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If you are like I was, you may have been dreaming of starting your own blog.
Not only is it a creative outlet, but even better, it is a great way to make extra income! And, at the end of the day you have something you created yourself.
Your own design, your own thoughts, and hopefully your own income stream.
But you may be wondering how to set up a blog or if it is expensive to start a blog. The best thing about blogging is it is easy and cheap to do! You can start your own blog today in as little as 15 minutes!
So, what are you waiting for? Follow the steps below and learn how to start a blog today!
1. Decide on a platform for your blog
Where should I set up my blog? The first step to starting your own blog is deciding on where you want it to be.
You need a platform, or host for your own blog. This basically means where your blog will live and what system you use for set-up.
There are a lot of free blogging platforms out there like Blogger and Blogspot or wordpress.com but I don’t suggest using one of these.
First of all, you won’t technically own your blog. They will. And, you can’t have a nice, clean url for your blog. It will be your blog name plus the name of their company, like www.myblog.blogger.com for example.
The best platform for your blog is wordpress.org. And the easiest way to set this up is to buy your own url and web hosting through a company like Blue Host which uses the wordpress.org platform automatically (not to be confused with wordpress.com which is not suggested for blog set-up).
It is the most affordable way to do this, at only $3.95 a month, plus if you use my link, you can get your name registration (step. 2) for free.
And when you sign up with Blue Host they will set you up with the correct WordPress automatically, making this the easiest way to start a blog.
Choosing this blog platform will give you more control over your blog and more design options for the look of it. Plus, you can add helpful plug-ins for anything you may want to add to your blog, like ads to help you make money blogging or pop-up email opt-ins.
So if you want to start your own blog the right way, choose your own url and web-hosting service instead of one of the other free self-hosted platforms.
Click here to get started now!
2. Register your blog domain name
Pick your blog name and purchase it before no-one else can!
This step might take a little time and thought before you buy. But choosing a name is one of the most important steps in how to start a blog.
There aren’t really any rules when it comes to your blog name and url, although something easy to spell and remember is always a good idea.
If you are really stuck, try using a name generator like this one for help in choosing your blog name. Satori Studio also has a blog name generator which narrows the results to those that have available .com urls.
Once you have your name chosen, the next step is to register your blog domain. I recommend using Blue Host for this so you can easily achieve steps 1 and 2 all at once.
If you purchase your url (blog name and address), from one company and the hosting from another, you will have to get the blog domain transferred which is a pain.
Already know what name you want? Use the blog domain checker below to see if it is available!
Plus, Blue Host will offer you your domain for FREE for a whole year if you sign up for a year of web hosting. This leads us to step 3!
Registered your blog name through this tutorial? Drop the name in the comments section below to create your first promotion to the world!
3. Purchase web hosting for your blog
In order for your blog to exist, you need someone to host it on the web! Don’t worry, I don’t really know what web hosting means either, just that it is part of the mysterious way the internet works and one of the required steps in how to start a blog.
As mentioned in Step 1, it is easiest to register your blog domain and sign up for hosting all in one with a company like Blue Host.
The best thing about it is that it is super affordable at just $3.95 a month for the basic plan! Blogging is a great side hustle because you can start one with little-to-no initial investment. You don’t have to go to a bank and get a business loan, or be stressed at the money you are investing.
So basically, there is no reason not to try! Take the first step to your own blogging business with a url and web hosting.
4. Install WordPress
In order to start building your blog and adding posts you need to install WordPress. In boring terms, it is the content management system that supports your blog.
Basically, it is the building blocks for your blog and let’s you do all kinds of fun things like designing how your blog looks, creating ads to make money and actually posting a blog article!
The nice thing about Blue Host is once you purchase the web hosting, it will automatically include WordPress installation as part of the process.
Once you have entered your domain name, chosen a web hosting plan and created a password, you will be asked to click a button to automatically install WordPress.
It’s that simple!
5. Customize your blog’s look
This is the fun part. The part where you get to design the look of your blog. And, it is so easy!
You don’t have to know HTML code or how to program anything (except your coffee maker of course).
You just have to pick a something called a theme to install on your wordpress site. There are thousands of them out there. You can choose one that is free or if you don’t mind spending a little, can purchase one.
The nice thing about the purchased ones is they usually come with a year of support so you can ask questions and get help when you run into issues. I have used that perk MANY times!! For this reason, I recommend you choose a paid theme when you start your own blog.
Elegant themes has some beautiful blog design options and their newest theme Divi features a drag and drop builder, making it even easier to design as you go. Plus, for one price, you can get access to all their themes and plugins!
Another great option for themes is StudioPress. Their themes are built on the Genesis Framework which is better for performance of your site. Plus, if you sign up for managed WordPress hosting of your blog with WP Engine (faster than shared and features improved support), you will get access to all the StudioPress themes for free.
6. Start writing
You can officially write your first blog post now! It is that easy. A great website for information to help with all things blogging and wordpress is WPBeginner.
Once you’ve written your first post, drop it in the comments section below so we can read it!
Want to get a jumpstart on faster promotion of your blog? Register for a Tailwind account with this link and get one month free!
Need some more inspiration? Learn How 3 Successful Bloggers Went from Part-time to Pro!
Once you’ve started your blog, read this post on 5 Must-Have Tools for Beginning Bloggers!
More helpful blogging tips:
8 Ways to Get More Page Views on your Blog Post
Grow Your Email Lis with These 8 Tactics
How to start a blog recap:
Time needed: 10 minutes.
How to Start a Blog in 6 Easy Steps
- Decide on a blog platform
Choose where you want your blog to be.
- Register your blog domain
Choose a name for your blog and register it.
- Install WordPress
Click to install WordPress for your blog.
- Purchase web hosting
Choose a web host for your blog like Blue Host. You can actually do steps 1-6 quickly on their site.
- Customize your blog’s look
Choose a theme and design for your blog.
- Start writing
Write and publish your first blog post!
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Thanks! You can click through the links in the article above to Blue Host to set up your site hosting!
Thank you. I am a beginner blogger if i can even call myself that…I am trying to get into blogging continuously. This article was very helpful
Thank you Luisa! I think it is a great journey to go on, hope you continue with it!
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This is a really useful guide for beginner bloggers Cara. I fully endorse WordPress and always find it difficult to understand why anyone would choose any other platform.
Hi, I just came across this blog post and was wondering if you could tell me how much does it cost total from start to finish to make a blog? Can I download the things needed onto my smartphone and do most of my blogging from there? I’m really interested in starting my blog to earn some extra income. Thank you so much!
Hi Sara!
It really depends on how much you want to invest. You can keep your costs really low by doing most of the work yourself, and using free plugins instead of purchasing. You can actually keep the cost as low as the web hosting fees on Bluehost with the links above which is less than $100 for the year. I think it is easier to work from a computer rather than a smartphone though! At least in the beginning.
Thanks!