How To Start Online Blog
Hi,
my name is Adnan Raza I’ve been blogging for more than eight years and
love every moment of it. Blogging helped me find my first job and earn
money on the side.
When
I was learning how to create a blog back in 2020, it took me some time
to find all the right information online, and I had to look for it on
different websites. That’s why I’ve created this free step-by-step blog
tutorial to teach beginners how to make a blog fast and easy. It’s not
as complicated as many people think.
How to Start a Blog in 8 Easy Steps
Step #1: Select a perfect niche for your blog
Step #2: Choose a blogging platform
Step #3: Pick a domain name
Step #4: Get a web hosting account
Step #5: Starting a blog on WordPress
Step #6: Select a WordPress theme to design your blog
Step #7: Write content and promote your blog
Step #8: Make money blogging
Before
you go into action steps for how to create a blog, let me cover some
valuable facts. This section provides details on why you should start a
blog and blogging 101 information.
Why are you starting a blog?
Do
you want to communicate something, like a message or an idea? Do you
want to build a community around your love for a cause? Do you want to
keep your followers and fans updated on what’s the latest with your
brand? Do you want to explain how your product or service works and why
people should buy it?
A blog can help you inform, educate, promote and even sell, but only if you are clear about your intention from the start.
Hence,
take some time to figure out your message and the purpose of your blog.
In the meanwhile, here are several reasons why many people make a blog
and enjoy blogging:
To enhance writing and thinking skills
To establish expertise
To increase self-confidence
To network with others in the industry
To make money blogging
There
are many ways to make money by starting your own blog; you can sell
products and merchandise online or place ads and receive compensation
from brands by promoting their products and services – considering that
61% of online customers make purchases based on recommendations from a
blog, this could turn into a highly profitable endeavor for you.
A quick primer – Blogging for beginners
All in all, there are four important steps to making a blog quickly.
I’ll go into details on how to start a blog on WordPress later, but for
now, you can review these steps. If you are familiar with these things,
you can create a blog in 15-20 minutes or even less:
Carefully select the best blog platform
Find a perfect web host and get a domain name
Design your blog
Find as many useful resources as you can
Blogging platform
The first thing you should do is find the best blog site. There are
many of these, with all kinds of different features, but I use and
recommend self-hosted WordPress.org. It’s one of the biggest and easiest
blogging sites and it allows you to design your blog with ease.
Simplicity is key here.
Web host and a domain name
Free blogs have tons of limitations and downsides, but self-hosting a
blog on your domain allows you to fully own your blog. That’s why you
should seriously consider hosting a blog on your own domain. I tested Bluehost, a web hosting company that provides you with a free domain name, and I recommend them to all new bloggers.
Design
If you decide to go with WordPress, you’ll get a chance to enjoy
multiple free WordPress blogging themes. Go with the one that’s easy to
customize and looks professional to some degree.
Useful resources
The more you know about social media and online experiences, the more
prepared you will be to step into the blogosphere. Remember, the big
fish always eats the small one, so keep learning and improving if you
want to stay ahead of the curve.
Step #1: Select a perfect niche for your blog
blogs solve problems
Before
you learn how to start a successful blog, you must first find your
niche, figure out how to make it profitable, and figure out who your
ideal readers are. In short, a niche is a topic that you write about
most often, or even exclusively, in your blogs. Niche blogging is
creating a blog to advertise to a particular market. Niche blogs are
easy to monetize and they usually contain affiliate links,
advertisements, etc., and that’s mostly how they become profitable.
How to choose a niche for your blog
To
become a successful blogger, you will have to choose the right niche
and work on attaining the highest form of knowledge within that topic.
So pick the one that appeals to you—the one you are passionate about and
most interested in. Strive for success, happiness, and recognition. By
choosing the niche of interest and having your own point of view, you’ll
be able to differentiate your personal blog ideas from the competition.
Step #2: Choose a blogging platform
wordpress platform
At
this stage, you’ll need to look at the best blog sites out there and
determine the type of blog management tool you want to use. I recommend
that you make your own blog using a self-hosted setup that I show in
this guide. But before you ask yourself, how do I start a blog, let me
describe each option. When it comes to popular blogging platforms, you
have the following options: free and self-hosted (recommended).
For many new bloggers, the availability of free blog platforms such as WordPress.com, Blogger or Tumblr is tempting.
By
keeping your blog on a free platform, you let the platform own your
name. You’ll be subject to their rules and restrictions. If you are
looking to learn how to make money with a blog, they may limit or
prohibit ads on your blog, or they may even place their own ads. If
you’re serious about blogging, you’ll want to move away from free blog
sites.
Self-hosted platforms
Self-hosted
platforms allow you to run a blog using your own domain. Aside from
following your domain registrar and web hosting company’s rules, you’re
fully in charge of your blog and its contents.
You
have several choices when it comes to self-hosted systems (also called a
Content Management System or CMS). The most popular is WordPress.org.
This option is called self-hosted because you will use your own web
hosting space and name. If you use our recommended hosting company, it
will cost just a few bucks per month for the webspace (hosting account),
and you will get a FREE name (domain) for the first year. The actual
CMS is usually open-source and free.
Although
I mentioned some free hosting options, the best course of action is to
own your blog, especially if you will be using your own copyrighted
material (articles, drawings, photos, etc.). Pay a small amount of money
every month, about the same as a Starbucks coffee, and you will build
your own equity. If you plan to sell products, services, music, or
anything else via your blog, then this is the best way to go. Many
hosting providers can help you maintain an e-commerce blog.
NOTE
To
create a WordPress blog, you need to decide on two important things: a
domain name and a web hosting provider. If you are a new blogger, you
should try using Bluehost, a company that powers over 2 million websites worldwide.
I was able to negotiate a special deal only for my visitors that includes:
Free domain name
60-day money-back guarantee period
Discount price of $2.75 per month
→ Click Here to Claim an Exclusive 65% Bluehost Discount Offer ←
Step #3: Pick a domain name
pick domain name
Your
domain name will be the name by which you will be known online, no
matter what niche you choose. It’s your unique address on the Internet.
Your domain will be yours as long as you continue paying the annual fee
($10 to $15 for a .com domain). Users who know your domain/URL (uniform
resource locator) can simply type it into their browser’s address bar.
Others will be able to discover you through search engines such as
Google and Bing, so you definitely need to find a unique moniker.
Your
domain name may be the highly popular “dot com,” or it may be country
or niche-specific. The general rule is to go for a “dot com” domain, but
some of the other extensions can work. For example, “dot net” or “dot
me.”
If you can’t find the domain name you like, Bluehost will let you choose a Free Domain later. That will give you time to do some research and thinking
In
the end, it’s about being memorable, so if a different extension or
country code helps you be memorable, then break the rules!
Step #4: Get a web hosting account
After
choosing a domain name, selecting reliable hosting services will be one
of the most important decisions you make. To a great extent, the
functionality and performance of your site will depend on your blog
hosting. The host makes sure your site is available 24/7 to potential
readers and it’s where your files are stored online.
Most
hosting companies also offer domain registration services. Some people
keep their domain name with the registrar company, separate from the
hosting account. I recommend keeping it all under your hosting account
for hassle-free management and maintenance.
The
wrong web host can cause many problems with your blog. Just imagine
choosing a mobile company that has no reception. Your web host is a
major piece of the puzzle to creating a successful blog; therefore, you
must choose a reliable provider.
Based on our survey, a reliable provider is Bluehost. 99% of blogging experts suggest using it with WordPress.org.
Step #5: Starting a blog on WordPress
This
section provides detailed information to help you sign up for the web
hosting account and how to set up a WordPress blog. As an example, I
will show you how to make a blog with Bluehost, and I included screenshots of the pages that you need to go through.
make blog video
Watch Blog Set Up Instructions
1. Visit Bluehost
Use this link to visit Bluehost. Then click the “Get Started Now” button.
bluehost home page
2. Select your blog’s hosting plan
You
should start by selecting your plan. If this is your very first one,
you should go with the basic one – at least until you explore your
options. The one called plus should be able to cover all your needs once
you get going, and you should consider the pro version once your
popularity skyrockets.
3. Input your blog’s domain name
Your
domain name has a say in the success of your blog, so you should take
your time to come up with something new. Just type in the desired domain
in this “new domain” box and Bluehost will show you whether it’s
available or not. If not, it will provide you with a list of similar
names for you to choose from.
4. Register for Bluehost
After you pick out your domain name, Bluehost will
take you to the registration page where it will be required from you to
fill in your personal info, including the billing data. A couple of
minutes are all you need.
5. Select your hosting options
Pay
additional attention to your hosting options. Obviously, the 12-month
package has the lowest price, but the other two are great when you want
to make a long term investment.
You can feel free to uncheck the rest of the boxes – you can always get them later when you find them necessary.
6. Launch your WordPress blog with Bluehost
Congratulations, we are almost there! Once you have your domain name and web hosting connected, it’s time to set up WordPress.
Go to your Bluehost cPanel account, find the ‘My Sites’ section and click Install WordPress. That’s the famous one-click set-up offered by Bluehost that makes blog creation a breeze.
Now,
if you go to your site’s URL, you will only see a ‘Coming Soon’ page
because the site hasn’t gone live yet. For this, you’ll need to set up
and design a WordPress site before launching it, but I’ll get to that
later. Once this is done, go back to the cPanel and hit ‘Launch.’
Step #6: Find the right theme (blog design)
More on themes
The
first thing your blog’s front end needs is a face (design and layout).
You want to create an environment that is both eye-catching and
practical. In the long run, you want your visitors to easily find
information on your site. You don’t want visitors to be discouraged by
the colors you choose or the non-intuitive and unpractical way in which
information is displayed. Your design can cause instant distrust of your
blog or immediate acceptance.
Start
your search for a theme as soon as your WordPress platform is
installed. The look and feel of your new blog rely on the theme you
choose. Your readers will first notice the overall appearance, before
even taking a look at the content. Choose a theme that looks great, but
also works for your unique content needs. The default theme that comes
with your WordPress blog installed is Twenty Nineteen—while it’s a good
starter theme, you’ll want to choose a theme that is unique and
compatible with your niche. There are more than three thousand themes
available on WordPress.org.
Here’s a quick checklist for choosing your theme by searching within the blog dashboard:
Read the description. Most themes come with a short description of
features and functionality. Reading it can help you figure out if the
theme matches your needs.
Check for responsiveness. Aim for a responsive design that will work
on desktop browsers and mobile devices. This is recommended by Google.
Check the ratings. Star ratings will be visible in the preview and
under theme details to give you a clear idea of how good the theme is.
Preview the theme. Preview the theme (demo) to get an idea of the overall look, layout, and how customizable it is.
If
you find a theme that takes your breath away, cool down. Once you
install a theme you like, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t look quite
right. It is just a skeleton of your blog. To make it appealing, you’ll
have to fill in content (text, photos, videos, etc.).
Should you choose a free, premium or a custom theme when setting up a blog
Free, premium, and custom themes
For
many visionary novice bloggers, the world is not enough. The stash of
free themes does not satisfy their particular desire for the look and
feel they are going for. There are two other options you can take a look
at, premium and custom themes. But they incur a cost, sometimes a tiny
one, at other times a considerable amount.
Premium
themes are created by both single developers and dedicated showcase
websites. The price range for single-use licenses ranges from $30 to
$500, depending on which premium theme you choose.
Custom
themes are created by an individual developer (coder and designer, or
agency) who will either customize an existing theme or create a brand
new theme for you. While coming with clear-cut advantages, they are not
the ideal choice for a beginner blogger due to their high cost. Prices
to customize a theme, ranging from $500 to $2,000, depending on the
features you want.
Blog theme customization
Installing
and setting up your new theme is quite exciting; these steps confirm
that you made a good choice with WordPress as your blog management
system. Remember, your Dashboard is the place where it all happens in
the back end, including the option of installing your theme.
Once you login to your account, you are now able to choose one of the default WordPress themes provided by Bluehost. Keep in mind that you can always pick another theme from a WordPress.org repository.
Step #7: Write content and promote your blog
writing blog content
So
far, you’ve captured a domain name, chosen your blog site and set up
the theme, and you are ready to go. Your framework is complete. Now
comes the moment of truth. You must learn how to write blog content – in
the blogging world, any useful information that you bring to readers
can be called “content.” It must be something people will want to
interact with and come back to get more, something of value.
The
next step is to figure out what content you need to make for your new
blog and the best practices you should follow. Whether your blog is to
be composed primarily of words, photos, graphics, audio, video, etc. –
the content will be the bait that draws your crowd. Few will come just
to see your new site.
Without
great content, even the most well-designed, tightly-structured blogs
will ultimately fail. The framework of the web is code – but the
attraction of the web is the content found there.
Three things your content should do
Your content speaks to a specific audience and provides value to them
in some significant way. If this sounds suspiciously like our
Commandments, you are right. Drill the idea into your mind and never
forget it: It’s not about you; it’s about them.
Your content should be easily accessible and attractively presented.
Your presentation must equal the quality of your content. Here again,
don’t cut corners on low-quality graphics or designs. Everything about
your blog must attract your visitors and encourage them to interact with
your content.
Your content may be commercially purposed, but should never be
commercially focused. Never greet your visitors with pop-up ads and
giant banner ads. Greet them with content and reasons to engage with
that content. Let them know you are there to help them, not to use them.
methods
you can deliver it to your readers. You have to remember that the
content delivery method is less important than the actual content and
its quality.
Wondering how you can create quality content? It’s simple.
Here are three simple steps approach you can use to make great content of any type:
Point. State your main idea and point you are covering.
Prove. Give an example of the idea you are covering.
Perform. Give a simple way to execute the idea.
There are two blocks you need to worry about, pre-launch and post-launch contents:
Pre-launch content
Before
you start writing your day-to-day blog posts, you will want to make
sure static pages (such as About us, Contact, etc.) and other parts of
your blog (Sidebar, Footer, etc.) are filled with the suitable
information. Let’s explore each of these content areas.
About us. The most traditional page on any blog is the About page.
This page tells new visitors to your blog what it is all about, who you
are and why you run a blog about the particular topic. Depending on your
niche and your style, the information you provide can be “all business”
or personal and fun.
Contact. This page allows visitors to your blog to communicate with
you at any time. It can be a simple page with your email address plus
social network links, or you can use a simple contact form that visitors
can use to communicate with you without leaving your website.
Sidebar content. Your sidebar is the smaller column to the left or
right (depending on the theme you selected) of your blog’s main content.
In the sidebar, you could include your blog categories, the most
popular posts, ads, etc.
SEO meta tags. You will need to prepare content for the SEO titles
and description tags of each page (not seen on the actual page, but you
need to have it ready).
Post-launch content
Blog posts. The blog post is an entry (article) that you write on a
blog. It can include content in the form of text, photos, infographics,
or videos.
Cornerstone content. Cornerstone (or evergreen) content continues to
be relevant to its readers and gives them value years after the publish
date. It is always fresh and up-to-date. It remains informative and
retains its original quality. As its name implies – it is timeless.
Content
is not limited to written material but easily overlooked. It is often
best to utilize numerous forms of content and give your audience more
than one way to obtain knowledge.
To
produce quality content, you will have to use your originality and
imagination. However, you have to understand that some content performs
better than others. But again, you should start creating content that
you feel comfortable with, right for your readers, and for your blog.
Start promoting your blog
promoting blog content
You’ve
learned that the content will be the bait that draws your audience. You
can write the most compelling copy the world has ever seen and design a
blog interface that would sell people their own shoes…if no one sees
the blog, though, all your work is in vain. Marketing and promotion
happen every time you engage with your current and future readers. The
success of your blog promotion will depend on the ability to engage in
your niche.
Let’s
look closely at the advanced and straightforward promoting/marketing
activities you could be taking to become an authority and successful
blogger:
Let your friends know about your blog
Inform
everyone you know about your new endeavor. You should include your blog
name and URL in your email signature, list it on all your social media
profiles, and use every opportunity to get the word out about your new
undertaking.
Submit your blog to search engine
It
only takes a moment, and it will help to get your blog indexed. To
submit your blog URL to Google, sign in to your Google Account and go to
the Submit URL option in Webmaster Tools. For extra credit, submit your
site to Bing.
Submit your blog to bookmarking sites
Bookmarking
sites can offer your content to a lot of potential viewers who are
searching for content within your niche. You should do this every time
you publish a new blog post to spread the word out. Some popular social
bookmarking sites are Scoop.it, Reddit, etc.
Be active in your niche
Get
active on relevant blogs, forums, and social pages. Blogger communities
are a good way to connect with other bloggers within your niche. You
can engage, build friendships and help each other in spreading the
content.
Be active on social networks
How To Start Online Blog
How To Start Online Blog
Your
business is unique, and you should make use of the social media avenues
that best fit your own niche and style. Choose the one (or ones) that
best fit your needs and become an expert at leveraging them to help
reach your goals.
Comment on other blogs
Commenting
on other relevant blogs is a great way to build relationships with top
bloggers within your niche. This will help you make them and their
readers aware of your existence as well as developing your personal
brand within the topic.
Guest blogging
Take
the relationship a step further and offer to write a guest post for
other websites. Just be sure your work goes on reputable sites and that
the content is directly related to your niche. Guest blogging is an
excellent way to build an online presence.
Start building your mailing list
Once
your blog gains new fans and readers it’s a good idea to collect the
email addresses of those who want to be notified of new articles and
offers. As people come to know and trust you, they will respond better
to your promotional efforts.
Advertising on the web (paid traffic)
Appropriate
and well-informed use of paid media can help you gain exposure and
attention before your organic (naturally derived) traffic takes hold.
Paid traffic avenues include Google AdWords, and Facebook, to name a few
major ones.
Remember
that you can always find other ways to promote your new blog. Rely on
the blogging fundamentals: a clear and well-functioning blog, focused
and helpful information, engaging conversation and practical advice.
Your authority will come from helping and giving advice to other people,
your fans or readers.
Step #8: How to make money blogging
make money blogging
Monetization
is the process of translating your blog activity into earnings. You
should keep in mind that blogging isn’t all about making money but
instead creating useful content that will attract readers and make them
come back for more.
After
producing great content for some time and by engaging with your niche
market, you will become a recognized expert who will be able to build a
significant list of followers and subscribers. Only then you could
consider adding content that will generate income.
Blog monetization channels
How to monetize a blog? There are several options from which to choose. You should use the ones that prove most useful to you:
Running ads on your blog
There
are seamless possibilities for you to run ads on your blog. Regardless
of your niche, you can opt for ads that are specific to what you are
writing about or ads that simply better serve your advertiser’s
purposes. Google Adsense is one of the most popular choices for ads.
Enrolling in affiliate programs
Affiliate
programs are ways of teaming up with retailers to promote their
products and benefit from successfully carrying out sales through a
commission. Some things that you need to consider when enrolling in
affiliate programs:
The number of affiliate sales will strongly rely on the number of visitors you have.
You need to be credible enough for your visitors to click on your links.
You may want to consider placing a notice on your Terms of Use page that you do use affiliate links.
There
are a few popular online platforms that offer many affiliate programs
you can enroll in Amazon Associates, ShareASale, etc.
Selling your products and services
Selling your products and services
If
you are more on the creative and entrepreneurial side, you may want to
consider using your blog as a venue for selling your products and
services. Use this advantage especially when your blog gains in
readership, authority, and popularity. There are plugins that you can
easily integrate into your blog and start selling, such as the
WooCommerce plugin. It comes with product pages, cart, checkout, secure
payments, etc.
Writing and selling an Ebook
Another
great opportunity to make money is to gather existing content from your
own blog and offer it as a downloadable ebook. Your ebook can be sold
independently if your blog has a commercial platform (such as
Bigcommerce), or it could be sold elsewhere. A great publishing
opportunity is offered by Amazon and their KDP (Kindle Direct
Publishing) program.
Sponsored posts
Advertisers
are always looking for exposure and are willing to pay you for placing a
sponsored post on your blog. Those posts usually promote advertiser
products or services and are a good way to earn some additional income
for your blog. In the future, if you’re able to build one of the most
popular blogs and become an authority in your niche, the advertisers
would approach you to publish their posts.As you can see, there are
numerous ways to monetize a blog. Consider the possibilities, and then
choose the method or methods that best suit you and your audience. As a
minimum, you should – from the very start – begin compiling a mailing
list of your readers through subscriptions. Then, when you are ready to
recommend products, you will have ready access to those who want to hear
what you have to say.
Thanku Dont' Forget Me
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