How to Install Your Free WordPress Website Template (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you're here, you're ready to take the next step: launching your own website the smart way — no expensive web developers, no overpriced platforms, and no confusing tech hurdles. Just clear instructions, real ownership, and a full website you can control.

Follow this guide carefully and you’ll have a professional WordPress site up and running using the free template I’ve built for you.

Step 1: Sign Up for Hosting with DreamHost

First things first — your website needs a home. That’s what hosting is.

✅ Go here to get started:

👉 https://www.dreamhost.com/hosting/

I recommend choosing one of the Shared Hosting plans. For most small business owners, this is more than enough. You’ll have two main options:

  • 1 year for $35.40

  • 3 years for $93.24

These are some of the best prices you’ll find anywhere — and unlike many platforms, they don’t sneak in hidden charges next year.

During signup, you’ll:

  • Choose your plan

  • Create an account

  • Pick your domain name

  • Complete payment

Once you're done, DreamHost will begin setting up your account and domain. This usually takes less than an hour.

Step 2: Install WordPress on Your Domain

Once your domain is active, DreamHost makes it incredibly easy to install WordPress.

  1. Log into your DreamHost dashboard

  2. Go to Websites → Manage Websites

  3. Click the “Install WordPress” button

Follow the prompts to install WordPress on your new domain. This takes about 5–10 minutes. Once finished, your domain will now be connected to a fresh WordPress site.

Step 3: Access Your WordPress Dashboard

After installation:

  • Go to your Manage Websites tab in DreamHost

  • Find the domain you just set up

  • On the far right of that row, you’ll see a small “W” icon under the “Manage” column — click it

This will log you into your new WordPress site automatically.

Step 4: Install the “All-in-One WP Migration” Plugin

We’ll use this plugin to import the website template I built.

Option 1: Install directly in WordPress

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New

  2. Search for: All-in-One WP Migration

  3. Click Install Now, then Activate

Option 2: Download from WordPress.org

👉 https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-migration/

Step 5: Import the Template

Once the plugin is installed:

  1. In the WordPress dashboard sidebar, hover over All-in-One WP Migration

  2. Click Import

  3. Drag and drop the .wpress file you downloaded (the free website template)

💡 Note: The free version of this plugin supports uploads up to 250MB — I’ve made sure the file is under that limit.

The import will take 15–30 minutes depending on your internet connection.

Step 6: Log In With the Temporary Admin

Once the import is complete, it will automatically log you out.

Login credentials (included in the template instructions):

  • Username: admin

  • Password: (I’ll send this with your download)

Now that you're in, it’s important to secure the site with your own credentials.

Step 7: Create Your Own Admin Account

  1. Go to Users → Add New

  2. Create your own account using your real name and email

  3. Assign the role: Administrator

  4. Save

Once created, log out, and log back in with your new account.

Then go to Users again and delete the old "admin" account. This helps reduce security risks.

Step 8: Start Editing with Beaver Builder

Now your website is live and fully functional!

  1. From the WordPress dashboard, go to Pages → All Pages

  2. Click on the homepage or any page you want to edit

  3. At the top of the screen, click the “Beaver Builder” button

Beaver Builder is a drag-and-drop editor that makes editing your website as easy as building a Squarespace or Wix site — but without the ongoing fees or limits.

You can:

  • Drag in text, images, buttons, and videos

  • Build multi-column layouts

  • Adjust fonts, colors, backgrounds

  • Rearrange or duplicate entire sections

Step 9: Customize Your Site Identity

Let’s personalize your site so it reflects your brand.

From the dashboard:

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize

  2. Under Site Identity, update:

    • Site Title

    • Tagline (optional)

    • Logo

    • Favicon (optional)

Also:

Go to Settings → General and make sure your site title and URL are correct.

That’s It — You’re Live!

At this point, you have a fully working WordPress website that:

  • You own

  • You can edit visually

  • You’re not paying a monthly fee to maintain

All for around $35/year in hosting and $0 in design fees.

Need Help?

If you run into any issues or want to add more features, I’m here to help. You can contact me anytime at:
👉 https://dannyavila.com/contact

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