Blogging has taken the world by storm over the past decade or so. In fact, there’ll probably be 100 new blogs online by the time you finish reading this post. You’ve been watching from the sidelines for a while now, but today is the day that you finally take that step from being a reader to being a blogger.
This is the point where a lot of would-be bloggers just like you get tripped up because they start stressing out over how to start a blog. Don’t worry about it. Making a blog is actually very easy to do; millions of people have already done it, and soon you’re going to be one of them. The process of starting a blog is not really very complicated, and today you’re going to see how to do it for yourself in just five simple steps.
Select A Topic And Buy Your Domain Name
It’s important for your blog to have a consistent topic or niche because you want your readers to know what to expect when they come to check out your blog. Having a niche that gives some consistency will provide guidance for the direction of your blog content. If you talk about 20 different topics in 20 different blog posts, then you’re going to have a hard time keeping your followers around because nobody likes to get blog notifications about topics they have no interest in.
Once you know the main things that you want to blog about then you need to choose the domain name – web address or URL – of your blog. Some bloggers will use their first and last name if their name is not too common and hasn’t already been taken. But others will simply come up with a title for the blog that is related to their subject matter in some way.
Choose a .com domain name that is short, brandable and easy to spell. Avoid using hyphens or numbers in your URL. Again all of this is simply to make sure that people find your website easily and that they also don’t end up on someone else’s website by mistake.
Purchase Web Hosting And Connect Servers
Once you buy your domain, you still need a hosting service to store all your blog posts and make your website accessible on the Internet. You can usually buy web hosting from the same company that sold you the domain. Bluehost and HostGator are the most trusted hosting companies, and they both offer solid tech support if you need it, so you should probably get your hosting through one of them.
Then you need to connect your domain to the hosting company’s servers. They’ll have instructions for you to follow to do that when you sign up. If you need help, it’s not hard to find a free guide to starting your own blog out there in blogger land. You’ll also be able to get 24/7 live technical support from most domain and hosting companies to talk you through the entire process, step by step.
Install Blogging Software
Your website will need blogging software to function. WordPress is the standard blogging software used by the huge majority of bloggers. It’s free. It’s versatile, and it’s easy to learn. If you choose Bluehost or HostGator, they have 1-click WordPress installation that makes blog setup super-fast and easy.
Set Up Your Blog’s Design And Layout
WordPress offers hundreds of free layout templates – called “themes” – to choose from. These install with a mouse click and have tons of variations. Just go to your WordPress menu, click “Appearance” and then click “Themes” and start browsing. You’ll probably change themes from time to time before you find that one, perfect theme for your blog. Be sure to choose one that offers responsive design, as that allows readers on mobile devices to see your blog properly.
Start Writing Content
Once you’ve done all that, then you’re ready to start publishing content. You can create an “About” page for first-time visitors to get to know what you’re all about. You can also create a “Contact” page if you so desire, but readers can also communicate with you by leaving comments on your blog posts.
Most bloggers find that sticking to a consistent publishing schedule helps keep their audience engaged, whether that comes down to four blog posts per week or four per month. The important thing is to be consistent for your readers’ sake.
Making the decision to become a blogger is one that you will be glad you made. Blogging is an awesome way to express yourself, to make new friends and to make a positive impact on people’s lives.