So you’ve heard about blogging and decided to create and start a blog site for your business or passion. Or, People keep on telling that you should start a blog (because you can earn from it). The problem is that you don’t know how to start, or you don’t have a technical background in programming. But here’s the good news: creating a blog site is easier than you think.
Don’t wait. Today is your day to start a blog!
I’ve been blogging for more than seven years, and I could say that I am best at doing it. Some of my blogs have been mentioned in different publications and received awards. I’m also earning from blogging and using it as a content marketing channel for my business websites and customers.
Related: How I Earned 190,957 PHP (US$4,062.93) on a Single Blog
Follow the simple steps below, and you’ll be up and running with your blog before you knew it. Let’s get started.
Get a Domain and Hosting
Main Tools: HostGator
The first thing that you should do is get a hosting, and then register a domain name for your blog site.
So the question will be, what do you want your domain name to be?
This part is fun and the most exciting, so make sure to brainstorm as many different ideas as possible. Once you’ve thought of some possible names, head to HostGator and choose a plan.
HostGator is my hosting company for all of my websites. I have tried five other hosting companies but ended up choosing HostGator because of great site performance. The feature that I like the most is Cloud Hosting, which makes your website 2 times faster with 4 times resources. Personally, I use Business Cloud (for free private SSL), but for starters, Baby Cloud is a great hosting plan to get started.
Once you clicked the “Buy Now!” button, you will be redirected to their checkout page. In this page, you can put the domain name that you wish to register. HostGator has an amazingly affordable domain name registration. It is also the perfect place to start blogging.
Install WordPress
Main Tools: HostGator CPanel
WordPress is by far the best blogging software. I use this software to run my blogs and websites. It’s also easy to use and easy to install.
Once you’ve completed the registration with HostGator, log in to your control panel that they provided. From there, you’ll need to go through the process of installing WordPress.
Once logged in, find the WordPress logo under “Special Offers” section, which is usually located above. Then, click it. You will then be redirected to QuickInstall dashboard. Scroll it down, and you’ll find “Install WordPress.”
You can now proceed with installing WordPress for free by clicking “Install WordPress”. Fill out the form to start installing.
Once done, you should see the message that says “Congratulations!” including the log-in credentials.
I recommend that you write down your admin area URL, username, and password on your computer so you won’t forget it. You can change these log-in credentials later according to your preference, but you’ll need them for your first log-in.
Type your admin area URL into your web browser, and you should see a login screen similar to the image below. Afterward, you need to enter your username and password.
There you go! You have officially logged and created your blog. Congratulations!
Beautify Your Blog with a Theme
from the resource page
ThemeForest – ThemeForest by Envato is the only marketplace I use to create beautiful websites and blogs for more than 4 years. Customizing a blog that is designed to your taste and preferences has never been easy until I started using this platform. The price of its WordPress themes ranges from $29 to $64, and the support from each support has been superb.
Free Themes for WordPress – WordPress.org Theme Directory offers thousands of free themes that you can use in case you are not interested in purchasing a “premium” theme right away. It’s a great place to start if want to start your blog without spending a lot of money right off the bat. Be sure to do some research and check the theme’s rating before you download it and install it onto your blog. I would recommend that you look for themes with a four- or five-star rating.
3 WordPress Plugins I Can’t Live Without
Yoast SEO – Yoast SEO is the industry standard plug-in that fully optimizes a WordPress site. It’s a complete plug-in to write good contents, and it is ideal for site optimization.
Wordfence Security – Wordfence WordPress security plug-in provides free enterprise-class WordPress security, which protects your website from hacks and malware.
WPBakery Visual Composer – Visual Composer is the #1 best-selling drag-and-drop frontend and backend page builder plug-in. I has been already powering 500k+ websites. It’s the plug-in I use to build pages and posts easily.
Choose a Monetization Strategy for Your Blog
3 best blog monetization methods
Ad Placement and Sponsorship
Google AdSense, direct banner advertising, and sponsorship are some of the most effective ways to monetize a blog. This model can give you a decent amount of monthly revenue if your blog is getting a good amount of traffic and have an active audience that advertisers want to engage with.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing is the process of earning a commission by promoting other people’s (or company’s) products. You find a product you like, promote it to others, and earn a piece of the profit for each sale that you make. The platforms from which you can start include ClickBank, CJ.com, and ShareASale.
Products or Services
If you are knowledgeable with a specific skill, you can use it to create your own products or to provide services for potential customers. If you follow this model, make sure to build a reputation, brand authority, and a loyal following through your blog.