Do you want to know how to start a blog?
Do you want to create something meaningful? Why not create a blog?
Although there are different blogging platforms like weebly.com and blogger.com, but if you are serious, you need to use a self-hosted WordPress website due to its freedom and flexibility.
Here, you will see prices that range from $3 per month to $6 per month.
Starting a blog can earn you a living, and more importantly, you can add tremendous value to people’s lives.
Learn how to start a blog in two hours or less. Get your blog up and running today by following the easy steps that will be listed in this post. It is much easier than you think it is.
How to Create a successful blog in 5 steps
- Pick your blog name and get a blog hosting.
- Start your blog by using WordPress
- Select a simple theme for your blog
- Add two essential blogging plugins to find your readers and monitor stats.
- Write compelling and exciting content to create a blog that your readers will and keep engaged.
This blog uses WordPress because it gives me greater control over the look and feel (visual aspect) of my blog.
Note: Our content is reader-supported, which means that if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.
One more thing, WordPress is free.
There are some other steps we follow when creating ours, but if you following through with these five steps, you will know to set up a blog in two hours or less.
1. Pick your blog name and get your blog hosting.
The very first thing you need to do is visit Bluehost.com and register your domain name; it is free with hosting. I will explain the hosting part in a bit but first, let’s talk about the domain name.Select your domain name
This is an essential part of your blog because it creates the first impression.Your domain name is also known as your URL – that is, the address on the web. For instance, my domain name is dailyhowtobeast.com.
So, what is the name you have decided to give your blog?
Is it YourBusinessName.com or Yourname.com? If you find it challenging to pick a domain name, don’t worry, Bluehost will provide you with plenty of suggestions to choose from.
If you already got a domain from somewhere else, Bluehost will make the process of transferring it easy during your blog setup.
Setup blog hosting
The next thing to do after picking a domain is to set up hosting for your blog.Though WordPress itself free but you need a dependable place to host your WordPress blog (that is, your blog has to be on a server).
Here is why we are recommending Bluehost:
Free Domain: When signing up for a hosting package with Bluehost, you will be offered a free domain name, which saves you from recurring or upfront fees from purchasing a domain name on your own. If you already have a domain name before now, don’t worry, as you can still use it for your blog on Bluehost.
Reliability: The facilities used by Bluehost are top-notch. They possess a custom-built 20,000 square-foot datacenter with enough backup generators.
Money-back Guarantee: With Bluehost, you are sure to get a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there is no risk involved if you decide to change your mind.
Since you are ready to get started, visit Bluehost and click the Get Started Now button.
Next, pick your hosting plan
Here, you will see prices that range from $3 per month to $6 per month. The plan you will choose depends on whether you want a simple basic blog or create multiple blogs or sites.
After you have selected your plan, enter a domain name.
If you do not have a domain name, type in your desired blog name into the “new domain” box.
If you already have one, input it in the “I have a domain box.”
Click the “next” button.
Here, create your blog hosting account.
Click “Create your password” to complete your setup.
It is as simple as that.
2. Start your blog by adding WordPress
The second thing for you to do is to install WordPress.Remember that WordPress is free. Do not allow the word “install” to frighten you.
It is easier than it sounds. It is Bluehost that does all the hard work.
To start, simply login.
Bluehost provides you with different blog design options to choose from, but we will not use anyone. Just scroll down and click ‘Skip this step.’ You will see the reason we did this later.
Now that WordPress has been installed click on the Start building to go to your new blogging dashboard.
3. Select a simple theme to make your blog your own
With the help of a theme, you can pick a design for your blog without having any coding or design knowledge.A good theme can help you to design your blog the way you want it to look. If you aren’t a programmer or coder, then a theme makes your design work easier.
Do you remember how it was easy to install WordPress? It is also easy to install and change your blog’s theme.
Once you want to install a new theme, hover over the Appearance menu, which is at the left sidebar, then click on themes.
WordPress itself comes with a few themes, but we search for flashy and beautiful themes that will instantly make your blog look good.
Click the “Add new” button that is at the top to have access to thousands of WordPress themes.
The trick here is to use the WordPress filter feature. This feature allows you to search for a theme that suits your style.
This filter contains three (3) categories; Layout, feature, and Subject. This is what the filter request looks like:
When you apply this filter, you will find beautiful themes that would have cost a lot of money in design fees.
When you click any theme’s thumbnail, you can get a preview of what your blog will look like.
Once you are satisfied with the one you have chosen, click the install button.
By the time your theme’s installation is complete, click the Activate button.
4. Add two blogging plugins to find your readers and monitor your stats
What are plugins? They are third-party add-ons that add additional functionality to your blog.It is good to install the best plugins as well as keeping the number of plugins on your blog to a small number.
When you have too many plugins on your blogs, it tends to slow down your site.
These plugins are:
Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights: enables you to monitor your blog’s traffic easily.
You will get to track your stats with interest data like Traffic source, overall traffic, automatic tracking of pageview and outbound click, views per author, and categories.
Once activated, launch the wizard, follow the steps and complete the setup.
Yoast SEO: This is a standard SEO plugin for WordPress. If you would like to know and get more details on WordPress SEO, read this guide.
To install Google Analytics Plugin, go to Plugins > Add new in your WordPress dashboard. Search for Monsterinsights.
You can activate the plugin immediately it has successfully been installed.
The next plugin is Yoast SEO. Search for Yoast, then you install and activate it.
Finally, your readers can receive your blog posts and update via emails a free Feedburner account (Unfortunately, Google announced that they will closing down the Feedburner service by July 2021). If you want to use a more featured email-subscription service, use Getresponse.
5. Write compelling and exciting content to create a blog that your readers will and keep engaged.
A big congratulation to you. You have succeeded in starting a blog; it now time to start blogging. You can make it yours and turn that your vision into reality.
Logo: Create a basic logo using Canva or programs like Photoshop, Coreldraw, and Indesign.
Photo: it is okay to add a picture of yourself. These days, people tend to identify other people more than logos.
Content: You have to start writing and publishing content on your blog, especially for basic pages like the Contact page, About page, or any other page that you wish to appear on the header of your new blog.
Images: Use quality photos and pictures on blog posts. They help in keeping readers engaged. These are some sites where you can get them for free. They are Unsplash, Pexels, and Library of Congress.
Comments: Decide on whether you want to receive comments on your blog. They sometimes a way of receiving feedback and engaging with your audience.
Publish: You have to start writing content for your blog. If your blog is new, ensure that you publish content once per week to start building an audience.
I do hope you have a lot of fun dishing out content on your new blog. I am optimistic it will be an excellent experience for growth for you in the coming months.
You are officially a blogger now. Wherever you are going or whatever you do, ensure you the journey ahead.
How to blog: 6 blogging tips to improve your writing
There are a lot of individuals who want to know on how to blog and create meaningful content.A large part of this article shows you how to start a blog; it is now time to start writing and creating your content.
Theses are six tips on how to blog:
Discover your niche: knowing your niche is really helpful. As a new blogger, you need to ask yourself what you are passionate about.
Do not create a blog about something without having a unique perspective.
If you have embraced gaming and have a unique perspective on it, by all means, have it.
Add Value: The content on your blog must give value to your readers.
You need to help individuals to solve their problems. This ensures that you attract quality readers and keep them coming back.
Studies have proved that adding value to people is the only way you can get their long-term buy-in.
Research: Take your time to research what you are blogging about. It is one of the reasons you can find relevant and helpful links in our articles.
Be Interesting: Publish exciting and informative content, especially if you want to be shared.
Keep it Simple: Applying minimalism to everything about your blog is a good practice.
It is better to stick to the basics and take away anything that you do not need and does not add value to your readers.
Social Media: I advise you to use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect and engage with your readers.
Conclusion
It is easy to start a blog. Blogs have now become more accessible and affordable than before. I advise you to go ahead with your passion and share them through your blog. You have everything that you need to get started. You can get started right now with a free domain from Bluehost. Remember, be simple, be you, and be adventurous.Keep publishing great content, and your audience will listen to you and convert.
Don't also to forget to learn what SEO is about, it helps to create your content for your audience and optimizes your blog for search engines.
Have you started your blog? If no, what is drawing you back?
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