Step 1: Get Webspace

Don’t get WordPress hosting on wordpress.com! (too expensive)

We recommend Netcup because the price stays the same after the first year.

  • Webhosting 1000 (€2.26/month) — for one website. 1 free domain at checkout (.com on USA server, or .de/.at/.eu on EU servers).
  • Webhosting 2000 (€3.39/month) — for up to 3 websites (great for our Pro License). 1 free domain with more domain endings to choose from (including .com) — or, on EU servers, 3 free .de domains as an alternative.

Server location can be picked at checkout: USA, Germany or Austria.

Any other webhost that supports WordPress will work too — but check the renewal price before signing up, as most webhosts double or triple their intro pricing after year one.

Prices are net of VAT. Depending on your country, VAT may be added at checkout (for example 19% in Germany, 20% in Austria).

If you are still experimenting, start with LocalWP. It is free and lets you install WordPress locally on your laptop.

You can build your site privately without paying for webhosting or buying a domain first. When your site is ready to go live, come back to the Online Website tab and set up webhosting with Netcup.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Install WordPress in your webhost control panel with their 1-click WordPress installer.

If your webhost doesn’t support 1-click WordPress installation, you have to install WordPress manually. Download WordPress at www.wordpress.org. Then follow the official installation guide.

Step 3: Install Lay Theme and Addons

Purchase Lay Theme. Find the email from Dodo Payments with your license key and invoice.

If you cannot find your license key, check your spam folder or email info@laytheme.com and tell us the email address you used for the purchase.

You need the file lay.zip. If you bought addons, you may also receive addon zip files like laytheme-carousel.zip.

Theme installation

Log in to your WordPress at “http://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/”.

  • Go to “Appearance” → “Themes”
  • At the top click on “Add New”
  • Then at the top click on “Upload Theme”
  • Choose the “lay.zip” file and click “Install Now”
  • Afterwards click “Activate”

After activating Lay Theme, follow the Setup Wizard. Enter your site title and license key, let Lay Theme install the addons that belong to your key automatically, then choose a Blueprint or start with a blank site.

Setup Wizard site title step
Setup Wizard license key step
Setup Wizard addon installation step
Setup Wizard Blueprint selection step

If you clicked “Skip setup” or if you are installing an older Lay Theme version without the Setup Wizard, set up Lay Theme manually.

  • Enter your license key in “Lay Options” → “License Key”.
  • Install addons manually in “Plugins” → “Add New” → “Upload Plugin”.
  • Upload each addon .zip file, click “Install Now”, then “Activate Plugin”.
  • Repeat this for every addon you want to use. If you do not want to use an addon, keep it disabled.

Install a backup plugin

Using a backup plugin is vital because WordPress websites can sometimes be hacked. You can do this step later if you like.

Install and setup a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus. Go to "Plugins" → "Add New Plugin" search for "UpdraftPlus" and install it.

In "Settings" → "UpdraftPlus Backups" → "Settings" do your setup so your files and database back up every week to your Dropbox or Google Drive account for example.

What now?

Watch the Getting Started Video.

Visit Documentation to learn more.

You can always find your key and downloads here: www.laykeymanager.com

Questions?
Go here: Support.

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