How to Quickly Set Up a WordPress Blog for Your Law Office

Much has been written about the importance of bogging for lawyers and law firms. I’m a believer. If you find yourself unconvinced, I suggest you take a look at Kevin O’Keefe’s twitter stream – there you’ll find a strong advocate and just about all there is to know about law firm blogging.

But what if you’re a solo attorney, or librarian, or legal assistant, or legal marketer, or… (you get the idea) starting out on your own with a shoestring budget and scant knowledge of blogging platforms?  Who are you to turn to?

Well look no further–We’re here to help you set up a killer blog in no time! You see, I was once that novice…not so many years ago…but with lots of research and a sleepless night or two, I successfully created several blogs on the WordPress self-hosted platform using the inexpensive web host, Bluehost.

Here’s 8 Quick Steps to Start a WordPress Blog for Your Law Office:

Step 1: Purchase a subscription to Bluehost (less than $7/month) and register a custom domain. Most web hosting services have a one-click WordPress installation and follow the same pattern outlined below to install the software and start a blog.

Step 2: Login to your Bluehost account and click the cPanel tab.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Software / Services box and click on the WordPress icon.

Step 4: Select Install from the new WordPress Install page.
The current version of WordPress will appear as the default. Keep it that way. If you have multiple domains registered with Bluehost, a drop-down menu will appear. Choose the domain which appears in the first box, leaving the second box empty. Skip the next Step. Make sure to check the box agreeing to the terms and conditions. Lastly, click on the Complete button.

Step 5: Copy and paste the Site URL, Login URL, Username, and Password–email these to yourself for safe keeping.

Step 6: Go to the Login URL and enter in your Username and Password.

Step 7: Next comes the fun part! Choosing a theme that fits your law office’s style and needs (there are many free and premium options to choose from here).

Step 8: Write/import your first blog post and hit publish! (Though it’s always best to preview first!)

That’s it, you’re done.

Congratulations and happy blogging!

Note: These instructions are valid as of June 28th, 2011.