Step-by-Step Guide on How to Start a WordPress Blog on SiteGround

Why Choose WordPress to Start a Blog?

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With WordPress.org, creating your own blog is now a breeze, regardless of your coding skills. This platform is completely free and has a supportive community of developers who are always ready to help you.

Simply follow our step-by-step guide to launch your WordPress Blog on SiteGround and create a space where you can freely express your ideas and connect with your readers.

Benefits of using WordPress for your blog:

Earning Potential: By using a self-hosted blog, you own it and can earn money via display ads, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content. Overall, self-hosted blogs are typically easier to monetize and are perceived as more professional.
Ease of Use: After a slight learning curve, WP is relatively easy to use. Many downloadable WP customizable themes are drag-and-drop making the blog-building process user-friendly.
Customizable: With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can fully customize your blog or hire someone to do this. You own it, and there’s flexibility on what you can do with it as it relates to scalability and customization.
SEO-friendly: WP is designed to be Search Engine Optimized (SEO). This means that it will be easier for your blog to become visible to your target market when they’re searching for content or solutions within various search engine results pages.
Mobile Responsive: WP Themes are also designed to be mobile responsive, meaning that your blog will look as beautiful on a mobile phone or tablet as it does on the desktop version.

Why Choose SiteGround to Host Your Blog?

If you want your blog to be available online and reach a global audience, you’ll need a web server space to host it. This is where all your blog’s data, files, and code will be stored. Without a hosting service, your blog won’t be accessible.

Personally, I’ve been using SiteGround to host my blog from the start. It’s a reliable and affordable option, and I’ve always received immediate assistance from their support team whenever I needed it.

SiteGround offers various hosting plans to suit the size and budget of your blog.

Benefits of using SiteGround to host your blog:

Fast Web Site Loading Times: SiteGround’s servers are optimized for speed, so your blog will load quickly, even during high-traffic times.
Security: Various features are available to keep your blog safe. These include free SSL certificates (which provide communications security over a computer network) and daily backups. I’ve never had security issues using SiteGround.
Easy Installation: SiteGround offers one-click installation, so you can literally have your blog up and running within 15-20 minutes.

Step 1: Starting a Blog with SiteGround

Now that we’ve discussed why we’re using WordPress and SiteGround let’s build a blog!

There are three hosting plans to choose from. For new bloggers, I recommend the StartUp plan. It’s a great choice for newbies with a single website.

Visit SiteGround and click Start Now.
Next, click Get Plan under the StartUp plan option.

For the affordable price of $2.99 per month, you’ll have your own blog site hosted by a reliable company with fast and secure service (billed annually).

The other options include the GrowBig and GoGeek plans for more seasoned bloggers with bigger needs, and you can always upgrade in the future.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

After choosing your plan, you’ll be prompted to either register a new domain or migrate your current domain to SiteGround. As a new blogger, you probably won’t have a domain name already.

However, if you do have an existing domain name, proceed to Step 3 without registering a new one.

Things to consider before choosing a domain name:

Is the domain name you want available for registration? Conduct a search on domain registration websites to check availability.
- If the domain name’s unavailable, explore other names or consider contacting the current domain owner to negotiate a purchase price. The easier option would be to find an available domain name.
Is it already tied to another brand or company? Conduct a search to verify that your chosen domain name doesn’t violate any legal rights of others to avoid trademark and copyright issues.
Consider the domain extension you want to use.
- The most common is “.com,” but many other options are available (.org, .net, .co, .info, etc.).
Can your target audience easily remember the name and associate it with your product or service?
Is it consistent with your social media presence?
Is it SEO (search engine optimization) friendly? Will it help boost SEO?
Is the domain name something you’re proud of? Will you be proud of it in the future?

How to Register a New Domain Name:

Select Register a New Domain.
Type in the domain name you’d like to register.
- If the domain is available, SiteGround will allow you to Proceed.
- If the domain is unavailable, you’ll be prompted to choose another domain name.

Lastly, enter your debit or credit card to purchase your options.
- You can also purchase Domain Privacy and Site Scanner service. I purchased both, but you don’t have to.
- Domain Privacy hides your personal information, and Site Scanner alerts you if your site has been hacked. You can learn more about both during the checkout process.

Remember, although your domain name is about your brand and company it’s also important to consider your audience. Take your time choosing a domain name, as it plays a crucial role in establishing your online presence.

Step 3: Review and Complete Your Order

Lastly, review your order before submitting it. One of the things that I love about SiteGround is that you’ll be able to take advantage of the discounted rate for an entire year.

As a new blogger, for less than it would cost you to purchase a cup of coffee at Starbucks, you can start your blog!

Step 3: Migrating an Existing Website to SiteGround

If you have a website hosted elsewhere and you want to migrate it to Siteground:

Select I already have a domain instead of Register a New Domain.
- You can either migrate your website by choosing the automatic migration option and using SiteGround’s Migrator plugin, or Siteground’s experts can transfer your domain for you.
- This step is simple and I chose to use the Migrator plugin because I’m fairly tech-savvy, and it was free. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, if you can follow directions, you can pull this off.
Choose Migrate Website and Superfast WordPress Automigration.

Copy the Migration Token. The token is a very long series of numbers.
- This token allows you to transfer your website from the previous host to Siteground. See the image below so that you can see how this step should appear.
Next, log in to your WordPress Dashboard of the site you’re transferring.
Select Plugins, then select Add New to install/activate the free SiteGround Migrator plugin.

After the plugin is successfully installed, click on SiteGround Migrator and paste the Migration Token that you copied earlier.
Select Start Migration.
Enter your email address when prompted. SiteGround will send you an email message once the site migration is complete.

Step 4: Final Step if Migrating Your Site from Another Host

Check your website to ensure the migration was successful. If migrated successfully, move to the next step. If not, reach out to SiteGround’s support team.
Update your Domain Name System (DNS) settings so that they point to your SiteGround website. SiteGround’s Name servers are ns1.siteground.net and ns2.siteground.net. You’ll receive an email on how to do this. Don’t worry; it’s seamless!
- I like to think of this as your website’s IP address being translated into “human” language as an address online. Another way to think of a similar example (in my mind) is by using a map to travel. Instead of using geographical coordinates, you’d provide a home address instead.

Creating your blog doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By using Siteground as your hosting partner and WordPress as your content management system, you’re well on your way to establishing a digital presence.

And remember, consistency is key when it comes to building a successful blog. Keep at it and watch your blog thrive! Here’s to blogging!