Are you looking to use WordPress to create your dream website for your business or hobby?
Let us guide you through setting it up correctly, including bonus tips based on our 15+ years of expertise with this groovy open content management system.
How to install WordPress correctly
Before we begin, it’s important to note that there are two types of WordPress sites:
- WordPress.org: the open content management system whereby you choose a web host to get your website online. You can access all the public plugins (addons) and themes (shell of your website) created by a worldwide audience.
- WordPress.com: a site builder experience that is similar to Squarespace and Wix. You have limited choices of plugins (addons) and themes (shell of the site), and your web hosting is done through WordPress.
Our tutorial and blog post focus on WordPress.org, which makes perfect sense, given that we are also a web hosting company.
Installing WordPress with cPanel
Most web host providers (including us) offer a control panel where you can log in and manage your website files. You can access the cPanel through your GROW Dashboard.
In cPanel, you’ll find ways to install software.
We’ll cover two main methods. The method you choose will differ based on your provider. If you host with True Green®, we recommend WordPress Toolkit, as it’s more accessible and offers more tools. This is available for all plans except the Lite True Green® Hosting plan.
Softaculous WordPress installation guide
Watch this tutorial that covers the steps you need to take:
Key Steps covered in the tutorial
- Log in to your cPanel environment.
- Select the “Softaculous App Installer” or a similar app installer.
- Choose to install WordPress.
- Select the domain (web address) or create a new directory for the installation.
- Choose the most recent version of WordPress.
- Customise site name, description, username, password, and admin email.
- Skip irrelevant options like enabling multi-site and disabling cron (advanced users only) unless necessary.
- Be cautious when adding several plugins to avoid slowing down the site.
- Change the default wp database name and table prefix for extra security.
- Consider disabling update notification emails and be careful with auto-upgrade plugins and theme settings, which may break your website.
- Choose backup options only if your web host does not cover this outside Softaculous. Hint: Our backups are in cPanel and won’t impact your disk space amounts when you use that method compared to this one.
- Select a lightweight theme that doesn’t require multiple plugins for functionality.
- Review all settings and details before pressing the install button.
WordPress Toolkit (WP Toolkit) Install guide
The WordPress Toolkit is our preferred tool for managing WordPress. It is available at selected web hosting providers and is included in our Basic, Kickstart, and Bloom plans.
WP Toolkit provides crucial features like the Smart Update tool, which uses artificial intelligence to detect update issues before rolling them out to your live website. It also includes bonus security settings to add an extra layer of protection to your website.
Watch this video to see how to install WordPress with WP Toolkit:
Installing WordPress Using the WordPress Toolkit: Step-by-Step Guide
- Accessing WordPress Toolkit
- Log in to your web hosting account.
- Navigate to the cPanel or control panel.
- Look for the WordPress Toolkit, usually found on the left-hand side, under Domains or a similar menu section.
- Managing Existing Installations or Installing a New Site
- View existing installations for management or cloning.
- To install a new WordPress site, click on “Install” for a new WordPress website.
- Setting Up the New WordPress Site
- Enter site details like domain (website address), website name, and HTTPS preference (usually https for best practice).
- Choose plugins and themes carefully to avoid website complications.
- Select the website language and WordPress version. It’s best practice to choose the most current version.
- Customise your username, password, and email. Avoid using “admin”, and make sure your password contains many random characters for extra strength.
- Configure database settings for security.
- Set automatic updates for WordPress, plugins, and themes.
- Smart Update Technology
- WordPress Toolkit offers smart update technology to detect major website issues.
- Use this feature sparingly and consider defining updates individually for better control.
- Additional Theme and Plugin Management
- Define updates for themes and plugins individually.
- Consider creating a child theme with your developer (or use a plugin) to safeguard customisations during theme updates, such as code a website developer adds to fix your website layout or style.
- Finalising Installation
- Click on “Install” to complete the WordPress installation process.
- Monitor the installation progress, and if there are any issues, try again and check the settings are correct. If problems persist, choose a different install method or contact your hosting provider.
- Advanced Features and Security Settings
- Utilise additional security features provided by the WordPress Toolkit. You may also like a plugin like Solid WP Security, which we include in our Kickstart and Bloom plans.
- Access the database, log in to the site, and enable hotlink protection (for True Green®, we have already turned this on elsewhere).
- Consider the staging sites, cloning, and copy data options later for significant website changes.
Benefits of WordPress Toolkit
- WordPress Toolkit simplifies WordPress installation and management tasks.
- Added security features, automatic updates, and advanced options for website customisation.
- It is recommended for ease of use and is included in many hosting plans.
Additional steps to get your WordPress in good shape
After installing WordPress, there are a few extra settings to update before creating your dream website.
Watch this detailed tutorial that explains your options and what they are all for:
Optimising Your WordPress Installation
- Dashboard Setup
- Remove the test comment.
- Customise the site title and tagline, and add your site icon. You can create the icon using Canva.
- Update WordPress and site addresses if required.
- Set default user role, timezone, and date format.
- Writing Settings
- Choose blog settings and post formats.
- Configure the post via email option if you want to post from your email account. To avoid issues, you may also want to change the default PHP Mail option to your email server with the site using a plugin like WP SMTP.
- Reading Settings
- Select homepage and post page options based on whether your website is a blog or content-based site.
- Set the number of posts to display if using the default WordPress template.
- If the site is ready to go live and be found by Google, enable search engine indexing. You can also change this later.
- Discussion Settings
- Manage comments and moderation settings.
- Disable comments to prevent spam on your website.
- Media Settings
- Set default image sizes for thumbnails.
- Organise media files into folders.
- Permalinks
- Configure URL structure for better SEO.
- Create custom permalink structures if needed. The most common are category and post names to allow for blogs and page names.
- Privacy Settings
- Set up a privacy policy page for the website, or come back and do this later.
- Tools
- Manage users and their roles.
- Install and manage plugins for added functionality.
- Use site health check and troubleshooting tools later on to identify any issues.
- Themes and Templates
- Choose lightweight themes like Hello by Elementor or Astra.
- If using this site builder, use Elementor for custom templates and designs. Other builder options include Gutenberg or Divi.
- Content Management
- Create and manage pages using Gutenberg, Elementor, or your preferred site builder.
- Organise blog posts and media files based on your preferences
Additional Tips
Are you looking to get more WordPress support?
Access True Green’s Kickstart and Bloom plans for expert guidance, a library of video tutorials, and premium plugins that are worthwhile using.
