So, let me guess. You read blogs often, you’ve seen blogger’s?pins and tweets about their fabulous posts and you’ve wondered, how can I get started? If you’ve decided to start a blog, you’ve come to the right place. In my time blogging, I’ve?learned a lot, which means you could say I’ve made a lot of mistakes, too. I’m hoping to help you skip over those mistakes so you can get started with a fabulous blog and jump into this blogosphere thing.
So today’s your day. Have 10 minutes? Great. Let’s start a blog for you!?
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but there is no additional cost for you. I have used all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are companies that I trust.?
How to Start a Blog
Three?steps to starting a blog?today!
1. Domain name and hosting
2. Installing WordPress
3. Stand out from the crowd
Domain & Hosting
You want to start a blog. What will it be called? If you haven’t thought this through yet, take a few minutes to brainstorm. Who is your audience? What sorts of things will you talk about on your blog?
Have your blog name picked? Time to see if it’s available! Try using thesauraus.com to come up with synonyms if your first pick isn’t available.
For your hosting, I highly recommend BlueHost or SiteGround. Their customer service is great?and their plans are highly affordable.
Found a great one? Awesome. Click where it says “Available, click here to register!” It’ll take you to the BlueHost site. When choosing a plan, I’d recommend starting with the starter package, you can always upgrade later!
Below is a screenshot of the options I recommend:
Domain privacy protection allows for BlueHost to show up as the registered account holder, rather than?your info showing!?Follow the instructions and through the payment process. (Hint: click “See more payment options” to pay with PayPal)
Installing WordPress
Once you’ve completed registering your hosting, you’ll need to install WordPress. This can be done by logging into your?BlueHost?account, if you aren’t already. Your first tab will be cPanel, click there if you aren’t automatically taken to that window.
Once WordPress has installed, you’ll receive your login and password information. Write this down (you’ll also receive an email). Now you can head to your website with /wp-admin (ex. yourdomain.com/wp-admin) to log into your account.
Stand out from the crowd
You officially have a blog! Yay! Before you skip off, you need to get set up to set yourself apart from the other thousands of bloggers. How? With a custom blog design. You can tackle it yourself and spend hours neck deep in coding and frustration, or you can get to posting fabulous posts?quicker with some help. Contact me to get started on your custom blog design for WordPress! Or see some of my recent designs here.?And for using this tutorial on starting a blog, you can get $50 off your custom blog design order. Just be sure to mention this tutorial.
But, if you insist on trying it yourself, here?are some of the themes I recommend (full details on this post):
Genesis: Genesis framework is the top contender in the industry right now.
Foodie Pro: Great for food bloggers & lifestyle bloggers *requires Genesis theme
Flourish: Feminine, e-commerce ready theme *requires Genesis theme
Marilyn: Feminine design, built in gallery
Isabelle: Non-Genesis child theme, but with lots of features
If you have any questions along the way, feel free to contact me! I’d love to help you get started along this blogging journey.
