When making a Web Series or any kind of Web Show, I see many producers ignoring one of the most important elements in your infrastructure: THE WEBSITE! Without a website, your web series will not really go to far! So here go.
This quick guide will help create and host your own WordPress website and have it up and running in just a few minutes.
Follow the instruction and you will have a nice website to show your web series to the rest of the world.
Easy Step 1. Get your domain name and hosting plan
The domain name is your brand. It’s what people are going to be typing when looking you up. So you want to make sure you have the right domain, easy to remember and spell. The name of your show is the best choice, but sometimes it is not available, so you might want to add the word “series” at the end, just like big Hollywood productions add “movie” or “film” at the end of theirs.
Many people want to have a “.com” domain (yourwebseries.com). I have discovered that for web series and web shows there is a nice trend of getting “.tv” domains (yourwebseries.tv). Some claim that Google ranks “.com” sites higher than others. Probably, but I think what gets you ranked in google is not your domain but your content and how it spreads, so choose your domain based on how you think it will market better, and not just what google will rank better, because they will like your content more than anything.
If you decide to get a “.tv” domain, you can get that at Godaddy.com. They have any kind of domain extensions you can imagine (including ”.tv” & “.mobi”) – They also offer hosting. But I have never used their hosting so I wouldn’t really know whether it is the best. But I have not heard complains from my colleagues who use it.
If you decided to get a more common “.com”, “.org”, “.net”, “.info”, “.biz” or “.us” domain, then go straight to the hosting service you choose to get and get it from them. It will usually come free with a years worth of hosting.
I recommend you sign up with the same services I use: Bluehost.com, I like it because is easy to use, customer services is great and loading time is very quick (although that doesn’t only depend on the hosting, but it plays a big part on it) and you will get up to 1 free domain when you sign up (only the common domains though). I have used other hosting services and Bluehost.com has been the easiest and most reliable.
The best part: it takes just a few clicks to install WordPress for your site.
If you decided to get your “.tv” domain at Godaddy.com, I would still advice you to get the hosting with Bluehost.com (just make sure to use the domain you just got when signing up for hosting – if you are confused email me to javier@makingwebshows.com and I will guide you trough it)
The rest of the process is still the same.
Easy Step 2. Install WordPress on your hosting
If you followed my recommendation and signed up for a Bluehost.com hosting package, here are the instructions to have your WordPress site up in just a few click… really! If you signed up on another hosting service, they probably have an article in their Support section about how to install WordPress on their server. Follow that and then skip to the Step Three of this guide.
First log into your account. Once on the Control Panel, locate the WordPress icon and click on it.
You will be taken to the installation page. There you will leave the STEP 1 as it is (make sure it is your domain name the one that is selected)
On the Step 2, The advanced Options, we will add a few things. Click where it will show more of that step and make sure to fill up all the fields like in the following picture.
Then check the box on Step 3 and click on complete (if you are like me you will also read the terms and conditions.)
Click complete.
It will almost start installing WordPress. Bluehost.com by default, creates a few files on all the directories so you will be asked if you want to delete all these files.
Click on “Overwrite Existing Files”, because you don’t need them.
The installation will start and when it is done you will get an email with the instructions on how to access you WordPress site’s Dashboard!
Tip: to access your WordPress Dashboard you will always need to type your domain followed by ”/wp-admin”. Just like this yourwebserie.tv/wp-admin, and use the username and password you created when installing.
If you type your URL right now you will see your website with the name of your web series. Awesome right? Not really, it looks generic and it doesn’t have any content.
Let’s change that design and add some content in the next couple of steps.
Easy Step 3. Choosing a new Theme for your site
The WordPress Themes will add Design and functionality your site. There are literally millions of themes out there. Many are free for you to download and install. Many others are premium themes that cost either a one time fee, or a subscription.
To find a free theme you can google “free wordpress theme” but I would recommend to do it from within WordPress better. Here si how:
Login into your WordPress dashboard (yourwebseries.com/wp-admin/) and find, on the left side panels, the item “Appearance”, and click on the little triangle that shows up when you hover over it with your mouse. Then click on the sub menu “Themes”.
Two taps will show up in your main panel. Select “Install Theme”.
Right there you can start searching. I usually start with featured themes, and then go from there, by color or several characteristics I like from a theme. For a web series I recommend 2-columns themes.
Once you find one you like, click “Install” in the theme preview. In the next page, right under that theme click on “Activate” and your new Theme will be applied to your WordPress site.
If you don’t like any of the themes there available, you can look for a premium theme. There are many places to find a premium theme, a good place to start looking is at http://www.nthemes.net/ or even do a google search for “Premium WordPress theme for video”.
You can also get your free theme up and running and get a designer and a programmer to make a nice skin for any theme you install.
Easy Step Four. Let’s post a first video on the site!
If you have your trailer, a promo, or just an intro video for your web series, let’s post it right away.
Once logged into your wordpress dashboard, click on “Posts” (on the left side) and then, on the top, click on “Add New”.
Title you post something you would like. “Web Series Name” Trailer, or something like that. Make sure it is something catchy, that people might want to see.
Then, on top of you editor click on the HTML tap.
Now go to you Youtube video, or wherever you have it hosted (I would recommend you to use blip.tv) and find the Embeding code. Copy the code and paste it on the editor
Click “Publish” all the way to the right.
CONGRATULATIONS, you now have your website up with your first post, wich is your trailer or promo!
Did you find this guide helpful? What else would you like to know?
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