Web Hosting Tutorial For Beginners 2023

In this Tutorial post, you’ll learn How to Create a WordPress Website Using Namecheap, Cloudways and Cloudflare SSL Certificate

Before we start, here are the three things you’ll need:

  1. A domain name (I’ll be using Namecheap)
  2. Hosting (I’ll be using Cloudways)
  3. An SSL certificate (I’ll be using a free SSL certificate from Cloudflare)

Watch The Video Tutorial Instead:

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Buying a Domain Name with Namecheap To buy a domain name, go to Namecheap’s website and type in the domain name you’d like to buy.

For example, if you want to buy “tutorialsbycatalyst.com”, type that in and click search. You’ll be presented with several options to choose from.

Step 2: Hosting your Domain Name on Cloudways To host your domain name, sign up for a free three-day trial on Cloudways using the link in the description box below. After your free trial, you can use Cloudways for free for a month before making your first payment.

Once you’re logged into Cloudways, click on “Add Server” under the “Applications” tab.

Choose WordPress as your installation option, then name your managed app, project, and server. Next, choose Digital Ocean as your provider and select your server size.

You can start with the smallest package of 1 Gigabyte of RAM for ten dollars per month.

Finally, choose the location of your server and click the “Launch Now” button.

The server creation process may take up to 7 minutes.

Step 3: Adding your Domain Name to Cloudways Once your server is created, go to the application you just created and click on “www” on the right-hand side.

This will take you to your main hosting dashboard on Cloudways.

Change your password by clicking on the pen icon and deleting the default password. Then, click save.

To add your domain name to your application, click on “Domain Management” in the left sidebar. Under “Domain Management,” choose either the www version or the naked version of your domain name. Save your changes.

Step 4: Getting an SSL Certificate from Cloudflare To get a free SSL certificate from Cloudflare, go to Cloudflare’s website and create an account.

Click on “Add a Site” and type in your domain name without the www. Click on “Add Site” and scroll down to “SSL/TLS.”

Under “Edge Certificates,” click “Activate” to enable your SSL certificate.

Now that we have added our website to Cloudflare, the next step is to configure SSL certificate on Cloudflare to secure our website.

SSL certificates are used to encrypt data transmitted between a user’s browser and your website, which helps to protect sensitive information such as credit card details, login credentials, and more.

To configure SSL certificate on Cloudflare, follow these steps:

  1. Once you have added your website to Cloudflare, navigate to the SSL/TLS tab located at the top of the page.
  2. Under the SSL/TLS tab, click on the “Edge Certificates” option.
  3. Toggle the switch to turn on the “Always Use HTTPS” option. This will ensure that your website is always accessed via the secure HTTPS protocol.
  4. Next, scroll down to the “Origin Certificates” section and click on the “Create Certificate” button.
  5. You will be presented with two options: “Let Cloudflare generate a private key and a CSR” or “Upload a private key and a CSR.” For this tutorial, we will choose the first option.
  6. After choosing the first option, click on the “Next” button to proceed.
  7. On the next page, you will be asked to confirm your domain name. Click on the “Next” button to proceed.
  8. Next, you will be asked to select the type of certificate you want to generate. Choose the “RSA” option and click on the “Next” button.
  9. On the next page, you will be asked to confirm the certificate details. If everything looks good, click on the “Next” button.
  10. Finally, you will be presented with a summary of your certificate details. Click on the “Download Certificate” button to download your certificate.
  11. After downloading your certificate, click on the “Install” button located next to your certificate details.
  12. You will be presented with a page where you can enter your server details. For this tutorial, we will be using Cloudways, so select the “Apache” option from the dropdown menu and click on the “Next” button.
  13. On the next page, you will be asked to enter your private key and certificate. Copy and paste the contents of your private key and certificate into the appropriate fields.
  14. Once you have entered your private key and certificate, click on the “Submit” button to install your certificate.
  15. Congratulations! You have successfully configured SSL certificate on Cloudflare.

Step 5: Customize Your WordPress Website

Here are some steps you can take to customize your WordPress website:

  1. Choose a WordPress theme: WordPress has thousands of free and paid themes to choose from. You can find them in the “Appearance” tab in your WordPress dashboard. Choose a theme that best fits your website’s niche and customize it to your liking.
  2. Install plugins: Plugins are like apps that you can install on your website to add extra functionality. Some popular plugins include Yoast SEO for search engine optimization, Jetpack for security and performance, and Contact Form 7 for creating contact forms. You can find plugins in the “Plugins” tab in your WordPress dashboard.
  3. Create pages: Pages are where you’ll put your main website content, such as your “About” page, “Contact” page, and any other pages you want to add. To create a new page, go to the “Pages” tab in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Add New.”
  4. Write blog posts: Blog posts are where you’ll create content for your website’s blog. To create a new blog post, go to the “Posts” tab in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Add New.”
  5. Customize your site’s menu: The menu is what visitors will use to navigate your website. To customize your menu, go to the “Appearance” tab in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Menus.”
  6. Add widgets: Widgets are small pieces of content that you can add to your website’s sidebar, footer, or other areas. To add a widget, go to the “Appearance” tab in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Widgets.”

Conclusion

Creating a WordPress website on Cloudways and securing it with Cloudflare SSL is a straightforward process that anyone can do. With the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can create a professional-looking website that’s secure and fast-loading.

Remember, the key to creating a successful website is to make it user-friendly, informative, and engaging. By customizing your website to meet your audience’s needs, you can create a website that stands out from the crowd and drives traffic to your business.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

We’d love to hear from you!

And that’s it!

You now have a WordPress website hosted on Cloudways with a Cloudflare SSL certificate.

Creating a WordPress website may seem intimidating, but with Cloudways and Cloudflare, it’s actually quite simple.

Follow these steps and you’ll have a website up and running in no time. Remember to choose a reliable hosting service like Cloudways and to secure your website with an SSL certificate from Cloudflare. Good luck!