How To Start A Blog For Beginners
You’ve decided.
You are ready to take the leap and learn how to start a blog.
I know this is not an easy decision. For so many reasons.
Maybe the biggest is fear. That was definitely my situation. I did research on blogs for months and months. One day, I would feel a surge of positivity and loads of motivation.
The next day I would be filled with doubt and telling myself there was no way I could do this.
And this lasted for months.
Now, I look back and shake my head at all the time I wasted. But it was a part of my process and it got me here.
Are you ready to quit thinking about it and just make it happen?
This post is for you!
I was so lucky to have someone helping me along on this journey. Her support was and still is amazing.
I guess this is a pay it forward sort of thing. I would love to be the person to give someone that little nudge they need.
And let me say one more thing before we really get into it. The startup process for blogging is a lot. So TRY to be patient with yourself and patient with the process. Everything is not going to get going from day one. And everything will definitely not be smooth sailing.
Take a breath and keep reminding yourself that you are awesome. And you got this! Especially on the days when you do not feel like you got this.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
Here is a Breakdown of How to Start a Blog for Beginners
1) Planning
My guess is you have done some planning. Chances are you did not just decide 5 minutes ago to start a blog. Or maybe you did. Either way, good for you!
Let’s go over a few things before you actually click and make it real!
Do you have a name picked out? Better yet, do you have quite a few name options picked out? Your first choice might be taken. Your first few choices might be taken. So, write down any and every idea that you like.
Picking a name is no easy task. You want it to be easy to pronounce. Nobody loves to play a guessing game when trying to read something! And it shouldn’t be too long.
That takes us to my next question.
Do you have a clear idea of what you want to write about? What are your interests? What are you passionate about?
What can you share that will help others? Is there a problem you could help someone solve?
Have you started writing any actual articles?
This is what you need to do. Get yourself a cute little notebook. Now write your little heart out. This is a great way to get a real feel for what interests you the most and what you enjoy writing about.
Here are some possible niches: Food, Parenting, Lifestyle, Beauty, Personal Development, Fashion, and Finance.
Those are just a few possibilities.
You don’t have to get too stuck on this. Your blog may change and evolve. A year from now, you might be writing about something different and that’s fine.
But in the beginning, it is nice to have a feel of the direction you want to go.
Another thing I suggest doing is finding some blogs you like. Turn on research mode and go wild. Get a sense of how you want to write. What style do you gravitate towards? Not to mention this can inspire the heck out of you.
2) Hosting/Domain
Are you still with me? Do you have a solid plan? Are you fired up? Awesome. Next up is hosting.
What is hosting?
Great question!
Hosting is the home of your website. And you have to pay to rent your little corner of the internet.
Side note: I think I had a confused look on my face for a month or so when I started my blogging journey. So if ever you feel completely confused just know you are not alone.
OK, back to the good stuff.
I have only ever used SiteGround for my hosting and I have had no issues.
They have great speeds and awesome customer service. And they are up 99.9% of the time. That is huge. Oh, and did I mention they are affordable. I especially love that their site is easy to navigate. Great for someone who is a little technically challenged, like me!
Go to the SiteGround page and click on the WordPress hosting box. This will take you to the page where you choose a plan. You can get started with the StartUp plan which is only 3.95 a month. This is a great option for people just starting out (just like the name suggests). You can always upgrade to another plan if it becomes necessary. Upgrading would mean that your traffic is growing and that would be a good thing!
Once you click on “get plan”, it is going to take you to the next step which is to register your domain name.
Do you remember that list of name ideas you had? Now is the time to pull it out.
You definitely want to go with a .com. for your site.
The next page is where you will enter all of your information. You will set up and email and password as well as enter your personal information and your payment information. In the section for extra services, I highly recommend purchasing domain privacy. This keeps your personal information safe. You want that!
Hit the pay now button and you, my friend, have done it. You will be receiving some emails from SiteGround. One will have your order details and another to verify your domain name.
3) Platform
What is a platform?
This is the software you will use to actually create your blog content.
WordPress is the way to go when it comes to choosing a platform.
There is a WordPress.com and a WordPress.org. You want to go with WordPress.org! Why? Because you are in control of your site. And this is a necessity if you want to make money from your blog.
4) Install WordPress
You are almost there.
You should have paid and are now logged in to SiteGround. Take a minute to do a happy dance.
From the SiteGround page, go to my accounts. Next up click on the red button that says “Go to Cpanel.”
Before you install WordPress, let’s install the free SSL certificate to make your site secure. Scroll down to the security section and click on let’s encrypt. You just select your domain and hit install. That is it.
Now go back down to the auto-installers section and click on WordPress! Hit the install now link. See where it says http:? You want to change this to https. Now you just follow more steps of putting your information in.
Once you hit install, it will take a few minutes. You should see congratulations at the top of the page when it is done. This page will have your admin URL for your site. Click this and you will be taken to your WordPress login page. Input the email and password you chose and you are on YOUR site!
5) Theme
Alright, this may be another new word to you but this one is pretty simple. The theme you choose will be the design of your blog. It’s like a template.
Do not get too stuck on this either. I did. And it started stressing me out before I even started blogging.
Just make sure you choose a theme with good reviews. And it must be mobile-friendly.
I found my theme on ThemeForest. You can find very affordable themes on here. No need to spend over $60 on a theme.
There are free themes you can use but they do not provide any support. You want support in case you have an issue.
And remember, this is not a choice that is set in stone. It can be a bit scary when you start making decisions left and right. But trust me, it is ok.
Now, this is all just the technical stuff. This is what you need to do to get your blog into actual existence. Now the real fun begins.
Some people say all this stuff is super easy and quick. For me, it was definitely not either of those things.
There will be a lot more to do and learn. With blogging, there will always be something new.
But if you made the jump and your blog is on the internet instead of in your head or in your notebook then you are on your way.
Spend some time exploring your site. And do not hesitate to turn to Google for answers! It may very well become your BFF for a little while.
Make sure to check out my article with some valuable advice for beginning bloggers that is sure to keep you motivated!
One day at a time. One task at a time. You got this!
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