Start a Successful Blog in 3 Easy Steps
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Nowadays it is so popular to have a blog and everyone is talking about it. I remember the first time I had the idea in my mind about owning my blog I had so many questions in my head. After hours and hours of research I realized that everyone is talking about some bits and pieces but no one covers the whole issue altogether.
When I wanted to start blogging I did not want to invest money in it and I thought that I can figure the whole thing out. After so many trials and errors and the help of so many people I did it. So I have decided that I want to help others replace their job and start blogging.
Here is How to Start a Blog
At the beginning you have to do 3 things:
- Choose your blogging platform
- Find the right domain name and host for you
- Customize your blog
And the last thing is the most challenging for many bloggers and that is getting traffic and making your blog successful.
- Choose your Blogging Platform
When it comes to blogging platforms there is a lot to choose from but I will suggest WordPress.com. It is free to use and the best part is that it is so easy to set up. You can choose from hundreds of plugins and themes to make your blog appealing.
If you are just starting you can use some of the free blogging platforms but only until you get used to the idea of blogging. I know I have spent only couple of days on a free blogging platform and I realized that I want more. I want my blog to look more professional and I am planning to make it successful. There are many limitations that I am not even going to mention here only the worst one, and that is you cannot monetize your blog. For that reason you need your own domain name and hosting. This way you have the power over your content and you make the rules!
Domain Name and Web Hosting Provider
The two most important things you need to get started is a domain name and a web hosting in order to set up a self hosted blog. I have found my domain name and my web hosting on Host1Plus and I have only words of praise for them. Anytime I have an issue, mostly because I was making many mistakes at the beginning, they are very attentive and resolve anything very fast.
If you still do not know what domain name is let me explain it to you. This is your blog address where people can find you. My domain name is http://wellnessandlifestyle.co.uk and you have to choose what your new blog is going to be about and use it as a domain name.
Web hosting is where all your content and your blog address will live. Imagine this as a hard drive where you will store all your images, articles and so on. There are 3 different web hosting plans on Host1Plus and you can choose the one that best suits you.
I haven`t tried any other web hosting company but I have to say that Host1Plus works well for me so I am not planning to change it. It has a great performance and the customer support is the best so I would suggest that this is the best pick especially for beginners such as myself.
- Set up the blog with your own domain name
Then you have to pick a domain name. Be very careful when you are choosing for a domain name because it is very important, not to say crucial. If you do not you cannot build a blog and make a brand and then all of a sudden change the name of your blog. If you have built a brand you want to stick to it. Avoid long and nonsense names, they usually do not stick in someone`s head. It needs to be as short as possible and describe your blog. You want to build an identity after all.
Choosing an extension is also important. People trust extensions like .com, being the most popular and .org or .net. Avoid long and crazy ones no one has ever heard of. But be careful your ideal domain name might not be available so you have to make some adaption.
Choose your blog hosting plan that is best for you, and in case you want to upgrade you can do it later on.
Installing WordPress
Once you have registered then you can install WordPress. This is a very simple process, you need to log in to cPanel and click on the WordPress icon and then “Install WordPress”.
- Setting Up a Theme
The most interesting part when you sign in to WordPress is picking up a theme. On your Admin dashboard you can find the themes under Appearance > Themes where you can search for free themes to start off.
You can also purchase themes that have already been pre-made on Creative Market.
You should follow these steps to set up a blog in any niche. At the beginning you can share your work with your family and friends to get the traffic flowing but later you should connect with fellow bloggers to gain more exposure.
Pin this:
One last piece of advice is to set up a Facebook Page, Pinterest, Flipboard and Google+ for your blog where you can share all your hard work. Always try to use the same name as your blog for your user name so you won`t confuse your readers and also to make it easier for them to find you.
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Author: Elena
Freelancer, blogger and a world citizen.
Natasha
May 13, 2017 at 9:41 amThis is so useful. There is a minefield of information for new bloggers and it can be hard to know how to just get started! I will share this on my group page so new bloggers can have a well laid out plan what to do
Jacinta Thomas
May 13, 2017 at 10:25 amVery cool you mentioned Flipboard I hadn’t even considered it althrough hubby looks at it all the time. Great read for newbies wanting a blog.
Connie@essentiallybroken.com
May 13, 2017 at 12:14 pmThis is a really great post. Very straight forward and spot on
Harmony, Momma To Go
May 13, 2017 at 12:57 pmGreat tips for someone starting out- I’ve been trying flip board also!
Leila
May 13, 2017 at 6:36 pmI love that you simplified this into 3 easy steps! I’m the worst and over analyze everything. I tried to do a post on starting a blog and it was way more than 3 easy steps! LOL This is great! Thank you!
Marissa @ Diytified
May 13, 2017 at 7:53 pmThis is so easy to read and you keep it simple! Im also working on a how-to start a blog post but it has also snowballed into a very long post. Will be pinning for sure!
Fiona
May 15, 2017 at 9:44 amGreat tips. Thanks
Rosemary Palmer
May 15, 2017 at 10:00 amI, like many, jumped in before having a lot of knowledge and now playing catch up to build their blog. Thanks for hints even for old timers.
Maheshwari Solapurkar
May 15, 2017 at 2:59 pmFlipboard is my favorite!!! I follow a billion blogs on there! Def a great tip to make sure newbies have their blogs up there!
Helene
May 15, 2017 at 3:01 pmThese are all such great tips. It took me so long to find the right name for my blog, but once I found it everything else came easily (except for the marketing part of things, haha).
xo, Helene
http://www.circleskirtsandpetticoats.wordpress.com
Michelle Farris
May 15, 2017 at 3:22 pmWhat a great instructional post! Very helpful! And your image is STUNNING!
Kaylee
May 15, 2017 at 5:35 pmThese are great tips, this would have been a huge help when I was first starting out.
Tania Potter - Soul Sense Coaching
May 15, 2017 at 6:07 pmIt is so helpful to have these first steps set out so simply. It can waste so much time figuring the basics out by yourself so thanks for sharing your tips.
Hey Sharonoox
May 15, 2017 at 6:55 pmSounds like a great tips for someone starting out. I haven’t heard of Hot1Plus web hosting but it looks like they’re much cheaper than WordPress.
ana
May 15, 2017 at 8:16 pmI wish I knew then what I know now. I started blogging without knowing anything and I really wish I started on WordPress but I started with Wix at first and it cost me a lot of money as well as time and effort to migrate my content over x
five little doves
May 15, 2017 at 9:12 pmGreat advice for first time bloggers. It took me ages to figure this stuff out when I first started blogging! I wish I had read this first!
Corey | The Nostalgia Diaries
May 15, 2017 at 9:27 pmGreat tips here! When I started blogging, I just dove right in and didn’t think too much about the platform. I’m considering moving to self-hosted WordPress now!
Diane Hoffmaster
May 15, 2017 at 9:30 pmI definitely started blogging without knowing enough about it. If I could do it again I would do a lot more research first!
Ravi
May 16, 2017 at 6:15 amI have my own website and associated blog https://speclabz.blogspot.com. Are there any drawbacks in having blogspot for the blog?
Elena
May 16, 2017 at 9:19 amI do not think that there are. But as far as I am concerned I believe it would be better if you include your blog into your website.
POOJA MITRA
May 16, 2017 at 11:01 amThis will be useful for new bloggers. Wish I had this info when I started. I started on wordpress. com and wasted my time as I intend to monetize my site. Great post.
Elizabeth O.
May 16, 2017 at 12:41 pmIt’s really important to choose a good platform because you’re going to be using if as long as you’re blogging. It’s not easy to switch especially if you have an established blog. These are great tips for beginners!
Glory
May 16, 2017 at 1:09 pmThese are some great simple to follow steps for new bloggers. Especially like the tips about social media and making sure you remain consistent with your blog name across all platforms.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
May 16, 2017 at 1:47 pmThese are great tips for new bloggers! I’m not a new blogger, but even got some good tips, like getting my Flipboard account moving! I always forget about it! Thanks!
Genie Patra
May 16, 2017 at 2:41 pmgreat tips for anyone starting out!
Mary
May 16, 2017 at 2:47 pmThese are definitely 3 easy steps. I love using WordPress as my platform as it is about as simple as you can get! Having something so easy to use is definitely important.
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
May 16, 2017 at 2:55 pmSo useful! I remember how lost I was in the beginning… or wait I’m still lost sometimes! This would have helped me so much!
Dalba
May 16, 2017 at 3:52 pmAwesome and very informative post! I will be sharing this with my friends that are currently thinking of starting there own blogs!
lex
May 16, 2017 at 3:57 pmvery resourceful for all bloggers, both newbies and old ones, as we all sometimes need that flashback to remember how to do these things, good post.
Prateek Goel
May 17, 2017 at 5:00 amInteresting to know about Flipboard!! I didn’t know about it before. It is very useful for the beginners to look at your simplified blog! Thanks for sharing it.
Sheri
May 17, 2017 at 9:21 amIt is good to have this in three easy steps for people starting out. Nothing worse than to be overwhelmed with information and getting confused.
kathryn Maher
May 17, 2017 at 10:00 amGood tips here that I hadn’t realised before. I started my blog on WordPress and its great for so many blog types. I haven’t been using Pinterest really at all and after reading you post I must correct this and join some of those groups on it .Thanks!
Tione
May 17, 2017 at 11:28 amI use blogspot/blogger and I set up an manually install everything all by myself. I have tried WordPress a few times but never continued using it. I am thinking of moving my blog again, maybe to Squarespace or WordPress. I will decide later on in the future.
Kristen
May 17, 2017 at 1:34 pmSuch a nice and simple post for the beginning blogger. A post like this would have been so helpful when I started a few years ago. I would have changed a couple things right off the bat!
Rahul Khurana
May 17, 2017 at 3:21 pmThese are some nice tips for the beginners. I started blogging 2 months ago and I did a comprehensive search before starting it. Though as I read more about blogging, the more I learn and be better. 🙂
Taiwo
May 17, 2017 at 3:21 pmThis is super useful.. wish I had this when I decided to start my own blog! lol
Taiwo | http://www.madeinnigeria89.com
Dee
May 17, 2017 at 3:24 pmThese are some great first steps that you’ve shared. After that, its really important to find your voice as a blogger.
-Dee
http://www.everybodygirl.com
Mandy Allen
May 17, 2017 at 5:56 pmReally good steps here and I can understand why we all want to start out with no cost, so free blogging platforms are very popular because of that. I agree that moving over to a paid for platform is the best next step. I too use WordPress but I know there are some other platforms that can perform well too. WordPress is so very available and versatile though, it would always be my option.
Enjoy the journey!
John
May 17, 2017 at 5:58 pmNice tips. Great job of streamlining those first steps that can be intimidating!
Tracey
May 17, 2017 at 6:31 pmI am not on WordPress because I find it a bit overwhelming, but it does offer tons of options, hence the overwhelm. I agree that you have to choose the right platform that suits your content and your personality.
james
May 17, 2017 at 7:11 pmWish I had read this back when I was just starting out. Explains the info real easy.
Eloise
May 17, 2017 at 8:02 pmoh this brings me back to a little over a year ago starting this whole blogging world! I love it! Glad you’ve taken the time to help those getting started with this post : )
Apeksha
May 17, 2017 at 8:49 pmI wish you had written this blog before I started blogging. It was hard to get the stuff right. This would have helped so much. But I am sure that this will help so many other aspiring bloggers. Great work!
thecuratedlab
May 17, 2017 at 9:14 pmI am always looking for posts like these. This is such a short and accurate one. Thank you for sharing!!
Emily
May 17, 2017 at 11:21 pmLove your blog theme! It’s always interesting to see how other people start their blog, thanks for sharing!
Dana Vento
May 18, 2017 at 4:06 amIts so helpful for me. I like it. I am going to be a successful blogger someday. Lol!
Farrah
May 18, 2017 at 7:13 amI love your guide! I’ll pin it to refer friends to. Lots of people ask me how to start a blog.
Ali Rost
May 18, 2017 at 9:09 amWhat wonderful tips! I sure wish I would have had this as a guide when I was first getting going. It would have saved me so much time by helping me avoid mistakes
Ravi
May 18, 2017 at 11:24 amThere is some very useful information here.I have a website http://speclabz.com, however the associated Blog is Blogspot. I really need to know if it’s not a great option to have Blogspot for blogging.
freya farrington
May 18, 2017 at 11:26 amSuch great advice, I definitely think its worth investing into having your own domain URL as it instantly looks more presentable, more professional and more accessible
Catvills
May 19, 2017 at 4:05 amMy niece is starting a blog and she’s just overwhelmed with everything she has to do. I will send this article over to her. I know she’s going to find this very useful.
Alexandra
May 19, 2017 at 10:25 amThis post is great. I am still starting off, and I can still use some of the information presented! Thanks so much for sharing!
DR
May 19, 2017 at 11:14 amSome great advice in here! Best thing i’ve always found is that its a marathon to create a successful blog and not a sprint… not easy to remember sometimes though.
Lindsey
May 20, 2017 at 7:18 amThese are wonderful tips for those looking to start a blog. I wish I found this before I started
Helen
May 20, 2017 at 10:37 amThese are great tips for anyone wanting to start blogging. There is so much information out there it’s hard to know where to start or what’s important.
Nidhi bhakuni
May 22, 2017 at 2:52 amUseful article….Thanks to share
Surekha
May 22, 2017 at 3:13 pmGood job on the article. Choosing a good hosting from the start is very important as I have experienced issues with my first hosting company a lot. my site was going offline very often and it was a pain to move it to a different one later.
salwa kisswani
May 23, 2017 at 2:19 amThank you for this post.. it’s really intresting read and very helpful for new starters who want to start a blog
EG III
May 23, 2017 at 4:26 amWhere was this post when I started my blog!!! I’ve got through several changes over the past 2 years, so I definitely agree that getting off to a great start is one of the biggest keys!
Britta
May 24, 2017 at 9:14 amMy friend is thinking about starting a blog so will pass this on to her! Very well written and so helpful – thank you!
Kumin Kueche
June 3, 2017 at 10:30 pmGreat tips, very useful! Thanks for sharing!!
Ali Rost
June 10, 2017 at 1:50 amWhat great tips! While they may seem basic, they’re so very important! If any one of these is off, your blogging career will start on shaky footing. Wish I’d have read a post like yours when I was just getting started! x
Michelle Leslie
July 14, 2017 at 5:28 pmI wish I’d know about these when I first started my blog. Everything was so crazy and we jumped in without thinking things through. Probably because we don’t have a clue what it’s really all about 😉
David Elliott
August 9, 2017 at 4:25 pmThese are three good things to think about when it comes to blogging. Having the right domain name is very important.
Krystal // The Krystal Diaries
August 10, 2017 at 12:01 amPicking a domain/blog name was the hardest for me! I though about it for so long before finally picking one and then a year later ended up changing it anyway.
Ana De- Jesus
August 29, 2017 at 11:47 pmI love that more and more people are blogging. For me I only regret that I did not start with WordPress in the first place! x