How to start a blog in 2020 (Step by Step Guide for Beginners)
Are you wondering how to start a blog? The good thing is that you are here because you will have access to the right steps for attaining success when you want to start blogging. It is not necessary to possess the technical experience to become successful. It is surprising to note that it is quick and simple.
What should the blog be about?
As an individual, it is crucial to choose a topic you desire. And if you are an organization or a business, your blog needs to create a blog that relates to your service, products, or the cause that you are promoting.
Pick the topic you enjoy the most. If you do not care about the topic, writing about it will make your readers pick disinterest and make it drudgery.
Choose a topic that you can write about for a long period. A blog needs a lot of info and content to make it remain interesting and keep it going.
Why should you start a blog?
There are many reasons that will make you start a blog. Some of these reasons include:
Working from home: Generating income through blogging is similar to working hard but the barrier that helps you to enter is low, making it a low-risk venture.
Being an author: it is not a secret to state that publishers of the day do not work with authors that do not have a blog. The reason behind this is that it is quite easy to sell books to individuals who know you.
Growing existing business: Blogs give everybody, be it companies or individuals the ability to reach the world that has a lot of people at a minimal cost.
Just write: If you would like to write, encourage others, share your story, and construct a community, it is wise to start from a blog.
Blogs serve as a common source of advice and information used by a countless number of people. Many people read through blogs before making online purchases. As a person that enjoys blogging, you will write about the things that you like. You will make a living from doing the things you love most. Apart from earning money, you will improve your writing skills through valuable experience. The ultimate answer is that you will make an income from your site at all times.
Blogging is the easiest mode of connecting with your audience because it is critical when you would like to create a successful online business or build your authority. You do not have to possess a writing experience to start blogging. After following the steps in this write-up, you will only require up to one hour to start blogging.
Using Bluehost to create your blog is advantageous because it comes with a free domain name, just to give you the assistance you want to make money that will cover most of your expenses. Using Bluehost is incredibly easy but the whole procedure of starting your blog can seem confusing at the beginning especially when you start thinking about the domain name, the hosting package, and much more.
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Bluehost will also guarantee you on their packages of hosting. In case you purchase a package for one year and before the end of thirty days you realize that you made the wrong choice, you will get a money-back guarantee. There is no risk of using this hosting service. The customer care service team will take care of everything you need. They are always available at all times to serve you and give you solutions.
Choose the blogging platform
Before you start getting worried about the outlook of your blog, it is crucial to choose the right blogging platform. The market has a lot of platforms that you can choose from. You have the ability to create a blog that has many different blogging platforms like the blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, and much more.
However, since there are more than seventy-two million active WordPress users, it is clear that this platform is commanding the market. The main reasons as to why you need to use this platform are:
- It is absolutely free to use this platform because it has add-ons, layouts, and themes that you cannot get on other platforms.
- Setting it up is super easy.
- WordPress is secure because the maintenance team is always updating the software and it ensures that all things are kept secure and sound. Therefore, there does not exist the worry of your blog becoming under attack from hackers. No wonder Nasa, Facebook, and many universities are using this platform for their sites.
- Customizing it is easy. You will access hundreds of plugins and themes that will add a lot of functionality to your blog. It has subscribed boxes, contact boxes, and plugins that will improve the performance of your blog.
While other blogging platforms are okay, there is no blog option that comes close to match the customization options and freedom offered by WordPress. Therefore, without a doubt, it is crucial to choose WordPress. It is the best especially when you are just starting out.
Why should you not create the blog on a free platform?
Without a doubt, it is advisable to self-host the WordPress blog. You need to give it a thought because there is no successful blogger that is using a free blogging site. Free blogging platforms have a lot of problems that include:
You do not have the allowance to advertise on free blogging platforms, making it tricky to make money from the blogs.
The address of your blog will be extremely long and hard to remember or memorize. It is advisable to use Bluehost because you will choose a branded address that is catchy.
You do not control the content you are posting. Free blogging platforms could shut you down at any time without giving any reason.
The limits above apply to blogs under WordPress.com. it is advisable to self-host your blog because you will have to use the same software without limits. Setting up a blog with a personal domain from the first day is less expensive and easy.
There are many reasons as to why you should avoid free hosted blogs. The blog will look sloppy from the first day. Customizing the blog according to your desire is limited. The site will be slow, and there is nothing as bad as having a slow site. The peak of the cons of using free blogs is that there is no known successful entrepreneur that has used them. When you are thinking of self-hosting your blog, it is crucial to think Bluehost as it is the only way that will make your blog profitable.
Find the domain name and hosting package
The term domain refers to the particular web address or URL that points to your blog. The norm is that you need to keep renewing the domains after every year for a certain amount of money. The blog name will be your personal blog address that people will keep finding you.
In case you have trouble in finding the domain name, you need to keep remembering that you do not have to complicate it. The name will not really matter among other grand things. The content you are providing is the one that matters a lot. It is recommended to get your domain from Bluehost directly because it is free with a hosting plan. You need to choose a domain name that will make it easy to share and remember. You need to settle for .com because many people assume it before any other extension.
When choosing the name, you need to make sure that it is easy to spell and say. Do not include hyphens, obscure terms, numbers, or other confusing word strings. In case you are not sure of the words to use, it is always safe to use your name. It is crucial to be creative or try a phrase in case you have a problem with finding a name that is available.
The final piece in this puzzle is the hosting package. The easiest way of making this description is by use of a different analogy. You can compare hosting to renting an apartment, except that in this situation, you are renting some server space. The server is the one that will publish your site on the internet and make it accessible and available at all times.
You will have to incur a monthly charge for hosting but you can choose the cheapest option when you know what you want at that time. This money will cater for bandwidth and space your site uses on the server. These servers are found in places known as the data center. There is the likelihood that you will never see the server that is hosting your site but there are hard efforts in the background that are ensuring that the site remains up and running.
When you have a look at blog hosting services at Bluehost, you will realize that there are very many options at your disposal. If you are starting, it is advisable to settle for the shared hosting plan. You can use the options below to understand the different hosting types in the market.
Shared hosting
This plan involves placing this blog on the server that is servicing other sites. Everybody shares the resources and space, but they are distinct from one another. You have the power of speed managing your maiden blog well.
Virtual private server
The virtual private server is the next step up after shared hosting. This plan type places you on similar servers as the other sites but there exists a virtual wall that separates yours from the others. You will access guaranteed power and resources as if you are on an independent server.
Dedicated hosting
The highest hosting level offers you the whole server for your sites. Many bloggers settle for this option and it comes with a huge price tag.
Cloud hosting
This hosting has grown in popularity over the years. It is a flexible hosting form that stores your site across several servers. As requirements come and go, it scales your site dynamically and provides additional resources when needed.
It is easy to set up a Bluehost account when you want to start blogging immediately. Additionally, if you get into trouble, the associates of Bluehost are available through live chat to give you solutions.
If you are a newbie to Bluehost, the steps you will use are: selecting the right plan as per your bog requirements, but it is recommended to start with the starter plane when you are new. Type the domain name in the provided space, enter the account information, review the package info for accuracy purposes before checking out, and when you enter the payment info.
You will have to enter the account information that you will be used to verify your account. After logging into the system, you will now have to settle on a particular WordPress theme for the blog, that Bluehost provides. You need to remember that you are free to pick any other theme from WordPress. After settling on a particular theme, you are now ready to start your blog by simply logging in to the dashboard of the theme.
After logging in the theme, you will see a welcome method that will be prompting you to accept the help that it is offering you in terms of making the website of choice. You can always do it by yourself. When you click on the Bluehost button on the left corner, you will uncover the page with various tools that have the design of creating your new site. Launching the site is as simple as clicking the launch button and you will be seen online within a few minutes. After launching the site, you will have to fill the description and title fields so that it explains to your visitors about your site.
Use a beautiful theme to create the looks of your site
The overall feel and look of your blog depending on your theme. You need to settle on a theme that you are comfortable with, and the one that will give you a feel and look that you desire for your blog. There exist two basic parts to the themes used in blogs; the structure or framework and the child theme.
Frame work
There are many frame works that are at your disposal when using WordPress. However, the most used framework is called genesis because it is optimized for the search engines, it is fast, and the Studiopress provides the required support.
Child theme
Since you possess the genesis framework, it is now time to settle on the child theme or design of your blog. There are many distinct options available on the market. You need to be very patient when looking through them to ensure that you settle on a design that will suit your blogging requirements.
All this sounds nice but is it equivalent to the brand of your new blog. When settling on a new WordPress theme, you can use the checklist below to settle on what you need.
- Does it possess the features you need? On a different page, you need to list the things you require the theme to do. Therefore, it is crucial to know what you want.
- Does it support third-party plug-ins? You should not run into themes that are not compatible with other plugins. You need to ascertain if they are compatible with the themes you are using. For instance, if you would like to use woo commerce, you will have to look for a theme that is compatible with it.
- Premium or free? Premium themes come in distinct flavors. For some, you will pay for them just once and the payment will include updates and support, while you will have to do recurring payment for others to access support and updates. In some instances, you can pay for membership access that will give you access to several themes.
- Customization options? The design of themes is done with the customization level in mind. You need to consider the level of control that you are looking for. For some, several big options are just right because they do not have design experience, while other people love tweaking everything.
- How are speed and SEO? The user experience that people get when they are interacting with the theme is crucial. You need to purchase a theme that has clean coding and high standards of SEO. It needs to look great and load fast for attaining the best results.
Tweak the blog to give it the desired look
If you are a newbie, you need to start this by warning. When you are learning this platform or software, the beginning can be confusing and daunting. It will take you several weeks of working with WordPress to get familiar with its functionality. You might end up with frustration and self-doubt might come up. This part is normal for any blogger that is new on WordPress. You need to have trust that you are going to get stuck to it and learn the way the system works. It is crucial to commit to learning the system for it to serve you well in the near future. It will take you two months to become a pro in the system if you focus on learning it daily.
Since you have all the resources that will help you get started, the domain name and hosting, the theme, and WordPress, the next step is having the fun of tweaking the blog to give it personalization that will ensure that the readers get an awesome experience. For instance, you can customize the logo, footer, navigation menu, sidebar, and much more according to the theme that you chose. It is also recommended that you capture email addresses and begin talking to your audience through email.
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Make the blog secure with https
It is recommended to take advantage of the free SSL certificate owned by Bluehost that comes with the hosting account. This option is only available after the registration of the domain is complete and you are no longer using the temporary domain. It takes time for the domain name to propagate over the internet. The process can be done within two hours but can extend to twenty-four hours. After typing the domain in the browser and the domain functions without forwarding it to the temporary domain, it is time to complete this step.
HTTPS ensures that the site is secure and not prone to prying or hacking eyes. This is important because it not only gives the visitors peace when entering personal data on the site but also keeps the site on the good side of google. No customer would like to get a notification that the site he or she is entering is insecure.
How will you make your site HTTPS in Bluehost?
Making your site secure is done via cheap EV SSL certificate providers. Do not let this fancy term intimidate you. Turning it on in your Bluehost account is pretty easy. You need to remember that it is functional when your domain is working and the temporary domain is no longer still in use. In case you are worried about forgetting, make sure that you put a reminder on your calendar.
Developing quality content for the site
If you would like to succeed with blogging, you need to prioritize the quality of your content. After creating epic content, you will have to create standard pages of your site; the home page, contact us page, privacy policy, and terms and conditions page. Writing quality content is not hard. You do need to have experience as a writer to become successful. It all depends on your passion regarding the topic that you want to discuss.
You need to strive for value and usefulness in all the things that you post. It is crucial to approach each subject with the stance on the way you can give value to the readers in a way that provides answers to the problem in question. Starting a blog could not be just as easy.
Conclusion
The next section of running a blog that is successful is obvious but people lose out on them; getting traffic and monetizing it. Since you are now the owner of a self-hosted blog, there are very many things you can do at this juncture. Blogging is all about learning while on the go and handling the things that you can. The things that you might want to explore while in the blogging journey includes if you want to know blogging basics if you want to tweak the blog design and if you want to get traffic onto your blog. The other things are if you would like to make money while blogging and if you would like to keep up with the latest blogging news.
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