How To Start A Blog
Do people keep telling you that you should start a blog? Or are you simply wondering how to start a blog? Today I’m going to share my 7 basic steps to start a blog! These steps will put you on the right path so you can start a successful blog.
Starting your own blog doesn’t have to be complicated, overwhelming or expensive. So let’s get started…
Why Should You Start A Blog?
There are many reasons why you should start a blog, but here’s what most of my clients say about why they started a blog:
- Make money while working from home.
- Gain more exposure for my existing business.
- Share passion, inspiration and knowledge (in certain areas) with others.
- To sell own products and/or services.
- A love for writing – sharing stories, building community, encouraging others.
Do any of these apply to you? No matter what your reasoning is, let’s get your blog up and running!
7 Basic Steps To Start A Blog
- Decide what to blog about. If you’re an individual, you have a ton of flexibility in the type of topics you blog about. If you’re a business or organization, your blog should be related to the products and/or services you provide, or the cause that you are promoting.
- Pick a name for your blog + domain name. It’s important to decide on a name for your blog (one that will stay & grow with you, plus isn’t hard to spell). It’s not always a simple change, if you decide to go by something else down the road.
Have your blog name and domain name (aka URL) match. I always advise people to buy the domain name for your blog’s title – trust me it will make finding your blog a lot easier! For example, Your Marketing BFF is my blog name and yourmarketingbff.com is my domain name.
- Choose a blog platform. Choosing a blogging platform can be overwhelming, especially since there’s no shortage of options out on the web. There’s also a number of free services you can use to start a blog or website, but hands down the best and most popular blog platform is WordPress.
Note: When I say WordPress, I’m talking about a self-hosted WordPress.org site, not a free WordPress.com site.
I use and only design WordPress sites because of the many design options, ease of use, huge community of people that create and share tools, not to mention it’s the best platform for SEO (search engine optimization)! Whether you want a site with or without a blog, WordPress is THE BEST platform to go with.
- Get a website hosting account. Selecting reliable hosting will be one of the most important decisions you make. To a great extent, the functionality and performance of your blog will depend on your hosting provider. The host makes sure your blog is available 24/7 to your readers and it’s where your files are stored online.
If you want an easy, reliable, here to stay, one click WordPress install option – not to mention the hosting provider trusted by top bloggers – I would recommend Bluehost.
Ready? Start by clicking here to get step-by-step Bluehost installation instructions.
- Install WordPress. Once you’ve completed your registration with Bluehost, it’s time to start installing WordPress. You’ll find the step-by-step WordPress Install instructions here.
- Design your blog. Once you’ve installed WordPress, you officially are the proud owner of a self-hosted WordPress site. At this point, you have your own blog…it’s just not stunning yet!
How do you design your blog to make it stunning? This is where a theme comes in. WordPress has a ton of free themes, but I’d suggest a premium theme, that’s unique to your blog and the best design for your needs.
- Start blogging! It’s about time we get to the fun stuff!!! Once you’ve done steps 1-6 above, you’re ready to start blogging.
Are you ready to start your own successful blog? Now that you know the 7 basic steps of how to start a blog, and you’ve decided you’re ready to start a blog… You can easily follow the step-by-step guides on this site.
I’ll walk you through the process of how to start a blog; from what to blog about, to picking the perfect domain name, to writing your first blog post.
Go to Step 1: Decide What To Blog About.
Hello! Can I register my domain with WordPress?
With a self-hosted WordPress.org site, you’ll want to obtain your domain through a domain provider. I tend to suggest that you purchase your domain name through your hosting provider, but you don’t have to (it’s just easier to have everything in one place). If you decide not to purchase your domain from your hosting provider, just know that you will need to ‘point’ your domain name to your hosting. Many like to purchase domain names through Godaddy, Namecheap, Hostgator… just to name a few places you can purchase your domain through. Hope that helps. xo
Is Bluehost considered a domain provider?
They are mainly known for hosting, but yes they also offer domains through their service.
hello! I just found your blog and it’s perfect timing bc I’m trying to get started. I just through bluehost and have installed wordpress. I am stuck at the theme and designing my blog. I am planning on purchasing and theme but I’m overwhelmed. Any advice on 1. how to pick a theme and 2. Install/design? I’m clueless and have been stuck here for months! Thank you!
Hi Mahina- I sent you an email with my advice… let me know if you didn’t receive it! Thanks for reaching out.
Hello! I have the same problem that Mahina posted … though I’m getting started in 2019 ! I would so appreciate some advice in this area.
Hi Elle! Thank you for reaching out. I just sent you an email with advice… and if you need more help, just reply to my email and I’ll help you decide what’s best for you. xo
I am a blogger-want-a-be! and not a techy to boot! I am not going to say, “I am too old for this”, but…
I have googled for days and vaguely understand to start I need the WordPress.org and Bluehost. But need guidance and HELP!
I have been an interior photographer for 35 years. along with being a photo stylist and author of design books. I have also flipped over 10 homes. I have the photography and writing for my blog covered ; as well as the photo styling, I have no idea where to start to have a successful blog with an audience and partnering for advertisements. I have seen your name on a few blogs I read, so I thought I would contact you.
Can you help me.? I have tried a shop on Shopify to sell home goods, I have tried a shop on Etsy to sell things I have made, but nothing ever happens. I feel like I need marketing help to be seen. ” How to get seen?” I have been told I need more search engine placement (whatever that is).
I am happy to join for $47, but I want to make sure it is understandable help; a step by step set up and marketing help- not just a monthly charge. Mainly marketing help. Thanks for a reply
BLOG EDU is perfect for you! Yes, it’s hand holding, step-by-step AND if at any time you feel stuck or unsure about something – you get to ask me and/or others in the group and get an answer! Plus you’ll hear other peoples questions and my answers (we do two, 1-hour FB LIVE Q&A’s each month)… which helps you learn/understand even more. And if you can’t make the LIVES, no problem. You have access 24/7 to the LIVES and you can refer back to them as often as you like.
I discuss various “shopping cart” options – and this really depends on how many products you are selling and how you are selling them. I also teach people that you can “connect” you shops to your WP site – for example a link to your Etsy shop from your site.
Understanding how SEO (search engine optimization), marketing and the way readers want (and share) your information are also keys!!!
Hi there. I started a blog about a few months back and am getting back to it and looking to revamp it into my main focus of a DIY home blog. I love the theme style of your blog here. Is it terrible for me to ask how I can go about creating a theme/layout like this one you’ve created? Also, any advice or tips in creating a successful DIY blog you can share with me?
Hi Chelsea – the theme I am currently using is the Market Theme by restored316designs. SEO (search engine optimization) is very important to help your blog grow, so I’d suggest searching this term on my site and reading posts on it! DIY blog’s can be very successful – make sure to always bring value to your readers and explain steps along the way well so people can recreate. Keep reading this blog… there’s a ton of free advice that will help you create a successful blog. xo