So you’re thinking about starting a blog!! Good for you–if you do it, I think you’ll love it!
There are so many awesome things about having a blog, and I wish that I wouldn’t have waited as long as I did before starting mine. And the fact is, if you have an Etsy shop or your own website where you sell anything, you should have a blog! Having a blog to complement your shop can do wonders for SEO, getting found in Google search, and increasing your sales. This means that you can earn more money from your shop, and you can also earn money from your blog!
Having a blog is incredibly fun and, if you decide to start one as a business, it also allows you the opportunity to earn money, be your own boss, and pursue your passion–all from the comfort of your home.
My blog has allowed me to earn a very good income from the comfort of my own home, doing something that I love. It has truly changed my life for the better.
Starting a blog does NOT cost a lot of money, and can be started for just a few dollars per month. Simply follow my steps for how to start a blog, and you can be on your way to earning money and working from home too!
Click here to start your own blog now! Easy-to-follow directions will walk you through the rest!
You should also know that it DOES NOT take a huge audience, or a large number of page views, to earn a lot of money with a blog. In fact, for a blog to be very successful, it really only needs a small number of targeted readers. The ones who want to hear what you have to say. And, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to find them!
How to Start a Blog and Make Money
Define Your Passion
The first thing that you will need to do is ask yourself, what is your passion? What do you love to talk about? If you are visiting my blog, then it may have something to do with DIY, crafting, or art. Or, maybe it’s something completely different. That doesn’t matter–all that matters is that you choose a topic that you love.
If you truly want to have a successful and profitable blog, you want to build it around a passion. Don’t choose something just because you “think” it might be popular or profitable. Choose something that you know you will enjoy working on and taking part in, every day. Also, be sure to choose something that you know about so that you can share it with others in a genuine way.
Sign Up for Your Hosting & Domain Name (the name of your blog)
If you want to start a blog and do it inexpensively, then Bluehost is a wonderful option for your hosting needs. Their pricing is fantastic, and can cost you as little as $3.95 per month! I use Bluehost myself, on both of my blogs, and have had nothing but great experiences with them. My blogs run and work great, and the customer service at Bluehost is awesome. Getting your blog set up through their site is super easy, and only takes a few minutes.
On top of that, Bluehost is ranked as one of the top hosting companies of 2016. And, if you sign up through my link, you will be able to get a domain name for your blog FOR FREE (a $15 value) when you sign up for 12 months of hosting. But don’t worry–with Bluehost, there are no contracts, and you can cancel at any time. That means that there is virtually zero risk in taking the chance to start your own blog, make an INCREDIBLE income, and work from home doing something that you love.
Since the cost of starting a blog is so low, I was able to earn that small amount back almost immediately. Do not be roped into starting a blog on a platform that doesn’t require hosting! If you want to make money with your blog, you absolutely must have a hosted site (meaning your own domain name with hosting service).
Having your own domain and hosting is what will allow you to place advertisements, affiliate links, and the such. Plus, this will mean that you actually OWN YOUR BLOG. If you don’t have your own hosting, then the platform who hosts it is who actually owns it, and they can shut it down anytime they like.
In my opinion, the best platform for your hosted blog is WordPress. The setup of your domain name and hosting, through Bluehost, is explained in step-by-step detail during the sign-up process. It’s incredibly easy.
Once you’re set up, you simply select a theme (there are many, many great, free themes to choose from through WordPress), and start your blog. You will be amazed at how quickly you can have it up and running, so that you can begin your blog business and start to make money. WordPress is the best way to go!
Reasons to Start a Blog on WordPress with Bluehost
Here are just a few reasons to start a blog on WordPress with Bluehost:
- WordPress and Bluehost, combined, are incredibly easy to use and set up. You don’t have to be a tech-savvy person, at all, to have your own blog.
- Bluehost is extremely affordable (starting at $3.95 per month), and allows almost anyone the opportunity to have a successful business built around their passion.
- The customer service at Bluehost is awesome. Should the time come that you would need some assistance with something, you will be able to talk to ACTUAL PEOPLE.
- Your domain name will be included for FREE!
Using WordPress through Bluehost is also FREE. - A self-hosted blog not only allows you to monetize your blog, but it also makes it appear 100% more professional. And IT BELONGS TO YOU.
Ready to start your blog? Let’s go!
Choosing a name.
When you’re naming your blog, give it a little bit of thought. Try to choose something that matches your personality, and goes along with the subject of your blog. If you do choose a name that isn’t necessarily an exact match to your topic, then try to pick something that has a nice ring to it, and that people will easily remember.
Sign up for your hosting plan and register your domain.
This is where you will begin!
Simply go to Bluehost, and click on the “Get Started Now” button. From there, follow the directions and prompts that they give to you, to go through the sign-up process. Remember to choose the 12-months of service option, because you can cancel anytime, and you’ll receive a refund of any time that you haven’t used. No risk!
The least expensive plan is how most bloggers start.
The next step is filling in your chosen domain name.
You can register your domain during the sign-up process to make it ever easier.
If you already have a domain name that is registered, you can also enter it at this point. If you previously purchased a domain name, from another company besides Bluehost (such as GoDaddy), you will follow a different set of directions for linking that domain to your hosting. Godaddy has a very clear set of directions here. If it is registered somewhere else, they most likely have a detailed set of directions also. You will do that after the initial hosting plan purchase.
If you are registering your domain through this sign-up process, continue with their prompts. From there, you will fill in some other basic information which will include things like name, address, email address, payment information and making a password.
You may also be offered some other services, as add-ons, but I don’t think they’re really necessary at the beginning. If later, down the road, you feel like you might want to add some of those, they will be there. After you make your password (which should be as secure as possible), be sure to save it in a place where you will always have access to it.
When you’re finished with those steps, you will be able to log into your new Bluehost account!
Install WordPress on Your New Blog
- When you are logged into your new Bluehost account, go to your “home,” which will lead you to your dashboard.
- Near the bottom, there will be an “Install WordPress” icon. Click that.
- Next, you’ll have the option to install, or import. Click “install.”
- Check the box that says “show advanced options.” You’ll be shown a page that allows you to name your site (which you can always change later), create a username for the WordPress installation, and create a WordPress login password.
- Also, check the box that says “automatically create a new database for this installation,” and the box asking if you’ve read the terms and conditions. After that, click the “install now” button.
- There will be a little notification bar at the top of the screen that tells you when WordPress if fully installed.
- When it’s finished, go to your email and look for a message from Mojo Marketplace. Be sure to keep it in a safe folder where you know you can find it later. It will have your URL, your WordPress Admin Login URL, and your WordPress Login.
- Click on the WordPress Admin login URL and enter your username.
- Now go back to your Bluehost page, where you were installing WordPress, and click on “view” where it says “Your WordPress Install is Finished.” Be sure to save all of this information also. Grab your password from that list of information, and go back to your WordPress Admin Login page to finish logging in.
- You will then be taken to your WordPress Dashboard of your new blog!!
Start Blogging!
This is the really fun part, because now is when you get to play around to get familiar and start your new blog!
On the left-hand side of the screen is your menu. After you click around a little bit, you will begin to get comfortable, and quickly see how easy it becomes. Take your time with this part, and get familiar.
When you want to add a post, simply hover over “Posts” and you’ll see a menu pop up with “all posts, “add new,” “categories,” and “tags.” Click on “add new” and your post screen will appear.
To add a page to your blog, hover over “Pages” and click “add new.”
If you’d like to change the look of your blog, you can go to “Appearance,” and play around with those settings until you get it the way you like it. Under “appearance” you will find “themes,” “widgets,” “menus,” “header,” “edit CSS,” and “editor.” The last 2 you probably won’t use until later–if at all, unless you’re familiar with a little code.
Adding “widgets” to the different spots on your blog is what can really make the blog match your style and needs.
“Plugins” are basically like tools that you can add to your blog. It’s like adding a feature to your blog, without having to mess with any code.
If you want to add a picture or image to your post, click on “Media,” and then “add new.” You can also view your entire Media “library.”
Adding a theme to your blog is what will give it it’s “style.” There is a very wide variety of different WordPress themes out there, so take some time to look around and see what you like. WordPress, itself, offers a huge selection of free themes, and some premium themes that you can purchase.
You can also purchase some very stylized themes, outside of WordPress. Pretty Darn Cute Designs features WordPress blog themes that are pretty and feminine, and well suited to women-owned blogs. What’s nice about these themes is that the style is built in, and you can usually make small changes to colors and fonts very easily. These themes have tons of personality and style and can make your blog beautiful.
Restored 316 also offers a wide range of beautiful designs that are worth looking into. Again, gorgeous and feminine pre-made designs.
Creative Market has a wonderful selection of WordPress themes, designed by talented coders and graphic designers.
Some themes, especially the ones that may be purchased, are built to be used with a “framework.” The one that I prefer, and use, is Genesis Framework. The same company also offers a nice selection of themes.
If you plan on building an email list of followers, readers, and customers (and I strongly suggest that you do!), then you can check into an email provider/service. I like MailChimp because it’s easy to use and has a lot of great features. When you build an email list, you are able to contact your subscribers at any time. This is extremely valuable, so start building your email list from the beginning.
Congratulations on starting your new blog! From here, be sure to put the proper effort into it, so that you can grow it into a money-making business, and pursue your passion. :-) A successful blog can be life-changing, in a wonderful way. It has been for me, and I hope that it will be for you too.
I will be continually adding more helpful posts about blogging (in general), setting up your blog, and making money with your blog. Watch for those posts, or subscribe to my newsletter!!
Please email me with any questions that you may have, and I’ll be happy to help!