Want to start a blog but don’t know how to start and what to do? We provide an ultimate guide on starting your blogging from scratch including what you need and how to proceed even though you have no experience with it. Nowadays, there are millions of websites in the world, and each day thousands are launched for various purposes like selling products, and services. Each site regardless of what it offers has a special section dedicated to blogs.
Considering the value of blogging in the business, traffic generation, sales increase, revenues, and growth, each site publishes articles, opinions, views, and other related services in blogs. If you want to start a site and start your blogging career, then this is a mega guide that gives you every detail. Go through this article, and you will learn how to start a blog even though you are not an expert.
Are you worried and hesitant about whether to start or not a blog? Don’t worry. Everyone is a beginner in his profession at the beginning. So, follow our tutorial till the end, and learn how to make a blog. This guide is free for you, and we don’t charge anything.
So, let’s start.
What Is Blogging?
Blogging is the art of writing a blog post, or an article taking into account the various details related to it. It’s the common writing style that freelancers and bloggers have taken as their profession. When a blogger writes a blog post in a way that looks well-crafted,well-researched, and SEO-friendly for search engines, it may rank high and appear in the search results.
Probably you have come across Google and conducted searches on keywords to find out certain results based on your queries. What you get from the search results, relates to blogging.
- Choose Your Blog Name
- Register the Domain
- Buy a Hosting Plan
- Choose a Website Building Platform.
- Install WordPress or the CMS
- Choose A Theme.
- Customize Site
- Install Essential Plugins
- Add Important Pages
- Create Posts and Publish
- Promote Your Blog.
Choose Your Blog Name
Choose your blog name when you’re going to start a blog, and it’s one of the most important aspects of a successful blogger. Readers need to type your blog name each time they want to visit it. When you are going to choose your blog name, try to make it relevant to your blogging aspects. To put it in simple words, your blog name is what you are blogging about on your site. This is the most crucial thing you are going to leverage on your business. As you’re starting a blog, it must take into account your blogging ideas.
In most cases, it is found that the blog name is related to the domain name. To put it in other words, your blog name is your domain name. You must have conducted searches on Google based on certain keywords and found that the niche somewhat relates to what you’re blogging about.
So, your blog name may be:
- Your Domain name.
- Your Business name.
- Your first and last name.
- A creative name having relevance to your blog.
Register Your Blog Name
Registering your blog name is the first step that you out to make to turn your ideas into a reality. You can register your blog name, namely, your domain name. There are many domain registration service providers in the world, and I have been using some of them to register my domains, namely, the blog names. You can choose, any of these service providers, as these companies provide the best domain registration services.
The best domain registration services are:
- Bluehost.
- HostGator
- Namecheap
- Namesilo
- GoDaddy
- Hostinger, etc.
Want to learn more about how to register a domain? We have a complete guide on registering domains, step by step.
However, keep in mind that while registering a domain name, don’t forget to enable Whoisguard to protect your account from sensitive data. Based on the layer and type of privacy protection, it may be either free or paid. You can choose either of the services to trademark your blog name for your site.
Buy a Hosting Plan
Once you have registered your blog name, namely, the domain, you have to purchase a hosting plan to keep your digital files, folders, and contents. There are several web hosting services providing hosting services. As the guide on how to start a blog is a complete tutorial, it contains all the step-by-step methods that you need to follow to start your blogging journey.
Before purchasing a hosting plan, look at what it provides. Does it have an excellent performance record? Does it provide blazing speed and quick customer support? Not only these but also, it must include sufficient bandwidth and SSD disk space.
There are various types of web hosting plans offered by hosting companies, such as shared hosting, dedicated hosting,cPanel hosting, etc. Each of these hosting plans comes with specific features combined with security packs, customer support, and various level of customer support.
Shared hosting is the cheapest kind of web hosting where the IP address is shared by multiple hosting websites. It has less performance and web performance. Most beginners don’t know which plan is the best. As you’re heading to learn how to start a blog, you should also learn which plan is befitting for you. Though it depends on your budget, however, I think you must learn about hosting plan details for better management for your blogging journey.
Want to learn more about buying a hosting plan? Here are the best hosting guides to choose your plan.
Among the web hosting services, most veteran bloggers’ first choice is Bluehost hosting, I, too recommend choosing this first if you are just getting started. The company powers more than 2 million websites with WordPress. It provides you with low prices, free SSL certificates, free domains, sufficient SSD web storage, unlimited bandwidth, cPanel, the best performance, and customer services.
So, go to the Bluehost home page, and it may look like this. Bluehost offers various web hosting plans including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. You can choose any hosting plan to start your blog but you should know what is best for you. Do you have any experience with blogging? Don’t worry. Follow our guide on how to start a blog, and you will be your own boss.
Click ‘Get Started Now, and it takes you to the targeted page. Here, now you can see what you need to do to kick off your blog.
You can either create a new blog name(domain name) and register it to connect it with your site. Choose a name relevant and convenient to your niche and, also, choose a TLD.
Once you entered your blog name, hit the search button to check and proceed whether it is available or not. You can register it for your blog if it is available and not trademarked. Bluehost offers you a free domain for the first year. So, proceed to register it.
Do you have an existing domain that you registered before? It it’s so, you can add and use here to connect to your site. Just enter the domain and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the processes.
Keep in mind that the domain setup is quite easy, and you can do it at different stages on your journey—-How to start a blog and grow it, step by step. Choose any of the methods you like to add to your site for your blogging journey.
Once you set up your domain, go to the next step where you have to create a hosting account. Enter your details, such as name, phone number, email address, state, city, pin code, etc.
Package information comes next to your account details. Choose hosting plan, service terms(duration of service) as well as add-on services, if required.
Do you need to choose the package add-ons? If you just get started and you have a low budget, you can avoid the package extras. On the other hand, choose what you prefer to add to your hosting package. However, I want to say that you need a backup service, and a SEO plugin, now or later. There are many advanced and premium plugins for WordPress SEO, though the package gives you only Yoast.
There next comes payment details. You can pay in multiple ways like by adding a credit card, or through a PayPal account, whichever is best for you.
So, choose the way you want to pay to buy a hosting package to start your blog. Once you have entered the details, come to Agree(Bluehost terms & conditions) and click next. It takes you to the payment page. Complete your payments and log in back to your hosting account.
Also, learn that you will receive your login and database details in your registered email address. Keep it recorded somewhere for better access and management.
Choose a Website Building Platform
Don’t know how to start a blog from scratch but are willing to launch it? Here is our starter guide containing all the tips to start your blog. When you launch a blog, you have to choose a blog name, register it and buy a hosting package to turn your idea into a reality. I have discussed all that in my blog starting guide. Now, another crucial aspect you must think is about the blogging platform, or CMS aka site builder platform. There are several site builder platforms you can choose from but it is ultimately your own decision as to which one to choose for your blogging site.
Web hosting and site builder platform is not the same thing though these two platforms are relevant. You’ve already learned that web hosting is the servicing platform that works as a host to store your files, folders, and site content. But the CMS is a different one. It provides the skeleton and bone to form the site on which your site stays. In other words, a website builder lets you build your site using its builder infrastructure.
The major site-building services and platforms are as follows:
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Magento
- Joomla
- Blogger
- Shopify
- Wix
- Woocommerce
- BigCommerce
- Ghost, etc.
Learn more about the several CMS platforms.
Install WordPress or the CMS
You’re going to learn how to start a blog from scratch using the required tools and resources. All these are the things you need to start your blog. So far you have completed many steps to bring your blogging ideas into action like choosing a blog name, registering it with a domain registrar, and purchasing a hosting plan combined with a CMS or a site builder. Now, what you need to do is to install WordPress or the site builder CMS. Among the site builder platforms, WordPress is the most popular website builder platform powering more than 40% of websites on the Internet.
It has so many advantages over other Content Management Systems(CMS) in terms of user-friendliness, customization, compatibility, and SEO aspects. You can prefer any other website builder to it if you have mastery over what you want to install for your blog but if you don’t have coding expertise, I think it’s the best option to choose from the myriads of such site builders. Read why WordPress is so popular with bloggers.
So, let’s jump to our lesson on how to install WordPress.
While you’re on your way to install the site builder aka WordPress, you may have to answer a few questions relevant to the blogging site that you are going to launch. The queries may appear on auto-pilot. Choose the relevant answers or write whatever you like.
At the next step, there may appear a form asking you to enter your WordPress database and other credentials for better accessibility and management.
Once you have chosen and filled up the table, go to the next step until the installation starts and is finished. Most WordPress hosting CMS contain pre-installed site builders to let you feel no hazards and let you launch your site hassle-free.
Choose A Theme and Install It Before Starting Your Blog
Are you a beginner and don’t know how to start a blog? No matter to worry. We give you step-by-step guides on how to start your blog though you have no experience with it. WordPress official Directory contains thousands of themes for sites. Based on your needs, you can start with a theme. But do you know which theme is best for your siteWhichch theme you need depends on your site and what it provides to the customers. Each site has a visual appearance, and I think that the outlook must be appealing to the visitors. That’s why you require a theme with the best features in navigation, customization, and other several specifications.
You can read Blowwager’s guide on how to choose a theme for your website. However, it’s needless to say, you can add and activate either a free theme or a premium one. With the former one you get limited features but it does not cost you. Whereas the premium theme charges you a minimum of 50$ or more. Its cost may vary based on the theme supplier’s budget.
If you just get started you can choose a free theme but a premium theme gives you more power in visual outlook, customization, and customer support.
Proceed as below to install a theme:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard>>Theme.
- Add Theme>>Choose a theme using a keyword in the WordPress theme directory.
- Click Install.
- Click Activate, and start customization.
You can add, install and activate any theme from the WordPress directory but if you purchase a theme from another company, you can install and activate it too but you have to upload it.
The best premium themes are:
- Astra.
- OceanWP
- Divi
- Ultra
- Hestia Pro
- Neve
- Avada etc.
Customize Your Site with Basic Settings
You have to customize your blogging site for better access, navigation, user interaction, and visual outlook. Though you have completed the essential steps on your way—–How to start a blog? But you need to keep your site updated. There are many things to do when it comes to customization but I think you should do the basic settings if you wish to avoid all the settings.
What is the customization you ought to perform on your blogging site? Go through the following points.
- Upload a custom logo.
- Upload a favicon
- Site name
- Site Tagline
- Set background color
- Select Font
- Customize Header
- Customize Footer
Add the site’s Title
Once you’ve installed and activated a theme on your WordPress site, you can customize and set up the basic settings like site identity including the site’s name, tagline, logo, favicon, etc. Type your site title in the space provided for it. It’s the name of your new site that you’re customizing now. The site’s title is simply, the domain name of your site. Type, and save it.
Add the Site’s Tagline
Adding a tagline to your site under the site identity menu. If you add a tagline it becomes more convenient for visitors to guess what your site is about. So, add a tagline describing what your site is about.
Upload a Logo
Don’t know how to start a blog, don’t worry. Follow Blowwager’s guide on how to start a blogging business. You’ve already come across many steps to complete your site. Now, you need to upload a custom logo to your site. A custom logo adds brand value to your website. There are many logo design services, and I thinkBrandcrowdd is one of them with excellent services.
Set the Background Color for Your Site
You can set your website’s background color by choosing the best color combination, or upload an image that’s looking awesome. However, to my opinion, you should use color rather than uploading an image. You can set the background color or an image within your theme’s settings.
Also, you need to choose a popular font like Open Sans, Lato, Lora, etc.
Customize Header and Footer. Add menus and submenus in the headers. Also, add some essential links to the Footer to let visitors go to the targeted resources.
The current topic, that is, how to start a blog, mainly offers you a blog starting guide, and if you want to learn more about site design, then follow this article on how to start a site.
Install Essential Plugins
Feeling too curious as you are going to start your online journey—How to start a blog and make money. Thanks for your endeavor. You have come across many essential tasks on your way to start blogging. Now, of course, you must install several essential plugins to let your site perform more functions.
These essential plugins help you to start a blog:
- SEO plugins
- Backup plugins like Updraft
- WP Form
- Image Optimization
- WP Super Cache
- Akismet-Anti Spam
You’re ready to learn our tutorial on how to start a blog. Thanks for your bold undertaking. Now, I tell you about these essential WordPress plugins which you install to take your blogging business to the next level.
Do you know what a plugin is and how to install, and activate it? Willing to install a WordPress plugin?
An SEO plugin is essential to optimize your site for search engines. Once you launched your site, you have to do more for SERPs, indexing, increasing site traffic, and making your site appear in search results in the search engines. It takes care of your site by preparing an XML sitemap, submitting it to the major search engines, indexing faster, and updating your site map. You can optimize keywords, measure URL lengths, optimize meta tags, and control other SEO settings of your blog using such a plugin.
Also, read:
SEO WordPress plugins for bloggers.
Every WordPress site uses one of the top SEO plugins. And, as you’re going to start your blog, go through our tutorial on how to choose, install, and activate a plugin.
I also recommend installing a backup plugin. There is no guarantee that the site you’ve created will not crash. If your site gets crashed, all the hard work you have done will be lost. Would you like this? None wants such a catastrophe. This is why I recommend installing a WP backup plugin that will give you options to recover your site if there happens anything wrong like crashing your site or deleting it by accident by you or by the server’s administrators at the back end.
Top backup plugins for WordPress users.
As you’re on your way to launch your blogging business. So, don’t worry. Follow our guide and learn how to start a blog even though you don’t have any prior experience. You need a contact form plugin to capture the email addresses of your visitors. There are both free and premium plugins on contact. I recommend installing a premium one for it allows you to back up the saved email signups. Furthermore, you get a lot of customization features. Use a contact form plugin of your choice.
However, you can use any of the following contact forms:
- Constant Contact
- WP Forms
Don’t get worried. You need another plugin to optimize an image. WordPress has multiple image compression plugins, which reduce the uploaded images on your site. One of the greatest advantages of using such a plugin is that it reduces the size of the images, which adds to site speed and decreases bandwidth.
Install any of the following image optimization plugins;
- EWWW Image Reduction
- Optimole
- Smush Image
When you start a blog, also, you need to install and activate a Cache plugin to increase site speed. I recommend using one of the top cache plugins. There are both paid and free plugins on the cache. However, if you have the budget, you should purchase a premium one for better caching.
Use any of the following cache plugins:
- WP Super Cache
- WP Rocket
You have to do a lot to be a successful blogger. Don’t get worried. Follow our guide on how to start a blog, and you will learn what you have to do to complete your blogging journey.
Once you’ve launched your blog, you will have more visitors who interact with you via comments, and share your posts on trending social media. But many unwanted visitors try to spam your site by entering fake emails and spammy comments. You can’t avoid comments for SEO value but you should install an anti-spam plugin. Such plugins have built-in filtering to scan and detect spammy comments.
So, use an anti-spam comment:
- Akismet
- Disqus
Learn more about comment settings.
Add Important Pages and Publish
You’ve come to learn how to start a blog from scratch, thanks to your endeavor and your enthusiasm. Now, create several essential pages on your blogging site. Creating these pages is a must if you start a site regardless of the type of your site. So, let’s create the must-have pages.
Below, I enlisted the essential pages which you need to create when you start a blog for business.
- Home Page
- Blog or Post
- About Page
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Services
The home Page is the first page of your website which you need to create, customize, and publish. This page contains the site address, header, footer, logo, and navigation menus of your website. When a visitor visits or land on your site, first of all, he looks at your home page. So, the home page and site address is the same for all sites.
A blog page is another essential page that you have to make when you start launching a new site. Probably, if you’re a newbie, you don’t know how to make a blog page as you’re in this field. But don’t feel intimidated. Follow our mega guide on How to start a blog till the end and you will be a blogging master. So, just add a blog page( or a Post page) from within your Apperance>>Menu, or from the Customizer, whatever you like, both ways work for you. This page shows the latest blog posts in chronological order, from the latest to the oldest.
The About page is one of the essential pages, which you must add to your site. It contains information about what your site is, what it contains, and what it serves the customers. Every website has an About page to represent site information to web visitors. You can add this page to the header, and footer as well.
Terms of Use or Terms of Condition is another page that you need to draft, finalize, and publish entailing the various compulsions that the visitors have to concede to and other negators that which they must refrain. Willing to learn how to start a blog for your business but you have to pay a huge penalty if you don’t add a page on terms of use. As such, create a page on terms of use. It’s normally added to the footer section of your site.
The Privacy Policy page describes which data you collect from your visitors, how you interact with your visitors, and with whom you share the collected data without a data breach. Once you create a page on privacy policy, attach it to the footer of your site.
Create Posts with Content and Publish
You’ve leveraged too much time to learn how to start a blog? Yes, it takes time. Since choosing a blog name, getting it registered, buying a hosting plan, starting to create a site, and customizing it——You have walked a long way. Now, start to create posts and publish them.
So, let’s start making posts. You can create a post by adding a new post. Go to Post>>Add, and the web page appears on your site. Write a heading as you like. As usual, the heading is in an H1 tag that makes the post title readable, large, and good in Outlook.
Add several paragraphs and subheadings including h2,h3….h6, etc. Write your content into various paragraphs, and under several subheadings to make it more readable both to search engines and human readers.
Also, don’t forget to insert images and infographics to make your blog more eye-catching. Insert internal as well as external links to add value, trust, and expertise to your content. When uploading, or adding an image, also add ALT text so that search engine bots and crawlers can guess what your image portrays. Adding a featured image to your blog makes it more trustworthy, and eye-catching in visual outlook.
When you add a post, and create content therein, you have to do a lot if you want to make your post linkable, and valuable to the readers.
Write posts on your niche. A single post contains at least 600 or more words. According to experts’ opinion, a post with 1800 or more words rank better in search results, especially in Google. So, try to write good content divided into several sections. Contents having more than 2000 words have better search results in Google.
Promote Your Blog
You’ve gone through a long way in learning how to start a blog. Now, you created your blog and added pages and content. All that you have done are necessary for blogging but you have to get sufficient traffic and for that, you must promote your. Most new bloggers need to promote their blogs. You can multiple ways to promote your blogs, such as posting on social media, adding campaigns, email marketing, lead generation, and sponsored posts on other networks.
Promote Blog Through Social Media
You have learned how to start a blog, create content, and publish from within your dashboard. Now, you have to promote your blog online using several ways, and one of these is the use of social media. Nowadays, many people use social media sites to view, entertain, and engage in online marketing.
Use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. To use social media sites you have to create accounts. Facebook contains more than 1.3 billion users with several interests and niches. Create accounts, customize profiles, and publish your content therein to attract more social audiences. You can even launch ads. While promoting your blogs, make strong engagement with your readers and let them allow, share, follow, and make comments on your blog.
Also, you can start a YouTube channel upload videos, and grow your readers. Most famous bloggers use podcasts too, and I think using such a tool is one of the best opportunities to grow your site and get more audiences.
Email Marketing
You’ve come across all the major steps on your way on how to start a blog. Created and launched a blog? If so, you’ve done the right work but it’s not sufficient for you to get enough readers. To get your blog promoted you must implement various strategies, and of these email is a top strategy. It records to give 3700% to 4400% ROI.
Launching sponsored content with other authority bloggers in your niche is another strategy to promote your blog but it is costlier than other methods. However, you can launch sponsored content to promote your blogs on other authority sites. Here, you pay others to promote your content on their network.
How does Blowwager give you tips and tricks on how to start a blog? Express your views in the comment box. Starting a blog is not a difficult task but it takes time, labor, and dedicated efforts to grow it to the next level.
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