WordPress is a free and open source content management system that’s come a long way from its blogging platform days. WordPress powers over 30% of the web, according to W3Techs.
At Nexcess we offer Managed WordPress and Managed WooCommerce Hosting plans with unmatched speed, reliability, and security. Our specialized highly trained technicians are experienced in WordPress and are always available to help you set up your account and optimize your site to fit your needs.
One of the features we offer to make getting started easier is simply one-click install of WordPress for your site. If you’re having trouble with that, then you can feel confident in knowing that our amazing support team is around 24/7 to help you get started with WordPress.
Let’s get started installing WordPress.
Installing WordPress Step-by-Step
Installing WordPress on our Managed WordPress platform starts by logging into your control panel. When you signed up you should have received the login location to your admin area. If you don’t have that handy, get in touch with our awesome support team.
If this is your first time logging in to our Managed WordPress platform, you’ll be treated to a note from our Managed WordPress team. You can dismiss this notice by clicking the “x” in the top corner.
From there it’s time to click the “Create New Site” button in the top right-hand corner of your admin panel.
Next, you’ll need to name your site, and choose an email to use with the site so that you have an admin user.
If you are installing WordPress sites (plural) then you can save yourself some work later on by using a stencil that you have previously created. A stencil will copy across any changes you’ve made to your base setup of WordPress so that you don’t have to install the plugins you regularly use or make any adjustments to in the WordPress settings if you always make the same ones.
Once you copy the stencil, you will be taken back to the main Managed WordPress admin panel, but you’ll have your site showing up as one of the sites you can work with. You can see below that I created a site for family photos.
You should also have an email with your new username and password that our system sent to you. You’ll need to use this information to access the WordPress admin area of your site.
Now that installing WordPress is complete, it’s time to move on to finding a theme and finding plugins to extend the functionality of your WordPress
Finding Themes
While WordPress generally provides a decent starting theme for most sites, it’s not always perfect for each user. Luckily WordPress gives you the ability to find and test out themes directly from the Admin interface.
Go to Appearance -> Themes and select Add New at the top of the page.
From there you can take a look at the currently featured themes, or use the search box to take a look at the themes that may suit your needs better. Maybe you’re looking for a photography theme so you search photography, and the themes that have been tagged with those platforms will show up as options for you to choose from.
When you see a theme thumbnail you like, click on it to get a larger preview of the theme. Once you’ve picked a theme that you think will fit your site, click “Install” in the top-left corner of the theme preview.
Once you click “Install” for your theme it will take a few seconds and that same button will now say Activate. Click this button to turn the theme on for your site.
Now that you’ve activated your theme you’ll be sent back to the Themes main menu area in your WordPress admin. From here you can dive into customizing your theme with any of the built-in options provided. Many themes will have customizations accessible through the WordPress Customizer and provide a button directly on the Themes main screen to take you directly to the available customizations.
Finding Plugins
While a theme takes care of the visual look of your site, it’s likely you’ll still want to add functionality to your site. Again, WordPress has you covered with its extensive plugin eco-system. To find free plugins for your site go to Plugins -> Add New.
Much like the Themes menu, you’ll see a number of recommended plugins first. You can also search for plugins if you don’t see what you’re looking for right away. To do this use the search field in the upper right-hand corner of the Plugin admin area. When you see a plugin you want, click “Install Now.”
A few seconds after you’ve clicked “Install Now” the button will change to “Activate.” To turn the plugin on, click “Activate.” After that most plugins will take you to the Plugins main area on your site.
Some plugins, like WPForms used in our example, will take you to a configuration screen to help you get set up. In this case, WPForms is helping us set up our first form.
At the end of the day, whatever CMS you choose, you just want it to work and to help your business gain traction in your industry. Here at Nexcess, exceeding our customers’ expectations is the most important thing.
Wendall Harness, CEO of Harness Media, moved to Managed WordPress Hosting with Nexcess and here is what he had to say about the move:
When I was hosting with WP Engine I was paying $200 more a month for slow performing websites, which forced me to pay even more money for caching plugins to fix the problem. Now that I’m at Nexcess, my sites run much faster right out of the gate without really having to do anything. What’s even more amazing is that I’ve been able to remove my caching plugins, and not only did I save even more money, but my sites run faster now!
The success of Wendall’s site is not only the result of a reliable web host but also a team of technicians on hand ready to provide support no matter the time of day. Our fully-managed 24/7/365 Support, 24×7 Proactive Monitoring, full hardware and software management, and access to a number of security advantages are what sets our WordPress Hosting Plans apart.
No matter the question, we are here to help.
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