How To Start A Blog for Beginners (2022)
A Step-by-Step Guide To Getting Your First Blog Up and Running FAST!
What if I said you could have your blog online and ready to make money in 21-minutes or less?
Well, you absolutely can.
Learning how to start a blog to share your thoughts or build influence is easy as the 7 steps below!
This page has one goal and that’s to get your blog started TODAY!
This free guide will give you an easy step-by-step guide on how to create a blog FAST. (with pictures)
Over 1,400 blogs have been created using this guide!
It helped me go from zero to $116,371.97 in the first year.
All while having FUN.
Now it’s YOUR turn!
Here’s How To Start A Blog In 7 Easy Steps
Get ready to build something amazing! Something you can be proud of for years to come. A blog that can grow from NOTHING to a six-figure business. All powered by WordPress and YOUR creativity and knowledge.
- Choose your blogging platform.
- Select A blogging plan.
- Register your domain name hosting.
- Create an account.
- Choose a hosting package.
- Design your blog.
- Write you first blog post.
Why Build A WordPress Website?
A blog is crucial for building a profitable & passive income business online. It’s an easy way to build wealth, influence & power.
Since 2010, I have been making money online by creating powerful content that generates a multiple six-figure income from advertising, affiliate revenue, online courses, ebooks, and audio courses. I even sell my own products online.
I have helped thousands of people go from NO BLOG to something many have turned into full-time income!
Here is my promise:
I will walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up your self-hosted WordPress blog the right way.
- No frustrations
- No headaches
None of the crazy stuff I had with my first blogging experience.
Creating a blog is SUPER easy now. Trust me, if I could do it (Anyone Can)
SO, LET’S START YOUR BLOG!
UPDATE: Bluehost has given me a special discount for my readers! You can now set up your blog for as low as $3.95/month, and it also comes with a FREE domain name!
Step 1: Choose the Best Blog Platform & Hosting Provider
Hosting provides server space for your WordPress blog to store all files. Along with internet connectivity, people can find your live website through search engines or social media.
It’s vital.
So first, go to Bluehost, if you haven’t already. Make sure you leave the page pulled up in a separate tab before beginning this tutorial.
The servers provided by Bluehost fantastic. They are trusted by myself and over 2 million other bloggers. They have an industry leading customer service team that operates 24/7 via phone, email or live web chat.
Click On The GREEN “Get Started” Button.
My #1 Recommended Hosting Provider
There are many content management systems to choose from. However, WordPress is #1.
There are over 75 million websites that use WordPress as their choice for content and Bluehost is an industry leader for the Hosting.
Let’s take a look at why:
- FREE tools for everyone to use: (this includes design layouts, themes, and plugins)
- Set up is SIMPLE: I will show you exact steps in a few…
- Safety & Security: The WordPress software is continuously updated.
- Developers of FREE tools update often as well: No worrying about hackers or things breaking because they are outdated.
- Extremely customizable: You can design your blog website to look and function as you wish. You can start from scratch or create something unique.
Platforms like WIX, Squarespace or Shopify are pretty good. But fall short to the power of WordPress.
If you want to create a profitable blog with the freedom and customization use WordPress. It’s the option thousands of PRO bloggers use to build their blogging business.
You won’t feel or look like an amateur after this tutorial.
Step 2: Select A Blogging Plan
Next, get a Bluehost blog plan for your site. I went with the “Plus” option which is also the most popular. You have 3 great options to choose from.
They ALL come with one free domain name.
Click on one of the green “select’ buttons to continue.
This is where your blog lives. It’s your blog’s home on a server that can be accessed all over the internet. Hosting is necessary to run your website. A domain name won’t work without it. Your web host will store all your unique content you produce (images, video, blog post, and pages).
The average cost of web hosting can range from $10-$15 a month. However, you will get 49% OFF with this discount link.
This is the most important investment you will make when starting a blog.
My recommendation is the “Plus” plan. It gives you everything you need to start your blogging journey. As your blog and business grows you can always upgrade for advanced features.
You get your hosting starting at $3.95/monthly.
Step 3: How To Register A Domain Name For Your Blog
The most important thing you need when setting up a self-hosted blog is your own domain name.
Regardless of the blogging niche you choose you will be known online by your domain name. The URL address is unique to your blog.
Select your domain on the left side. Your domain is the address of your website. It’s what people will type in address bars on computer devices to find your blog.
My domain name is PowerofPublish.com
What If I Have A Domain Name Already?
Great question.
If you already have a registered domain name from a company like GoDaddy, simply enter it on the right side.
Owning a domain name already doesn’t mess anything up. The same simple steps still apply. You can breathe now ????
Here are some domain name selection tips:
– When possible, always get a (.com) extension.
– Avoid weird spellings.
– Do not use numbers or hyphens
– Make it memorable.
– Don’t be afraid to use YOUR name.
Domain Name – When people want to visit your personal blog address this is what they will type in the URL box. It’s the address where people can find your powerful content. For example, Facebook’s domain name is www.Facebook.com. The blog name you create today will be www.YourBlogNameHere.com. The difference is you will replace YourBlogNameHere with something cool and unique.
So, how much does a domain name cost? Domain names usually cost about $10 a year. Typically purchased with a hosting plan, but can be bought without. The name belongs to the buyer as long as they pay the annual fee if not registered with a hosting company like Bluehost.
Selecting a good domain name is usually the BIGGEST mistake beginner bloggers make.
3 Rules When Choosing A Domain:
- Must Be Memorable
Make blog names short as possible, and easy to spell. Try to use the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of closely or connected words.
- Descriptive or Unique
Try to make sure someone knows what your blog is about by simply hearing the name. Let it reflect who you are or what your business is all about. Select a name that describes.
- Trustworthy and Popularity
The most popular domain/URL extensions is (.com). The “dot com” TLD is the rule of thumb and people trust it online. If you can’t get your name with the (.com), here are alternatives. I recommend using the (.Net, .Org or .Co).
Here are some (.com) domains that use the 3 rules I mentioned above.
- Power of Publish
- Best Buy
- Paypal
- Dunkin’ Donuts
See how the names above are descriptive and provide a rhythmic sound. They are very hard to forget once you say them.
Now, lets’ enter the domain name you want in the box. If the name is available you will see a green check and the words “Added – Primary”.
If the name is NOT available you will see a BLACK bar try again message. You will need to select something else until you see that green next button.
NOTE: You only have to buy your primary domain name. You DO NOT have to add the other available names.
Step 4: Create An Account
After locking down your name and selecting the Plus Plan you can move on. Complete your contact and billing information carefully.
Bluehost provides everyone the option to customize their packages as needed.
DON’T SKIP THIS PART: In this step you have an opportunity to save more money.
Step 5: Choose A Hosting Package
Select a plan based on how far in the future you want to pay for hosting.
Bluehost is one of the few platforms that offers billing of 1,2,3 or 5 years in advance for your server.
The pricing is amazing! It comes out to an extremely reasonable monthly amount to get your blog up and running.
What you pay today is ALL you will pay for your selected term. You don’t have to pay again for 12,24,36 or 60 months. This allows you to focus on building your blogging business.
Remember, there is also a 30-day money back guarantee.
You can uncheck all boxes to the upgrade options. I do this for all except Domain Whois Privacy. (That option keeps your address and phone number PRIVATE).
(NOTE: If you are transferring a domain name vs registering a new one in STEP 3 above, the Domain Privacy option will not show.)
You don’t need all of these services to start off. Yet, you have the option to add what you care for.
The power of WordPress is that all of these things can be added via plugins later on. It’s not 100% necessary for you to spend the extra cash right now. You will still be ready to blog for money without them.
Enter Billing Information
After filling in your billing information, just click the “green” submit button.
Make sure you confirm the hosting agreement by checking the box for terms of service.
Skipping the Upgrades and Additional Offers
Bluehost will ask you about service upgrades and special offers after submitting billing information. I skip them as many can be added at a later time if needed.
Set A Password & Launch Your Blog
Okay, almost done!
Once your purchase is completed Bluehost will ask you to set a password. Simply click the “Create your password” button.
This will be the password to your Bluehost account. It’s not blog password for logging in. However, your WordPress website can always be logged into through your Bluehost account.
After setting your password, click the “log in” button.
Step 6: Design Your Blog
You’ve learned how to start a website. Now it’s time to customize it for the unique entrepreneur ideas you have.
It’s easy and FUN!
Reminder: Logging into your blog is as simple as going to http://yourblog.com/wp-admin/. Just enter in your Username and Password given to you by Bluehost.
Choose A Blog Theme & Layout
When it comes to designing the look of a blogging platform all you need is a great theme. WordPress uses themes for customizing looks of any blog with ZERO technical skills.
Bloggers can have a professionally designed site within minutes. With over 3,000 customizable free themes WordPress offers a vast amount of blog examples for design. For those that want to use “Premium” designed themes, simply visit Themeforest.net
You are now ready to start building your WordPress blog. Click the “Blue” button and you will be taken to your dashboard.
There will be a notice from Bluehost above that states the following…
“We are provisioning your WordPress installation on a temporary domain. We’ll update your site as soon as it is ready.”
WordPress default themes are ready for you to choose right after you successfully login. If you will be using a custom blogging theme you can skip these selections.
Step 7: How To Write Your First Blog Post
Blog post are how you will get your message across to your readers. This is how you will organizecontent once you decide what to blog about. You can publish all of your side business ideas.
Learning how to write a blog post is the first step to mastering the “Power of Publish“.
How To Use WordPress To Blog
Add a New Post
Navigate to the “Posts” section in the WordPress menu to add a new post. Hover over the word and click “Add New“.
You will now see a clickable space with the grey words “Add Title“. After that, fill in the title of your first post here. This is also called a “Headline“.
Below this is clickable space that reads “start writing or type / to choose a block“. Here is where your interesting content will go.
There is a plus sign with a circle around it which is how you bring up options for other content modules.
The most used content blocks are…
- Paragraphs
- Images
- Headings
- Galleries
- Quotes
- Lists
- Audio
- Cover & Files
Writing a blog post using the WordPress Gutenberg block builders will allow you to create something amazing.
For instance, you can format your video, images, text or audio to your liking.
Readers love well written posts that are easy to skim through if needed. Sectioning your articles will allow them to do this easily.
All post can be published immediately, time-stamped for future dates or placed in a draft.
There is even an option to published the post privately for family, friends or colleagues.
Most Common Blogging Questions
Here is some information you probably have been asking yourself so let’s go over some frequently asked questions. This is the foundation of helping you understand why thousands of people start a blog every year.
Why Bluehost WordPress Hosting?
The most important things when it comes to hosting are…
- Customer Support – If you need to contact someone about your blog you will want to reach someone FAST. Anytime!
- Uptime – If you are making money from your blog you don’t EVER want it to GO OFFLINE!
- Speed – When people type in your web address you don’t want your site to be slow as a snail. They will just hit the back button of your blog doesn’t pull up.
- Security – You don’t want to waste time worrying about hackers. You can’t waste days trying to fix a hacked website that also looks unsecured.
There are THOUSANDS of web hosting providers.
No Typo… thousands!
Every service provider offers basic service of (domain names & hosting) with comparable pricing.
But heck, you don’t have time to sift through the BAD ones, right?
That’s where I come in. I have been building blog sites that make money since 2005. Lucky for you I’ve already done the work.
Certainly, I know exactly who you should use for your first blog.
You will get a HUGE discount, reliable speed, and stellar customer service from day 1.
My main goal is to help you get money from blogging with few mistakes and frustrating days. I made a ton of mistakes when I started years ago and it wasn’t fun. Blogging is a wonderful business model and can change your life.
While having FUN!
So, what is the best web host for beginner bloggers?
I TRUST and recommend Bluehost for domain names and web hosting.
My #1 Recommended Hosting Provider
- Industry-leading blog load speed and uptime
- Free 24/7/365 email, chat, and phone support
- Free SSL Certificate (normally $78.99/year)
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- The #1 blog host for beginners
Get started for only $3.95/month
49% off exclusive, limited-time with this DISCOUNT.
Here is the best part!
I have been affiliated with Bluehost for many years so they gave me a special discount to give to my readers.
This means you get your hosting for cheap. Normal hosting is $10-$15 per month to get a premium plan, but today you can get a blog starting at $3.95/month.
That is 49% OFF your hosting plan TODAY.
How To Change Permalink In WordPress
For a more search engine friendly URL we need to change the permalink structure in WordPress.
So, what is a permalink? A permalink is the full URL seen for a post, page or any piece of content on your blog. The link is a permanent address linking to the published content.
Google and other search engines prefer clean URL’s when indexing. For example, look at the comparison of a clean versus an ugly URL.
1. http://powerofpublish/2019/01/category/blog
2. https://powerofpublish.com/blog
These two links are dramatically different. The second link is short, clean, and neat.
Here is how to change a permalink in WordPress.
Click “Settings” in the WordPress sidebar. Then navigate to “Permalinks” and use the recommended setting under “Post Name“.
Conclusion: Grow Your Blog Weekly
Now that you have answered the question of how to start a blog it’s time to grow your audience. This is where all your business ideas come together through awesome content creation.
Most importantly, here is where my 3P’s of online success come into play.
Produce. Publish. Profit.
The most successful blog sites understand how to produce great and consistent content. They publish helpful information which builds a loyal audience around that content.
The process takes time, but is definitely worth it. As a result, this allows them to profit from the audience by recommending products and services.
You are now in the position to make money as a blogger.
Congratulations, again!