1. Register your domain name.

You can click here to purchase a domain name and create a blog, then follow the easy steps below to get your blog online using the WordPress installation.

The very first thing you will need to do when starting a WordPress blog on Hostgator is to think about what you want your domain name to be. This can be challenging, but not an impossible task. Think carefully about this, as your domain name will be your brand. Make sure the domain name relates to the keyword or niche you would like to target.

You can get your domain directly through GoDaddy and make the whole process very easy. If you do this, you can get a FREE domain for the first year as long as you buy 12 months’ worth of GoDaddy web hosting. This makes it well worth it to sign up for at least 12 months of hosting as you will be saving a good amount of money this way.

You also get a cheaper monthly price when you buy at least 12 months of hosting, so the free domain just makes it even better. If you want an even better deal, the best value would be purchasing a 36-month plan, as the billing cycle for a monthly rate is much lower over the long run. If you decide to get the free domain, just continue to the next step as you can buy your hosting and get the free domain all in one step.

2. Buy hosting for your blog.

When choosing a hosting package, the Hostgator basic plan which is the Hatchling is really all you need. It’s only $1.74 per month through my link if you sign up for 36 months, which is a great price.

If you are unsure about what hosting plan to go for, I would sign up for the 12-month plan as this is still a great price and very affordable for one year of blogging. If you purchase a 12-month plan, your total price is only $66.68 a year, which is still a great price. The best value would be purchasing a 36-month plan, as your monthly rate is much lower over the long run:

• The Hatchling plan is all that you really need, for now, so don’t worry about the Plus and Business Pro plans as they may be more expensive. You can always change it later if the need presents itself. So there is no need to sign up for the Plus or the Pro plan at this stage.
• You may want to pay for the Domain Privacy Protection as an additional. This allows your contact information to stay safe.
• You do not need the other items that Hostgator sells, so I would uncheck any of the extras that are listed.

You should purchase at least a 36-month hosting plan rather than a month-to-month which is not ideal. The more years you sign up for, the less you pay.

When you are ready to create your blog, follow the steps below to buy hosting for your blog:

1. Go to Hostgator plan and click the “Get Started Now” button.
2. Click on the package you are interested in. You can get started with the Hatchling plan.
3. Enter your personal and payment information.
4. Next, you will be asked to enter a password. Make sure it’s secure as this information is very important.

3. Connect your domain and your hosting service.

Having purchased your domain from Namecheap, you will need to connect your domain to your hosting account. Namecheap has a full support page for setting nameservers for your domain names.

4. Install WordPress on Hostgator.

After you create your password, Hostgator guides you through exactly what you need to do in order to start your first blog post.

Yippee! Your WordPress blog is now ready. You will have to work on the design as well as create high-quality content but there’s no rush. Take your time and research and write great content for your audience.