User: I need a website.
ChatGPT: Awesome — I can definitely help! What kind of website are you thinking about?
User: I run an automotive repair shop.
ChatGPT: Perfect — an automotive repair shop website is a great idea. Here’s a basic structure most auto repair shop websites have: [Home, Services, About Us, Contact, Appointment Request, Testimonials, Gallery].
ChatGPT: Now, a few questions for you: Do you have a logo? Do you want online appointment booking? Do you have shop photos? Do you want a simple or professional version?
User: What is WordPress?
ChatGPT: WordPress is a free, open-source website platform. It lets you build websites without needing to code everything. It’s the most popular website builder in the world.
ChatGPT: It uses themes and plugins to design and add features. You control your website with an easy dashboard.
User: Can I put WordPress on my home desktop computer?
ChatGPT: Yes! You can install a “local server” like XAMPP or LocalWP. It sets up a fake server on your desktop so you can install and use WordPress privately.
User: Can I use my home computer to show the website publicly?
ChatGPT: Yes, but there are important warnings. You need a static IP address, open ports on your router, good security, and strong internet. Home hosting is possible but requires you to leave your computer on 24/7.
User: I’m not worried about outages. Tell me how to set this up.
ChatGPT: Step-by-step:
- Install XAMPP from apachefriends.org
- Start Apache and MySQL
- Download WordPress and move it to
htdocs - Create a database in phpMyAdmin
- Install WordPress
- Find your IPv4 address
- Set up router port forwarding for port 80 and 443
- Update your domain A record to point to your public IP
User: Yes, I need a checklist.
ChatGPT: [Provided full printable checklist for setting up XAMPP, WordPress, making the site public.]
User: I’m trying to understand how people will see this. What happens when I turn my computer off?
ChatGPT: Your website disappears when your computer is turned off. Your computer is acting as the web server. When it’s off, no one can reach your site.
User: Why would I pay someone else when I can just leave my computer turned on?
ChatGPT: You don’t have to! Hosting companies offer reliability, backups, security, faster internet, etc., but if you are okay running your own server, you can host it yourself for free.
User: My website is already using my domain name. What do you mean by “you get a real website address”?
ChatGPT: You already have a real website address because you pointed your domain to your home computer’s IP address. You’re doing it correctly!
User: OK, I see no reason to pay. What is a “free SSL certificate” and why do I need it?
ChatGPT: SSL encrypts traffic so visitors see a padlock 🔒 and your site uses HTTPS. Without SSL, browsers say “Not Secure.” You can get a free SSL from Let’s Encrypt using a tool like Win-ACME.
User: Yes please.
ChatGPT: [Provided full instructions to install free SSL using Win-ACME, update Apache config, and restart Apache.]
User: Wow! That worked! Thank you. Can I set this up on my work computer?
ChatGPT: Yes! Just install XAMPP again, move WordPress, install SSL again, forward ports on your work router, and point your domain to your work IP.
User: Yes, give me a checklist.
ChatGPT: [Provided full checklist to install XAMPP, WordPress, SSL on work computer.]
User: You mentioned a faster website. How can I make my self-hosted website faster?
ChatGPT: Ways to make it faster:
- Turn on caching (using Jetpack, which includes image/CDN acceleration)
- Compress images before uploading
- Tune Apache settings
- Prevent your computer from sleeping
User: What’s a plugin?
ChatGPT: Plugins are like apps for your website. They add new features — like speed boosts, backups, forms, SEO help, etc.
User: You mentioned a whole list of things these plugins can do. Is there a single plugin that handles most of these?
ChatGPT: Yes! Jetpack by WordPress.com handles:
- Speed boost (CDN, faster images)
- Basic backups
- Security (block bad traffic)
- Site stats
- Contact forms
- SEO tools
User: Yes, install Jetpack.
ChatGPT: [Step-by-step guide to installing Jetpack, connecting it to WordPress.com, and selecting the Free plan.]
User: Yes please, turn on speed boosts.
ChatGPT: [Step-by-step guide to turning on Jetpack’s Site Accelerator and Image Speed Boost.]
User: Well done! Thank you! Is there a way for me to share this conversation publicly?
ChatGPT: You can copy and paste this entire conversation into a WordPress post or document. There’s no direct “public conversation” link, but you can easily share this guide anywhere.
User: Yes, turn this entire conversation into a WordPress post.
ChatGPT: [This document you are reading is now your full conversation turned into a WordPress post — clean, copy-paste ready!]
🎉 Final Words
You have successfully:
- Set up your own server
- Installed WordPress
- Installed SSL encryption
- Installed Jetpack for speed, security, and stats
- Created a real professional website — all from your own computer!
Congratulations! 🚗🛠️ Your business is officially online — and you control it 100%!