GoDaddy is one of the most popular domain registration platforms across the world. Due to its ease of usage and a wide range of features, users prefer creating their WordPress website on GoDaddy. If you are also looking to use GoDaddy and WordPress together, do not turn away. This detailed guide will provide you the entire process, right from setting up your GoDaddy WordPress website hosting to customizing your WordPress website.
Step by step guide to use WordPress with GoDaddy
Step 1 – Purchase a GoDaddy WordPress hosting plan
Visit GoDaddy:
Go to the GoDaddy website – www.godaddy.com
Navigate to Websites and Hosting and then to WordPress Hosting.
Choose a plan:
Select a plan that suits your needs. GoDaddy offers several options to the users based on their needs, right from basic to advanced plans
Once selected, click on buy and proceed to checkout.
Complete the purchase:
Follow the action prompts appearing on the screen to complete your purchase. At the time of checkout, GoDaddy will provide you with 1 month, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months purchase option and also show the discounts offered on the same. Once selected, click on Continue to Cart at the bottom.
Once you click on Continue to Cart, it will prompt you to create an account on GoDaddy. However, it is not mandatory, and you can click on ‘Sign in later’ and proceed for checkout without account creation.
GoDaddy will send you a confirmation email along with details about the hosting plan you have purchased.
Step 2 – Setting up your Domain
Choose a Domain:
If you don’t have a domain, you can purchase the domain from GoDaddy.
Go to Domains > Search for a domain and find an available domain name. If you have not found a domain name, your can make use of AI Powered Generate Domain Name feature to find a perfect domain for your website.
Connecting your existing domain:
If you already have a domain, you need to point it to your GoDaddy hosting.
Login to the GoDaddy account.
Source: Godaddy.com
Go to My Products > Domains. Select the domain you want to connect and click on Manage.
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The control panel page of that particular domain will open.
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Click on Domain Settings and then Click on Manage DNS option.
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When you click on Manage DNS, you will be taken to DNS Management page. Scroll down on this page and click on Nameservers. Click on Change in the Nameservers.
Source: Godaddy.com
In order to point your domain to GoDaddy hosting IP address, you will have to select the Custom option under Choose your new nameserver type.
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Once you select Custom option, 2 boxes will appear with the prompt Enter your nameserver. To connect your domain to GoDaddy website hosting platform, you will have to fill both the boxes. These addresses start with NS1 and NS2.
Source: Godaddy.com
If you do not know your nameserver addresses, check with your hosting provider
Once you have filled addresses in both the boxes, click on Save. Congratulations! Your domain is now linked with GoDaddy hosting platform.
Note – The connection of domain name with hosting account may take upto 48 hours.
Step 3 – Install WordPress
Access Your Hosting Account:
Log in to your GoDaddy account.
Go to My Products and click on Web Hosting.
Click Manage next to your hosting plan.
Install WordPress:
In the hosting dashboard, find the Installatron Applications Installer.
Source: Godaddy.com
Click on WordPress and then Install this application.
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Fill in the required details, such as your site name, admin username, and password.
Click Install to start the installation process.
Source: Godaddy.com
Step 4 – Configure your WordPress site
Log In to WordPress:
After installation, you can log in to your WordPress dashboard. Use the admin username and password you set during installation.
Choose a Theme:
Go to Appearance and click on Themes.
Click Add New to browse and install a theme that suits your site’s purpose.
Install essential Plugins:
Go to Plugins and click on Add New.
Search for and install essential plugins such as Yoast SEO, Akismet, and Jetpack.
Activate the plugins after installation.
Step 5 – Customize your Site
Set Up Your Homepage:
Go to Settings and click on Reading.
Choose whether to display your latest posts or a static page as your homepage.
Create Pages and Posts:
Go to Pages and click on Add New to create new pages.
Go to Posts and click on Add New to create blog posts.
Customize Menus:
Go to Appearance and click on Editor.
If you do not see editor option under Appearance, click on Menus or Customize and then click on Menus.
Source: WordPress.com
Create and manage your site’s navigation menus.
Configure Widgets:
Go to Appearance and click on Widgets.
Source: WordPress.com
Step 6 – Optimize your WordPress website for SEO
Install an SEO Plugin:
Install and activate the Yoast SEO plugin.
Go to SEO and click on General to configure the plugin settings.
Optimize Content:
Use the Yoast SEO meta box to optimize your posts and pages for target keywords.
Ensure your content is well-structured and includes relevant keywords.
Submit your Sitemap:
Go to SEO > General > Features and enable the XML sitemap feature.
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
Step 7 – Secure your website
Install an SSL Certificate:
Go to My Products and click SSL Certificates.
Follow the prompts to install an SSL certificate on your site.
Enable Security Plugins:
Install and activate security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri.
Configure the settings to protect your site from threats.
Why choose GoDaddy for WordPress?
There are several reasons you should choose GoDaddy for WordPress website. Some of the features are listed below to make your decision easier.
- User-friendly interface – The ease of navigation makes it easy to use even for beginners.
- Reliable hosting platform – Higher uptime and faster loading speeds.
- 24 x 7 support – Access to customer support at your fingertips whenever you require.
- Integrated tools – Provide additional tools for SEO, backups, and security to make your site secure and easy to access.
Conclusion
Using WordPress with GoDaddy is an easy-to-use process that offers you a range of benefits, right from a reliable hosting to ease of website management. By following this guide, you can set up and customize your WordPress site efficiently, ensuring it is optimized for performance and security.
Still not able to setup and run your website? Reach out to the WisdmLabs team for expert WordPress website development services to help you build your next dream website easily and quickly.
