Blogging is the new trend for writers, and all enthusiasts to pursue their hobbies or to make money. Whether you are a writer or not, but if you have immense knowledge about a particular field, you can start a blog.
At the same time, blogging gives you the advantage of being in touch with the field you are passionate about almost every day. For example, if you try to be a fashion blogger, you will learn everything about the new fashion and the changes that take place every day in the fashion industry. Eyeing that you can even create your own fashion tips and tricks.
Well, this is just an example. The topic that you are interested in could vary from fashion to science, from geography to medicine, or you can say anything and everything can be a blog. You just have to know how to keep in sync the topics with the present scenarios. You also need to keep the interest of the readers intact and their curiosity aroused. Now, that we have discussed the ‘interest’ part, all you need to know is how to start a blog.
Well, we are here to explain everything to you in detail.
Recommended: My Web Hosting-related post, the Top 10 best web hosting Provider for Beginners in 2023 is among the most popular on this site.
To start a blog, you need a thorough reason for why you are starting a blog. Is it for money, for personal interest, enhancing writing skills, or is it what your profession demands? This answer is really important as this will determine the type of blog, your writing skills and also the advertisements you may be putting on your blog.
Nevertheless, the best part of starting a blog is that it gives you freedom. You can work at your time and express your thoughts freely across the globe. You can even meet people in your own niche, and thus polish your social life too.
However, before starting a blog on any topic, you need to understand the basics of writing a blog. With so much competition around, you have to make your blog stand out. This may require proper research of the topic, SEO, keywords and also your influencers.
We suggest you to read blogs of your favorite niche and see what they are doing to attract the traffic on their sites. Then go through our steps of how to start a blog and you will be familiar with the basics.
Today, WordPress has many free themes to get you started with, of course, they have their own limitations but they are good for beginners to get in the flow of blogging. And yes, when everything is ready, from topics to reasons and the layouts, you may start writing. But remember it’s not at all easy as it sounds. Be ready to have a slow start. You have to attract people towards your blog and this may take some course of time.
But once you start climbing the graph there is no looking back. You will have traffic and sponsors too. It’s just a matter of time. All you have to do is get in the flow, try to build interest of the readers, work hard, be consistent and you are set to go.
We are there to help you with the initial steps of how to start a blog plus we will also guide you on how to start a free blog, and then how to start a blog and make money. To ease your search for hosting, we will also introduce to one of the best web hosting service providers, ‘Bluehost’, that has some great deals and discounts for beginners and regular bloggers too.
So, let’s with getting the basics right
There are several basic strategies that you need to be familiar with while starting a blog. They are;
#1. Deciding your niche
#2. The layout of your blog
#3. Deciding your domain name (very important)
#4. Purchasing your hosting
#5. WordPress setup
#6. Start presenting the content
#7. Creating a content strategy and link building
These are a few steps that if you get right you will be a pro in blogging. Getting used to blogging is really not that difficult. It just requires regularity and the latest knowledge about the topic. Your experience and the knowledge about the topic you choose is of utmost importance. People should be inquisitive and curious about when your next blog will appear. Your blog should keep the audience glued. Or at least the start should be worth reading, so that the reader has the interest to read the main content.
To get your writing right in blogs, read as many blogs as you can. These can be the blogs of your topics or the ones resembling the same. Plus, also keep in mind that the blog is not just about writing, you have to use the right number of photos and also correct links to related articles.
For example, if a fashion blogger just writes, people will hardly be interested in reading 500 words about fashion. So, it is necessary for them to post photos about different looks and then talk about it in a few words, thus, giving them a detailed insight into what the writer thinks about fashion.
Secondly, choosing the right domain name is as important as the blog itself. The right domain name will increase traffic, and will make you stand out in the crowd. There will be many blogs on the same topic so you need to choose a unique name that defines the topic that you are writing.
At the same time, while you are learning about how to start a blog, you need to have the best hosting site for your domain. We personally recommend Bluehost hosting, as they are the best for first-time bloggers to the advanced ones. If you combine a WordPress platform with Bluehost, you are sure to receive the best experience in blogging.
So, once you decide on the domain name, you need to learn to present your content uniquely. It should keep the reader interested and inquisitive as to what is happening until the end. Your research and topics should be up to the mark and have enough supporting data. If you are writing your views on some topic then you should be politically correct.
Be sure that your views should not trigger a mass. You are free to write your own views but you should use this platform in a friendly way. Subtly put your thoughts.
So, once you have the layout of the content, you are all set to go. Also, don’t forget to link your blogs to the correct articles and pages if you have referenced content from them. Now, after you post your content, wait patiently for the blog to trend.
What You Actually Require?
In this section, we will actually talk about the basic steps in depth. The dos and don’ts of blogging.
#1. Deciding Your Niche
This is an important point in how to start a blog. Do not choose a topic just to trend or because those topics are trending in the market. You really need to have an edge over others, on the topic you choose. Research well, know your topics deeply, and more importantly think why should people read this? What is different in your say of the topic that others don’t have.
As it is not a matter of just one blog, you will have to write various trending things related to your blogs regularly. You should also be ready to answer the questions related to your writings and pictures in the blogs.
For example- if you choose a niche such as a gym. You should have the knowledge of guiding people to fitness through your blog. The type of food, protein intake, exercise, you should get all the basics right. If your readers ask you questions, you should be able to answer them to satisfaction. Moreover, you can do affiliate marketing too, and promote different meals and equipment. You can even provide links to recipes and protein buying shops.
You can also make the blog interesting by leaving slight open endings to your blog.
Like ending it with,
‘This blog covers the exercise for a fit body and my next blog will come up with meal plans to maintain such a body’
or
‘I’ll reveal some shortcuts, tips, and tricks in my next blog. Keep watching this space for more.”
This makes the reader curious and wanting for more. Include high-quality pictures and related videos to make your blog more engaging and entertaining. Play with some questions and answers to keep your reader engaged.
So, choose a topic carefully and do not lose touch of updating that topic regularly. People love when their topics are posted regularly and they know new things at regular intervals. Keep in mind the potential and wants of your audience, and also the affiliate marketing that you can do related to your topic.
#2 The Layout of Your Blog
This is another important point that will add traffic to your blog. The layout of your blog is the most important point in how to start a blog. The layout of your blog decides how long a particular user will stay on your blog and go through it. The placements of the references and the relevant ads also are very important. The pictures, their description, copyrights, and all should be precisely taken care of.
We will go in detail later on how WordPress allows the layout of the blog. But for initial knowledge, we will illustrate how an ideal blog looks like.
It should first contain an introduction that should be very direct and hit the audience on the topic. Then there should be keywords placed at the right spaces to score up your google analytics.
Links to the right products and related videos placed in between the content give a more attractive look to the content. This should be included with appropriate white spaces, short paragraphs, and bullet pointers where needed.
Also, when you write content, provide catchy headings and subheadings, so that the reader can jump to his favorite point and enjoy the part he actually wants to read. Once people like what they want to read, they tend to browse through the whole blog easily.
Did you know you can even categorize your writing?
Well yes, you can and you should. Categorizing your writing assures that you don’t get driven away from the writing. This will prevent you from writing a long thesis and you will not divert away from the topic.
Remember not to give up everything in the beginning. Take it slow and let the reader get to the point slowly. But make sure to keep the interest going along.
#3 Domain Name
Whether you are learning how to start a blog for free or how to start a blog to make money, your domain name is of sheer importance. Your domain name should define the nature of your blog. It should be unique but at the same time, it should be quirky and simple. Search engines should not have a difficult time in locating your blog when the relevant topic is searched.
So, think hard and give it time to name your domain. It is going to be your name even when your blog gets famous, so be sure to pick a great one!
The trick is trying to incorporating your keyword in the name itself for a better search result.
But deciding a domain name can be trickier than you think. You have to keep in mind the pricing when it comes to the domain name. If you choose your domain name on Bluehost, while purchasing the hosting, you can avail of some great packages, (including a 1-year free domain name) to keep your domain name running and secure.
There are tools available online to help you choose your domain name. You could give in the details of your niche and when they are combined with your personal details, these tools generate the best combinations of names for your domain.
#4 Purchasing Your Hosting
You need a server to store your website on. For then only it will be accessible and visible to the people. The hosting server has to be secured and keeps you up to date. There should be no downtime and also the pages should load as fast as possible. A hosting server with such a performance is sure to boost the traffic of your blogs.
Now the question is that which is the best hosting server?
Well, we would recommend Bluehost hosting services. They are the best hosting server for blog platforms for beginners and established bloggers. Bluehost has genuinely best features that we can boast of;
- High speed
- No downtime
- Best security
- Best customer service
- Flexible plans
- Free SSL certification
- Money-Back Guarantee
- Great deals & discount (For this, you just have to visit Bluehost through any of our links on this page, and choose the best hosting plan)
Their costing list will guide you through the price that is best suited for you. Post that you have to fill in the details and you are good to go. The best part is that if you are unsure of your domain name and are still figuring it out, you can even fill it out later. That sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? Post that, make an account, complete the payment and you are all set to start a blog. Sounds easy? Well it is as easy as A, B, C
Once you logged onto Bluehost and create your account, you just have to choose WordPress as your CMS, which is the ‘content management system’. This is the actual place wherein you will be writing, creating, editing, publishing, and designing your blogs.
We are recommending you WordPress above all blogging platforms because it is the easiest to use. Plus, it has many free theme options. If you are a beginner and don’t want to invest much in the plug-ins initially, this is the best option for you. It also does not require much technical knowledge to publish a blog.
All set to start your blog? Get the best deals with Bluehost simply by clicking via our link.
#5 WordPress Blog Installation
You are almost through the process of answering the most popular question: how to start a blog? So, now comes the essential step of choosing WordPress as your blogging platform. This is the platform wherein you will be actually displaying your skills of blogging. From writing to decorating and displaying your blogging skills, this platform has everything set for you.
So now you must be thinking that is WordPress the only blogging site?
Well, the answer is no. There are various other platforms, including free blogger.com, but WordPress outgrows them in all manners. It has been the best blogging platform since it provides everything that a blogger needs unifying in a single interface. And its plugins are extremely easy to install and use.
Now even WordPress provides you with two options: wordpress.com and wordpress.org.
The ideal choice is wordpress.org if you are looking for blogging as a hobby or influencer, or wants to make money in the long run. But if you just want to try blogging, wordpress.com is the platform for you. However, wordpress.com has its own limitations. Even in the paid version, you have to use the in-built themes only.
But, wordpress.org gives you full liberty to showcase your blog as you like it. Bluehost hosting combined with WordPress gives you the ultimate experience of blogging, which will give you assured success for a long time.
WordPress installation
WordPress blog setup is really easy. This is the actual initial step on how to start a blog. With one click it guides you through the entire process. From creating a custom theme, site names, page layout everything is explained in a precise way. They guide you step by step and you can make changes even once you get past the initial stage.
That is the best part of WordPress blogging, you can make changes whenever and however you want to!
#6 Content Presentation
Content presentation is an important part of how to start a blog process. Keywords and SEO are vital while presenting the content.
Now you will be wondering why are we emphasizing on keywords and SEO?
It’s because they determine your google listings and ranking. The keywords are of immense importance. So, when you are figuring out how to start a blog emphasize on learning the importance of keyword for your content too. Make sure to include the keywords in your URLs without fail. Also, while creating a blog post on WordPress, set up google search analytics and google search console properly. These two tools will determine and control the traffic that comes to your blog.
Inclusion of keywords
Learning keywords is an essential step in how to start a blog. Keywords should be included in the blog’s permanent URL. Plus, it should also be included in the title of your blog and placed in your blog after every 100 to 150 words. Use your wisdom to get it right. Don’t overpopulate it and don’t use it too sparsely. You don’t want the reader to get annoyed reading the keyword at unnecessary places.
#7 Create a content strategy and link building
Now that you have gotten your keywords right, it’s time to work on your content strategy. Your content should be really straight and direct.
For example, if you are writing a blog on the famous dishes of India, make sure “not to” start with the history and stuff. People love when you directly hit the point. So, start off with the best dish and then put some detailing points accordingly.
Special Tips:
- Give a proper outline of your content. There should be a beginning, middle, and conclusion. Adding surprises will be a great thing to engross the readers.
- Make sure to use high-quality pictures in the blog. This is very important as low-quality pictures will make the blog lose all its richness even if the writing is up to the mark.
- Make sure the content is 100% unique (use Copyscape Premium to check for plagiarism). Also, align and cut the content in as many short paragraphs as possible.
- Promote articles and build links. However, readers may immediately bounce back from your blog, if the link building is not relevant to your niche or if you promote your content on the wrong platform.
- You do not like to read a chunk of paragraphs.
If you see that will you read it?
No, right?
So, keep this in mind for your readers too. Keep enough white spaces, use pointers, and keep your precise language. Just let the readers read exactly what they clicked for.
- Keep the language as conversational and as direct as possible. Also, readers hate grammatical errors and get disappointed. So, use grammar and spell-check tools like Grammarly to get the lines all right.
So, we have basically covered all the major points that you need to know on how to start a blog. So, once you go through all the points you are all set to go.
Do not fear. Just believe your instincts and start writing.
Also, your blog should consist of a home page, about us page, privacy policy page, disclaimer page, sitemap, and a contact page. You can add more pages and design them with various plug-ins as you may like.
In brief, build a content strategy and try you to keep your blog posts as updated as you can. Be a regular blogger and you will create the impact that you want.
Let’s discuss more about WordPress subscription now
Making a blog on WordPress is as easy as we have described above. So, when learning about how to start a blog for free, you really need to understand WordPress in detail.
Now blogging on WordPress is as good as free. Is there an upgrade option? Yes, there is.
You can pay for premium themes and paid plug-ins to make your blog more charming and engaging. But first, let us go through what the free version of WordPress has to offer and what are its limitations.
When you click on appearance and then themes on the WordPress backend, it takes you to the available themes page. From there you can select from a wide range of themes. There is also a provision to download themes from other sites to WordPress.
However, some of the most popular theme pages are as follows:
- Themeforest
- StudioPress
- Elementor
- Elegant Themes
- CSS Ignitor
The free theme options are many and they provide almost everything that a blogger needs. For initial stages, it is the best platform. Nevertheless, you may upgrade and buy themes once you get into the routine of blogging.
When you select a theme, the thing that is of most importance is to select a theme that loads faster and has the required provisions to load photos and videos. It should have a faster run time and load time.
Now, that you have selected the theme it is time to learn the features of plug-ins and how it plays a vital role in answering how to start a blog.
Plug-ins are an add on feature that WordPress provides. WordPress allows you to use numerous plugins features on the site and a huge range of plug-ins are free. Once you start using plug-ins your work becomes a lot easier and faster.
So, here is the list of the best plug-ins that is available for use:
- Asset Clean-Up:
This is the most used plug-in on WordPress. It is essential to clean up the ‘non-important’ part of the coding languages for your site to run faster. This plug-in allows you to remove what you find is not essential on your blog page. With this, you can easily edit the coding pieces as you require.
- Classic Editor
As this name suggests, it lets you edit your blog in various forms. Like it allows to extend the screen, and use meta boxes. Editing also has an option of the Gutenburg Editor plug-in. You can choose from the two whichever you like.
We personally like the classic editor, it’s ‘classier’ and easier to use.
- Table of Contents
This plug-in allows you to present a table of contents wherever you want. Creating a table from scratch can be a tedious task. So, this plug-in is highly recommended to display your content in a tabular form.
Displaying contents in a tabular form is more appealing to the user. They look neat, clean, and are easily understandable. But make sure not to put lengthy tables in the content. They may end up looking too exhausting.
- Extended Widget Options
These widgets are the footers, headers, and sidebars added to make your page more attractive. These may look optional, but they tend to make the blog look really attractive. Plus, they also enhance the functionalities of your web page by providing functions such as the scrolling feature, sticky notes, and many more.
So, if you are looking for a tool while pondering on how to start a blog that can make your blog more reader-friendly, my friend this is the best plug-in for you.
- Shortcodes Ultimate
Like its name, this is the ultimate plug-in. From customizing your text to adding colors to it, this plug-in does everything. You don’t have to enter codes for making letters bold, italic, underlined. The text editor is converted into a rich text editor and you can customize all you want. It is really that simple.
- ShortPixel Image Optimizer
This is another important tool if you are going to use images in your blog. This plug-in will compress your images so that they do not take a longer time to load. This tool makes sure to keep the quality as high as possible while reducing the properties of the image.
- Thirsty Affiliates
This is one magical tool necessary to put in use while you start a blog. It converts the random texts and numbers of the links to proper meaningful names. For example:
If a link says: www.youtube.com/gjdfgbdljndr4
Conversion will be: www.youtube.com/blog/gym_players
Now you decide which one looks good?
Of course, the second one. This plug-in also provides the required security so that it cannot be hacked. Also, it makes the link more clickable now as it is relatable, thus leading to higher conversion rates.
- Yoast SEO
This is the most famous free SEO plug-in. It comes with abundant free features and important parameters to make your blog SEO optimized.
Once you have covered the plug-in part. Now take a little time to understand ‘permalink’. This is another important part of how to start a blog and top your ranking.
Permalinks are links that will take the audience to a particular web page. Generally, WordPress creates them on its own, but you can change them according to the name of your subject.
WordPress- free and paid versions
No doubt, WordPress provides many features for free for blogging. But they surely come with limitations. Once you start using plug-ins and come to know their worth, you will be astonished to see as to how your work becomes significantly easy. But some plug-ins come with a price. Like literally. They cost you money to be put in use.
But just imagine if the free ones are so useful, what wonders the paid ones will do.
WordPress is the best starter pack for how to start blogs for free. But it has its own limitations in the free version. Like described earlier wordpress.com is a free site and wordpress.org is a paid blogging platform.
So, now let us discuss the differences between the paid and free versions in detail.
#1 Cost
.org lets you test the site entirely. You have to pay for the domain and hosting.
.com makes you choose a WordPress domain name for free. You have to pay for a custom name.
#2 Customization
.org has more than 7500 themes and then comes the premium themes which are again thousand in numbers.
.com has 150 free themes and then some 200 paid themes.
#3 Plugins
.org offers access to enormous 50,000 plugins and also third-party packages that can be downloaded.
.com does not allow you free plug-ins. You have to buy $25 to $45 per month for plug-ins. Now that is a really big con if you want to do regular blogging.
So, compare all the pros and cons, and then decide which is the best platform for you. And just don’t go for the free attractions, a little investment will really make a difference in your blogging.
Make Money Through Blogging
Now after getting through the entire blogging process, we are sure to have cleared all your doubts. Now you must have made your decision on how and why you want to blog?
If you want to know how to start a blog and make money, then there is a slightly different path that you must follow than the normal blogging path.
First of all, you will have to create your blogging account on wordpress.org. It is the one thing that will attract the type of audience and traffic you want. Then you need to write excellent and engaging content. You cannot seem like a beginner in your blogging.
Your niche should also be the one that the market is interested in, and not just chosen out of your hobby or a way to pass time. The content should be as rich as it can be.
Plus, you need to get approval from Google AdSense or similar ad network to get your blog monetized. You also need to promote affiliate marketing to a full extent. This marketing will help you in earning commissions through the products you sell through your blogs. In short, you have to promote your products related to your blogs as much as you can.
Making money through blogging is tough, but not impossible. With the right consistency, SEO knowledge, and hard work, it is achievable.
We will surely come up with a blog that intricately focuses on how to start a blog and make money.
To conclude,
When writing a blog, survey the market of the niche you have selected. While you have gone through our tips on how to start a blog, you are already halfway there if you have got all your points cleared.
Now it’s just a matter of starting your blog, as a hobby or to make money. Learn about SEO, ad networks, and affiliate marketing even if you are not looking to make money as of now. They make the blog super productive.
More than half of the bloggers are failing these days. Today, as there is so much competition out there, and that the bloggers have come up with thousands of blogs on the same topic, it is indeed difficult to succeed. But it does not mean that there is no success at all.
Our recommended steps are the ultimate guide to people looking for how to start a blog.
If we are to combine it all, then you need to choose the right niche, launch the site with WordPress, get Bluehost hosting and domain, work on building organic traffic, do affiliate marketing, and maintain consistency.
The good news is that today, you can do all of this while you are working full time. Blogging can be a side business for you too. You can do it full time once you get used to its working or more importantly once you know how it works!
Remember that if you are working, your blog should focus on your professional leverage. It should showcase your talents and be an insider. The blogs that have been a mirror of the profession have been really successful. People love to learn from the success and failures of others.
So, don’t forget to add a touch of personal experience also to the content you write. This will make the people connect to your blog and make it more personal. Sharing insight into your personal life, related to the niche has been a hit among audiences. This is one thing that you will notice the best blogs have in common i.e. personalization.
So, this is all that is needed for you to learn how to start a blog. You will keep on learning further as you start blogging. There may be some downtime as you are learning, but in no time, you will be a pro and get going!
See you soon in our next blog!