Look, I get it. The money isn’t there for bloggers to write about how to start a blog site. People starting a blog typically aren’t the ones who would be clicking on ads or spending any money, really. I’m guilty as well; one of my first posts here described how you would start a blog site, but it was so high-level. I wasn't lazy; I just didn’t realise it was necessary.
1. How do you start a blog site?
If you’re a non-techie like many of my friends, you’re in luck! In today’s self-server web environment, you can create a blog with little or no experience! If you could find this blog, then I’m sure you have enough computer skills to create your own blog.First and foremost, since you’re not going to build a blog site from scratch, you have to decide which blog company you want to work with. Many of them are out there, but two of the more popular ones are Blogger and WordPress.
I’ve used both, and they each have their pros and cons. Without going into crazy detail, if you’re just starting out, you can’t go wrong with either. Just go there and browse around. The interfaces are very intuitive, so if you can’t figure out how to start posting, then I strongly suggest you find another hobby.
Of course, right now, your blog site URL looks something like this: bloggeydown.blogger.com. If you want bloggeydown.com instead, you’ll have to register the domain elsewhere. That’s a topic for another day, regardless of whether it will make me any money. I do feel I owe it to my audience to post a step-by-step process for creating a blog from scratch. Most of the active Free Blog Help dot Com community already have sites, but there are some new visitors every day, many of whom do not have established blog sites yet. So here goes a little more depth on my take on how to start a blog with WordPress.
2. How to start a WordPress blog
Step 1: Decide on a topic
This is your most important decision. If you plan on creating a blog just to post your random thoughts, you will always be your only audience.“Experts” will tell you to find a niche that’s not saturated, but my suggestion is to find a niche that you are passionate about, regardless of how popular it is. Your knowledge of the subject matter is secondary because you can post while you gain or document the learning experience.
If you must, find a micro-niche. For example, there are many blogs on being a father already. Instead, your blog will be about being a single dad, being a stay-at-home dad, or being a dad who homeschools his kids. You get the idea, right?
Remember, fresh content is the lifeline for any blog. If you’re not passionate about the topic, you’ll lose interest fast — especially since readers and money from your blog won’t be coming for a while.
Step 2: Choose a domain name
If you are planning on using Blogger or any other free full-service blogging platforms, then stop reading here. On the other hand, if you want your blog to grow and make some money in the process, you will need your domain name. This way, your blog will be stayathomedaddy.com instead of stayathomedaddy.blogspot.com. Your blog will be more accessible to remember, but more importantly, you have shown the world that you are committed to this blog. Your domain name will cost you less than $10 a year, so there’s no reason not to do this.Need help picking a domain name? I have a brief article on what makes a good domain name that you should read. Come up with a short list since your first choice is likely already gone.
I use GoDaddy, but you can register it at other sites. I’ve had nothing but great things to say about GoDaddy for domain registration, so if you’re going to head over there anyway, I get a little something-something.
Step 3: Secure a host
After you purchase your domain name, it’s time to find a home for it. This “home” is called hosting, and this will cost you about $80 a year. Since you are using WordPress, you will want a hosting provider that supports it.Before you ask, I also use GoDaddy to host my blogs. There are many other good companies out there, but I haven’t had a bad day with GoDaddy yet, so there’s no reason for me not to stick with them. The cost is comparable to everyone else, and I know what I’m getting from a customer service standpoint, which is one of the best in the industry.
As an alternative, although I have not used Blue Host, some of my peers have raved about how happy they are there. You can visit Blue Host here.
Whether you choose GoDaddy, Blue Host, or another WordPress-supported hosting provider, you’ll be ready to take the next step.
Step 4: Install WordPress
Actual GoDaddy screen cap for installing WordPress
The big reason why I recommend WordPress-supported companies is how easy it is to install WordPress. Suppose you are not technical like most bloggers today. In that case, you probably don’t want to mess around with reading requirements, setting up a database, downloading WordPress files and unzipping them into your folders, and running the install file.Alternatively, if you signed up for GoDaddy, you can go to your Hosting Control Center and click a button to do everything mentioned above for you. Really, you click one button. It can’t get much more comfortable.
If you need help navigating the site or have questions, you can call GoDaddy 24/7, and a customer service rep will walk you through the process step-by-step. By the way, installing WordPress is free.
Step 5: Add a theme
Even though you don’t have to have a new idea to start posting, I wouldn’t want anyone to see my new site with a default theme. A theme is basically the overall look and feel of your website. It may also provide you with additional administrative tools. Although many issues are free, the better-looking and more fully-featured themes usually cost a few dollars (usually $40-$80 for a single topic).There are so many choices out there that it can be overwhelming. Just look at the blogs you like and scroll down to the footer to see their use. In the beginning, experiment with free themes to get the hang of using WordPress. A free theme is perfect for your needs.
If you decide you’d like to pay for a tha clean themeoks great, is easy to use, has good support, and is optimized for search engines, one option is the one that I currently use. A frugal theme is an excellent choice, in my opinion. You could use this link to learn about and purchase a Frugal theme. While you’re there, check out examples of what others have done with Frugal. Pretty amazing stuff!
Step 6: Start posting
Now that your building blocks are laid out, it’s time to populate your blog with real meat. It will initially seem pretty easy to fill your new blog site with content. Don’t let that fool you! Most bloggers fall off the face of the earth pretty fast.If you followed all the steps, you’ve put yourself in a pretty good position. Look at some of these tips on how to be in the top 10% of bloggers who can survive six months. You’ll find that the first tip is to set a goal on posting frequency and stick to it no matter what. That’s easier said than done.
What to do next
There you have it. You have your own WordPress blog for less than $100! I know you’re proud of yourself, but don’t relax too much, though. Your work isn’t done; in fact, it’s just beginning!If you need more depth on what you can do in WordPress, check out the video from Getting Started with WordPress – the newbie guide.
Although there is much to do, below are the first few areas you should start learning about.
- Which plugins do you install?
- How to perform your search engine optimization (SEO)
- How to get Google ads on your pages
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