a company like Media Temple for your blog hosting. We will get into the details of these types of setups as well as “sub-domaining” a blog in later post.
Your take away from this post is that you have options and you should select the option that is the most convenient and effective for your blogging needs and situation.
Conclusion
WordPress, domain names, and hosting may seem intimidating, but the concepts are really simple. Most hosting companies specializing in WordPress blogs simplify this further by providing one step purchasing of domain names, WordPress compatible hosting, and one-click installs of WordPress.
With the aforementioned services available there is no reason to be intimidated by self-hosting WordPress.
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thanks for ur information