Installing WordPress on a local computer is very easy and free. This is especially useful if you want to start building your own website.
In this article, we’ll show you how to install and use WordPress for free, without needing paid hosting or a domain.
As the first step, we need a local server. For that, we’ll use software called XAMPP.
Open your favorite browser and type “XAMPP download” in the search bar. Next, you’ll be directed to the official website www.apachefriends.org.
After that, click the Download XAMPP button according to your operating system, whether it’s Windows, Linux, or macOS. For example, here we’ll be using the latest Windows version.
Once the XAMPP file has finished downloading, run the installer by double clicking it. An administrator permission request will appear click Yes to continue.
Next, the XAMPP installation wizard will open. Simply click Next on each step until the installation process is ready to begin.
By default, XAMPP will be installed on the C drive in a folder named xampp. Once all settings are confirmed, click the final Next and the installation will start.
While waiting for the XAMPP installation to finish, let’s continue by downloading WordPress. Open a new tab in your browser, type “WordPress download,” and press Enter
You will find the official WordPress website at wordpress.org. After that, click the Download WordPress 6.8.1 button or the latest version available.
Once the ZIP file has been downloaded, proceed by extracting it. To do this, right-click on the file and select “Extract All.” Wait until all WordPress files are fully extracted to your chosen location.
Next, we’ll move the extracted WordPress folder into XAMPP’s htdocs directory. Open the extracted folder, then cut or copy the WordPress folder. After that, go to C:\xampp\htdocs and paste the WordPress folder there.
With this step, we have placed all WordPress files into the local server that we will use.
Once everything is ready, open the XAMPP Control Panel. Then, click Start for both Apache and MySQL to activate the local server. You will see that the ports and PIDs are running correctly.
Next, click the Admin button under MySQL or type localhost/phpmyadmin to open phpMyAdmin in your browser. Once it opens, click New on the left to create a new database. Give the database a name, for example, wordpress, and then click Create.
Next, open a new tab in your browser and type localhost/wordpress, then press Enter. You will be directed to the WordPress installation page. Choose your language and click Continue, then click Let’s go.
In the data entry section, enter the database name you created earlier, which is wordpress. For the username, enter root and leave the password field blank. Once all the information is filled in, click Submit, then click Run the installation.
Next, you will be asked to fill in your site details such as Site Title, Username, Password, and Email. For example, fill in :
Check the option to confirm using a weak password, then click Install WordPress.
Once the installation is complete, click Login and enter the username and password you created. After logging in successfully, you will be directed to the WordPress dashboard.
From there, you can click Visit Site to see your website’s initial appearance. You can also customize the look by going to Appearance > Themes and installing themes like Astra, Kadence, or OceanWP.
As additional information, we have created several tutorials about these themes. You can watch the full videos on the Sigrep_me channel.
In conclusion, you now know the step-by-step process to install WordPress for free locally using XAMPP. With this process, you can experiment and build your website as you wish without needing to rent hosting first.
Thank you very much for reading. We hope this article is helpful. See you in the next guide, and good luck building your dream website!
Photo Source : Farhat Altaf on Unsplash
WhatsApp has become one of the most popular communication tools in the world. Almost everyone now uses it for both personal and business purposes. It’s no surprise that many website owners, especially those using WordPress, want to integrate a WhatsApp chat feature directly into their site.
The goal is simple: to make it easier for visitors to contact the site owner or customer service with just one click through a WhatsApp button.
In this article, we’ll cover in detail and in a practical way how to add WhatsApp chat to a WordPress website, complete with cool features you can use and all of this can be done with a free plugin!
Before diving into the technical steps, let’s first understand why integrating WhatsApp is important for a website :
There are many WordPress plugins that offer WhatsApp integration, but after trying out several, one of the best and most recommended options is Click to Chat by HoliThemes
There are several reasons why this plugin is highly recommended for you, as it comes with some great features, including :
The first step you need to do, of course, is to install the plugin. Here’s how :
Once the plugin is activated, you will see a new menu called Click to Chat in the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress dashboard.
To configure the basic settings, go to the Click to Chat menu and start by filling in some essential information :
One of the best features of this plugin is the wide range of icon styles you can choose from, such as :
In addition to choosing icon styles, you can also configure :
What’s even more interesting is that this plugin allows you to set different displays for desktop and mobile. For example, you can design a larger icon for mobile or even disable it on certain devices.
In addition to the WhatsApp icon, this plugin also provides a Greeting Box feature a small window that appears next to the icon, usually containing :
You can design this greeting box yourself, change the background color, add a profile picture, and even link it to your website.
This is an exciting option offered by the plugin. If you want your WhatsApp icon to stand out and grab attention, you can use a GIF file. The steps are very simple :
Now, your WhatsApp icon looks more lively, interactive, and unique. Easy, right?
For those of you running an online store with WooCommerce, this plugin can be directly integrated into WooCommerce features, such as :
You can also set where the WhatsApp icon appears—before or after specific elements, for example :
If the icon appears too close to other elements, you can add margin/padding to keep the display neat and professional.
Another great feature of the Click to Chat by HoliThemes plugin is its flexibility, allowing you to display the WhatsApp icon based on :
This means you can, for example, show the icon only on product pages but hide it on blog posts or display it only on the homepage. Very flexible, right?
This plugin is already powerful enough in its free version for most business needs. However, if you want access to more icon styles, working hours customization, more icon placement options, and premium support, then the Pro version is worth considering.
The price for the Pro version is quite affordable—around $18 per year. For more details and updated pricing, please visit their official page here.
Integrating WhatsApp into a WordPress website has now become a key necessity, especially for improving interaction with visitors or potential customers. With the Click to Chat plugin from HoliThemes, this process becomes very easy, fast, and flexible.
From simply displaying a basic WhatsApp icon to adding images, a greeting box, WooCommerce integration, and even interactive GIFs you can do it all without coding and at no extra cost.
Whether you’re an online business owner, blogger, freelancer, or e-commerce store owner, this feature will greatly help increase conversions, build trust, and of course, speed up communication.
