Step 1: Select a New WordPress Theme
You’ll want to visit our WordPress Themes Store to pick out your new theme. There you’ll find a broad selection of Premium WordPress Themes with prices starting at $39.00, as well as several free WordPress themes.
Keep in in mind that all Premium WordPress Themes include free lifetime access to the Solostream Support Forum that’s available to you 24/7.
Step 2: Register a Domain Name
A domain name is the web address people use to find your site. It’s the .com name for your site. For example, the domain name for this website is solostream.com.
Domain names can have other endings besides .com, such as .net, .org and .biz. Ideally, when you select a domain name, you want to try and get one with the .com ending as it’s most familiar to people. Of course, that may not be possible, since anyone can register any domain name they choose, and the one you want may not be available.
To register a domain name, there’s an annual fee ranging from $6.00 per year to $20.00 per year, depending on the registrar you use. You should never pay more than $20.00 per year to register a domain. If you find a registrar that charges more than that, look for a different one.
These are the two registrars we recommend:
- HostGator.com ($15.00 Per Year)
- 1and1.com ($8.99 Per Year)
Although HostGator is a bit more costly, we recommend them over 1and1 because they typically provide better service. Also because we recommend HostGator exclusively for your web hosting, and it will just be simpler to have your domain name and web hosting account with the same provider.
Step 3: Set Up a Web Hosting Account
A website is basically a collection of computer files, and those files are stored on a type of computer known as a web server. For a monthly fee, a web hosting provider allows you to store your website files on their web servers. The fees usually range anywhere from $5.00 per month to $20.00 per month depending upon the provider you choose and the type of service they provide.
Some web hosting services can cost more, but for a simple business website or blog on a shared server, you shouldn’t pay more than $20.00 per month. “Shared server” simply means that your website files are stored on a server that you share with other web publishers. Although you share a server, no one will have access to your website files except you.
As stated above, we recommend HostGator exclusively for web hosting. This is the provider we use, and we have been very happy with the level of service they provide. Their pricing is extremely competitive as well. For less than $8.00 per month, you can have a web hosting account that will allow you to host an unlimited number of websites.
Step 4: Install & Set Up WordPress on Your Hosting Account
Once you have your domain name and web hosting account set up, you’re ready to install WordPress. There are a couple different ways to do this, and I’ll start with the simplest method first.
1. Install WordPress Using WordPress Auto-Install – this is a feature that’s offered by several different web hosts, including HostGator, and it will allow you to install WordPress in about 30 seconds. If you’re not sure whether your web host offers this service, simply send an email to their tech support people and ask them. If your host does offer this option, here’s a brief video showing how it’s done.
2. Install WordPress on Your Own Server via FTP Program – This method takes a bit longer, but it’ll get you where you need to go. Read the tutorial here.
Step 5: Install Your New WordPress Theme
All WordPress themes offered by Solostream are delivered via .zip file, so the first thing you’ll need to do is unzip the theme folder. Once that’s done, you simply need to upload the entire theme folder into the wp-content/themes/ folder within your WordPress installation. After you’ve done that, the theme should be available on the Themes panel found under the Appearance tab. Simply find it, and click the Activate link to make it live on your site.