How to Start a Blog from scratch

How to Start a Blog from scratch

If you’ve been wondering how to start a blog…

Well – today’s the day!

You’re FINALLY going to cross “create a blog” off your to-do list. And it’s going to be way easier than you expected. Even if you’re not good with computers.

In this beginner’s guide, I’m going to give you foolproof instructions for how to set up a blog, get your own “.com,” and find a design you love – with tons of pictures! A guide that will make it impossible for you to get it wrong.

Along the way, I’ll share some tips that will save you time and money, too!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

 6 easy steps for starting a blog

Pick your blogging platform.

Choose a host for your blog.

Decide a domain name.

Set up WordPress (the easy way)

Choose and customize a design.

Start writing!

1. Pick a blogging platform.

When we say “platform,” we mean the software you’ll use to run your blog. You’ve got lots of options: WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace to name just a few.

You can read a detailed review of the 10 most popular platforms here — but let me save you some time:

WordPress is your best option if you want to start a blog on a platform that…

Is beginner-friendly

Makes blogging as easy as writing an email

Allows you to have your own “.com”

Has no monthly fees (you only need a host and a domain name)

Comes with 5,000+ themes to suit your style, and

Gives you the power to make money from your blog one day,

There’s a reason why WordPress.org powers over 91% of all the blogs on the web, including 62% of the top 100 company blogs.

But please don’t rush out and sign up just yet!  I’ll be showing you how to install WordPress in just one click in Step 4 – and how to configure it all — but there are a few quick things we need to do first.

1.      Pick a blogging platform.

When we say “platform,” we mean the software you’ll use to run your blog. You’ve got lots of options: WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace to name just a few.

You can read a detailed review of the 10 most popular platforms here — but let me save you some time:

WordPress is your best option if you want to start a blog on a platform that…

Is beginner-friendly

Makes blogging as easy as writing an email

Allows you to have your own “.com”

Has no monthly fees (you only need a host and a domain name)

Comes with 5,000+ themes to suit your style, and

Gives you the power to make money from your blog one day,

There’s a reason why WordPress.org powers over 91% of all the blogs on the web, including 62% of the top 100 company blogs.

But please don’t rush out and sign up just yet!  I’ll be showing you how to install WordPress in just one click in Step 4 – and how to configure it all — but there are a few quick things we need to do first.

Couldn’t I just start a blog for free on a site like Blogger?

Yes, you can create your blog for free on sites like Blogger. I don’t recommend it, because there are some pretty serious drawbacks you should know about:

Your site will be hard to find.

Want a nice site address like “Yourblog.com”? Too bad – with a free site, you’ll be stuck with something like “yourblogname.blogger.com” – therefore fewer people will find your content.

You can’t customize your site the way you want to.

No free plugins to add functionality like calendars or online shops. Limited themes, your site will look like everyone else’s. Boooooring.

You’ll find it expensive to switch.

When you decide you want more control, switching from a free platform to something like WordPress can take hours of manual work and formatting.

Someone else will profit from YOUR hard work.

This is the worst one: free platforms reserve the right to put ads all over your content. Imagine seeing a huge, ugly pop-up for a product you don’t even support on your blog– and not making a penny off of it! Unfair, right?

You’re better off creating a WordPress blog that can grow with you.

Unsure how much it costs to start a blog? Less than you think!

With a self-hosted WordPress blog, you’ll pay less than $10 per month, get a design that’s all your own, AND have your own “.com” to boot. Not bad for the added control and flexibility!

2. Choose a host for your blog.

Assuming you’ve chosen WordPress as your blogging platform (smart move!), your next step is to choose a web hosting service.

Hosting explained in 10 seconds:

Your blog is just a bunch of files. WordPress is the software you create them with. Hosting platform stores those files so they can be viewed through the web.

TL;DR – Without hosting, nobody will be able to see your blog online.
If you’d like a detailed outline of what hosting is/how it works, check out this post.

When it comes to hosting, three things REALLY matter:

Uptime: You want a host that won’t go offline randomly (bad hosts do this all the time!)

Support: You need fast support from actual experts if something goes wrong.

Price: You deserve fair pricing – and no hidden fees!

If you want web hosting that is cheap, but secure and reliable, I strongly recommend Bluehost. 

Here’s why you’ll love Bluehost:

One-click WordPress installation (fast; no messing with tech stuff)

Their uptime is excellent

WordPress recommends them (since 2005!)

PLUS…

You can get a great plan for just $2.75/mo and they throw in a FREE domain name for one year.

Of course, you’re free to use any other web hosting provider suitable for WordPress.

Sign Up for BlueHost