You are here for a reason. Let me guess, you wondering how to start a blog? Or, perhaps you have been scrolling through blogs for years and finally decided to really consider your time to start blogging but aren’t sure how to set it up?
Be happy to know that I was once where you were 8 years ago. In fact, you landed here on a pretty special day. Today is my 8-year blogiversary! Yes, you read that correctly. To me, there is no better way to celebrate than you help you get started on your blogging journey!
This post will show you the exact directions for setting up a stunning blog that will inspire your audience to keep coming back.
Related: How to Start A Blog Awesome Tips For Newbies
Here are the 6 simple steps to starting a blog:
1 – Why you should start a blog and ideas of what to blog about.
2 – Blogging platforms to use.
3 – Pick a host.
4 – Deciding on a domain name & how to start your WordPress blog.
5 – Design your website to attract an audience.
6 – Time to starting writing and get blogging!
Why You Should Start A Blog?
There are many reasons why someone starts a blog, from making money to simply showcasing talents, sharing their expertise, or more like these:
- Showcase your hobby or passion.
- Share relatable content about your life.
- Use it as a journal or travel diary.
- Create income or start a business.
- Work from anywhere and make money.
- Make money on your schedule.
Personally, I started this blog in 2013 as a hobby when I first had my son. It was literally an impulsed idea from looking at a blog and having an “I can do that” mind frame. What I didn’t think would be that this blog would be there throughout my life and continue to grow alongside my son.
My only goal was to share my love of organizing my home and put my wedding planning diploma to use by sharing how to organize a wedding. I ended up also sharing my mom-life journey and my love of natural products too.
My blog has allowed me to:
- Express all avenues of my creativity.
- Learn new skills from website designing, video creation, marketing to SEO.
- Collaborate with brands and companies from all over the world. (like Shutterfly, Wayfair, Hoover Canada, Lisse, and more)
- Get interviewed on podcasts, Instagram lives, and join panels on virtual summits.
- Make some money.
- It looks great on my resume and has helped me get jobs because it showed all that I was capable of doing at such a young age.
- It is fun. I get to do a combination of things that I love while sharing what I love.
As you can tell starting a blog has been nothing but an amazing experience for me. I enjoy all the mistakes I made when I first started and the triumphs that come with this journey.
- FinSavvy Panda – made $22,343.23 in November 2021
- The She Approach – made $150,000 in November 2020
- By Sophia Lee – made over $43,000 in May 2020
- Fit Mum Journey – made $9,417.57 in January 2019
- Practical Wanderlust – made $10,911.39 in October 2018
- Adventure in You – made $23,120 in May 2018
- Just a Girl and her Blog – made $41,700 in December 2016
- Pinch of Yum – made $23,378.49 in May 2014
Have I intrigued you yet? Are you ready to start blogging for yourself? Then stick with me friend, these next steps are going to make it as easy as possible for you to start a successful blog. No joke, I wish I had this when I first started!
Free Blogging Platforms – Things I Learned on the Way
Remember when I said I made some blogging mistakes along the way. One of them was choosing a free blogging platform. I used to have my blog on Blogger.com. It was great when I was starting out because well, I didn’t see this going farther than a hobby but when I did decide that I wanted more for my blog is was a hassle to switch over.
- Some free services control the amount of money you are able to make. The classic if you want more, you need to upgrade trick.
- The bare minimum amount of features. So you have to dig for a template that looks nice or purchase one that satisfies your design needs.
- You get an unprofessional URL. Back when I was on blogger my URL was http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.com. Just taking off the extra weight in the URL makes it looks much better and easy to say – www.cityofcreativedreams.com. It makes a difference!
- Changing from platform to platform is a nightmare! Take it from me, when I decided to switch from Blogger to WordPress, so many things went wrong. Old posts URLs were broken, blog posts designs went wonky and it took me hours and days to get everything fix and working again.
I did my research, did a comparison, and made a great decision. I’ll say it again, don’t make the same mistake of simply jumping on the first free blogging service out there. Believe me when I say that it is worth it and it only costs $3.95 a month.
How to Start A Blog? – 8 Easy Steps Below
1. Download WordPress.
This is what I use. As I did a deep dive into researching how to start a blog, the results on where to start were identical, they all said gurl get yourself a self-hosted WordPress website. Alright, they didn’t say it exactly like that but you know what I mean. You need a self-hosted WordPress website and that is what I did.
WordPress has two different options that you can choose from:
- They have a hosted option (www.wordpress.com)
- and a self-hosted option (www.wordpress.org). (Psst… this is by far the most popular and this doesn’t affect your blog domain, it can be .com if you choose.)
Download WordPress by go to wordpress.org and clicking on “Download WordPress”.
Now that I’ve been blogging for over 8 years, I can see the benefit of using a self-hosted WordPress website over a free blogging platform like Blogspot (and did I mention that it is only $3.95 a month).
2. Pick a Host.
A host is basically like a stage for your website. In order to get the show-up and running so an audience to see it, you need to pick a host to get your website seen to the public.
There are many hosts out there to choose from but I only use and recommend Bluehost.
There are a few reasons why I love Bluehost:
- Affordable! I mean seriously cheap.
- 24/7 customer service is amazing. They respond so quickly and get me the help I need.
Of course, as a beginner, I could recommend that you do the $2.95 a month option. However, as you advance and want more for your money, the $5.95 would give you more perks.
3. Go on the Bluehost Website.
4. Choose your Plan.
Next, you will have four options to choose from. When I started I got the Basic plan but later upgraded to the Plus plan as I created more websites like – www.inspiredbyorganizing.com and www.shanicebannis.com. Also, I find as the monthly views grow, my website was able to keep up.
5. Blog Name/Domain.
It is time for your blog name! Write down some options of what you want to call your blog. Live with this name for a while and double-check someone doesn’t have it already
Remember that your domain address is what people will type into the search bar to get to your website. It is like a book cover that will greet your new and returning audience. For example, mine is cityofcreativedreams.com but you can use your name as well or find a name the truly represents your site.
- Get creative with it.
- Have 2-4 words for the title.
- Make sure it is easy to say and read.
- Ensure that the URL is available to end in .com!
- Make it rememberable, not complicated.
- Keep trying! You will find the perfect name for you.
Once you have a domain name picked and not already taken, put it into the “I have a domain name” box and continue following along with these instructions.
6. Fill out your Account Information.
Ensure your account information is correct and that you choose an email that you frequently use. So have your email open because you will be getting your password sent there.
Once you have submitted your account and payment information you will get some offers for upgrades and special deals. Honestly, some deals are great but you really don’t need it.
Instead of paying $3.95 monthly all the time, I actually prefer choosing a 12-month or 24-month plan because then I don’t have to think about it. Out of sight, out of mind!
7. Set up your password.
When your purchase is complete, it is time to choose a password. It doesn’t have to be super complicated but make sure that you choose one that you will remember because this password will allow you to log in.
8. Design your Website.
I have to admit that designing the website is by far my favourite part. As I grew and my skills of designing advance I have been through many designs for my site before I truly settled on one. Once you pick a theme, you can change it later.
I always say that a website is like a store. You want to greet your audience in a good-looking space. It takes less than 30 seconds to make an impression so choose something that really keeps your guests wanting to take a tour and stay for a while.
Your website design can make or break you. I have left many websites because it was not visually appealing to look at. I personally choose the Activello theme and then used Thrive Architect to really customize my pages to what I visually wanted them to be as well as stand out.
Final Thoughts
To those who are starting a blog, I wish you all the best. Congratulations on the simple fact that you are starting a blog! That along is a big accomplishment. Now get writing!
🎉🎊🥂 Happy 8-year blogiversary City of Creative Dreams! 🎉🎊🥂 Cheers to another year filled with more knowledge on how to organize your home, life, and wedding. I can’t wait to see what another year is going to look like. Also, check out my organizing business – Inspired by Organizing. Trust me it is worth the view.
- 7 Year Blogiversary – The Most Important Blogging Advice for Newbies
- 3 Tips To Write Great Blog Posts In Half The Time
- My Secrets & Advice For Beginner Bloggers
- 4 of the Best Life Hacks for Bloggers Without Assistants
- 6 Excellent Hootsuite Alternatives That You Should Automate Your Social Media With
