Getting Started

If you are new to blogging then allow me to introduce you. A blog (a contraction of “web log”) is a place where you can share what is happening in your family. You can post news about your business for your customers. Perhaps you wish to keep an online journal of your travels.

Whatever your purpose is, a great place to start is by installing the latest version of WordPress in your WestHost account. WordPress is a blog publishing web application available with almost all of our shared hosting plans. No Web design experience is required; just an idea and the time to write about it. To get started, you will need to install WordPress in your account as follows:

Installing WordPress

1. Log into Site Manager at http://www.yourdomain.com/manager/.
2. On the left side of the page under “Site Applications” click on “Install & Manage”.
3. Click on the installation icon for “WordPress” under the “Community” category.
4. Agree to the terms and conditions, click “Next”, and fill in a few details that will be used to install WordPress into your account.
5. WordPress is now installed in your account and can be found at http://www.yourdomain.com/wordpress/. You can log into the WordPress control panel at http://www.yourdomain.com/wordpress/wp-login.php.

And Where Do We Go From Here?

Having installed WordPress is enough to immediately get you blogging. However, there are a lot of resources available that you can use to personalize your WordPress installation.

• Themes – A theme completely changes the look of your blog. The site http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ contains hundreds of themes you can install for free.
• Plugins – Plugins extend the base functionality of WordPress. What kind of new features can plugins provide? Read this blog post on WordPress plugins from earlier this year for more information:
  http://www.westhost.com/blog/2008/07/adding-plugins-to-wordpress/.
• SEO – The purpose of a blog is to be read, and SEO (search engine optimization) can help make that happen. Fortunately, another blog post is available to help you get started:
  http://www.westhost.com/blog/2008/08/optimizing-your-blog-for-search-engines/.

Finally, a great example of a clean, well-organized WordPress blog can be found at www.photosensibility.com. The author, Andy Gray, has been kind enough to write a detailed article on how he has successfully used WordPress to blog with his WestHost account.

It’s hard to believe how quickly time passes, but we are coming up now on 2 months since WestHost was acquired by Hosting Services. Based on my interactions these past several weeks with employees from Hosting Services and the UK2 Group, I’m excited about the additional services and features WestHost will be able to more easily provide our clients. Their strengths, coupled with WestHost’s strengths are only going to improve the level of services we offer.

As an employee of WestHost for over 5 years, I understand what has helped make WestHost successful in the eyes of our loyal client base. The key has been our friendly, professional, and prompt client support. All across our organizational structure at WestHost, we really do place top priority on the quality of service we provide. Whether it’s a client who has been with us 1 day or 10 years, we do whatever we can to help resolve their needs. So as we move forward over the coming months and years, I can ensure our clients that we will continue to place equal priority in this area.

As a brief introduction, some exciting improvements will be rolling out around the beginning of Q2 2009. One of the most significant improvements clients will see is with our control panel. Clients have been using WestHost’s Site Manager over the years, but that will be changing to cPanel. We have received significant feedback over the past several months from clients expressing interest in improving our existing control panel. We are excited to be able to offer cPanel to new clients tentatively scheduled to launch in March / April of 2009, and then existing clients will be carefully upgraded during the following months after the initial launch. Our technical staff, comprised of experienced and extremely skillful professionals, is currently working on these plans. More details of this upgrade will be announced as the launch time gets closer.

Our team here at WestHost will continue working hard to preserve what has helped keep us in business for over 10 years. Please stay posted to our blog over the coming weeks to hear of our progress with cPanel, as well as other exciting updates! If you would like to leave comments or suggestions, please do so.

Join us in celebrating the holidays by signing up for our new Holiday Special. This is your opportunity not only to sign up for a great plan but to give something back to those less fortunate. WestHost has partnered with the FamilyGivingTree.org this holiday season by donating a gift to a child when you activate a new account on the Holiday Special. The best part is that everyone is eligible to take advantage of this unique offer. In addition, if you activate a new account you could receive up to 2 years of free domain registration. Signing up for our new Holiday Special is really a no brainer. You get a great plan at a great price, you can get up to 2 years of free domain registration, you get WestHosts 24 hour Technical Support, 30-day money back guarantee, and you get to give something back to the community. What do you have to lose? Take advantage of this limited time offer!

What if I am a current client am I eligible for this plan? Yes, you are eligible to receive the full benefits this plan has to offer by signing up for a new account.

I already have an account and I want to upgrade to the Holiday Special, am I eligible? Yes, you can upgrade to the Holiday Special by filling out our Add-ons Form and selecting the Holiday Special. Upgrades to the special do not qualify for the free domain registration.

We hope you enjoy this special offer. WestHost wishes you a happy and safe holiday season!