The Steven Parr Online Blog, was created as part of a job application for SEO specialist. At the point of applying for the job I did not have the funds to re-up my old web hosting and domains as I had allowed them to expire and they are now valued at a few thousand euros each!

Undeterred I purchased two new domains and to make the whole thing fast and easy, I also purchased web hosting from NameCheap.com who I fully recommend and will be adding affiliate links for later

Disclaimer – Making a Purchase using links to Namecheap and various other recommendations from Steven Parr Online or Steven Parr Blog, could result in Steven Parr receiving a commission for making the recommendation.

This post is the 6th updated post to my blog so far and although you may have notice that all the previous posts are dated the same date, that will be because I posted multiple demo posts during testing and then edited them later, in-order to reduce the chances of broken links accidentally being listed on google.

In searching for an IT-related job, I began to develop a role for myself by focusing on WordPress setup and management. Setting up a self-hosted WordPress blog requires several key steps: first, if you want to test locally on your own machine before making your website public, you will need to install a software to serve the site in your local browser, I tried both MAMP and WAMP on my Windows laptop but if you are using IOS then XAMPP will work for you. If you would rather go directly to a live production and make your site publig immediate then you need to choose a domain name and purchase hosting that supports WordPress installations. Next, you install WordPress software on your hosting server, either manually or using one-click installers provided by many hosts. After installation, you configure your site by selecting a theme, installing essential plugins, and customizing settings to fit your needs.

Once your WordPress blog is up and running, you might want to clone it to a cloud server for better scalability or backup purposes. Cloning involves copying all WordPress files and the database from the original server to the cloud server. This includes exporting the database, transferring the WordPress files via FTP or SSH, and importing the database into the cloud server’s database system. Afterward, you update the WordPress configuration file to reflect the new database credentials and domain settings. This process ensures your site operates smoothly in the new environment while maintaining all content and functionality. This approach not only demonstrates technical skills but also shows initiative in managing and deploying web applications, which is valuable in many IT roles.

The steven parr online website was born

To create the Steven Parr Blog App, I developed a ReactJS application that fetches blog post data from StevenParr.Online using the WordPress REST API. First, I set up a React project and implemented API calls to retrieve posts in JSON format directly from the WordPress backend. Next, I parsed and displayed this data within the React components to showcase the blog content dynamically. Finally, I deployed the completed app to Netlify, enabling seamless hosting and continuous deployment. This approach allows the app to stay updated with the latest posts without manual intervention.