You can install several different software applications onto your Hostwinds Cloud VPS with the click of a button. If you prefer building websites rather than coding them by hand, you can choose to try one of WordPress’s most popular plugins called Visual Composer.
What is Visual Composer?
Visual Composer (also WPBakery) is a drag-and-drop website building plugin for WordPress that is designed to let both new users and experts design exciting and responsive websites with ease. It has both a free and a paid service component, which will open up more layouts and design features as needed.
In this guide, we will explain how to both create a new server with WordPress + Visual Composer’s free edition, as well as how to reinstall a pre-existing server to have WordPress + Visual Composer using the Hostwinds Cloud Portal.
Creating a New Visual Composer Server
Just follow these steps to create a new Visual Composer VPS:
Step 1: Log into your Client Area at https://clients.hostwinds.com
Step 2: Select Cloud Control and then click on Cloud Portal from the drop down menu
Step 3: Click on the Create option, and select Servers from the drop down menu
Step 4: Under Select Server Image, click on the Applications menu item
Step 5: Click on Visual Composer from the list of applications
Step 6: Select your server resources, location, and billing cycle, and select Create Server at the very bottom
Your server will not be activated until the pending invoice has been completed.
Please allow up to 15 minutes for the application to complete the initial installation.
Step 7: Go to your WordPress server URL at http://YOUR-IP-ADDRESS/
Step 8: Fill in the information to complete final setup and configuration of your Visual Composer storefront
Step 9: Go to your WordPress Admin URL at http://YOUR-IP-ADDRESS/wp-admin and login with your chosen credentials from Step 8
Step 10: Once you are logged into your WordPress Dashboard, click the Plugins option in the left-hand navigation bar
Step 11: Find Visual Composer Website Builder and click Activate
Step 12: Follow the prompts from Visual Composer to complete setup and activation
Reinstall Visual Composer On Your VPS / Cloud Server
The following steps will let you reinstall your current VPS with Visual Composer installed. Please note that this will erase and destroy and data on the server to reinstall it.
Step 1: Log into your Client Area at https://clients.hostwinds.com
Step 2: Select Cloud Control and then click on Cloud Portal
Step 3: Click on the Server’s nickname that you wish to reinstall
Step 4: Click on the Actions button and then select Reinstall from the drop-down menu
As always, we suggest that you take a snapshot backup of your server prior to reinstalling any applications. When you reinstall an application or an Operating System, this will overwrite all of your server’s data.
Step 5: Under Select Server Image, click on the Applications tab.
Step 6: Click on Visual Composer option.
Please allow up to 15 minutes for the application to complete the initial installation.
Step 7: Go to your WordPress server URL at http://YOUR-IP-ADDRESS/
Step 8: Fill in the information to complete the final setup and configuration of your Visual Composer storefront.
Step 9: Go to your WordPress Admin URL at http://YOUR-IP-ADDRESS/wp-admin and login with your chosen credentials from Step 8.
Step 10: Once you are logged into your WordPress Dashboard, click the Plugins option in the left-hand navigation bar.
Step 11: Find Visual Composer Website Builder and click Activate
Step 12: Follow the prompts from Visual Composer to complete setup and activation