Starting a blog can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s pretty simple, actually — and you only need four things. You need a domain name for your blog, a place to host it, a blogging platform on which to create your content, and the content itself. This post will walk you through the process of starting a blog from scratch in just five easy steps.
Guide To Starting Your Own Blog
Step 1: Register your domain.
When you are new to blogging, the first thing you need to do is decide on a name for your blog. Once you have decided on your name then check to see if the domain name is available.
You can purchase a domain from sites like GoDaddy.com, but you will also need to find a hosting provider for your website.
You could get your blog hosted with wordpress.com. However, I know several bloggers who have regretted this down the line and wished they started off going self-hosted. Your blog should be hosted somewhere safe and secure. Your home page is the most important part of your site. It should be something you enjoy creating content on and showing to your audience. Much like your cover photo, the homepage provides the best opportunity to carve out your unique style and personality that your audience can get a glimpse of.
Step 2: Find a web host
Hosting allows your website to have a home on the internet and a place to live. It’s highly recommended that you purchase hosting as soon as you start blogging as mentioned above. The reason is that you need a website to start off with — and everything starts off in a good place with a website.
How do you choose a web hosting provider? Good designs, simple pricing plans, and professional availability are all factors to consider when selecting the right web host.
There are lots of companies out there and you need to decide what one is right for you. I personally use Ionis. However, another company might suit you better.
Step 3: Choose a blogging platform
The next step is to choose a blogging platform. What type of platform will you use? Most bloggers use Wix, WordPress, and Blogger as their most popular options. Each has its pros and cons, so you’ll have to pick one or two and decide what suits you the best.
WordPress is the most widely used blogging platform in the world. It’s easy to use and has a wide range of templates and plugins to help you get started. There are many benefits to using WordPress, including blogging flexibility, powerful blog layouts, a customizable blog platform, easy tools for blogging and creating content, a responsive design, SEO features, and a featured image feature.
When I started blogging nearly a decade ago, I used WordPress and still do. The theme and plugin platform was easy to use and there was online help available within minutes. Now, you will be able to use the features and tools to your advantage and make your blog shine.
You can find paid themes on the likes of ThemeForest or just choose a free one through the WordPress theme directory. After you have got your website up and running it’s time to….
Step 4: Publish your very first blog post
Your blog posts need to be researched and written with your readers in mind. Once you’re happy with your final draft, it’s time to hit publish. Click on publish and you’re done. But don’t celebrate just yet. You still need to promote your blog. Unfortunately, if you’re only a writer with no experience, you aren’t going to attract many readers. Stay true to yourself by trying different promotional tactics, and you’re bound to find one that works.
Remember you want to put content out there that answers your reader’s questions. For every article, you write you should do lots of keyword research. Make sure you include as many keywords and long keywords as possible without making the article read funny.
Step 5: Promote your blog and start growing your audience.
If you want to get more people to read your blog, you need to promote it. Promote your blog posts on your social media accounts, and on forums or communities related to your niche. You can also submit your articles to article directories, and you can even try guest posting on other blogs. If you go the guest posting route, make sure your blog provides value and is pitched in the right way.
You want to try and get as many backlinks as possible back to your site from high-quality websites and not spam website. This will help increase your DA (Domain Authority) and help your site rankings.
Remember your blog may take a while to start getting found by Google and patience is the key. Keep at it and slowly you can start to monetise your blog. Starting a blog is the easy part, it is the hard work afterwards that can be difficult and can put some people off.
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