How to Build a Blog Website
WHAT IS A BLOG?
A blog can be anything from a personal diary, a site displaying goods for sale or simply a landing page for your community event. A blog can also be a news site, magazine or even be used for a trendy fashion blog.
Blogger’s are people who maintain the blog, and it’s common for a blog to be owned by a single person. However, blogging is limited only by your imagination and fortunately, it’s really easy to get started.
Start a BlogLEARN MORE on defining a blog.
WHO SHOULD START A BLOG?
Blogs are perfect for people who want to move into the online space. That’s right, if you are looking to have a presence online then I suggest you start with a blog. Why?
- You’ll become a better writer
- You’ll become a better thinker
- You’ll meet new people
- You’ll make some extra money
- You’ll inspire others
- You’ll become more confident
HOW TO BUILD A BLOG
It’s really quite easy to start your own blog and no you don’t need to be a computer geek, although it does help if you can follow basic instructions because there are plenty of informational websites on the Internet describing what you need when starting a new blog.
But relax, I’m going to break it down for you step-by-step.
What You’ll Need
1. Choose a blog name
2. Find somewhere to host your blog
3. Install your blogging software
4. Write your first blog entry
You see it’s that simple, and I’m not going to confuse you with all the options because there are way too many. If you are ready to start your blog then here’s the Step-By-Step guide on How to Start a Blog using my favourite hosting company.
What You’ll Get
1. A new blog
2. Confidence that you can blog
3. A big thank-you for stopping by
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Choosing a blog name seems easy enough doesn’t it? Well, this is actually the step most people hurry through and end up making a poor decision which they later regret. But, I know you’re going to take you time on this, aren’t you?
Your Blog Name is your blog’s brand, a name that’s easily recognisable, easy to type and not hard to spell. Yes, you have a shopping list already:-
- Easily Recognisable – Consider the following Brands; Apple – a piece of fruit, Google – a really large number, Facebook – a book of faces. These all mean something to someone and so should your Blog Name
- Easy To Type – Really long Blog Names are hard to type, don’t you think? And the harder you make it for someone the quicker they’ll move on. Don’t make your Blog Name like thebestfacecaretreatments.com because it’s just too long. About 10 characters is good practice.
- Easy to Spell – If the degree of difficulty is too high people will never get to your blog. A Blog called PococuranteSoul.com is creative and yet contains one of the toughest words to spell. Don’t go there.
So write down a few blog names so you have options and if you need help discovering what hasn’t already been taken as a Domain Name then have a look at this blog post I wrote a little while back- How to Fuel Your Inner Creativity With a Blog Name Generator it should help you get over your thinkers block.
If you do this step right, no only will you be elated with the name you’ve found, but you’ll also live without regrets when you become really successful as a blogger.
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Now Blog Hosting, as it’s called on the Internet, is a space to hold your blog so it’s available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to all those lovely people around the world wanting to read what you write. This means you don’t need to have your computer on all the time and it’s safer for you having it located on the Internet.
NB: Most Blog Hosting companies provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee which means your blog is almost always available.
You have two options for Blog Hosting; Cheap Blog Hosting and then there are places to host a free blog.
But, don’t be fooled, if you want to be a serious blogger then finding Cheap Blog Hosting is the smartest way to start. And when I say Cheap Blog Hosting I’m only talking about less money than a large coffee per month. Yes, it’s quite reasonable to be Self-Hosted with one of these companies.
Advantages of Cheap Blog Hosting
- You Own Your Blog
- You can Earn Money Blogging
- E-Commerce Capable
- Save on Domain Name Costs
- Unlimited Template Choices
- Unlimited Space
- One-Click Installs
- 24/7 Support
Disadvantages of Cheap Blog Hosting
- Low Entry Cost
Advantages of Free Blog Hosting
- Free
Disadvantages of Free Blog Hosting
- You Don’t Own Your Blog
- You Can’t Earn Money on Your Blog
- Access to Limited Blog Templates
- Limited Control Over Your Blog
- Limited Blog Space
- No E-commerce Options
- Unwanted Advertising
Now you know a little more about your hosting options you’ll need to decide which way you want to start your Blogging Journey. The right way or the long way.
Over 1 million websites have chosen to go down the self-hosted blogging route so obviously there must be something those people know already. I too recommend the self-hosting route and to use a Cheap Domain Hosting company like BlueHost because for the small cost, it’s a much more flexible solution for you and your blog.
If you choose this path I’ve already done the hard work for you and have provided a step-by-step guide in this Blog Post – How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost
If you are still drawn towards the idea of having a Free Blog Hosting account then that’s OK too, but the rest of this Blog Post is probably irrelevant to you so this is where we part ways but I’m not going to leave you hanging. I’ve done a little research on some Free Website Hosting Companies and have reviewed them here.
Alternatively, if you already know what you’re doing you can go straight to Wordpress to start a Free Blog and Good Luck!
For the rest of you let’s continue shall we…
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Again you have a few choices here but I’m going to make it easy for you and insist you use WordPress Software for your Blog because it’s the best product, easiest to use and has millions of users worldwide. The next best software would be Blogger but as this is owned by Google I’d steer clear because Google has a habit of discontinuing underperforming software. You have been warned.
You’ll find WordPress Blogging Software great because:-
- It has the Largest Blogging Community
- Over 30,000 Plugins available
- Thousands of free Themes or Blog Templates
- Regular software updates
- And the Software is Free Open-Source
You can download the free software from Wordpress.org but if you decided on the cheap hosting solution I’ve already mentioned, it’s just a one-click installation. Yes, one click and it’s completely done for you. Where was this feature 5 years ago?
Now you realised why I earlier suggested you can do this, I knew how easy this was because I’ve done this many times. If you’ve made it this far then pat yourself on the back because we are nearly there.
Oh, and this company I’ve referred you to currently has an Anytime Money-Back Guarantee which means if you make a total mess of the installation you can just hand it back to them and get your money back. A sweet deal isn’t it?
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A blog entry is called a ‘blog post’, so you’ll see this term mentioned a lot. If everything has gone according to plan and if you’ve been good at following instructions you should have:-
- Chosen your Domain Name
- Setup a Blog Hosting Account
- Installed the WordPress Blogging Software
Now you just need to write your first blog post.
Yes, the best way to start blogging is to jump straight in and start blogging. Perhaps start with an ‘About’ page because that’s a topic you should know a lot about. Plus, by just starting to write something or anything, will get your creative juices flowing. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to write after you get started.
Trust me, I’m a writer too, and I know how hard it is to write, but since I’ve been writing each day things have just gotten a little easier for me. I try to write once a day and at least 1000 words but this is my full-time gig so I’ve got the time.
Importantly, you should just focus on writing something soon so you don’t lose the motivation. And don’t forget it’s your blog and you can totally delete anything at any time you like so don’t be afraid to hit publish.
Have Fun Blogging!
Looking for a Free Blogging Course?
Ok, you know how to build a blog website, so it’s time for you to take action!
Yes, there is no better time to start blogging that right now!
Are you ready to get started?
Click on the image below to learn more about my FREE 7-Day Blog Jumpstart Course.
Yes, you’ll be blogging by the end of it. Great isn’t it!
Finally, if you are totally stuck for ideas on what to write, follow me on twitter @diyblogguy as I post a new blog post idea every day. If you can’t wait, then you’ll find the complete list here – 81 Blog Post Ideas to Get You Moving Again
THE FINISH LINE
Congratulations!
You are now ahead of the rest who never made it this far and well, to be honest, will probably never start their own blog. On the other hand, you seem motivated enough to succeed at blogging, and sure it’ll take some time to get the traction you’re probably expecting, but persist and you’ll be rewarded.
And yes this has been quite a long read, but hopefully you took your time, followed the instructions and just made your life a whole lot easier. It’s been quite a bit of work putting this guide together, so I’d appreciate a little feedback if you’ve found it useful.
Of course, you can always share with your friends, and rope them into blogging as well. As there’s nothing like having a few friends on board when you set out for new adventures. Shared experiences are the best.
I just wanted to say, I’m around if you get into trouble and I know Bluehost like the back of my hand, but I do have to sleep sometimes, so don’t forget to use their 24/7 support because apparently they don’t need as much sleep as me. 🙂
I do find their online chat works best, as they tend to sort out your problems immediately or you could try their Phone Support for a more personal touch. Either way I know you won’t be disappointed.
Oh, and before I forget
THANK-YOU for stopping by, YOU’RE AWESOME!