When I first started blogging two years ago, I didn’t know anyone else who blogged. So when I googled “How to start a blog,” it was like getting hit with a firehose of techie, webby(?) information that I didn’t know how to interpret. Now that I’ve been blogging for a couple years, I’ve met more and more people who told me they’re thinking of starting one. Great! But then they confide to me that they too are lost in a Google-y sea of blogging information. In this post, I’ll try to break down how to start a blog in three easy steps.
By the way, this post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to use something I recommend to start your blog, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!
Step One – Choose a Domain Name
Your domain name is the title of your blog. It’s what goes in between the www and the .com. This is a really important step, as once you purchase your domain URL, it’s a done deal for a year (you have to renew your purchase every year). If you wanted to change the name of your blog after six months, you’d need to purchase another domain name. Let’s save some money and get it right the first time, yeah?
Think of some potential names for your blog. Test it out with some trusted friends. But most importantly, make sure it’s not already owned by someone else! You can check your potential domain name using this tool below:
Step Two – Find a Web Hosting Server
When I started googling “how to start a blog,” this is the step that tripped me up the most. What is a server? What is a web host? Turns out a web host, hosting server, and hosting site are all terms referring to the same thing: a place that stores your data for your site. Yes, you have to pay for that.
The important part about this step is making sure you choose a server that has really good availability and speed. You know how sometimes you hear about servers “crashing?” Well if the server that hosts your data crashes, your site will be down. You also want to choose a web host that has really good customer service, because IF your site does go down, you’ll probably want to be able to talk to someone who can help fix it.
I use Bluehost as my web hosting service. It costs less than three dollars a month, and I have never had any issues with my site. There are other hosting services you may have heard of, like Go Daddy, that are cheaper. However, I would say that I have heard from other bloggers who used cheaper sites that they had lots of issues with keeping their site running, with customer service, and with cybersecurity! I highly highly highly recommend using a reliable web host like Bluehost. Save yourself the trouble.
Step Two and a Half – Domain Hosting vs. Web Hosting
Okay, so here’s the thing. The domain host, which is how you buy your URL, is different from your web host, which is what stores your site data. Hosting services like Bluehost offer you both. But it IS possible to buy your domain name somewhere and then host your site somewhere else. I feel like this makes things a little complicated, so I just did everything through Bluehost.
Step Three – Choose a Website Building Platform
Now that you’ve got a domain name and a hosting site, you’re ready to actually build your website! For this you need a website building software. I use wordpress.org, which is actually FREE to use. WordPress.org comes with tons of free website themes and plugins to customize your site. There are also plenty of upgraded plugins and themes that you can pay for as well. When I started blogging, I used only the free options. They were good enough for me to get to 20k pageviews a month. It was only just recently I bought a paid theme. Ultimately, I’m glad I went this route. It allowed me to explore the ins and outs of blogging with free tools and make a better decision once it came to paid options later.
Domain Host, Web Host, and Website Building All In One?
You may have heard of web building platforms like Squarespace and Wix. These companies are special in that they include the domain hosting, web hosting, and the website building all through one company. This is probably the least complicated option for many new bloggers. So why am I not recommending this route for everyone? Answer: IT’S WAY MORE EXPENSIVE!! At this point in time, I believe Squarespace is $12/month and Wix is $13/month. With Bluehost, your first three years, using my link, are $2.95/month. Plus your first year of domain hosting is free, I believe. Even without my special affiliate discount, Bluehost costs only $7.99/month.
Cheapest, Best Way to Start a Blog
All things considered, I have to recommend using Bluehost and WordPress.org to start your blog. You get exceptional quality for a very affordable price.
And that’s your super simple rundown on how to start blogging! I hope this post was helpful. Go check out my other blogging posts, like how to increase your traffic with SEO practices. If you have more specific blogging questions, let me know in the comments!
