WordPress is unarguably one of the most popular business blogging software that is available right now.

It is not difficult to install, but it comes to no surprise that many people hesitate to try it because they think everything related to installing web applications/scripts is just that — too technical for them.

I said I would not be surprised about it because many wanna-be bloggers even are offended with Blogger.com, which only require not more than a short form to fill in for registration. It even is easier than registering an email account with Gmail or Yahoo.

Another thing is, many of us want to test WordPress out first before they decide to use it or migrate their existing blogs to this opensource platform.

For years I have been watching how a great fan of one blogware would be very loyal to their existing blogware and resist to dump and move. Nevertheless, if you are new to the world of blogging, then you are welcome to try WordPress because they offer the most community support with freely available blog themes/templates, plugins and probably best of all, it is opensource.

1. Use WordPress.com.
Well, this is not a way to install WordPress but this is the easiest and yet free way to dip your toe into WordPress. Although what you see inside the dashboard is not exactly what you get with standalone WP installation, pretty much all the features are included.

If you take the time to learn how to use this, you will not have difficulties in using WP when installed on your own domain or site directory.

2. Automated script installation tool like Fantastico.
Fantastico often is part of the hosting package. Many newbies only sign up with a hosting company when they know the hosting provides this feature.

Basically Fantastico is a script installation tool that allows everyone to easily choose and install from a myriad of web scripts, including WordPress.

While this installation is hassle free, this type of installation is not supported by WordPress though so if you stumble upon problems while following it, you are on your own. Most web hosting service will not accept support for such installation too.

3. Manually install WordPress
This is for more intermediate users, although it is really not that difficult if you follow the instructions correctly. Most hosting control panel allows you to create database without knowing a single thing about web server administration.

This is by far the most flexible option because you can update anytime you wish, independently from Fantastico or any other automation tool.

4. WordPress on your own computer
Your Personal Computer or Mac is more than enough to run a personal blog system, including a database and web server software. If you have a spare computer that you can network together, you can do so without affecting your own computer resources.

I personally have a used laptop just to test different scripts and blog software. Not only they are fast, but you can also play with it without worrying about your current installation.

With this option you can have more control because all access is granted, but it might not have the same configuration as the web hosting server.

If you already own a hosting account, either use Fantastico or manually install WordPress into one of the directories in your existing site. You can keep this private while you test different things before migrating to new domain or take it live. Whichever option you choose, please remember that none of these is too difficult to do.