There are so many reasons why to start a blog or why people are doing it. It could be a way to journal, share your hobby and passions, or create a revenue stream.
In today’s day in age it is simple and affordable to get things up and running.
There are a few simple steps that you need to take:
- Decide on your niche
- Decide on a domain name and get your domain name
- Pick a host/ Get a hosting account
- Decide on web design service
- Pick your template/design/ or theme
- Start blogging
I know when I was getting started I thought to myself, where do I begin. So hope this post helps you get up and running as quick as possible.
Step 1: Decide on your niche
Deciding on what to write or blog about is really up to you. For me I asked myself two things.
- What am I passionate about?
- How can I scratch my own “itch”? Basically put out information I would want or want to read.
Step 2: Decide on a domain name
Figure out what you want to name you blog and starts searching to see if the domain is available. You can do this by searching hosting companies. Here are a few good ones.
Step 3: Sign up for website hosting
A website is basically a bunch of files, documents, code, etc. These all need to be stored or put somewhere. That is need for a hosting service. It allows your visitor to access those files whenever they want.
My top recommendations for website hosting:
Some web development companies do offer a basic hosting service, but eventually you could out grow those or what they offer. You will though still need to purchase a domain name if you go that route.
BLUEHOST:
You can get started with bluehost here.
- Bluehost is inexpensive (under $3)
- Bluehost is one of the easiest to install (1 click of the button)
- You get a free domain name (first year)
- They offer a 30 day money back guarantee
- You can run multiple websites through one hosting depending on your plan
SITEGROUND HOSTING:
You can get started with SiteGround here
- 3 different plans to choose from
- low cost
- Free emails
- Website building help
- Website transfering
Step 4: Decide on Theme for your Website
Two suggestions I’ll give before you purchase a Theme are 1) Either draw out what you want your website to look like or find someone’s website your really like and see how theirs flows and is laid out. 2) Create a secret Pinterest board for the look of your website. Start to pin colors, items, etc that you like. After have pinned about 50+ items you will get a feel of what your style is and what you want your site to look like.
Once you know what you want your website to look like go pick out your theme. Some good places to look for ones are WordPress, Etsy (type in WordPress theme), and ThemeForest. I suggest not doing a free one, but spending a little money on one ($20-$40) that way you can get support if you need help or have questions.
Step 5: Install your WordPress Theme
For me this was one of the most complicated parts, but I bought my theme through Etsy and the creator of the theme has some great instructions on “How To” do this that came with my purchase. There are also some great WordPress youtube videos to help you along the way.
Note: To add your theme, follow the documentation from your purchased theme on how to set it up to WordPress. If you have ANY questions, contact your developer for your purchased theme.
Step 6: Change your permalink settings
Before you get started posting anything, go to your Settings -> Permalinks -> Choose “Post name” and then save the changes.
Note: When you write your posts, the permalink “Post Name” should be whatever keyword you are targeting if you are considering SEO.
NOW YOU ARE READY TO ROCK AND ROLL
Other options:
In all honesty I started out using Wix.com and I still recommend Wix.com for someone who is looking to have simple clean website, etc. It is very user friendly and easy to use. Another similar one I would suggest is square space.
The reason I switched over to WordPress is because I wanted to grow and the SEO options and features were a lot better with WordPress. I know with WordPress there can be a little bit of a learning curve, but in the long run it will benefit you (Take this from a guy who had to switch everything over manually from Wix to WordPress).
Other Tips Before You Launch Your Blog
- Keep it to yourself or a small circle of people you trust until you are ready to share. This can help avoiding any negativity you don’t need.
- Try to have 15-20 posts ready to go before you launch or promote your website/blog. You want it to be professional.
- Keep your blog posts consistent in layout, look, and theme
- Join Facebook and Pinterest Groups. Also start facebook and pinterest pages for you blog/website.
- Always re-read your posts once you post them on both your computer and mobile device. This will help make sure everything looks right and any links are working properly.
- ALWAYS keep our audience and readers in mind. What is that they want and need?
- Look for the best opportunities to monetize through partnerships, affiliates, sponsorships, ads, etc.
- Put a privacy policy in your footer.
- Install Google Analytics to track the activity on your website.
- Make sure you save your images as a JPEG and not PNG.
Free Tools To Help You Manager Your Site
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