How to start a blog is a question that a lot of people encounter. This guide will be about answering all the questions that you might have.
In fact, starting a blog is one of the best things you can do nowadays. Whether you own a small business, an online shop, or a website or simply feel like doing something new, blogging can bring lots of benefits in your life:
- Personal growth. Many people start blogging as a way to express their own ideas and depending on their knowledge. A well-established blog can be a showcase of your skills and expertise whenever you’re looking for a job or freelance work in any marketplace .
- Brand awareness. If you run a business, big or small, increasing your brand awareness is going to be an important part of the journey. With the right execution, a blog can take your business to new heights. And you are going to make enough money and sales for your business or brand.
- Potential to be a user acquisition platform. When it comes to attracting new users and gain their attraction through any medium, many premium channels require you to invest money for doing this job . While growing a blog may take some time, once the traffic starts to kick in, you’ll have a solid platform that can drive new sales and grow conversions. And make new customers.
- Increased visibility in search engines. Blogging is one of the top ways to get more out of traffic in organic or inorganic ways which you prefer.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about how to start a new blog and how to make it successful. A blog that brings a consistent stream of organic traffic and is able to get your name out there. Questions like which we are going to discuss further :
- Which blogging platform is the best for a new blog?
- How to choose the right web hosting.
- How to set up your blog and succeed.
Let’s see what it takes to start a blog from scratch to top.
How to Start a Blog
The process of starting a blog can be broken down into the following steps:
How to start a blog
- How to Start a Blog
- 1. Choose your blog niche
- 2. Find a web host
- 3. Register a domain name
- 4. Set up the blogging platform
- 5. Publish content and grow your blog
- 6. Promote your blog
- 7. Monetize your blog
- Blogging Tools and Resources
- Images
- Design resources
- Google Docs and Google Calendar
- Screenshot apps
- Spell check and grammar
- Organized by Team
- Online groups
- Social Media Scheduling
- Stay Focused
- What is a blog?
- What is a niche?
- How to choose a niche?
- How to do keyword research?
- Which blog site is the best
- How to Learn WordPress?
- How do Bloggers Make Money?
- Can You Change Your Blog Name Later?
- What is Web Hosting?
- What is a Guest Blog Post and How to Get Your First One
- How Much Traffic Do You Need For a Sponsor?
- Do You Need to Know Code to Start a Blog?
- How to Create a Professional Email With Your Blog
- What Makes a Blog Successful?
1. Choose your blog niche
If you’re running a new project or a small business, then blogging about the services which you provide, products, and company goals is a great approach to grow your business. That way, you’ll attract new people that are actually interested in what your blog is about or what services you provide.
In case you’re looking to start a personal blog, a more extensive choice for a niche is at hand which can make your brand popular. The options are endless, from travel, technology, and news, to food, music, and shoes, or many more you thought about — there are many choices that you can pick as your primary blog topic and grow it as you want to grow.
Since it’s one of the most important steps, try to avoid rushing your decision. Take some time to research your niche which best defines your business that way, finding your blog niche will be more easier and helpful.
Ultimately, your best bet is to create a blog about something that you would like or have any interest in. When you are doing something you are enjoying, the results are always better. And your audience will undoubtedly notice.
2. Find a web host
The next step is that you need to choose a blogging platform which provides you best services. This is the software or service that you will use to publish your content on the internet. But before you do that, you need to decide if you will use a free blogging platform or a self-hosted plan. Below we will tell you a little more about each one which can help you a little more.
Free platform
The idea of a free blogging platform is often tempting for new bloggers wanting to try out blogging. However, when you start a blog on a free platform you will have restrictions and rules that you will have to follow. Not only will you have the platform’s website in your URL name (yoursite.blogplatformsite.com) but you may also have ads placed on your blog that either don’t fit your style or niche or that you won’t be able to monetize for example medium or blogger are some example of free hosting platform. My best recommendation is to go for a self-hosted platform which can help you a lot which is describe below.
Self-hosted platform
Self-hosted platforms let you run your blog with your own domain name. Meaning you won’t have another website at the end of your URL for example (yoursite.com) instead of (yoursite.blogger.com). You’ll also have the choice of a Content Management System or CMS by which you can make your website with no coding and no time. The most popular CMS are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
Having a blog that is self-hosted isn’t free though. Because if you are using your own name and web space you will need to pay a some money off a month to a web hosting company. Then, you can use your CMS of your choice, which is usually open-source and free, with it. means that if you choose a self hosting platform you can get a CMS free of cost with it.
When it comes to choosing a blog hosting platform, there are a few things should you’ll want to make sure of:
- How much traffic do you expect from your blog which you are going to make?
- How quick is the setup?
- Is there a support team which can help ?
- What features will help your blog stand out?
- What is the cost to live you blog?
Not only that depending on your blog and requirement chose the type of hosting which meet your requirement.
Shared Hosting
One of the best places to start your first blog or website will be using shared hosting.
multiple websites are using one physical server at a time and all the resources are shared (such as disk space, RAM, and bandwidth) among each web site.
Nevertheless, the servers are neatly optimized and monitored around the clock to make sure each website is up and running at full power.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to start a blog with shared hosting:
Pros:
- It is affordable and easy to use.
- Uptime and server updates are handled by the host.
- 24/7 live customer support.
- It features a 1-click blogging platform installation.
Cons:
- You’ll share server resources with others.
- There are limited configuration options.
- There is no root access.
Cloud Hosting
if you are a business owner and carry larger projects, cloud hosting aims to provide the power of a virtual server while maintaining the simplicity of shared web hosting.
It’s a solid and reliable platform for starting a blog, as you’ll have loads of resources to handle whatever traffic is coming on your way.
In addition, all the resources are dedicated specially to your blog, and with no one others, so your business can access so reliably and can grow .
Pros:
- Dedicated resources and IP address.
- 24/7 live customer support.
- Resources are fully dedicated to you.
- Features a 1-click blogging platform installation.
- Seamlessly upgrade from shared hosting.
Cons:
- Higher pricing per month compared to other solutions.
- There are limited configuration options.
- There is no root access.
VPS Hosting
VPS, short for a virtual private server, is a unique solution that brings more freedom and control.
However, if you’re not familiar with server management, this solution may be a bit tricky.
If your aim is to only start a simple blog, picking another solution would be better because it is going to be very high priced for your blog.
But, if you plan to launch several different projects, in addition to your new blog, having a virtual server will let you set up the perfect environment.
Pros:
- It grants root access.
- There are dedicated IP and resources.
- It offers the highest flexibility out of all solutions.
- It gives you the most control.
- Has the ability to change any server-side settings.
Cons:
- It requires technical knowledge.
- Server management skills are a must.
- It is unmanaged and you have to manage it by yourself.
- It has a higher learning curve.
3. Register a domain name
Every website has a URL address otherwise known as your domain name. However, choosing one can be tough as there are many elements to consider. If you need help deciding check out these domain name generators.
Once you have figured out the perfect domain name, be sure to check it on a domain checker to make sure that it is available. After that, choose which extension you would like, and you’re done for example .com, .org,.in.co etc..
Take a look at how to buy a domain name guide for more in-depth coverage.
4. Set up the blogging platform
The next step is choosing your blogging platform. Since blogs are mostly made up of content, you should consider using a Content Management System (CMS) for your first time.
With a CMS as your blogging platform, it will help you:
- Create a blog without previous coding knowledge.
- Easily publish and create new content.
- Allow you to focus on writing rather than technical aspects like coding and designing.
- Add new features easily with the help of plugins and modules which are built in the CMS.
- Find gorgeous website designs from libraries of free themes.
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