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So you want to know how to blog huh?  Well today in this guide I will take you step-by-step through the processes that you will need to follow in order to get started blogging using Wordpress.   Blogging is easy, fun, and can also be very profitable; however, it is important to know how to properly blog.

In this guide I will detail the following:

• The differences between flexible Wordpress blogging and free blogging services.
• How to set up and install a Wordpress blog easily.
• How to customize your blog.
• How to create posts & pages in blogs.
• How to make money blogging using Wordpress.

1. Differences Between Flexible Wordpress Blogging and Free Blogging Services.

Creating your first blog can be a confusing process.  You may be wondering do I need to set up a Wordpress blog or do I need to use a free blogging platform like Blogger.   The answer is simple, if you want flexibility, want the ability to customize your blog, or want to have the possibility to make money from your blog, you will want to set up a Wordpress blog.

Wordpress blogging gives you the ability to upload customized Wordpress plug-ins and Wordpress themes (for free), these themes and plug-ins can help you make a fully functional websites with many exciting features.  With Wordpress blogs you can also have your own customized domain name like (www.AlreadyHosting.com) which will help you create your own brand.  Free blogs will only give you a long domain name like (www.Blogger.com/AlreadyHosting.com).  Long domain names are hard to remember and will ultimately keep people from visiting your blog.

So in conclution, if you are wanting to create a simple blog for only you and your family to read, I would suggest using a free service. However, should you want to have a nice looking blog, with lots of visitors, and have the possiblity to make money you will want to continue reading this guide to learn how to blog using Wordpress.

2. How to Set Up and Install A Wordpress Blog Instantly.

Setting us your first Wordpress blog has never been easier with tools provided by the web hosting provider, Bluehost.  If you follow these very easy steps you will be on your way to blogging within a matter of minutes.

Steps to Setting Up a Wordpress Blog:

1. Before we get started it is important that you have signed up for a web hosting account with either Bluehost or Hostmonster.   Both of these hosts offer professional Wordpress hosting for only $3.95 a month, this is by far the cheapest rate that you will find on hosting across the web.   The discounted $3.95 rate will only be activated if you click on one of the two links above.
2. After signing up for hosting at HostMonster or Bluehost, you will receive an email with your hosting account username and password.  Take this password and user name and sign in to your web hosting account at either BlueHost.com or Hostmonster.com.
3. Once you log into your CPANEL account scroll down to the “Software & Services” box and click on the button that says, “Word Press”.  After selecting the button you will see a large green button that says “Install” .. You will want to click that.
4. I suggest under Step 2 (advanced options) that you create your own password so that it will be easy to remember. Check that you agree to the terms and conditions and push “Complete”.
5. This amazing service provided by Bluehost and HostMonster makes install Wordpress quick and painless.  You will receive an email with all of your Wordpress log-in information.   Now it is time to get started blogging!

3. How to Customize Your Blog.

Wordpress is extremely flexible and can be customized manually by editing the code; however, it also has great options for beginners who may not know how to code.  The web is filled with free wordpress themes like the i3theme offered by MangoOrange.com. These free themes can easily be installed on your blog, along with free wordpress plugins, by following the follow instructions:

How to Install Wordpress Themes:

1. Search the web for free WordPress themes  and download the files that you want to your desktop.
2. Using the instructions you received in your email (after install Wordpress) log into your new Wordpress blog.
3. Once logged in to your account you will see a tab on the left side that says “Appearance”, and under that tab you will see another button that says, “Add New Theme”.  You will need to click on that button.
4. At the top you will see a button that says “upload”, simply click this button.   You will now be able to browse your computer for the free Wordpress theme (should be on your desktop).  After selecting the file click “Install Now”.
5. After successfully installing the theme, you should now click the button that says “Activate”.
6. Congratulations, you have now customized your Wordpress blog with a brand new theme or look.

How to Install Wordpress Plug-ins:

1. Search the web for free Wordpress plugins and download the files that you want to your desktop.
2. Using the instructions you received in your email (after install Wordpress) log into your new Wordpress blog.
3. Once logged in to your account you will see a tab on the left side that says “Plug-ins”, and under that tab you will see another button that says, “Add New”.  You will need to click on that button.
4. At the top you will see a button that says “upload”, simply click this button.   You will now be able to browse your computer for the free Wordpress theme (should be on your desktop).  After selecting the file click “Install Now”.
5. After successfully installing the plug-in, you should now click the button that says “Activate”.
6. Congratulations, you have now customized your Wordpress blog with a brand new theme or look.

4. How to Create New Posts & Pages Within Wordpress

Learning how to blog is very easy using wordpress.   Now that we have set up and customized our new Wordpress blog it is time to get started blogging.  In this section I will take you step-by-step through the process of adding a new post and a new page to your new blog.

How to Create a New Post:

1. Using the instructions you received in your email (after install wordpress) log into your new wordpress blog.
2. Once logged in to your account you will see a tab on the left side that says “Posts”, and under that tab you will see another button that says, “Add New”.  You will need to click on that button.
3. In the small top box type in the title of your post.
4. In the large box simply type your main content here.  You can use the editing tools to edit your texts color, alignment, add box font, or even add links.
5. When you are finished you have the option to add the post to a category or add “Tags”; however, this is not required.  Now to make the new post live on your website you will need to click, “Publish” in the top left corner.
6. If you want to go back and edit a post you can do so by selecting the “edit” button inside the “Posts” tab on the left sidebar.

How to Create a New Page:

1. Using the instructions you received in your email (after install Wordpress) log into your new Wordpress blog.
2. Once logged in to your account you will see a tab on the left side that says “Pages”, and under that tab you will see another button that says, “Add New”.  You will need to click on that button.
3. In the small top box type in the title of your page.
4. In the large box simply type your main content here.  You can use the editing tools to edit your texts color, alignment, add box font, or even add links.
5. When you are finished you will need to click, “Publish” in the top left corner.
6. If you want to go back and edit a page you can do so by selecting the “edit” button inside the “Posts” tab on the left sidebar.

5. How to Make Money With Blogging

In reality there are many different ways to make money while blogging.  However, for simplicity I will only outline a few of the different methods in this section.

Get Traffic & Sell Advertisement:

This is the ideal way to make money with your blog.  If your blog interests many readers across the web, you will find it getting a large amount of traffic (visitors).  Advertisers are always looking to advertise on sites that receive a large number of visitors.  It is important to offer quality content so that others will want to read your blog.  There are many sites out there that allow you to buy/sell advertisement, you will want to check out these sites to help you sell advertisement on your blog.

Promote Affiliate Products:

There are many great companies on the web that will allow you to join their affiliate program.  Cj.com is one of the web’s largest affiliate networks.  With your new blog you can promote another companies products and earn commission when your visitors purchase the product through your site.  You can make a killing with affiliate with affiliate marketing; in fact, some individuals earn millions of dollars each year doing this.

Sell A Product:

If you have created a product, e-book, or offer a service, you can promote your product on your blog and earn a large amount of revenue.

Google Ads:

The most popular method used to earn money on your blog is to place Google Ads on your blog.  After signing up for a free account with Adsense.com you can easily place ads on your new blog.   Some websites earn thousands of dollars each month solely through Google Ads.

Options Unlimited

There are thousands of techniques to earn money on your blog, the richest blog owners have been able to use their creativity to create something that others have not thought of.  My biggest advice to you is to make sure you take time and offer quality content to your readers.   By offering great content you will get dedicated readers which equals a large amount of traffic, in blogging traffic=income.

Summing it All Up……….

This free guide brought to you by AlreadyHosting.com, teaches you how to blog using Wordpress.  To get started blogging all you have to do is simply follow the five easy steps outlined in the guide to creating your first blog.  Thanks!  Share this article with others if you enjoy the tips.

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One of the reasons behind using dedicated hosting is to ensure websites are constantly available to customers and users.  But with the evolving business needs, many webmasters end up finding it difficult to address the challenges associated with the technical aspects, such as software, hardware, control panel and other things.

In recent years, dedicated hosting providers began developing a “managed” hosting model, which removes all the operational burden, enabling webmasters to invest their energies into running their businesses.

The two types of dedicated hosting are: Managed and Unmanaged.

Managed hosting is nothing but “dedicated” hosting that is “managed” for you.  If you need dedicated hosting but are not sure you can handle the responsibility of overseeing the technical aspects, you don’t have to worry – managed hosting is exactly what you are looking for.

Your next question would be, “who is going to manage my dedicated hosting for me?”

The hosting provider that provides dedicated hosting takes care of managed hosting too, ensuring things work as they should.  With this, the responsibility of everything, right from the hardware to software lies with the hosting provider.  They basically take care of anything “server-related” as well as help with the day-to-day operations.

Managed hosting includes but is not limited to:

• Securing your server
• Continuous monitoring, where the problem is taken care of even before the webmaster submits a ticket to report it.
• Installation of firewall, configuring it and making modifications if requested
• Updates for the operating system, control panel, common third party applications etc. as and when required.
• Patch updates
• Ensuring the configuration files are optimized.  The  hosting company keeps tab of this through their continuous monitoring.
• Balancing the loads (traffic) and managing them
• Script debugging
• Uploading files
• Custom firewall configurations
• Filtering of spam and virus
• Script installation
• Managed DNS
• Local data storage, remote storage as well as backups
• Zero downtime
• 24 x 7 support
• Instant response to support tickets

This is not all, some hosts even have separate support teams dedicated to different accounts.

Basically, with managed hosting, the client only needs to build their site and the hosting company does everything needed to keep it online and making it accessible to the increasing traffic without any issues, such as slow loading etc.

Several managed hosting plans come fully-equipped with high levels of security. It has to be said that getting a fully managed dedicated hosting affords complete peace of mind to the webmaster and may also lead to lesser overheads, depending on the company size.  These hosting plans deliver all-round support and care for the infrastructure that is needed for growing businesses.

The only downside if any is that you may lose out on the flexibility of having your own software which you could have, if you were to manage your dedicated hosting yourself.  With managed hosting, the hosting company provides the software and maintains it.

Armed with this knowledge, feel free to look through the various managed hosting providers.  There is no hard and fast rule for what makes a reliable managed host.  You must decide based on your business by choosing options that will keep your website always up and running, while being highly secure.

Oh! Managed hosting is not only for the technically challenged, but is also a great option for those with limited time to maintain the servers or businesses looking to reduce overhead costs.

With all the talk of shifting to dedicated hosting, you must be wondering if it is time for your business to shift to one too.  Most webmasters start off with shared hosting initially, but as the websites grow, it becomes necessary to go dedicated.

Many of us are complacent and forget to look deeply into the website’s needs by observing any increases in traffic or downtime problems.  The best way to figure out if your website needs dedicated hosting is to see if the current shared hosting is able to satisfy your needs.

To decide this, here are a few questions you need to answer:

• Are you having problems with the inability of your shared hosting to handle the increased traffic to your website?

• Has your need for disk space increased from what your web host is providing?

• Has your bandwidth requirement increased considerably from the time you have signed up for shared hosting? If your shared host is unable to meet your bandwidth needs, you will notice that the pages of your website load slowly.

• Is it important for your website to be up and running all the time with absolutely no downtime?

• Will any downtime affect your business, revenue or your reputation?

• Are you looking at installing custom applications, specifically created for your business?

• Do you think a higher level of security with no vulnerability factor is needed for your website?

• Are you looking at hosting an increasing number of websites in the future?

• Do you no longer wish to rely on others for your hosting and want to be in-charge of your websites?

• Do you wish to configure the server and control your website the way you see fit?

If you answer “yes” to most of the questions above, it is more than likely that there is a genuine need for a dedicated server for your business.  You should seriously contemplate shifting to one.

But before going ahead and taking a final decision, there are a couple of things you need to look into:

• The affordability factor, as dedicated servers cost much more than shared servers.  Your business should be able to afford a dedicated server and the benefits you derive from it surpass the server cost, only then will it be worth investing in one.  What is the use of having a dedicated server if all the traffic you are getting is useless and does not contribute to the revenue?  Do you need a dedicated server or do you have to look into getting more conversions first? This is something that needs to be considered seriously.

• The technical aspect of managing a dedicated server on your own.  Handling a dedicated server involves having the technical know-how to handle it. Of course, you could look into managed hosting, but that is going to involve huge expenses.

Expenses need to be kept in mind when looking to shift to a dedicated server.  But the fact is that, although, the initial investment may be high, this type of hosting is cost-effective in the long run.

Dedicated hosting involves you being solely in-charge of your server and that requires a good technical knowledge of the hardware and software, to ensure smooth running.  But you don’t really need to spend sleepless nights over it, what with the availability of managed hosting.  Read all about managed hosting here.

Storage, security, bandwidth and customization being the key aspects, most mid-sized and large businesses go for dedicated hosting.

Businesses looking for increased performance and with decent revenues to cover the costs of the server should opt for dedicated hosting.

As we continue with our Linux and Windows comparison for the operating system to choose when looking for a web hosting plan, we now take a look at the Windows operating systems.

Windows Operating System

The Windows operating system is developed and owned by Microsoft, which means it is expensive to set up and run a Windows server.  However, the fact that it is expensive to run a Windows server does not necessarily mean that the hosting plans are more expensive than Linux-based ones. You are sure to find some hosting plans that are cheaper than Linux.

What You Get With Windows Hosting

• Windows hosts can offer their users Microsoft-licensed technologies and applications like .NET, ASP, Visual Interdev, Visual Basic and ColdFusion.

• Offers good support for websites created using Microsoft FrontPage. But when using a Linux or Unix-based host, it is important to make sure that the company supports FrontPage extensions used on the website.  Other applications by Microsoft are not supported by the Linux or Unix hosting providers.

• For people looking for Microsoft’s MSSQL database, Windows hosting is the best choice, unless one is looking for an enterprise class database, for which a Linux platform can offer different features.

• Access databases are only available with Windows hosting and not found on Linux hosting.  For webmasters looking to integrate their site with an Access database, a Windows hosting plan is needed.  To use Access database on other servers, it has to be converted and this is a difficult process.

• Windows OS also comes with plenty of support, making it easier for webmasters.

• People who use Windows on their computers will find it easy to use or maintain a Windows-based server.

The cons, if any, of using Windows hosting are the expenses involved pertaining to the licensing costs imposed by Microsoft.

Similarities Between Windows and Linux

• Both the servers support JavaScript and HTML pages.  Windows servers use .htm and Linux servers use .html files, but these names do not really mean anything as there is no difference.

• Although, FrontPage extensions are more popular with Windows servers, even Linux servers offer them.

• CGI and Perl access are found on both the servers, but more common to Linux.

Webmasters who need to program forms should ensure CGI is offered by the hosting plan or that some other server-side scripts like ASP, PHP and ColdFusion are offered to process them.  While ColdFusion is available on both, ASP is found on Windows and PHP on Linux.

In conclusion, for most small businesses, Linux-based hosting plans work great as they are efficient to use, cost effective and come with a lot of features. Windows plans are preferred for MSSQL, Access, Windows Streaming Media and all specific Microsoft technologies.  Linux offers very limited support for these technologies which can prove to be expensive without really offering much.

For those looking for Macintosh hosting servers, since they are uncommon with web hosts, it may be required to self-host such websites.  Although, Unix is very similar to Linux, it is not as popular or common due to its hardware being more specific as well as being expensive.

Both Linux and Windows servers are coming up with new features, in terms of features, reliability and security. Which one do you prefer?

That’s a difficult question to answer and depends on your needs.  If you need the highest level of security, then you may look at Linux.  If you are looking for compatibility with Microsoft products, then Windows is for you, but it is going to be more expensive than other operating systems. Looking for PHP compatibility?  Then, look at Linux. Now you know that it is really more about what your needs are, rather than which one is the best.

But then again, it is important to keep in mind that when using technologies that are server specific, it becomes difficult to change hosts, as compared to using technologies that can be used on any system.  Unless you are looking for features that are exclusive to one particular platform, it may be a better idea to go ahead and settle with a good host rather than break your head over the server to use.

This article is a continuation of:  Linux or Windows Web Hosting? Part-1

While finding a web host may be all about the features being offered, there is one aspect of web hosting that creates confusion for many marketers – which operating system will the server run on?

We are going to try and provide a clear picture of the more popular operating systems here, and the decision to choose the one that is a perfect fit for your business lies with you; of course, keeping the intended use as well as the budget in mind.

These are the various operating systems offered by web hosts all over the Web:

• Linux
• Windows
• Unix
• Macintosh

Out of these, Linux and Windows are the most popular and easily available operating systems. Unix systems are almost the same as Linux, and Macintosh systems are extremely few and far in between.

The Choice Of Operating System

The scripting language used for the website plays a major role in the selection of the right operating system.  If the website concerned is using ASP Dot Net scripting language, then the best bet is to go with Windows hosting; but for MySQL:, PHP or Perl, the preferred choice is Linux server hosting.

Linux Operating System

Linux web hosting is considered as more stable, reliable and universally compatible, due to the speed and functionality of the operating platform.  On the other hand, it may not be the best choice for those looking for chat, E-commerce add-ons, searchable database or similar interactive facilities. Linux may also not gel with anything related to Windows, such as Visual Basic, in which case, it is better to look for a Windows-based server.

What You Get With Linux Hosting

• Linux can be downloaded free as it is an open source software as there are no licensing fees attached, unlike others. Along with the OS, it also has a full-fledged server and desktop applications that are free, such as Web Server, File Server, FTP and DNS Server. This proves to be economical, as the host only charges the cost of distribution.

• It is easy to install Linux and get it going, and this is the reason for the popularity of this operating system.

• For people keen on universal compatibility irrespective of the operating system, Linux offers a wide range of programs and custom scripts.

• If a webmaster wishes to shift from a Linux-based website to a Windows web server at any point of time, it can be done with the least effort.

• Linux web hosting is Linux OS and APACHE web server, PHP server coding applications and MYSQL database all under one roof.

• If the website uses scripting languages like MySQL, PHP or Perl and written in HTML, Linux web hosting is a perfect choice.

• Web hosting providers offer different databases that can be run on Linux hosting; such as MySQL, mSQL and PostgreSQL.

• Linux hosting is also considered to be more secure.

• For users that are not looking for any unique features like searchable  databases, cart etc., Linux is the best alternative.

• Both Linux and Windows offer FTP access but only Linux offers ssh or telnet access.  FTP is the method through which files from the hard drive can be shifted to the Web server.  SSH and Telnet are used to open a window on the Web server to directly work with files.

To make a long story short, Linux is known for its high uptime and steadiness to loads.

We will look at Windows hosting and other specifics that will give you a better idea on what to look for when choosing a hosting platform in Part-2 of this article.

Read: Linux or Windows Web Hosting? Part-2

You’ve learnt all you can about web hosts and finally chosen the one you think fits your needs perfectly.  You have even set the DNS for the website.  But wait before you heave a sigh of relief.  There is something else that needs to be taken care of.

You are now faced with the task of uploading your website to the web host.  Uploading means moving files from your hard drive or any local environment to the web server.

I can tell you from experience (initial days) that unless you know how to go about it, a lot of time can be wasted.

Although, there are several ways of uploading web pages to a host, the most common is by using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software.  But before uploading, once the web page creation is over, they need to be saved as .html or .htm.

Some web hosts now provide a control panel where these web pages can be uploaded. If this is not available, then an FTP program needs to be used or an HTML editor to upload files.   Whatever you decide to use, it is required to check if the hosting company supports the method. Most of the free web hosts do not provide these options.

FileZilla or WS_FTP are the free FTP clients that allow you to save your web pages to your web host or the remote server.

Download the FTP client of your choice, install it and create an FTP account.  After opening the FTP program, the FTP host address needs to be typed, which is usually “yourdomain.com” or sometimes “ftp.yourdomain.com.” You can check out both to see what works.  Sometimes only one may work and at others, both.  Next, you will have to enter the username and password that you used when you created an FTP account with your host, and finally click on the connect button to establish a connection with the web host.

In the FTP client, you will find a section for the local site with folders at the top and files at the bottom. The other section is for the remote host or the web host.

Web host help can be sought to find out where the files are to be uploaded.  They usually go into the root directory, into a folder called “www” or “public_html.”  All the website files need to go into this particular folder, so that they can be accessed by the public.  Files can be transferred individually or as complete directories.

While all other web pages can be given any name, the main page in all directories on the site should be index.htm/.html/.php.  This is the page that is displayed by default.

Files are moved with FTP in both binary and ASCII modes, and the FTP software may determine the method to use.  But at times, this may need to be specified manually.  The rule of the thumb is that all files that are opened with a text editor should be transferred as ASCII.  Graphics, media files and compiled programs are transferred in the binary mode.

We have discussed FTP at length here as it is the most popular method of transferring files from the local area to a remote host (web host.) There are other methods that can be used.  You will find that many website creation programs come with built-in transfer mode.  One of the most common is the Microsoft FrontPage. But before using it, make sure your web host supports it.  FrontPage takes care of uploads to the web host without any manual intervention.

There are also online site-builders that not only help create web pages, but also store them in the appropriate locations on the server.  These site builders are found on the control panel in the hosting account.

Happy uploading!

Registering a domain name is one of the easiest things to do, even for someone who hasn’t done it before.

But for the website to be active, once the domain is registered, the domain name addresses have to be linked to the web host that you have signed up with.

DNS servers provide this link between the domain name and an IP address.  Every web server has a unique IP number.  For websites that are hosted on dedicated servers, the IP addresses remain unique and when someone enters the domain name or the IP address into the browser, the website will show up.  However, when a website is hosted on a shared server, the IP address for everyone that shares that server remains the same. So, when the IP address is entered in the browser, the website is not shown.

This is where DNS servers come into the picture. Domain name servers are the “bridge” between the domain names and IP addresses.  They allow several websites to be hosted on a single server.

Let us see how this works.

After buying a domain and registering it, the next step is to sign up with a web host and upload the web site files to the host’s servers.  But even after uploading the web pages, unless the domain name servers are changed, the website will remain inaccessible and when the name is entered into the browser, it will show a page under construction or an error.

When a domain name is registered, the DNS always automatically points to the domain registrar you have registered the name with.  If the domain name registrar as well as the web host is one and the same, then the DNS need not be changed.  But if the web host is different, the DNS has to be changed to point to the servers given by the web host.

The DNS server information contains of two names: the primary name server and the secondary name server.

For example:

NS1.DOMAINNAME.COM (111.222.33.4)

NS2.DOMAINNAME.COM (111.222.3.44)

These details will be given by the web host. But for some reason, you have no idea where this information is found, you can contact their support.  This is an essential step for a website to go online and become accessible on the World Wide Web.

After getting the DNS information from the web host, you will have to go to your domain registrar and change the default settings to the new DNS information given by the hosting company.

Don’t expect your site to be accessible instantly upon changing the DNS information.  It may take up to a maximum of 48 hours for these changes to be effective and the site to become available.

This time is needed because the DNS is a system where there are root servers for storing the complete database of domain names and IP addresses.  There are also other DNS servers to maintain only some information of the main database.  When a DNS servers gets a request that does not exist in its database, it passes that request to a higher level database or another DNS server.  When this request actually comes to the exact server where the matching domain name and IP address exist, then the website becomes accessible.

Now that you understand how to link your domain names to the web host, things get simplified.  Remember, it is not essential to do that immediately upon registering a domain name.  This can be done at any point of time.

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