Start a WordPress Blog (Self-Hosted) in 60 Minutes: Beginner Checklist

If you’ve been staring at your laptop thinking, “how do I start a WordPress blog? I don’t want to mess it up,” hi. You’re in the right place.

This is Part 1 of our WordPress tutorial for beginners, and we’re doing the “boring but important” back-end setup first, because WordPress is still the best platform if you’re creating a blog to make money online.

And yes, we’re going to be your big sisters for a second: we’re not buying 37 add-ons today. We’re setting up a clean site foundation so you can build on it without weird tech drama later.

Watch the video walkthrough so you can follow along

Before you start: what “self-hosted WordPress” actually means

When people say “WordPress,” they’re usually mixing up two different things:

WordPress.com is hosted for you, but it’s limited

On WordPress.com, hosting is provided. It can feel easier, but you’re restricted to the built-in themes, limited backend access, and monetization limits unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Even then, you’re still playing by their rules and building on their land.

WordPress.org is self-hosted, which means you own the house

With WordPress.org, you get your own hosting to run the WordPress software. That gives you full control: you can install any theme or plugin, tweak settings, and even modify code on the backend if you ever want to.

If your goal is to create a blog that makes income online, you want a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Step 1: Buy your domain

Your domain is your blog’s address. Search for the domain name you want and buy it, and then you’re ready to connect it to hosting.

We recommend using a registrar like Namecheap, then linking the domain to your hosting account right after.

Big sister note: buy the domain you actually want if it’s available. Changing domains later is possible, but annoying, so save yourself the headache.

Step 2: Get good hosting

Hosting is where your website lives, the storage space for your whole site.

We use BigScoots, and they offer a shared plan for beginners. You’ll sign up for the plan, then add your new domain to that hosting account.

Keep in mind that when you’re self-hosted, your site’s speed and performance depend heavily on your hosting provider, so choose wisely.

Step 3: Add your domain inside your hosting control panel

Once you’re inside your hosting control panel, you’re going to add the domain you just bought.

On BigScoots shared hosting, scroll to Domains → create a new domain, type your domain without the “www,” and uncheck “shared document root.” Then submit.

This keeps your site structure clean from the beginning, which saves you from weird file path issues later.

Step 4: Connect your domain to hosting (nameservers)

This is the step that makes beginners panic. Don’t.

You’re simply telling your domain registrar (Namecheap) which hosting account your domain should point to.
Update the domain’s nameservers to BigScoots’ public nameservers (or the ones from the host you chose):

ns1.bigscoots.com
ns2.bigscoots.com

In Namecheap, go to Manage Domains → Domain tab → Nameservers dropdown → Custom DNS, paste those in, then click the little checkmark to save.

Then you wait, because DNS propagation can take some time. (Translation: don’t refresh your site 400 times and decide it didn’t work.)

Step 5: Install WordPress (clean install, no “suggested” plugins)

Back in your hosting control panel, scroll to Software, click WordPress Manager, and hit Install.

On the install screen, you’ll:

• choose the correct installation URL (the domain you just added)
• set your site name and description
• change your admin username and password (and save it)

Next, uncheck all the suggested plugins. We want a clean install, and we’ll add plugins intentionally later. Leave the advanced options alone, since that’s database info and the defaults are fine. Then click Install and WordPress does the work for you. When it finishes, you’ll see your main domain and your login URL. Save everything.

Step 6: Run SSL right away (so your site is secure now)

Most beginner guides skip this step, and it’s why people end up with the “Not Secure” warning. We force SSL immediately instead of waiting for it to propagate:

• Back in the control panel, go to Security → SSL/TLS Status → Run AutoSSL.
• Once AutoSSL finishes, your security certificate is active.
• Now you can log into your WordPress dashboard using the admin URL you saved.

Step 7: First login walkthrough (what you’re looking at + what to delete)

When you log in, you’ll see the “Welcome to WordPress” notice. Dismiss it. Then let’s make your dashboard calmer, because WordPress loves clutter. We minimize what we don’t need (Quick Draft, WordPress News), keep what we use (Site Health, Activity), and use Screen Options to remove boxes entirely.

With a cleaner dashboard, you’re more likely to maintain your site responsibly, keep things updated, and notice warning messages.

Step 8: The “must-do” settings beginners miss

1) Publish your Privacy Policy page
WordPress gives you a draft Privacy Policy. You can tweak it (or leave it as is for now) and publish it. If you use affiliate links, ads, email marketing, forms for data collection, shopping carts, or analytics, you’ll want to edit this page to include those things.

2) Delete extra themes (keep the newest default theme)
WordPress installs multiple “year” themes. Delete the older ones, but keep the latest default WordPress theme as a backup in case your main theme ever breaks. We’ll talk about installing a new theme later on.

3) Delete the Hello Dolly plugin
No, you don’t need it. Delete it.

4) Set your timezone (so your schedule matches your life)
In Settings → General, set your timezone and site details so publishing, scheduling, and timestamps reflect your location.

5) Fix your permalink structure now (seriously, do it now)
By default, WordPress can add dates into URLs. Avoid that, because changing dates later can change the link and break everything.

Go to Settings → Permalinks → Post name, then save.

This is one of those “five minutes now or five hours later” steps.

6) Comment settings for performance (yes, this matters)
In Settings → Discussion, we recommend:

• threaded nested comments: set to 3
• break comments into pages: checked
• top-level comments per page: set to 16

This helps performance and Core Web Vitals, especially INP (interaction responsiveness).

What you should understand about your dashboard (so you’re not intimidated)

The left sidebar becomes your home base:

• Updates is where site maintenance happens (themes + plugins)
• Posts is your blog content (you’ll live here)
• Media holds uploads (images, PDFs, etc.)
• Pages are static pages (Privacy Policy, About, Contact, etc.)
• Appearance is where themes and customization live (we’ll do that next)
• Plugins is where we add tools intentionally (next tutorial)
• Users is who has access (keep it tight for security)

If WordPress looks overwhelming, it’s usually because people install too much too fast. We’re keeping it to a clean base for now.

Quick FAQ (because these are the panic points)

Next steps (what to do after this post)

In the next tutorial, we move into customization: installing a theme, changing your colors and fonts, and making your website feel like your brand. After that, we’ll cover plugins, categories/tags, and publishing your first post correctly. For now, your goal is simple: get installed, get secure, get your settings right, and don’t overthink the rest.