Most people start out by having no idea how to start a blog. It can be pretty intimidating. But luckily, blogging has become pretty popular, so there is a lot of resources out there to help you get started. And I bet that once you start a blog, you will have found your new passion. There’s nothing better than starting something from scratch, building it up, and earning money from something you created all by yourself, without having a boss to report to. Are you ready to do this?! I’m excited for you!
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Set up your Hosting & Find a Domain Name
You will soon realize that there are a ton of options when it comes to hosting. There are free hosting companies such as Wix, Blogspot, etc, and there are companies in which you pay for your hosting, such as Bluehost, or Siteground. There are some things I suggest that new bloggers start out with the free alternative, and then upgrade later on… this is NOT one of those things!
If you plan on making money from your blog, you NEED to start out with a paid hosting company for a few reasons! One— the companies that sponsor your blog for free have a lot of restrictions when it comes to monetizing, meaning they make it hard on you to make any money. Two— it is a pain in the butt to switch later on, you have to be able to do some fancy tech-y nonsense, or pay someone to do it for you so you don’t lose everything you’ve worked towards. Three– You don’t own any of your own blog, although you created it, it’s not yours, the domain isn’t yours, and if you go to use the same domain when you switch to a paid hosting company it might not be available. You have so much more freedom and customization available to you when you go with paid hosting.
Which hosting company should you use?
Now, as for which paid hosting company you go with, I highly suggest Siteground. I didn’t start out with Siteground originally, but after the ridiculous amount of trouble I had with my previous hosting company, switching to Siteground has been a dream. They have the most helpful customer service, and when something goes wrong on your blog, and you’re losing out on hundreds, sometimes thousands of page views, you want a good customer service team who is going to resolve your issue ASAP. Seriously ask anyone, Siteground is known for their amazing customer service. You can start with Siteground for as little as $3.95/mo.
Click here to checkout Sitegrounds hosting plans!
As you purchase your hosting, you will then be guided to pick your domain name. I suggest figuring this out before hand! You do not want to have to change it later. So really take your time on picking the perfect domain name! Make sure to come up with a few, the first couple I wanted were already taken!
Install WordPress
After you have chosen your hosting plan and got your domain name, you will be guided to continue onto the customer area. You will receive a pop-up asking you to get WordPress pre-installed. If for some reason you don’t get this pop up, you can install WordPress by accessing your cPanel under “My account,” and choosing WordPress under “Preinstallers.” Boom. WordPress installed!
Choose a Theme
Okay, now it’s time for the fun part! There are so many places to get themes. In your WordPress dashboard you just accessed, you can choose from their free themes, you can always change your theme, so if you’re looking to save some money until you start making the big bucks, this is a good option for you. If you don’t mind paying for a theme, there are a bunch of really pretty ones for a decent price. A lot of people love the themes from Elegant Themes. Me personally, I’m extremely OCD, so I’ve been on the hunt for a theme I totally love for a long time. I finally found a great one by bluchic, which is what I’m currently using.
Make It Yours
This is when you get to add your flare! Add your header image if you want one, your logo, change your color scheme up, anything you want to make it yours. You can do most of this under “Appearance–>Customize” on your WordPress dashboard.
Well? Not too bad right? Starting a blog is so fun! It’s one of the best things I’ve done for myself, and I hope it’s just as great for you! Don’t forget to subscribe so you can get more helpful content by email. Let us know in the comments what questions you need to be answered!
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Kayla is the content creator over at motviationformom.com. She is a wife and mother who loves to share all of the tips, tricks, and life lessons that she has learned over the years with all of her readers. Her primary focus is on children’s education, motherhood, and healthy family relationships!