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If you are like I was, you may have been dreaming of starting your own blog but don’t know how.
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 in 2023. 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? Check out this easy beginner’s guide to blogging.
In this beginner’s blogging guide we will cover:
- Why you should create a blog
- The steps to follow to start your own blog
- The beginner blogging tools you need
Table of Contents
Why should you start blogging?
There are a lot of reasons to start your own blog today. First of all it is an excellent hobby and creative outlet!
Maybe you are an expert in something like personal finance, or physics and you have knowledge you can share. Blogging about what you know can be very meaningful and helpful for other people.
But most importantly you can actually make a lot of money blogging. There are many bloggers out there who went from part-time to professionals who quit their day job.
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and there are some key steps and tactics you should follow. But if you are looking for money making side hustle, this could be it!
learn how to start a blog today in 6 Easy Steps
It should only take around 15 minutes (or less) to start your own blog with these easy steps.
Make sure you also learn about amateur blogger mistakes you should avoid once you’ve started a blog.
And, before you start your blog, make sure you check out this list of the most profitable blog niches.
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. This is actually a very common mistake made by beginning bloggers!
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 of starting a blog) for free.
Easy Click Start
Get a free domain name
Click here to start your blog the easy way by signing up with Blue Host and get your blog domain for free. Blue Host will take you step-by-step through the set-up.
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 or 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.
If you want to choose a blog host that provides even more service and website speed I suggest WP Engine.
They cost more per month but include a lot more perks and benefits for your blog. Click this link and use the coupon code WPE3FREE for 3 months free!
If you are interested in learning about other blog web hosting platforms, here are some more options.
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 the performance of your website.
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.
And if that wasn’t enough, if you click this link and use the coupon code WPE3FREE you will get hosting for your blog for 3 months free!
6. Start writing
You can officially write your first blog post now! It is that easy. You can try some blog post ideas for beginners to get a good start.
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!
How to start a blog for free
There are several sites that will allow you to set up your blog for free. Wix, WordPress.com, Medium and Blogger.com.
However, as we mentioned earlier, it is not recommended that you start a blog for free! There are many drawbacks such as not owning your url, not being able to choose a clean url and not having the same blog customization abilities.
But, the good news is, you can start a blog the right way for almost free! Setting up your blog on Blue Host can be done for just $3.95 a month.
So, while that isn’t free, it is a super affordable way to start a blog and make money.
Important first steps when starting a blog
Craft a good blog description
Once you create your own blog, there are some important first steps to take.l One is writing your blog description.
The blog description, also called a meta description, is what shows on Google search results under your blog name and url and describes what it is about. Here is an example:
Check out this guide on writing a blog description for more information.
Within your WordPress blog dashboard, you can easily plug in your blog description to the Yoast plugin.
Set up Must-have blog pages
When you first start a blog, there are some key blog pages you need to create. It is very easy though.
You just go to “Pages” in your WordPress dashboard, “Add new” and fill in the copy and images you want for each page.
Here are some key blog pages you need to set up:
Contact Us Page
You definitely need a Contact Us page when you design your blog.
Your blog readers and website visitors need a way to contact you. Plus, eventually when you start getting more traffic, potential sponsors and advertisers may reach out this way as well.
You can easily create a contact form on your page by installing a plugin.
WP Forms and Ninja Forms are two plugins that work well. While they offer premium versions that you have to pay for, you only need the free version when you are a blogging beginner.
About Us Page
To create your own blog, you must have an “About” page to describe it!
This is the place where you explain who you are and what our blog is about. It is a chance toc connect with your audience and express your mission statement.
Privacy Policy
I know, privacy policy doesn’t sound super exciting. But you are legally required to have this on your blog, so don’t skip it!
You can easily park this page in your blog footer though, so it isn’t taking up valuable visual real estate in the header of your blog.
The privacy policy is simply a legal document or statement that tells how a company, website or blog like yours collects, handles and processes data of its visitors and customers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to hire an expensive lawyer to create one. You can use a privacy policy generator like this one.
Blogging tools for beginners
Once you have created your blog, there are some key tools you need for success and just to make working on your blog easier.
This is actually a course you can take. While the cost of this is a little pricier, I can honestly say it is well worth it. If you only make one big financial investment in your blog, this should be it.
And, you should purchase it now, before you start blogging. It will teach you the tactics you need to start your blog the right way in order to make money blogging.
Canva is an easy tool you can use to help yourself create graphic images. It is super simple and user-friendly.
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to use it to make high quality, professional graphics like social media images, Pinterest pins, infographics and lots more!
From the moment you start a blog, you need a way to capture email addresses of your visitors. Having a list of names helps you grow and maintain blog traffic.
And, an email list increases the money you can make with your blog! So from the start, sign up with a program like ConvertKit that will make it easy to get email addresses from your blog visitors and send out regular emails.
How to start a blog and make money
Becoming a blogger is just part of the journey. You want to know how to become a blogger and make money!
Blogs take a lot of work and even some investment. So, you absolutely want to make money off your blog.
And, the good news is you can!
Leveraging some of the tools and courses I already mentioned will help you down a successful blogging path. Learn everything you can in order to make the most of your own blog.
In order to make money blogging, you need to be getting traffic to your blog. Therefore, SEO and social media can be really important for blog growth.
And, you must have your blog monetized in order to make money from it.
Here are some ways to monetize your blog:
Try any or all of these tactics to make money with your blog after you’ve started it.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a key way to make money from your blog.
All it means is you are an affiliate for a product or service. You promote a product and if someone clicks through your affiliate link to buy that product, you get a commission.
There are tons of companies out there with affiliate programs, you can even be an amazon affiliate.
You should include affiliate links in as many blog posts as you can so that you can give yourself more chances to make money blogging.
To learn more about how to make money with affiliate marketing, you should take the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course.
Digital Products
You can also sell your own products to make money with your blog. Digital products can be anything from Pinterest graphic templates to daily planners or bullet journals.
Advertising
You can also make money off of your blog by letting 3rd party companies places ads on it. Every time the ads get seen or clicked on, you will make money.
However, you really should wait on placing ads until you are getting some decent traffic to your blog. Ads can slow down your site, and as a beginning blogger you need your blog to be fast to help your SEO and traffic.
Mediavine is one of the most popular ad networks for bloggers who make money.
However, they have a minimum traffic requirement of 50,000 sessions per month so it may take you some time to get there.
Courses
You can also create and sell courses on your blog in order to make money. You can make your own course on everything from yoga, to photography or even blogging for beginners.
Whatever your area of expertise is, create a course and sell it.
Teachable is an excellent site where you can set up your courses.
Sponsorships
Another way you can make money blogging is with something called a sponsorship.
A sponsored blog post just means that you get paid by a company to write a post about their product.
It could be a product review or a story about how you used a product. There are a few things you can do to get them.
What Kind of Blogs Make Money?
Well blogs that get traffic make money for starters! So make sure you are doing all the things you can to help increase traffic.
But, there are some blog niches that can be very profitable:
- Food
- Personal Finance
- Travel
- Fashion
- Health & Fitness
- Education
- Parenting
How to start Your Own blog recap:
It is super easy to start your own blogging side hustle in 2022! Just follow the 6 easy steps below and you are on your way!
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 hosted.
- 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!
More Helpful Blogging Tips:
Grow Your Email List with These 8 Tactics
5 Must-Have Tools for Beginning Bloggers!
15 Blog Post Ideas for Beginners
7 Best Free Social Media Schedulers
My Favorite Blogging Tools
Tailwind for Pinterest to help boost your blog traffic
ConvertKit for email automation and landing page conversions
Keysearch for keyword research
Elegant Themes for design themes
Canva for graphic design
Stupid Simple SEO course for SEO tactics
Long Tail Pro keyword research
Fiverr for freelance designers
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Thanks! You can click through the links in the article above to Blue Host to set up your site hosting!
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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!
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It is currently on SiteGround!https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=f8e5c3ba6369b3165e3b02243daa2c4d
I finally jumped and started my blog. I only have an intro post but I’m excited where it’s going.
http://Www.chaosanyone.com
Any feedback is appreciated
Starting is the number one important thing to do! It looks great, I can’t believe you have 6 kids!! I’m sure that keeps you busy.