Step 1: Sign Up for a Free Wordpress Account
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Visit the
Wordpress home page
and select the 'Sign Up' button to register for a Wordpress account.
You'll need a valid email address (that has not been used to create
another Wordpress account) to sign up for a new Wordpress account.
Step 2: Enter Information to Create Your Free Wordpress Account
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To sign up for a Wordpress account, you'll be prompted to enter a
username and password of your choosing. You'll also be asked to confirm
that you've read the terms and conditions of the Wordpress website.
Finally, you'll be asked whether you want to create a blog or simply a
Wordpress account. If you want to start a blog, make sure the box next
to 'Gimme a Blog!' is checked.
Step 3: Enter Information to Create Your New Wordpress Blog
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To create your Wordpress blog, you'll need to enter the text you want
displayed in your domain name. Free Wordpress blogs always end with
'.wordpress.com', so the name you choose for users to type into their
Internet browsers to find your blog will always be followed by that
extension. You will also have to decide on the name for your blog and
enter that name in the space provided to create your blog. While the
domain name you choose cannot be changed later, the blog name you select
at this stage can be edited later.
You will also have an opportunity to select the language for your
blog in this step as well as decide whether you want your blog to be
private or public. By selecting public, your blog will be included in
search listings on sites such as
Google and
Technorati.
Step 4: Congratulations - Your Account is Active!
Once you have successfully completed the 'Create Your Blog' step, you'll
see a screen that tells you your Wordpress account is active and to
look for an email confirming your login information.
Step 5: An Overview of Your Wordpress User Dashboard
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When you log into your newly created Wordpress blog, you'll be taken to
your user dashboard. From here, you can change your blog's
theme (design), write
posts and pages, add users, revise your own user profile, update your
blogroll,
and more. Take some time to explore your Wordpress dashboard, and
don't be afraid to test out the various tools and features available to
you to help customize your blog. If you have any problems, click on the
'Support' tab in the upper right corner of your screen. This will take
you to the online help section of Wordpress as well as the active user
forums where you can ask questions.
Step 6: Overview of the Wordpress Dashboard Toolbar
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The Wordpress dashboard toolbar will help you navigate through your
blog's administration pages to do everything from writing posts and
moderating
comments
to modifying your blog's themes and customizing your sidebars. Take
some time to press all the tabs on your dashboard's toolbar and explore
the pages you find to learn all the cool things you can do in Wordpress!
Step 7: Choosing a Theme for Your New Wordpress Blog
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One of the best features of starting a free Wordpress blog is making
it your own with the various free templates and themes available right
through your Wordpress dashboard. Just click on the 'Presentation' tab
on your dashboard toolbar. Then select 'Themes' to see the various
designs you can choose from. You can try several different themes to
see which one works best for your blog.
Different themes offer different levels of customization. For
example, some themes allow you to upload a custom header for your blog,
and each theme offers various widgets you can select from to use in your
sidebar. Have fun experimenting with the different options available
to you.
Step 8: An Overview of Wordpress Widgets and Sidebars
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Wordpress provides a variety of ways to customize your blog's sidebars
through the use of widgets. You can find the 'Widgets' tab under the
'Presentation' tab of your main Wordpress dashboard toolbar. You can
use widgets to add
RSS
tools, search tools, text boxes for ads and more. Explore the widgets
available in the Wordpress dashboard and find the ones that enhance your
blog the best.
Step 9: You're Ready to Write Your First Wordpress Blog Post
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Once you've taken the time to familiarize yourself with the Wordpress
dashboard and user environment and customized your blog's appearance and
functionality, it's time to write your first post. Enter the title and
text for your post, and select the 'Publish' icon to kickoff your blog!
