Posts Tagged ‘Wordpress’
Step 4: Consolidating my online strategy – prepping my WordPress shell to import my blog content
Posted by: Jo Jordan on: May 5, 2010
Migrating from WordPress.com to self-hosted
My overall goal here is to organize my online assets and my specific goal right now is to move my 2 year old blog from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress blog on Dreamhost. Though self-hosting costs a monthly fee and takes more maintenance, self-hosting allows me to control the theme, get Google Analytics and use advertisements.
So far, I have completed these steps
- I bought a domain name, jojordan.org
- I made a neat frontend for my domain using Posterous and connected it to the domain name that is housed at Dreamhost
- I set up a sub-domain on Dreamhost flowingmotion.wordpress.om
- I used Dreamhost’s one One Click install to set up WordPress including an admin account
- I zipped a theme that I had edited on my local host version of WordPress and tested it on a dummy account
Uploading a theme
Now I am ready to import my own theme to my self-hosted version of WordPress.
I don’t need to login into Dreamhost. I simply go to my browser and type in the address of my blog: http://flowingmotion.jojordan.org/wp-admin and login in as admin (not me).
Now I can go to Appearance in left side bar and Add Theme. I use Upload and Browse to upload the them from my hard drive. Activate. Check. Done!
Setting up permalinks
Now the last task before I come to get the content here is to match the permalink style on my self-hosted blog to the style here. If I don’t do that, then the post titles are going to get scribbled and people won’t be able to follow old links and bookmarks to find the posts. I may as well leave them behind, in other words.
To prep the permalinks, I look at the bottom of the left sidebar, choose Settings/permalinks, and and choose the 2nd option, day and name. Check they are same as usual.
Ready to import content
Now if I am right, I am ready to import content. I will come to my hosted blog, go to dashboard and export all the content to my hard drive. This usually trips up over size and timing. As can never remember what I wrote, I will write it down this time and make post 5 in this series!
But that will be from the new blog! See you on the other side!
Step 3: Consolidating my online strategy – make a WordPress shell on Dreamhost
Posted by: Jo Jordan on: May 4, 2010
My Online Strategy
My online strategy includes
- My own domain name jojordan.org (that I bought through Dreamhost and will renew annually with them or somebody)
- A front page for jojordan.org to have a smart CV to add to the bottom of emails’s. I made that on (free) Posterous and “redirect” it to my domain name at Dreamhost.
- A blog that I used to keep on WordPress.com (the free version). I am going to move that to Dreamhost now, and pay for hosting. Why do I want to do that? So I can control the theme, get Google Analytics and have the freedom to advertise.
Steps in self-hosting WordPress on Dreamhost
To make a WordPress shell on Dreamhost, I must go through 3 steps. Then I’ll be ready to pretty it up before I import it and attend to SEO (let the world know it is there).
#1 Set up a sub-domain
Because I am redirecting my Posterous blog to my domain name, jojordan.org, that domain is no longer available to host my wordpress blog. I need to make a subdomain, which I will call flowingmotion.jojordan.org. I thought of using blog.jojordan.org. It is shorter and easier to remember but some people already know my work as flowingmotion and flowing motion tells those in the know I am interested in a holistic paradigm of psychology. Using a subdomain does mean though, that my my domain, jojordan.org, won’t benefit from the pagerank that I have already accumulated on Flowingmotion.
To set up my subdomain, I . . .
- Log in to Dreamhost
- Look for Manage Domains on the right sidebar
- Choose Add a Domain
- Type in flowingmotion.jojordan.org
- Submit, and all is done. Wait a bit and I should be able to access it from my browser: http://flowingmotion.jojordan.org
Now when I got to Manage Domains, the Dreamhost screen looks like this. Notice my jojordan.org is not fully hosted because the physical asset of the blog is actually over on the Posterous computer. Dreamhost is now expecting me to put something in space reserved for flowing motion, and, the world can find it. If I put nothing there, a visitor will just see an “old fashioned looking” list of generic files.
#2 Create a WordPress shell
So I have a space on a computer waiting for something and the world can find it. I am going to load up the WordPress framework into the space.
Dreamhost has a One Click Install. Choose it in right side-bar. Then chose the Advanced option (can’t remember why – tip I picked up on the net). Make sure the radio button for WordPress is selected.
Whiz down to the button and make sure Dreamhost will link to the right sub-domain. Submit.
Wait ten minutes or so. You should get an email saying everything is done! So easy!
#3 Create an admin account on WordPress
When the email arrives, follow the link. You are asked for a blog name and an email address and then given a password. Cut and paste the password in the login for admin and IMMEDIATELY change your password to something you can remember.
Done! You have wordpress loaded up. Now you are back on familiar territory of adding a theme, etc.
Next steps
I have already edited a theme on my own laptop and I am going to zip that into a file and try loading it up.
Then I’ll import my content from WordPress.com.
The final stages will be to add plugins, set up Google Analytics, add the spam catcher Akismet, connect to Feedburner and most importantly, set up redirects from WordPress.com so that anyone who is looking for me is redirected to my new address.
So next step. Have a go at importing a theme.
Comments very welcome!
Testing word press changes
Posted by: Jo Jordan on: April 5, 2008
First post vanished. Now it is above me. Lets look again.
Hit Publish.
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