Welcome to the first day of your blogging adventure!
In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the process of starting a blog. Yes, today! In less than 24 hours, you’ll have a blog ready to go.
This article contains affiliate links, which means I may get a commission if you purchase. However, none of the fees have been increased in order to compensate me. In fact, many of the products provided have special discounts that I am able to pass on to you!
I’ve broken the process down into 6 simple steps:
1. Choose your topic
2. Choose your domain name
3. Choose your hosting plan
4. Install WordPress
5. Customize your site
6. Publish your first post
6 Simple Steps
Choose your topic
The first step is to choose a topic that is close to your heart. This will make things easier for you. It is difficult to write about something you do not care about. You want people to be able to relate to your content. I write about blogging, business, lifestyle, and personal development, for example, because these are topics that I am interested in and enjoy reading about. It will be quite difficult for you to keep generating content on a regular basis if your chosen topic is not one you enjoy or even feel neutral about.
Choose your domain name
You’ll need to choose a domain name that represents your company or brand. The domain name is the URL that will be used to access your website. Choose a domain name that is simple to remember and type. I recommend that you do your research first to ensure that it is available. My domain name is latoyastevenson.com.
There are numerous domain extensions (.com, .net, .org, and so on). For your website or blog, I always recommend using .com. It’s a safe bet, and it’s what most people expect when they visit your website. You should then choose a domain name that represents your company or brand.
I recommend that you use the Bluehost domain. To see if a domain name is available, type it into the BlueHost search box below. If it’s still available, get it as soon as you can! The longer you wait, the more likely it is that someone else will swoop in and grab it. After you’ve purchased your domain name, you’ll need to set up hosting for your blog.
Choose your hosting plan
After you’ve chosen a domain name, you’ll need to choose a “hosting company,” which is the platform that powers your website and stores your data (think of it as your blog’s apartment). I recommend Bluehost for new bloggers because they have excellent customer service, and some plans include a free domain name.
After selecting and purchasing your hosting plan and domain, you can install WordPress with Bluehost in a single click! To get started with Bluehost, go to their homepage, and click “Get Started Now” to choose the best plan for you.
What’s the best part? Instead of paying full price at $7.99, you can get started right now for just $2.95 per month for blog hosting + a free domain (this low price is only available through my Bluehost link below)!
Install WordPress
Wow! You’ve just purchased your first domain name and hosting package. So, what now? The next step is to install WordPress on the domain. Don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it appears. Most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation, so the process should take less than 5 minutes.
If you signed up with Bluehost, I’d recommend taking advantage of their free WordPress support to save you time installing WordPress manually. They also provide free WordPress training as part of their hosting package.
Customize your site
You can make some basic changes to your site, such as switching the theme or changing the font. But don’t go overboard. You should save all your big design changes for later, when you have a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t work for your blog. You can easily switch between themes in WordPress by going to Appearance > Themes on the left-hand side of your dashboard.
There are dozens of free WordPress themes available, but if you want a premium theme with more features, flexibility, and developer support, you can buy one from a third-party site like 17th Avenue. 17th Avenue is a web design studio specializing in feminine WordPress themes for bloggers and small businesses. This is what I use, and I adore how feminine and stylish it is. Check them out using this link!
Publish your first post
Now it’s time to start blogging! You’ve made the decision to start a blog, learned how to do it, chosen a domain name and hosting service, installed WordPress, customized WordPress, and written your first post.
The only thing left to do now is to publish. Publishing your first post is simple. Go back to the Posts screen in your dashboard, hover over your post, and click Publish. You can also preview your post before publishing it by clicking Preview. This will open a new tab where you can see what the post will look like when published. If everything looks good, click Publish.
Congratulations! You’re now a blogger with an active blog on the internet.
Ultimately, to be successful as a blogger, you need to be willing to put in the time. Putting together a good blog post requires some extra effort and planning. See my post 50 Blog Post Ideas: How To Keep Your Blogging Fresh. The more posts you have on your blog—and the better those posts are—the more people you’ll reach. And that’s what it’s all about.
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