Starting a blog and making money with it is something that seems to be impossible for many, especially when they do not have the knowledge to do this.
Even if you have zero blogging experience and zero technical knowledge, you can make money running blogs. There are numerous people that are afraid to start a blog because of a lack of skills or experience. This should not stop you because it is now easier than ever to launch a successful blog.
Read this guide and learn how you can start a blog and make money blogging, too!
Why should I start a blog?
There are numerous reasons why you should start a blog in 2019. This includes:
- Blogging is cheap.
- Blogging is fun.
- Blogging can be done from any location, from home to a favorite café.
- Your very own work schedule.
- You instantly become a member of a wonderful community.
- Blogging is easy.
- Blogging has a true endless earning potential.
Blogging is really easy, although it does sound complicated when you first start. All you really need is the knowledge from the information provided below. Blogging can easily change your life.
Do not be overwhelmed by
Preparation
Before you launch a blog, it is important to pick a name and a niche. This is something that sounds really easy but you have to know some things. Based on these two facts, you can be successful or fail. You have to choose wisely.
Choosing A Niche
This is not a necessity but it is really helpful if you launch a blog about topics that you are passionate about.
As an example, if you want to write about traveling but you do not really like being anywhere else but home, you are going to lose interest. It is also very difficult to write about topics that you have zero experience in.
Those that want to make money with a blog need to pick profitable niches. There are niches, like finance, motherhood or food, that are very popular and come with countless monetization options.
Pick a niche with many potential readers. When you write about something that is only interesting for a limited number of people, you will not make a lot of money. However, it does help to focus on a topic and to not be broad.
Learn more about choosing a niche on Blogging Wizard.
Name And Domain
After choosing the niche, it is time to think about the name of the blog. It is always a good idea to choose one that says things about the niche and/or the covered topics. For instance, a name like “Living Room Gardner” instantly says something and is simple to identify.
It is also possible to use your own name for the blog, like “Jonathan Smith”, or something abstract, like “Red Ocean”.
Use Google to see if there are blogs with similar names. You want to avoid the situation in which future readers are confused.
As you choose the name, you want to think about the domain it will use. There are countless domains that are now taken. This is especially the case when looking at those that are made out of common words. As you think about the name of your future blog, see if the domain name is available.
You can definitely make it easier to find a free name by adding a word to what you initially considered. For instance, you can say something like “My Living Room Garden”. Dashes can also be added, like “living-room-gardener.com”.
The most popular domain name extension is “.com”. However, if the .com domain is not available, you can consider others, like “.org” or “.net”. When writing for a specific country you can also go for the extension of the country, like “.it” for Italy. There are even some special domain extensions available, like “.world” or “.guru”.
Choose something that is appropriate but seriously consider the .com domain. This is because people are highly-used to this domain extension.
Use domain registrars and their search functions to see what domain names are available, like Namecheap. A domain name usually costs between $5 and $15 per year.
Extra tip: If the name you want is already registered as a .com domain and that site is really successful you want to think about another name as opposed to getting another extension. This is because the community behind the .com domain is already there and it will be really hard to influence it.
Choose A Good Hosting Provider
Hosting is needed since that is where the blog will be set up. There are currently two options available:
- Self-Hosting
- Free Hosting
Beginners are always tempted to minimize their initial investment. They worry about not sticking to blogging so they go for the free blogs offered by providers like WordPress.com, Tumblr or Blogspot.
Issues with free hosting
The problem is that it is really well worth to invest in hosting. If you choose free hosting, you run into some serious problems:
- You are not the owner of your blog – You are forced to respect a specific set of rules and terms. If you violate terms, the blog can be deleted, which would be truly devastating.
- Limitations – Free hosting comes with serious limitations. It is possible that you do not have space for videos or photos and you cannot use the plugins that are the best. You do not even have access to the countless free themes available from WordPress.org.
- Bulky domain names – A preferred domain cannot be used and you need to rely on something that is complicated and ugly, like “livingroomgardener.blogspot.com”.
- Limited monetization options – With free hosting the number of available monetization options
is limited. As an example, many of the free providers do not allow you to add ads. This stops you from accessing a really big income source in blogging.
Always Choose Self-Hosting
Every single professional blogger in the world will tell you to choose self-hosting. This is always better when you make the choice right from the start since everything will be easier in the future.
Self-hosing is not expensive. You just need the services of a highly reliable hosting provider and you end up paying around $5 to $10 per month as you open your blog. Eventually, as you start making money with your blog, you can invest in better hosting. However, the $10 per month option is usually more than enough for beginners.
The very popular option for novice users is Bluehost. It is recommended for beginners due to the following reasons:
- It is really cheap and offers all that you need. This includes bandwidth, website space
and email storage. - Customer support is available 24/7 through live chat, email
and phone. If you have problems, someone is there to help. - Installing the WordPress.org CMS is automatically done for free.
- In the event that you are not satisfied with the service, you can use the Bluehost money-back guarantee.
How To Open The Blog With Bluehost
Most beginners are hesitant to start a blog as they think everything is complicated. This is not the case. The steps needed to open the blog with Bluehost are really simple:
1. Choose a plan – Most beginners opt for the basic plan as it offers all that is needed. Future upgrades are possible.
2. Register a domain name – If you haven’t done this already. Bluehost offers 1 free domain with the hosting package you get at zero extra cost. Just make sure that you commit to at least one year to give yourself a good chance in blogging.
3. Fill in personal details
4. Choose a package and make the payment – If you pay for a longer duration, the hosting plan becomes cheaper. You can also add some extras, like Domain Privacy Protection. You can choose the cheapest packages when you first start blogging.
5. Submit
Bluehost will install WordPress automatically if this is what you want. This is possible through just a few clicks. As a beginner blogger, there is a pretty good possibility you will want to use it as it is the best for blogging.
Customize The Blog
The first thing you should do is pick a WordPress theme. This controls a blog’s visual appearance. You can choose out of many free ones for WordPress.
After you are logged into the Dashboard, go to Appearance. This is where you can choose out of countless free themes. Choose one that is appropriate for your topic and install it.
Free themes are definitely great when you start but there are limitations. You will eventually need to make some customizations that are not possible. In the future, you will need to go for a theme that is paid, a premium theme. This is generally better done as fast as possible.
The Divi Option
One great option is Divi from Elegant Themes. You would need to pay for a year but it is definitely completely worth it.
Divi is very simple and fun to use. You can make the blog look exactly as you want it to through simple drag and drop movements. In fact, the theme was created to help those that do not have
After you choose a theme, you can play with the design and make the changes that you want, like uploading a logo or modifying the layout. WordPress is really intuitive and you can easily figure out what to do after just some clicks.
In the event that you do not know how to customize a part of the blog, all you need to do is use Google. Through a simple
Add Pages To Your Blog
Besides blog posts, there is a necessity to add some pages that have important information. Always consider adding pages like Home, Contact, About Me, Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
If you do not know how to write more complicated pages like the Privacy Policy, look for generators online. They are available for free and you can customize the documents based on your specific needs.
After setting up the pages, you just need to leave them. Occasional updates are needed from time to time.
Write Blog Posts
You are now ready to start blogging. This is actually possible in just minutes after your host is activated.
With the use of WordPress, everything is simple. Just click “Posts” from the left menu and select “Add New”. Then, write posts.
The interface that you will use is highly intuitive. Through some simple
It is important to regularly publish posts. The more posts you publish, the more you will be liked by search engines. However, quantity is not the only thing that is important.
In fact, the most important thing when
As you choose what you write about, bet sure to conduct
Promote The Blog
You can launch the best blog with the best possible content and still remain unsuccessful if people cannot find it.
There are different things to think about. SEO is the obvious thing that is needed to grow organic view coming from search engines but it will take time. Due to this, you want to promote the blog on many channels, including social media.
If you want to learn more about SEO, check out the guide on Kissmetrics since it is really complex.
Based on the niche, it is possible to be really successful with a Facebook profile. You can also consider Pinterest and Instagram. Reddit and Twitter are two other options that are free and really easy to use.
Just be sure that you do not choose too many social media networks. You just need to choose 2 or 3 and be really active on them. Only if you can do a great job promoting the blog with these you can expand and include others.
Another thing that you can do is work with the other bloggers that operate in your niche. Writing guest posts on other blogs is a great example of that. See if there are other bloggers interested in sharing some content on your blog. Such collaborations help a lot in the long run.
Check out this article and find super helpful tools for newbie bloggers that will save you time and help you make money.
Start A Blog Today
It is not at all difficult to start working on a blog. Providers like Bluehost basically make things really simple and WordPress gives you such intuitive navigation that everything becomes fast and easy to understand.
Spend some time to carefully pick your niche, domain name and make a plan in regards to what you will write. Planning helps you to come up with better quality posts.
At the end of the day, you just need to commit and make the decision to actually start the blog. This is because the actual blog building is really simple. Make all your dreams come true now and start making money with blogging. This will change your life. You just need to take the steps and open the blog.
Starting a blog and making money with it is something that seems to be impossible for many, especially when they do not have the knowledge to do this.
Even if you have zero blogging experience and zero technical knowledge, you can make money running blogs. There are numerous people that are afraid to start a blog because of a lack of skills or experience. This should not stop you because it is now easier than ever to launch a successful blog.
Read this guide and learn how you can start a blog and make money blogging, too!
Why should I start a blog?
There are numerous reasons why you should start a blog in 2019. This includes:
- Blogging is cheap.
- Blogging is fun.
- Blogging can be done from any location, from home to a favorite café.
- Your very own work schedule.
- You instantly become a member of a wonderful community.
- Blogging is easy.
- Blogging has a true endless earning potential.
Blogging is really easy, although it does sound complicated when you first start. All you really need is the knowledge from the information provided below. Blogging can easily change your life.
Do not be overwhelmed by
Preparation
Before you launch a blog, it is important to pick a name and a niche. This is something that sounds really easy but you have to know some things. Based on these two facts, you can be successful or fail. You have to choose wisely.
Choosing A Niche
This is not a necessity but it is really helpful if you launch a blog about topics that you are passionate about.
As an example, if you want to write about traveling but you do not really like being anywhere else but home, you are going to lose interest. It is also very difficult to write about topics that you have zero experience in.
Those that want to make money with a blog need to pick profitable niches. There are niches, like finance, motherhood or food, that are very popular and come with countless monetization options.
Pick a niche with many potential readers. When you write about something that is only interesting for a limited number of people, you will not make a lot of money. However, it does help to focus on a topic and to not be broad.
Learn more about choosing a niche on Blogging Wizard.
Name And Domain
After choosing the niche, it is time to think about the name of the blog. It is always a good idea to choose one that says things about the niche and/or the covered topics. For instance, a name like “Living Room Gardner” instantly says something and is simple to identify.
It is also possible to use your own name for the blog, like “Jonathan Smith”, or something abstract, like “Red Ocean”.
Use Google to see if there are blogs with similar names. You want to avoid the situation in which future readers are confused.
As you choose the name, you want to think about the domain it will use. There are countless domains that are now taken. This is especially the case when looking at those that are made out of common words. As you think about the name of your future blog, see if the domain name is available.
You can definitely make it easier to find a free name by adding a word to what you initially considered. For instance, you can say something like “My Living Room Garden”. Dashes can also be added, like “living-room-gardener.com”.
The most popular domain name extension is “.com”. However, if the .com domain is not available, you can consider others, like “.org” or “.net”. When writing for a specific country you can also go for the extension of the country, like “.it” for Italy. There are even some special domain extensions available, like “.world” or “.guru”.
Choose something that is appropriate but seriously consider the .com domain. This is because people are highly-used to this domain extension.
Use domain registrars and their search functions to see what domain names are available, like Namecheap. A domain name usually costs between $5 and $15 per year.
Extra tip: If the name you want is already registered as a .com domain and that site is really successful you want to think about another name as opposed to getting another extension. This is because the community behind the .com domain is already there and it will be really hard to influence it.
Choose A Good Hosting Provider
Hosting is needed since that is where the blog will be set up. There are currently two options available:
- Self-Hosting
- Free Hosting
Beginners are always tempted to minimize their initial investment. They worry about not sticking to blogging so they go for the free blogs offered by providers like WordPress.com, Tumblr or Blogspot.
Issues with free hosting
The problem is that it is really well worth to invest in hosting. If you choose free hosting, you run into some serious problems:
- You are not the owner of your blog – You are forced to respect a specific set of rules and terms. If you violate terms, the blog can be deleted, which would be truly devastating.
- Limitations – Free hosting comes with serious limitations. It is possible that you do not have space for videos or photos and you cannot use the plugins that are the best. You do not even have access to the countless free themes available from WordPress.org.
- Bulky domain names – A preferred domain cannot be used and you need to rely on something that is complicated and ugly, like “livingroomgardener.blogspot.com”.
- Limited monetization options – With free hosting the number of available monetization options
is limited. As an example, many of the free providers do not allow you to add ads. This stops you from accessing a really big income source in blogging.
Always Choose Self-Hosting
Every single professional blogger in the world will tell you to choose self-hosting. This is always better when you make the choice right from the start since everything will be easier in the future.
Self-hosing is not expensive. You just need the services of a highly reliable hosting provider and you end up paying around $5 to $10 per month as you open your blog. Eventually, as you start making money with your blog, you can invest in better hosting. However, the $10 per month option is usually more than enough for beginners.
The very popular option for novice users is Bluehost. It is recommended for beginners due to the following reasons:
- It is really cheap and offers all that you need. This includes bandwidth, website space
and email storage. - Customer support is available 24/7 through live chat, email
and phone. If you have problems, someone is there to help. - Installing the WordPress.org CMS is automatically done for free.
- In the event that you are not satisfied with the service, you can use the Bluehost money-back guarantee.
How To Open The Blog With Bluehost
Most beginners are hesitant to start a blog as they think everything is complicated. This is not the case. The steps needed to open the blog with Bluehost are really simple:
1. Choose a plan – Most beginners opt for the basic plan as it offers all that is needed. Future upgrades are possible.
2. Register a domain name – If you haven’t done this already. Bluehost offers 1 free domain with the hosting package you get at zero extra cost. Just make sure that you commit to at least one year to give yourself a good chance in blogging.
3. Fill in personal details
4. Choose a package and make the payment – If you pay for a longer duration, the hosting plan becomes cheaper. You can also add some extras, like Domain Privacy Protection. You can choose the cheapest packages when you first start blogging.
5. Submit
Bluehost will install WordPress automatically if this is what you want. This is possible through just a few clicks. As a beginner blogger, there is a pretty good possibility you will want to use it as it is the best for blogging.
Customize The Blog
The first thing you should do is pick a WordPress theme. This controls a blog’s visual appearance. You can choose out of many free ones for WordPress.
After you are logged into the Dashboard, go to Appearance. This is where you can choose out of countless free themes. Choose one that is appropriate for your topic and install it.
Free themes are definitely great when you start but there are limitations. You will eventually need to make some customizations that are not possible. In the future, you will need to go for a theme that is paid, a premium theme. This is generally better done as fast as possible.
The Divi Option
One great option is Divi from Elegant Themes. You would need to pay for a year but it is definitely completely worth it.
Divi is very simple and fun to use. You can make the blog look exactly as you want it to through simple drag and drop movements. In fact, the theme was created to help those that do not have
After you choose a theme, you can play with the design and make the changes that you want, like uploading a logo or modifying the layout. WordPress is really intuitive and you can easily figure out what to do after just some clicks.
In the event that you do not know how to customize a part of the blog, all you need to do is use Google. Through a simple
Add Pages To Your Blog
Besides blog posts, there is a necessity to add some pages that have important information. Always consider adding pages like Home, Contact, About Me, Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
If you do not know how to write more complicated pages like the Privacy Policy, look for generators online. They are available for free and you can customize the documents based on your specific needs.
After setting up the pages, you just need to leave them. Occasional updates are needed from time to time.
Write Blog Posts
You are now ready to start blogging. This is actually possible in just minutes after your host is activated.
With the use of WordPress, everything is simple. Just click “Posts” from the left menu and select “Add New”. Then, write posts.
The interface that you will use is highly intuitive. Through some simple
It is important to regularly publish posts. The more posts you publish, the more you will be liked by search engines. However, quantity is not the only thing that is important.
In fact, the most important thing when
As you choose what you write about, bet sure to conduct
Promote The Blog
You can launch the best blog with the best possible content and still remain unsuccessful if people cannot find it.
There are different things to think about. SEO is the obvious thing that is needed to grow organic view coming from search engines but it will take time. Due to this, you want to promote the blog on many channels, including social media.
If you want to learn more about SEO, check out the guide on Kissmetrics since it is really complex.
Based on the niche, it is possible to be really successful with a Facebook profile. You can also consider Pinterest and Instagram. Reddit and Twitter are two other options that are free and really easy to use.
Just be sure that you do not choose too many social media networks. You just need to choose 2 or 3 and be really active on them. Only if you can do a great job promoting the blog with these you can expand and include others.
Another thing that you can do is work with the other bloggers that operate in your niche. Writing guest posts on other blogs is a great example of that. See if there are other bloggers interested in sharing some content on your blog. Such collaborations help a lot in the long run.
Check out this article and find super helpful tools for newbie bloggers that will save you time and help you make money.
Start A Blog Today
It is not at all difficult to start working on a blog. Providers like Bluehost basically make things really simple and WordPress gives you such intuitive navigation that everything becomes fast and easy to understand.
Spend some time to carefully pick your niche, domain name and make a plan in regards to what you will write. Planning helps you to come up with better quality posts.
At the end of the day, you just need to commit and make the decision to actually start the blog. This is because the actual blog building is really simple. Make all your dreams come true now and start making money with blogging. This will change your life. You just need to take the steps and open the blog.
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