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How to Start a Blog in 2018 – Blogging For Beginners

Is it really easy to start a blog in 2018 and make money online? Well, the answer is YES.

Blogging has come a long way and now a days many people are living a life by choosing blogging a full time career option. But is it so easy?

Setting up a blog and start blogging is actually very simple.

But to make money from blogging is not at all an easy task. One will need huge knowledge, time to experiment and skills to write & convince the audience 🙂

But I will not discuss about that in this article, rather I will share how to start a blog step by step guide. Set up a self hosted blog on WordPress platform and kick start your blogging career in 2018.

How Do You Start a Blog – Step by Step Guide

Start a Blog step by step guide make money blogging

If you are a newbie and looking for a complete step by step tutorial to start a blog, then this blogging for begginners guide will help you with each and every detail from beginning to the end. I have prepared this article to include every detail I have learned from my blogging experience so far.

First of all, let’s check out what are the must have blogging resources which will be needed to create your own blog. Also listed are the recommended blogging tools which we are personally using for our different blogs.

Domain Name

 Godaddy

Check Your Domain Name

Web Hosting

 bluehost

Choose a Web Hosting Plan

WordPress Theme

 genesis

Get a Fully Responsive Theme

These are the very basic blogging resources which you must need to professionally start a blog that make money. You may point out why I have added the term ‘professionally’ here. To understand this, you must read the artcle written by Harsh Agarwal on how professional blogging is different from hobby blogging.

Anyway, let’s come to the main part of the article where I will start explaining every single aspect & the step by step guide to create a blog starting from niche selection to publishing your first blog post. You can execute them step by step and at the end discover that your blog is fully functional 🙂

1. Choose a Niche for Your Blog

Choosing the right blogging niche is the first & foremost step in starting your blog. It is always better to choose a niche for your blog where you have/ want to attain highest degree of knowledge. So brainstorm & pick the one which you are most interested in.

But wait, do you want to earn money with your blog? Most of the people does & there is no harm if you can also earn some good money while sharing your knowledge & views on some topic. Many people start blogging as a hobby but after sometime they also want to make extra bucks.

There are many Pro bloggers who are enjoying a great lifestyle out of blogging. So try to find a blogging niche which will attract enough people but has less competition. Follow this blogging niche selection strategies to jumpstart your blogging journey.

2. Choose Your Preferred Blogging Platform 

After finding your blogging niche, you’ll need to choose your blogging platform.

There are a lot of different blogging platforms like: WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Weebly etc. But, WordPress remains the best blogging platform to start a blog & make money from that. Over 72 million people are using WordPress including WPBlooging360 🙂 This site & most of our other blogs are built with WordPress platform. The reson behind is:

  • WordPress is really very easy to install & set up.
  • It is the most secure platform till date.
  • With continuous updating, you will always remain with a sound software.

Free blogging platforms have their own drawbacks like:

  • The first & the very basic reason is, the web address of your blog will be too long and it is far from looking catchy (e.g. yourblog.blogspot.org / yourname.weebly.com).
  • You will not be able to advertise on most of the free blogging platforms. And I think this is a very big reason as it will be harder to make money from blogging.
  • The free blogging platform may also shut you down for any reason, as they are actually controlling your content.

Not convinced yet, then read the article 7 reasons why you should avoid free blog hosting and free blogging platform.

3. Register a Domain Name & Decide your hosting Plan

Domain name is your personal blog address & brand name that you are going to create over the period of time. Your domain name will be like www.YourBlog.com. The cost of a domain name is usually between $10 – $15/year.

We personally use & recommend GoDaddy for your domain name needs. You will get some really good discounts if you buy a domain from GoDaddy & it is also proven that domain with a good & reputed provider tends to rank good in the search engines. You can also go for the Godaddy monthly billing plan.

Check your Domain Name (Don’t compromise without a .com domain)

Web hosting is the home for your blog, all its post, pages & other contents. It is like a computer hard drive which stores all your content.

There are hundreds of different web hosting providers with some variations in price. But Before deciding on your hosting plan, read the beginners guide to Web Hosting to understand your hosting needs.

Now the question is which hosting company to choose? We would say BlueHost.

BlueHost is the best hosting providers for WordPress which is very user friendly & comes with great performance & support.

You may also go with other web hosting provider as long as it offers raging fast speed & reliable service along with unlimited storage & bandwidth. These are the reasons which actually makes BlueHost the best web hosting for beginners. Decide now to avoid problems later on.

Click Here to get a special $3.49/month rate on BlueHost (Use this link to get a Free Domain Name with your hosting plan)

Now click on “get started” & Select your hosting plan. As a beginner, the starter plan is best for you, as you can always upgrade on the bigger plans later on. Choose your hosting package and options whether you want to go for a 12 months, 24 months or 36 months package. Higher the duration, your savings would be more.

Type your preferred domain name & check for its availability or choose from a list of similar domain names in case your preferred one is unavailable. In case you already have a domain, then provide the details while choosing your hosting plan.

4. Setting up a blog on WordPress

It is very easy to install WordPress on your blog. BlueHost also provides a one click installation service to make it much easier. To install WordPress, you need to login to your account control panel first. Everything except your username can be changed later on. So keep a note of your username and password somewhere.

I have already shared the complete guide on how to SetUp a WordPress Blog on BlueHost. Follow this step by step guide to install WordPress with much ease.

Having trouble installing your blog? Get free WordPress SetUp service here.

Know your WordPress Dashboard

This is not among the Main Steps in this guide, but it is for you to understand your WordPress dashboard to get used to with it quickly.

Let’s check out few of the very important terms in your WordPress dashboard.

  • Dashboard – It gives you the overall view of your recent activity like how many posts, comments, pages are there.
  • Posts – It is where you need to click while you add a new blog post or edit an existing one.
  • Pages – Here you can add a new permanent page like About Us or the Services you want to provide through you blog. Also you can manage the pages you’ve already created here.
  • Media – It is the library of all the pictures, videos, and audio files you have uploaded to your blog.
  • Plugins – Click this to install a new plugin.
  • Comments – Here you can see the comments awaiting your approval & can manage them.
  • Appearance – This is the place where you can edit your blog’s design & also install new themes and layouts.
  • Settings – In this space, you can change your site’s title, tagline, make it more SEO ready & manage other important settings of your blog.

5. Customize your WordPress Blog Design

To understand how to customize WordPress blog design, first of all you need to know what is a theme. Themes are the design templates used by WordPress which actually decides how your blog will look like. Personalizing your blog’s design is as simple as installing a new theme on your blog. But remember to have a custom blog theme which will suit your blog’s niche.

You can find many professionally designed free themes in your WordPress control panel. But if you don’t want to settle down with a free theme & want to see more premium features then head over to StudioPress, as  you can find a lot of great features with their wholly customizable, SEO friendly & fully responsive themes.

As a beginner it is more than enough for you to go with the StudioPress Genesis Framework only. To place a mark to the world you definitely need a professionally designed theme which will not let you down. With Genesis you will get many free themes to choose from. I have couple of blogs where I am using StudioPress Genesis without any premium child theme.

Get a professional designed theme – Get Genesis Framework

In case you have budget & planning to provide blog designing service, then you can also check out the Pro Plus all-theme pack where you will get all of their 42 premium child themes & every theme they make in future at a one time payment. Check out StudioPress Pro Plus All Theme Pack.

Also remember to install the essential plugins before going to the next step. Plugins are the most important blogging resources that can add many required features to your blog like: adding contact forms & newsletter sign-up forms, reducing spam comments, optimizing your blog for SEO & many more.

To understand what plugins can actually do for you, we will be sharing an article on Must have plugins for your WordPress blog soon.

6. Writing your First Blog Post and Publish It

So you have successfully installed WordPress & have got a fully working personalized blog on your own domain name. No doubt, you have done a lot to come up to so far 🙂

The next step, would be to write your first blog post and publish it to the world.

You can log in to your blog by visiting www.yourblog.com/wp-admin and providing your credentials you have given with BlueHost or any other hosting company you opt for.

Writing a blog post is as easy as writing it in Microsoft word. Log in to your blog’s admin area & click on Add New Post. Write about your preferred topic & add images wherever required. But before you publish the hit button on your blog post, follow this 11 point beginners’ checklist.

Congratulations! So you have followed the steps from 1 to 6 & your first blog post is published now! Also remember to share it in the social networking sites to get the much required exposure. We will cover a separate topic on that & share the same soon.

7. Other Useful blogging resources

These are some of the best blogging tools & resources that will help you to boost your blog & blogging career. All of them are feature packed & valued for the amount you might pay for them. Read the artcle on Must-Use Tools For Running Your WordPress Blog Like A Pro by Fabrizio Van Marciano where he has explained very nicely about the top 19 blogging resources every beginner must have.

Do you think these guide is effective to set up your first blog? I believe this is more than enough as I am able to follow them and now documented them all here. This is not the end, as we will regularly update our blog with everyday life blogging experiences & learning.

But remember, blogging needs huge dedication, knowledge and time before you make money. People who started blogging with a purpose of making money mostly fail and quit blogging due to frustration. Only those who are able to put their heart & soul behind blogging are able to make millions from their blogging career.

I hope I am very much clear with my points and intentions. It’s your turn now, let us know why you have started blogging? Are you able to follow our step by step guide to start a blog? Share your experiences of starting your first blog here.

Anonymous

Manidipa

Hi, I’m Manidipa, the lady behind WPBlogging360. I love to write about WordPress Blogging, SEO, Internet Marketing & Money Making Tips. Connect with Me me on Twitter, Facebook & Google+ or subscribe to our Newsletter for regular helpful guides. Thanks for sharing this article with your friends as “Sharing is Caring” 🙂

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Comments

  1. Hi Manidipa,

    This is really a very useful resource for beginners blogger, very detailed and packed with the most important tips they need to learn.

    I love the way you placed each most important point before the other, it makes it understandable and knows that this stage most be complete before moving ahead to the other.

    Thanks, seems my first time reading your blog……..thanks for sharing with the ABC community.

    Reply

    • Hi Shamsudeen,

      Thanks for the awesome words.

      As a newbie blogger, I was not aware of all the necessary steps to start a blog & struggled a lot to get the things done. It is much required to know the stepwise details for anyone who is starting their blogging journey.

      Hope to see more of your views. Stay Happy 🙂

      Reply

  2. This is a great list of important points about on how to start own website by just working few hours a day.

    I actually just compiled a really thorough guide on WordPress Beginners. I think you might find some of the ones not mentioned here useful.

    Take a look if you get a chance.

    Reply

  3. Hi Manidipa,

    Good to be over at your blog and I am glad you shared it with us at the ABC 🙂

    Yes indeed, this is a detailed guide on how any new blogger can start a blog, a step to step guide to help them.

    Starting a blog is one aspect, but maintaining it consistently is what really matters. So, any person who wants to venture into the blogging arena, should be well versed about what it takes to be a blogger and then move ahead.

    You are right about being careful to choose the niche that interests you and go with it, as it would help you write consistently and in a natural manner. Choosing the right host and selecting the apt domain name are also essential.

    I wish I had known a lot of these factors when I started blogging, thing might have been a little different today. However, I am glad to have learnt a lot of things on my own, as that learning is always a sure one, isn’t it?

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂

    Reply

    • Hey Harleena,

      It’s really great to see you here 🙂

      You are very correct that starting a blog is just one part, but maintaining it, is the toughest challenge. To start with one’s blogging journey can be very easy, if they know all the aspects & also follow them stepwise.

      Most of us start blogging without knowing much about the stepping stones. When I was getting started, I knew very little about this world & it’s rules. But as you said “Learning is always a sure one” – it is that one thing, which also helped me.

      Thanks for putting your views. Take care 🙂

      Reply

  4. Hey Manidipa,

    A great post. When I first started blogging I knew what I had to get to begin. I was sure that I wanted a security (because I knew little about it), so I got the Akismet and I got BlueHost and I thought I was ready to rock and roll. I installed a theme – one that I could follow from You Tube. I did not recognise the importance of a theme at that stage.

    Isn’t it funny six months into it and now I only have one regret and that is I should have thought about the theme more thoroughly. Because without a doubt I will have to change it in another six months.

    This post is very informative and great for a beginner. I wish I had have read something like this in the beginning but knowledge is power and we learn along the way. Thanks for a great read.

    Rachel.

    Reply

    • Hey Rachel,

      It’s really great to know your views & thanks for the boost up 🙂

      Incidentally, I also did the same. As I said to you, due to very little knowledge about the online platform, most of my initial day’s blogging choices are ambiguous now. So lot’s of corrections! It’s really helpful if we have some ready-made guide before we make our decisions.

      Thanks for taking time to put your words. Take care 🙂

      Reply

  5. Hi Manidipa

    This post will help newbies create an awesome blog. You have really done well to post a great resource.

    As you have highlighted, creating a blog isn’t that difficult but to make it successful is another issue. Thanks for sharing this awesome post and your blog is so grand. Take Care

    Reply

    • Hey Ikechi,

      It sounds great that you think, this post will be helpful to the newbies & this is also the intention behind this.

      If you have some step by step guidelines, then it’s not so tough to create a new blog /site. But to maintain it with consistency needs huge patience & dedication.

      Thank you so much for the lift up. Take care 🙂

      Reply

  6. Great post. This post gives good insight on what we can gain from blogging. As a new blogger, we want to read positive things like this to keep us motivated.

    Thanks for the ultimate guide on blogging !!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comments. It is really amazing when someone find our efforts useful. We have prepared this article from our own experience of starting a blog.

      Reply

  7. blogging career is rapidly growing in india, most of the people are looking for self home based business for them blogging is a wonderful choice. this post is very clean guide to start a blog and helpful for beginners, but the most important part in the blogging is patience and knowledge. Thanks for sharing and expecting many good posts from you Manidipa!

    Note : Never start a blog with free webhosting, its waste of your time & can’t make money on those blogs.

    Reply

  8. Hello Manidipa,

    You explained everything that is need to start a new brand new website. There is no to refer any other articles for starting a website. You have covered from top to bottom.

    Good work Mandipa.

    Thanks.

    Akhil K A

    Reply

  9. Hi Manidipa,
    an interesting post indeed.
    I like the way you explain each and every point clearly.
    Keep writing!
    Have a nice day ahead…
    ~ Ahmad
    P.S. I am linking my recent post, please do have a read.

    Reply

  11. blogging career is rapidly growing in world , most of the people are looking for self home based business for them blogging is a wonderful choice. this post is very clean guide to start a blog and helpful for beginners, but the most important part in the blogging is patience and knowledge. This post gives good insight on what we can gain from blogging. As a new blogger, we want to read positive things like this to keep us motivate .

    Thank you so much for taking time to share your thoughts.

    Reply

    • Hi Arman,

      It sounds great that you found the article handy and actionable. Your comment is a proof that this step by step guide is doing exactly what it is intended to do. Thanks for raeding through and sharing your comment on the same. Take care.

      Reply

  14. Hi Manidipa

    This informative article will help newbies create a wonderful blog. You have explained each and every point possible in a simple and effective way.

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful post and have a great day.

    Reply

  16. Hi Manidipa,
    I am so sad to note that I am very late here to read this informative piece! 🙁
    It is indeed an informative post to the newbies who are planning to start a wp page.
    The step by step guide is really an easy to follow method.
    Thank you so much for providing this tuto with other connection links.
    Keep up the good work
    I am so glad to note that you and your post has been mentioned in our latest post at #Philipscom
    May you have a great and profitable week ahead
    Best
    Philip

    Reply

    • Hey Phil,

      I am so glad to read your appreciative comment. Thank you so much for reading through & sharing your feedback.
      Being a bit sick, I missed few of your blog posts this month. Thank you for informing about the mention, will visit the page soon. Take care till then 🙂

      Reply

  17. Hi Manidipa,

    Nice tips on Blogging.

    I also Faced so many problems like using free Webhost or sudomain from services like blogspot.

    But Time teach you everything. I am still a starter. And bookmarking your Blog. Because there is Lot of Useful content that might help me to Learn and Earn More.

    Thanks Again 🙂

    Reply

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