Setting up a Database

General steps to set up a basic MySQL database through your web host:

1. In your web host's control panel, find the place where you can manage your MySQL databases.
2. Create a database, create a user, and then add the user to the database. Make sure to jot down the database name, username, and password; you will need these information when installing your blogging software.
3. Install your chosen software. Each blogging platform comes with explicit step-by-step installation instructions and troubleshooting tips, both with the downloaded software and online.

The exact steps you take to install the software depend on which software you are installing.

Uploading files with FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP is a method used to move material from one computer to another over the internet. In order to install any blogging software, you need to use FTP to upload your software files to your web host in order to complete the installation.

There are two formats to upload files in FTP:

• ASCII is a character encoding based on the English alphabet and is used to represent text in computers. Most files are moved in this format to ensure they are preserved in an FTP transfer.
• Binary is a file that typically contains bits of data that are meant to represent something other than textual data. In FTP terms, this usually means images and photos.

Be attentive to your blog software's installation instructions, as they will usually tell you which files need to be moved via FTP in what format, ASCII or Binary.

Pointing Domain to Web Host

A web host provides server space for your website to live. In order for someone to find where your website lives, they need the address, and you need to associate your address with its new dwelling. In technical terms, point your domain name to your web host.

Every registrar is different, but most let you edit the DNS (domain name system), which is a service that translates your domain name into an IP address. When you register a domain name, the registrar holds your domain name in place for you until you tell it which IP address it should point to. IP addresses are held by DNS servers, and the web host you choose has its own set to identify its location. To point your domain name from your registrar to your web host, you have to change the DNS for your domain name to the DNS specified by your web host.

When you sign up for hosting, your web host should provide you with information on what you need to do to point your domain name to their services. If not, they likely have it in the help section of their website.

WordPress

WordPress is one of the pioneer in the blogging world. WordPress quickly gained popularity and was installed on hundreds of thousands of sites in the blink of an eye. WordPress is an open source project, which means it is freely available for you or anyone who can write code to use and modify. Due to its open source nature, it is always being improved by programmers everywhere, and a handful of web hosts provide installation of WordPress right on your site with the click of a button. Ask your web host or dig around in your hosting control panel for something like Fantastico, which is a program that installs software automatically on your hosting space without making you jump through all the hoops.

Even though it is a free open source project, WordPress is a pretty powerful tool for blogging and managing content. It is customizable, lightweight, and speedy. One of the coolest features in WordPress is the availability of multiple themes that you can change at the click of a button. The Themes Available number dips into thousands, so you can easily find a look that fits you.

ExpressionEngine

ExpressionEngine, which is an extremely flexible and powerfully slick content management tool and blogging platform. It is a publishing system for the simple reason that it is much more than just a blog tool. Its flexibility makes it useful in just about every website situation or project, and it packs a powerful punch as a blogging platform too.

A slimmed down version of ExpressionEngine, ExpressionEngine Core is more of a basic blogging tool. ExpressionEngine Core is a free version for personal use without any technical suppport. It gives you the basic functions of the software, which includes these main components:

• The weblog module
• Commenting and trackbacks
• Search and archiving
• Spam control
• RSS

You can purchase the complete version of ExpressionEngine. The full version includes unlimited technical support and provides some highly useful goodies on top of the core program, including:

• Membership capabilities: Gives your readers the opportunity to register for an account on your site. You can save their profile information, give them insider access to private blog posts, and give them the chance to skip over the comment form on return site visits.
• A photo gallery.
• A wiki module: A wiki is an application that lets multiple users post and update information to keep it current, like a reference that is always being updated.
• A mailing list: You can notify site members or subscribers of new content or make special announcements.
• A really cool Simple Commence module: This allows you to integrate shopping with your site if you need it.

You will have to judge whether your blog needs ExpressionEngine or ExpressionEngine Core. Either choice provides you a fully functional blog, ready to use after you install it.

Movable Type

Movable Type has garnered widespread use and praise for its contributions to the growth of blogging, as a tool and resource to the blogging community. Started out as a simple blogging tool has grown into a rich and dynamic content management product. However, it still manages to keep the blogging simplicity intact.

Movable Type has a what-you-see-is-what-you-get, point-and-click approach for its setup. Depending on what licensing option you choose, you can run multiple blogs off the same installation. You can customize your blog with a templating system that is very accessible, right in the control panel of the program.

Movable Type has a handful of basic features:

• Comments and trackbacks
• Search feature
• Archiving system
• RSS
• Email notification and subscribers
• A bevy of widgets and plugins

Movable Type has several licensing options for download and purchase directly from their website. You can get a free personal license which limits you to one user with no support. You may purchase a personal one-user license which includes one year of support services. Although you can find your way without the company's support, purchasing the support license gives you peace of mind. You know that the company is available to resolve installation or performance kinks you may encounter. Movable Type also offers a couple of multiuser licenses, educational and nonprofit licensing. And the Movable Type Enterprise edition, caters to larger commercial needs.

With Movable Type, you can easily add nonblog pages to your site, although you may need to know a bit of HTML to get the full potential of those features. However, as soon as the program is installed and running, you can begin blogging right away.

Choosing a Blogging Platform

Choosing a blogging platform, also referred to as blogging software, is an important step, so consider it carefully. You have quite a few platforms to select from, and each has its own set of benefits that can influence your choice, given what you want to accomplish. If you plan on building a straight-up simple blog, almost any platform will suffice.

Now that blogging is somewhat mainstream, a handful of blogging platforms double as a method of managing other content, referred to as a CMS (content management system). Consider choosing a CMS for its ability to help you produce a full-blown website, complete with a blog. A CMS is a software package that allows you to edit and manage website content easily, such as basic site text and images, without fiddling with HTML code. If you plan on having more than a blog with the need to display extra pages of content, you may consider using a CMS to manage your whole website.

There are many blogging platforms out there, and a quick comparison o features can help you decide which platform will suit you best.

Ensure the Right Amenities

Most blog programs require a few things in order to run properly and at their full potential:

• MySQL: Almost every platform requires you to run one database, which is a system that enables you to store data in an organized manner that can be accessed by a program, in this case a blogging tool. Most blogging software packages run well using MySQL, a type of database management software, and your web host should provide the ability to add a MySQL database to your account. The larger the package you purchase, usually the more databases the web host allows you to add. If you will be running multiple instances of software requiring more databases, you will need a more upscale package to accommodate it. However, for running a blog, you usually just need one single database.
  
  Installing a MySQL database can typically be done through your web host's control panel, an area of your hosting account where you administer items like setting up email addresses. Most web hosts provide an easy step-by-step section for creating and setting up a database. Setting one up is as far into databases as you will need to get to set up and run your own blog. Once you have it created, the hard part is done.



• Perl and PHP: Many blogging software programs use Perl and PHP for their basic functions, so your web host will need these programming language packages installed on their servers. Most web host do; just make sure that the package you obtain includes them. You are not required t know how to use Perl and PHP, you just need to ensure your web host has and supports them in order o run most blogging software tools.



• Some type of image-resizing module such as ImageMagick: A lot of blog platforms can automatically resize photos that you use in your blog entries, thumbnails included. This depends on whether your blog platform has an image-resizing module installed. In addition to ImageMagick, other popular image-resizing modules are Gif Draw and Graphics Draw. Whether your web has and supports this feature is something to investigate before you buy any web hosting packages, but if the host you choose does not have it, it is not the end of the world. It is just a nice perk that will make your blogging software run at its full potential.



• A control panel user interface such as cPanel: Inquire with web hosts whether they have cPanel or some other type of control panel user interface. This interface enables you to manage your site, email, and databases yourself, rather than rely on someone in technical support to do it for you.

Choosing a Web Hosting Provider

Your domain name is like your personal mailing address, and the internet needs to know where to go to find your house. Now, you just need to rent a house for the masses to visit.

Think of your new website as a person or a friend who needs a place to live. Web hosting is like a virtual apartment building where your domain name can rent a place to stay and keep all its stuff. You have to choose the size of the apartment and length of the lease, and you need to make sure it has the proper amenities to run a blog. In technical speaking, you lease space on the web hosting provider's server, which is a computer that stores all the files associated with your blog.

Quite a number of web hosting providers are available for hire. The question is which one to choose. You can do a search for web hosts and compare the ones you find that have the criteria you require at your price range. Or you can ask around. Usually, other people with blogs that are not on free hosted services use a hosting provider, and they can give you recommendations.

Selecting a Registrar

You will find quite a few on the internet to choose from, so keep your budget considerations and hosting needs in mind when choosing a registrar:

• Price: Pricing can vary widely. Make sure you shop around. Some companies offer a highly discounted price on domain names, but there are sometimes strings attached, such as requiring you to sign up for a specific length of contract or purchase other services from that vendor.
• Flexibility: Do a bit of comparison to make sure the company you use meets your needs. Both registrar companies and web hosts offer a variety of services that can add on to your bill. If all you want is a domain name, then working with a registrar might be for you. But if you want the whole enchilada and need everything from a domain name to hosting and email, then getting your domain name through a hosting company might be smarter and more economical. Just be sure the company you pick fits the plan you have for your site.

When you find a domain name that suits you is available, and makes sense, you should secure it for the minimum of one year. Some companies offer a discount for prepaying for more than one year of service. If you plan on keeping the domain name for a while, you might as well go for the savings.

Considering a Suffix

One additional decision you will need to make concerning your domain name is what suffix to go with. People tend to gravitate toward domain names ending with .com because it is the most recognized suffix around. Most people hear 'dot com' and know what it means and where to go.

Other suffixes available, such as
.org (which is typically used for nonprofit organizations),
.gov (for government websites), and
.net (for network organizations), are not as widely recognized.

You should choose your domain name's suffix based on what suits your taste and budget. Some registration companies promote .biz or other domains with alternate endings as a way to offer the domain you want, at a cheaper price. Reason being .biz or .info domains are not as common and are therefore less desirable.

Registering your Domain Name

Decided and settled on a domain name? But before you get too excited, remember that you do not own it yet. You must register the domain name in order to use it for your blog. To do so, you need to buy the domain from a registrar (a company that sells and administers domain names). There are hundreds of web hosts and websites that perform registrar duties as well, so if you are more of a one-stop kind, you can sometimes handle this with your web host. But if you need more control over your domain registration, you can purchase it from any registrar.

Checking availability
Before you can buy a domain name, you are required to check it to ensure it is not already registered by someone else. If you have come up with something unique, you have a good shot at getting the domain name, or something close to it. But if your desired domain name is along the lines of something commonly used, you might have a bit of challenge on your hands. Typical registrars offer a multitude of suggested alternatives if your precious domain name is taken.

Choosing a Domain Name

Choosing a domain name, a simple but memorable name used as an address, is a rather simple task. However, choosing the right domain name is entirely different. And you want to get it right the first time because domain names, though not permanent, can be a hassle to change. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before deciding a domain name:

• Is it readable? It is fine to choose a domain name that represents you, but if the letter arrangement when squashed together looks like something else then it might not be the best choice.
• Does it make sense? Matching your domain name with your content is a perfect way to establish branding (if that is important to you). Of course, if the point is for it to be total nonsense, then be it.
• Does it fit you? This domain name should represent who you are, or at least have some significance to you. You will be with a domain name for at least a year or so, so make it count.
• Is it catchy or memorable? You want to increase your traffic. If people can remember your domain name easily, chances are they will come back again and again, even if they have forgotten to bookmark or subscribe to your blog.

Finally, choosing a domain name that matches the title of your site (or that you use in your logo if you have one) is good blogging business. Of course, if the domain name is for personal use and you do not care so much, then it is okay. But consider matching your domain name matching with your title or logo.