Day 2 Worksheet - Launch Your Blog: Domain, Hosting and WordPress

Action Step

Compare hosting options, register your domain name, set up hosting, and install WordPress. By the end of this worksheet, your blog will be live on the internet!

1 Hosting Plan Comparison

Compare hosting providers before committing. Fill in the details for each option you're considering.

Feature	Option 1	Option 2
Provider Name
Monthly Price
Storage / Bandwidth
Free Domain?
Free SSL?

2 Domain Registration

My chosen domain name (from Day 1)

Domain registrar I'm using

Registration cost per year

Domain is available and purchased

Domain privacy protection enabled

Auto-renew turned on

3 Hosting Setup Steps

1

Sign up for hosting Create your account and choose a plan

2

Connect your domain Point your domain's nameservers to your host

3

Install WordPress Use one-click install from your hosting dashboard

4

Log into WordPress Visit yourdomain.com/wp-admin

5

Enable SSL (HTTPS) Activate your free SSL certificate

★ My Blog Details

Blog Name

Domain URL

Hosting Provider

WordPress Login URL

WordPress Username

Hosting Account Email

WordPress First Steps Checklist

Deleted the default "Hello World" post

Deleted the sample page

Updated site title and tagline (Settings → General)

Set permalink structure to "Post name" (Settings → Permalinks)

Discouraged search engines for now (Settings → Reading) — until blog is ready

Deleted unused default plugins (Akismet, Hello Dolly)

Installed Yoast SEO plugin

Created an "About" page

Final Check — Before You Move On

My domain is registered and pointing to my host

WordPress is installed and I can log in

SSL is active (I see the padlock icon in the browser)

I've saved my login credentials somewhere safe

I'm excited and ready for Day 3!

💡 Hosting & WordPress Tips

Start with shared hosting — you can always upgrade later
Always use a strong, unique password for WordPress
Don't install too many plugins — they slow your site down
Use the coupon code FFL60 for up to 60% off HostGator
Back up your site regularly from day one
Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated for security