How to Install WordPress on GoDaddy: A Step-by-Step Guide

So you’ve decided to start your website and want to use WordPress for your site as your content management system. Excellent choice! WordPress is popular for a good reason – it’s easy to use and extremely powerful. The only downside is that installation can seem complicated, especially if you’re not technically inclined. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through how to install WordPress on GoDaddy, one of the most popular web hosting services, in a straightforward way. With a complete read of this article, you’ll easily have your WordPress site up and running. Ready to get started? Let’s do this!

Sign in to Your GoDaddy Account

You’ll need to log in first to get WordPress up and running on your GoDaddy account.

• Head to GoDaddy.com and enter your username and password to sign in. If you’ve forgotten your login info, click the “Forgot password?” link to email a reset link.

Once you’re signed in, you’ll want to buy a domain extension name for your website if you haven’t already. GoDaddy offers .com domains for as little as $9.99 per year. Choose a short, memorable, & relevant to your site topic.

• In your GoDaddy account, click “Domains” then “Register a New Domain.” Enter the domain name you want and follow the prompts to complete your purchase.

You’re ready to install WordPress with your domain purchased and account access. This will only take a few minutes.

• Select “Web Hosting” from the Products menu in your GoDaddy account.
• Click “Install WordPress” under the domain where you want to install WordPress.
• Choose a theme and enter your site details, like title and tagline.
• Click “Install,” and WordPress will be installed on your domain within a few minutes.

Once installed, you can access your WordPress admin area to build your site. Congrats, you now have a WordPress site hosted on GoDaddy! Time to start creating content, customizing your theme, and building an audience. The possibilities are endless.

Purchase a WordPress Hosting Plan

You must purchase a WordPress hosting plan to get WordPress up and running on your GoDaddy account. GoDaddy offers three options:

The Basic plan is perfect for new sites. It can handle up to 25,000 monthly visits and includes 10GB of storage. This economical choice is ideal if you’re just getting started.

The Deluxe plan provides 100GB of storage and supports up to 100,000 monthly visits. It’s a solid mid-range plan for established sites with growing traffic.

The Ultimate plan delivers unlimited storage and bandwidth for the biggest WordPress sites. If you have a popular site or e-commerce store, the Ultimate plan has the muscle to keep it running smoothly.

Once you’ve selected a hosting plan that fits your needs, you’ll proceed to the installation process. GoDaddy makes installing WordPress a breeze with their one-click install. You’ll have a new WordPress site ready to customize in just a few minutes.

With an array of hosting plans and simple one-click installation, GoDaddy is a great place to launch your WordPress site. You’ll publish content, connect with readers, and quickly grow your online presence.

Choose a Domain Name

Select a Domain Name for the site.

Choosing a domain is an essential first step. This is your website’s online address and identity. GoDaddy offers a wide selection of domains to choose from.

Consider options that:

• Are short, memorable, and easy to spell
• Relate to your business or site topic
• End in popular extensions like .com, .org or .net

Enter your purchased desired domain in the search bar on GoDaddy’s website if available. If it’s taken, try variations by adding or removing words/numbers or using alternate extensions.

Once you’ve found an available domain you like, purchase and register it to officially claim the name. This typically costs between $10 to $30 per year. Make sure to renew your domain annually to keep it active.

After purchasing your domain, you’ll be ready to start building your WordPress site. GoDaddy makes the installation process quick and simple. You can have your WordPress site up and running on your new domain in just a few clicks.

Install WordPress

Purchase and Install WordPress

Now that your domain is set up it’sinstalling WordPress is time. This content management system will make it easy to build your website.

Log in to your GoDaddy site and go to the Products section. Find WordPress Hosting and click “Install Now.” Select the plan that suits your needs. The basic plan is free and works great for most small websites.

• Enter a name for your website, like “mywebsite.com,” and choose a username and password.
• Pick a theme to determine how your site will look. You can always change it later.
• Enter your billing information from debit to complete the purchase. Your new WordPress site will be live in just a few minutes!

Once installed, you can open your WordPress dashboard by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin. This is where you’ll write posts, create pages, add images, choose plugins, and customize your site. Take several time to explore all the options. WordPress has a learning curve, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly with regular use.

If you need help with using WordPress, check out the extensive documentation on WordPress.org. You can also search online on youtube for video tutorials & how-to guides to help you through any issues. With WordPress as your foundation, you’ll be building a great website in no time!

Select a Theme

Once you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to choose a theme to give your site its look and feel. The theme controls your WordPress site’s layout, styling, and functionality.

Browse the Theme Library

GoDaddy’s Theme Library has over 200 free WordPress themes to choose from. Browse by categories like business, blog, portfolio, or e-commerce to find options suited to your needs. Preview any theme to see how it will appear on your live site.

• Business themes offer an elegant, professional design with options for service pages, staff profiles, and contact forms.
• Blog themes provide an attractive layout that showcases your posts with large featured images and minimal clutter.
• E-commerce themes provide built-in WooCommerce integration to sell products and services on your site easily.

Install Your Theme

Once you’ve found a theme, install it with a single click. GoDaddy automatically activates the theme, and your site will take on the new design. You can then further customize the theme by adjusting colors, fonts, and page layouts using the WordPress Customizer.

No problem if you change your decision – you can switch to a new WordPress theme anytime. Installing a different theme will not affect your content, pages, or blog posts. With so many free, professionally-designed options, you can update your site’s look whenever possible!

The theme is the foundation that shapes your website’s style and presentation. Choose one that reflects your brand and makes your content shine. With GoDaddy’s wide selection, you can find a perfect theme for your WordPress site.

Add Content to Your Site

Now that time your WordPress site is set up, it’s time to add content. This includes:

Posts

The heart of any WordPress site is blog posts. Start by writing an introductory post welcoming visitors to your new site. Then create posts about topics related to your site’s theme. Keep posts between 300 to 500 words for the best results.

• Draft posts in the WordPress editor using headings, images, lists, and links to keep readers engaged.
• Choose an eye-catching featured image to represent each post. This will display on your home page and blog page to attract readers.
• Publish a new post related to your niche at least per week to keep your site active. Engage readers by replying to any comments on your posts.

Pages

Pages are used for kind static content like an About page, Contact page, or Service page. They remain in a fixed place in your site navigation.

• Add pages by going to Pages > Add New in your WordPress admin.
• Use the editor to give each page a title, feature image, and content. Arrange page order by dragging and dropping in the admin.
• The link between pages and posts gives readers more to explore on your site.

Media

Upload photos & images to use in your posts and pages. You can also upload PDFs, audio, video, and other media files.

• Go to Media > Add New to upload files from your computer.
• Organize your media into folders to keep things tidy.
• Use the “Add Media” option in the editor to add media to posts and pages.

With regular posts, well-crafted pages, and useful media, your WordPress site will become a helpful resource for your readers in no time. Keep optimizing and improving your content over time for the best results.

Manage Your WordPress Site

Now that your WP site is set up, it’s time to manage and maintain it. ###Updates

It’s important to keep your WordPress core, plugins, and themes up to date. Outdated software can have security vulnerabilities that put your site at risk.

• Log in to your admin dashboard & click “Updates” to view available updates. Install any core, plugin, or theme updates to ensure you have the latest versions.

Backups

Regular backups of your WordPress site are critical in case anything goes wrong. GoDaddy automatically backs up your site daily, but it’s a good idea also to schedule your manual backups.

• In your GoDaddy account, go to Backups and select “Backup Now” to create an on-demand backup of your site. You can then download the backup file to save externally as an extra precaution.

Security

Security risks like hacking, malware, and spam concern any website. GoDaddy and WordPress offer built-in security, but you should take extra precautions.

• Use always a strong, unique password for your WordPress admin account and plugins.
• Limit login attempts to prevent brute-force attacks. You can set this in GoDaddy Website Security.
• Install a plugin for security like Wordfence Security to monitor for threats, block malicious traffic, and more.
• Be cautious of any unsolicited messages or links related to your site. Phishing attempts are common, so verify the source before clicking or downloading anything.

Managing a WordPress site does require ongoing time and effort, but keeping on top of updates, backups, security, and general maintenance will help ensure your site stays in good shape for the long run.

Add Plugins to Extend Functionality

Once you have WordPress installed, it’s time to add some plugins to enhance your site’s functionality. Plugins are tools created by third-party developers to add specific features to WordPress. Over 50,000 free plugins are available, so you have many functionality plugins to choose from!

Must-Have Plugins

Some essential plugins you should install right away include:

• Akismet: This plugin helps block spam comments and protects your site from malicious bots. It’s made by Automattic, the company behind WordPress, and is trusted by millions of sites.
• Yoast SEO: This popular plugin helps you optimize your site for search engines like Google. It gives you tools to create better page titles, meta descriptions, internal linking suggestions, and more. Yoast SEO is the best way to top your ranking in search results.
• WPForms: This plugin lets you easily create contact forms, surveys, and other forms on your WordPress site. It has a simple drag-and-drop form builder and spam protection to keep bots away.
• WP Super Cache: This plugin speeds up your site by caching pages and posts so they load faster for your visitors. Increased loading times lead to better user experience, higher rankings in Google, and less strain on your hosting server.
• UpdraftPlus: It’s critical to back up your WordPress site if anything goes wrong. UpdraftPlus lets you schedule automatic backups on Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, and other services. 

With these essential plugins installed, you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon. You can explore other plugins to add e-commerce, social sharing, gallery, and other functionality to your site. The possibilities are endless!

Common WordPress on GoDaddy Issues and FAQs

A few common issues may arise once WordPress is installed on your GoDaddy account. Here are some FAQs to help troubleshoot:

Error Messages

If you see an error when accessing your site, check that your domain name is pointed to the correct GoDaddy nameservers. This can take 24-48 hours to update after purchasing a domain. You may also need to clean your browser’s cache to see the new site.

Plugins Not Working

Double-check that the plugin is compatible with your version of WordPress. Outdated plugins often need fixing. You can update plugins directly in your WordPress dashboard. If the plugin does not work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the plugin.

Site Looks Different

WordPress themes control how your site looks. Ensure you have the correct theme activated and that it is current. You may have accidentally switched themes, or your theme customizations needed to be revised. Check your theme settings and re-save any changes.

Forgot Login Info

If you get locked out suddenly of your WordPress admin, you must reset your password through GoDaddy. In your account, go to Products → WordPress Hosting. Click “Reset Password” next to the site in question. Don’t worry. A reset email will be sent with a link to reset a password.

WordPress and GoDaddy make great team, but issues can pop up. Don’t hesitate to contact GoDaddy support for help troubleshooting. They have a dedicated WordPress support staff to get your site on track.

Conclusion | How to Install WordPress on GoDaddy |

So there you have a complete walkthrough for installing WordPress on your GoDaddy hosting account. You now have a powerful content management system to build your website. Initially, the process may have seemed complicated, but you could follow the steps individually. The real fun begins – designing your site, creating content, & sharing your message with the world. Don’t remember to explore all the plugins and themes to customize your site and make it uniquely you. Congratulations, you did it! You’re now the proud owner of a self-hosted WordPress website. Time to start blogging!