The ultimate beginner’s guide to starting a blog- Find out how to start a blog in 5 easy steps with tips and tricks for blogging beginners.
I’ve debated for months whether I should start writing posts about blogging. I mean, it seems like just yesterday I knew nothing about blogging myself. But since I end up with blogging questions in my inbox every so often, maybe I know more about this madness than I give myself credit for.
Let me tell you from the get-go: Blogging has been the most rewarding, uplifting, inspiring, frustrating, terrifying, thrilling, all around emotional roller coaster that I absolutely would not trade for anything else to spend my time on. Aside from my daughter and my doggie-who-thinks-she’s-human, this blog is my baby.
If you’ve ever wanted a creative outlet, a place to spill your thoughts, or a way to connect with others who have your same interests, blogging is certainly the place to do it all. Whatever interests you, blog about it!
Cooking, faith, movies, literature, fitness, home decor, gardening, parenting, technology, the possibilities are limitless. Whatever phase of life you’re in, blogging is a great way to document it. I started this blog as a way to document our family’s first house, and before I knew it, complete strangers were reading it. Someone besides my mom was actually following our house progress! It still boggles my mind.
If you are passionate enough to put forth the time and effort, your hard work will pay you back. (The best part is if you are writing about your passion, it doesn’t really feel like work at all.)
You can make money blogging about what you love, though that shouldn’t be your reason for starting one. And even though it’s a subject I don’t typically talk about around here, yes, I get a little financial cushion from this blog. That cushion is about the size of one of those razor thin naptime mats we all struggled to sleep on in kindergarten, but still, it’s nice to have. And my income slowly grows the longer I stick with it.
I could probably write an entire book to share all of the blogging information I’ve learned in the past year and a half (and there’s certainly lots more for me to learn), but for now, I’m starting you off with the basics before diving into the heavy-duty stuff down the road.
In the hopes of giving you some guidance to start your journey, here is the ultimate beginner’s guide to start a blog in 5 steps.
(Affiliate links are included below, noted by asterisks. For more information, see my disclosure policy here.)
I kick myself for not thinking about this step in the beginning. I started out with my blog on Blogger.com with a Google hosted domain name (www.blesserhouse.blogspot.com) and really didn’t know that it mattered. That “blogspot” in there means the website is free, not self-hosted. I dove into blogging without any research.
Google technically owned all of my content, and at any point, if they chose, Google could shut down my entire site. Thankfully, that never happened, but it’s scary to think about. And it has happened to other bloggers.
With free hosting, you’re not as marketable, and companies tend to gravitate toward working with the more professional self-hosted blogs.
After a year on Blogger, I discovered it probably wasn’t the best choice, and it took a lot of time and money to make the switch to this new site of mine. There are plenty of professional bloggers who do very well on Blogger, but the majority recommend a self-hosted WordPress blog, myself included. WordPress has many more options and versatility that I didn’t get on my old blog’s platform.
If you’re wanting to go the self-hosted route, be sure you choose WordPress.org. The free option WordPress.com does not allow monetization using advertising, Etsy shop marketing, or sponsorship of any kind.
There are other blogging platforms out there, but WordPress.org is what I’m most familiar with and I’m definitely happy. You doing okay so far? It’s just decision-making here in the beginning.
I really recommend buying your domain name if you’re choosing the self-hosted route.
I bought my current domain name (Blesserhouse.com) for my WordPress.org site during my switch over and redesign 3 months ago. I’m sure if I’d bought my domain name right from Day 1 when I started blogging at the end of 2013 that I would have had a hard time justifying buying a service platform and hosting. But everything would have been much easier in the long run if I had.
Thankfully, I stuck with the name Bless’er House after the switch from Blogger so my branding mostly stayed intact.
Tip: Choose a name that has personality, hints at what your blog is about, isn’t too long, and isn’t trademarked or used by any other brands.
Mine was supposed to be a little nod at the Southern phrase “Bless her heart” (hence the heart in my logo), incorporated “house” to emphasize my focus on DIY/home decor, and had a nice ring to it in my mind. I sometimes wonder if the “‘er “part was a mistake, but that’s part of the dialect around here, so I just went with it. I searched my tentative blog name all over Google and social media, and lucky for me, nothing popped up. It was all mine! You can double check it on Bust A Name too.
So first, register that fancy new blog name of yours. Bluehost* is excellent for new bloggers. Their customer service has been excellent for me and their hosting service has been very user-friendly. Their monthly servicing fee is priced very reasonably too and, for me, worth every penny. There are plenty of other hosting sites out there, but Bluehost is what I prefer.
Bluehost allows you to register one domain name for free with hosting, so that was already a nice little money-saver for me.
Here’s how to set up your Bluehost account:
- On the Bluehost site* click the green “Get Started Now” button.
- Since you’re starting out with your new domain name, enter the blog name you decided on in the “new domain” box and click “next”.
- Enter all of your account information.
- Then select your “account information” and choose any additional services you might want. I, personally, did not utilize those “extras” because I chose to backup my site using a WordPress plugin later on, but you can always go back and add any additional services in your Bluehost account later if you want. The 36 month is the cheapest rate, and you should be aware that Bluehost will charge you for its entirety upfront. But at any point, if you decide to leave Bluehost, they have a money-back guarantee. There are pre-pay plans available in 12 month increments too if 36 months is too much to handle in one lump sum.
- Type in your “billing information”, agree to the terms and conditions, and click “next”.
- Ta da! You officially have a blog domain and hosting service! Just create your password and you’re all set. Use capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters to make it difficult for hackers.
- You should now see your Bluehost dashboard. At this point, I bookmarked this page in my browser because I access this page frequently. (Make sure the “hosting login” and not the “webmail login” is in blue.)
- One of the greatest things about Bluehost is you can set up your email to match your domain. Since I’d already been blogging for a year before making the switch to Bluehost, I kept mine through gmail, but I think it looks very professional to have [email protected] for example. When you see this screen (below), you can just click the box that says “Close this welcome message and don’t show it again”.
We haven’t gone anywhere. You’re still on the Bluehost dashboard for this step so hang with me.
Now that you have your domain and hosting, you need to install WordPress to get started on the fun part! Blogging! You’ll need to set up a new WordPress.org blog, so in order to do that, scroll down to find the blue icon on your dashboard that says “Install WordPress”. (Easy enough, right?)
If you already have a blog on another platform like Blogger or WordPress.com (the free one), you can transport your own data, if you’re technologically savvy, to your new Wordpress.org site. I personally chose to hire someone to take care of that for me because I was terrified I would lose everything I’d written on Blogger.
- After clicking the “Install WordPress” icon, click on the green “install” button.
- When everything has downloaded, enter your domain name.
- Choose a login username and password as well as your current e-mail address. It doesn’t have to be the domain e-mail address you created earlier if you’d rather have one you’re more likely to check frequently.
- Then your blog is install-ready! Check your email after everything is set up for a message from Mojo Marketplace and be sure to save it since it has all of your site’s important login information.
This is the most fun part of course! Your blog design will be playing a major part in your site’s branding and identity, so make sure you really like it. Make it an expression of your own personal style, implement your favorite colors, give it a persona that communicates to your audience what you’re all about.
In the beginning, on Blogger, I started from scratch, and I lost count of how many hours I spent on Google and YouTube to teach myself coding tricks through lots of trial and error. I was never 100% happy with it, and it’s no wonder. I knew nothing about web design! I had no clue how many great themes and templates existed for a reasonable price that would have saved me so many wasted hours and headaches.
When I made the switch to WordPress, I hired a pro, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made for my blog. Since I’d been in this blogging rodeo for over a year at that point, it was worth the investment to have a custom design made, but if you’re starting out, there are plenty of beautiful designs on Etsy for $50 or less.
These are some of my favorite shops for pretty blog designs:
There are plenty of others out there as well.
I would definitely choose a pre-made theme that is built on the Genesis Framework because it can grow with you and is always updated. Take plenty of time to browse around until you find a design that says, “This is so me!” When you find the one that speaks to you, make it happen! Many designers provide step-by-step instructions and personal guidance for how to install their themes. Just fill in your blog’s information and you’re in business.
Yep, this really is a step. And, honestly, a really important one. Start blogging because you are truly passionate about whatever it is you’ve chosen your niche to be. When I go to bed every night, I have DIY project ideas swirling through my head. When I wake up every morning, I’m eager to make something. Find your drive.
I blogged for months before I ever felt like I had an audience, and I’m sure you’ll feel like no one out there is listening at first. Don’t get discouraged! And really, it’s in the beginning when you have an almost non-existent audience that you can try out lots of things to discover yourself. Content is everything in blogging to captivate readers. If you love what you do, make it shine through.
Find your voice in your writing. Throw in humor, be humble, make mistakes, and just write like you’re having a conversation with a friend over coffee.
Constantly practice your photography. I can tell you that once I started making big strides in my photography, my blog grew by leaps and bounds. You can see my post about How to Revolutionize Your DIY Blog’s Photography here that I wrote recently.
I HIGHLY suggest reading Abby Lawson’s ebook Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook*. It is jam packed with so much information that I wish I’d known when I started blogging for strategies to build a following, work with brands, and pull an income in one year. I still learned a lot from reading it even a year after my blog was already established.
Learn from plenty of experienced bloggers and be open to suggestions and change. Ask around for advice! I always love helping other bloggers and making new friends. (Shoot me an e-mail, seriously!)
There are so many incredible people I’ve “met” in this crazy fast-paced blogging community, and this journey is so much more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined.
You have a beautiful story to tell. It’s up to you to share it.
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Thank you for this…I have been blogging for over a year thru wordpress.com and love it, but it is time to make the next step and this is very helpful!
So glad it could help, Amy! It took a while for me to come to terms with making the switch, but I’m so glad I did. I actually wish I’d done it sooner.
Greetings,
I just began blogging and have WordPress.com and I’m becoming frustrated as it seems many of the features aren’t working well. How do I cross over to WordPress.org…as that seems more of what I am need of. Any input you may have to offer would be appreciated.
Hi Rachel! It is definitely frustrating. I was on Blogger before and I hated not having some of the features that WordPress.org had. I hired a professional to design a custom site and transfer my blog from Blogger to WordPress.org. It was a couple hundred dollars, but it was the best investment I ever made for my blog, and it was great knowing I was in good hands with someone who knew what they were doing.
Would you have someone to recommend to help make the switch?
I just started on wordpress.com. I didn’t know until your post that there was a .org. Do you recommend doing the free one for the time being or switching?
Hi Emma! Shoot me an email and we can chat about it. 🙂 [email protected]
Thanks for the clear, informative post. I’m thinking again about starting a blog.
Glad it could help, Frances! You totally should!
Thanks so much for posting this! I’m still using Blogger, but hope to transfer soon. Hopefully sometime in June!? I’m so, so, soooo scared. I’m terrified to spend money when I’ve only made a few bucks. You’re so encouraging. Ummm…can we just talk on the phone?! LOL! I kid, I kid…but not really….no, no just kidding! LOL!!! Anywho, thanks so so so much! 🙂 Take care! -Marie 🙂
I was terrified too, Marie. And I started running into so many glitches and road blocks toward the end on Blogger that I finally just said, “How bad can it be to switch?” It was one of the best decisions ever. Truly. I was scared to spend the money too, but within a month, what I’d spent on the switch and design had already paid for itself. And that definitely wouldn’t have happened on my old blog. I’m totally down to chat. 🙂 Send me a message if you ever need help and I’ll be happy to do what I can.
Great tips!! I agree with all of them. My daughter is wanting to start a blog so I am debating on where to sign her up. That will probably be something we will work on this summer.
That’s wonderful, Sheena! I remember journaling in the summer as a way to keep up my writing while school was out. If the world had blogging back then, I would have been all over it. Hope this post comes in handy. 🙂
This post was so helpful!! Starting a blog can be very overwhelming. You broke it down so well. I started my blog a month ago today and you were one of my biggest inspirations to do so. My fiance and I moved into our first house 2 months ago. On top of working full-time, planning a wedding and training our new puppy, I’m having a hard time uploading content regularly, but we are slowly chipping away at fixing up our house very night after work and I can’t wait to keep contributing to my blog. It’s such as tress reliever for me. I can’t wait to continue on this journey – it truly is a passion!
Yay! I’m so glad it helped, Kendra! And you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear that I was a little source of inspiration for you to start one. That’s so awesome! It’s definitely hard to find that balance and post content regularly, but you’ll figure it out. 🙂 It took almost a year before I was able to get on a regular posting schedule. Learning the ropes is tricky business.
Wow, Lauren! That was very thorough. Thanks for taking the time to share all the details!
Great info, Lauren! Love your blog and you’re always so inspiring! Have a great weekend, friend!
You are so sweet, Kendra! 🙂 Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend too.
Great tips, Lauren! I agree with everything you mentioned, including Abby’s book. It was massively helpful when I was first starting out!
Thanks, Amy!
Hi Lauren,
Just found your site and have to say this is an excellent post!
I’m just getting into DIY and want to mention that self hosted WP is absolutely the way to go. I have been doing web design for about 10 years now and it’s absolutely the easiest way to get into blogging. It has a bit of a learning curve but once you get used to it the sky is the limit! I personally use a different premium theme, but they are the only way to go.
One thing that I would mention is that you may want to do a follow up post on the necessary plug-ins that every WP site should have.
Keep up the great work!!
Thanks, Mike! I totally agree. WP self hosted all the way! I wish I’d started here when I began blogging back in 2013. A follow up post with favorite plug-ins is a great idea. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks, Lauren.
Very helpful!
So glad to hear it, Hope!
Thank you for posting this, it breaks it down pretty well. I’m still so scared to start though! With being a stay at home mom with my beautifully crazy girl and one more on the way we honestly don’t have much money. But wow what an awesome way to write about what you love and possibly get paid for it. There are so many different things I would like to write about but a lot of articles or blogs say to stick with usually one thing, what are your thoughts on that?! 🙂
Hi Francesca! I think I just emailed you but that’s a good question! I’m sure you’ll find different answers on this, but my vote is write about where your heart is. 🙂 If you want to share about a wide array of things, go for it! I just chose my specific niche because we’d just moved into a new house and it made the most sense to share our adventures.
Loved this post! Very helpful! I really should think about buying my own domain. I hope using the free site for now wont hurt me in the long run. Just starting out and if all goes well maybe in the near future I can get one!
Glad it helped, Dawn! Don’t feel at all guilty about using a free site. I started out with a free Blogspot hosted address and eventually hired a pro to make the switch for me when I was ready. You can certainly blog until you figure things out a little more before buying for your own domain. 🙂
I found this post so useful and it really helped me set up my new page.
http://www.mightywordblog.wordpress.com
I hope you post more blog building tips in the future!
I’m so glad to hear that! I hope to share more blog-related posts soon. 🙂
This was so helpful to me! I’ve been tossing around the idea of starting my blog for months and the only thing stopping me, besides my inability to find a starting point, is ME. Thanks so much!
Yay! Do it! You’ve got nothing to lose. 🙂
Thank God for Pinterest! :oD Started a blog just yesterday and was browsing through Pinterest for some tips and tricks and bumped to this (VERY) usefull post! Thanks!!!! Sure gonna use it ;o)
Awesome! So glad it came in handy, Anneke!
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I have been struggling for a while with trying to make a website. I am still having trouble though with having different tabs. I want to be able to separate my blogs into different categories but I’m not seeing how to do that with wordpress. Any advice?
So glad it helped, Ashley! Do you mean like category tabs that I have on my menu bar and sidebar? You can just set up a page with an InLinkz code with your different projects / post categories if that makes sense. Then, you can design labels in Picmonkey, save as images, and on the backend of your blog, start a new post (that you won’t ever publish). Insert your label images you just made into the blank post, hyperlink them to the pages with the InLinkz for your categories, and then copy/paste the HTML text into a text widget on your sidebar. I hope that makes sense. That sounds super complicated, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
This was excellent. I’ve been tossing this idea und for a while now and your post broke things down beautifully. Thanks for the step by step for us non-techy types. Guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend.
I’m so glad, Karen! It is overwhelming for sure. Honestly, I still get overwhelmed with all of the blogging information out there. Just dive in and have fun. 🙂
Hi Lauren: I really liked all that I’ve read here about blogging. Lauren you have given me hope, that yes I can do this also. I just have one question, for now, lol can you please tell me how much it cost you in all to start your blog?
Thank You. Ron.
Thanks so much for all of this helpful information!!
You’re so welcome, Melanie! Hope it helps in getting you started!
Great post! I just started blogging a week ago! Very helpful! Alfie x
Glad it could help, Alfie!
Thank you for this! I am in the middle of setting up my own website/blog right now, and there is so much to think about! I am reading Abby’s book, and it is terrific. But I am also find myself checking in on your site often as one of my favorite examples of someone doing it “right.” It all feels overwhelming sometimes, but in a really exciting way!
Wow! Thank you, Sarah! That’s a huge compliment! To be honest, I’m mostly making this up as I go. I’m overwhelmed every single day as blogging is always changing and evolving. But it’s also exciting that way. There’s always something new to learn. 🙂
Thank you! These are great tips!
Great! Hope it helped!
Thank you. I am hoping to join the blogging community very soon and I am finding your detailed advice very helpful
Yay! Glad it could help!
From the time you started building your blog, how long before it was up and running?
Hi, Andi! I launched my blog a little over two years ago on Blogger and I really just dove right in. I designed my site myself in the beginning with a very simple template and just started writing and documenting the journey in our house from Day 1 when we moved in. I treated it more like an online journal to show family and friends and it just grew from there to become an actual business. So if you’re waiting around to make yours perfect before launching it, don’t. Just hit that publish button and don’t look back. 😉 The sooner you start, the better.
Thanks
Hi, I am just thinking to start blogging but I have absolutely no idea about it. I want to start it only because I love writing essays so it would be interesting to see people from various parts of the world read my essays. I have not even prepared the content yet. Thanks a lot for the points and offering to help the beginners. I would get back to this page and read it again when I am ready with the content and want to upload it.
Hope it helps! It is very overwhelming at first, and honestly, that overwhelming feeling never really goes away. I’m constantly learning something new about it. But it’s exciting at the same time. When you’re ready, I would absolutely recommend Abby Lawson’s ebook Building a Framework. It’s the perfect beginner’s guide for everything you need, in my opinion. 🙂
Thanks a lot Lauren
Lauren, like others here I was lucky to find this post on Pinterest as well – and glad I did. I am also thinking about purchasing Abby’s program, but I noticed there are ‘somewhat’ similar books on Amazon, etc. Like you, I started out Blogger, switched to WordPress.com but also find the ‘freebies’ to be limiting and frustrating to navigate. But also in reading your comments here, I think it would be smarter for me to switch to .ORG but also hire someone to do that for me. My blog has been more of a journal (and I’d like to change that). Sorry, now to my point… (lol)
I’m not tech savvy and just trying to figure out widgets, html, etc frustrated me alone. Will Abby’s book be a good one for ‘Dummies’? (ha) I’ve bought a few others and trying to read them made me fall asleep and kinda give up. But I LOVE WRITING.
Appreciate the input.
So glad this was helpful, Laura! I would definitely say, in my experience, Abby’s ebook is the best one out there for beginners. If you want some tech help though, Lesley Clavijo’s ebook What the Tech? is better for the html/widget/web design side specifically. But in Abby’s book, she also makes suggestions about some of the web design basics, just not as in-depth as Lesley’s book does.
Thanks for the information. I’m an interior designer in rural Amish land USA (www.karensavagedesign.com) and just started blogging on my website, which is hosted by weebly, in May. I am not interested in making money on my blog or even in posting that often but I like to do things right and I like to do things well. Is weebly the right place for me and my blog if I’m not selling on the internet?
Wow! Amish country is a gorgeous area! I visited there 15 years ago and was blown away by the natural beauty. Anyways, I’ve heard some good things about Weebly, but I personally think WordPress is the best. If you don’t want to make money from it though, you could just do WordPress.com as opposed to the paid option of self-hosting at WordPress.org.
Your not kidding when you said you lost count of hours! It’s like a full time job to start up a website in the way we wan it. However it’s certainly taught me a lot! Great tips! I love using WordPress! Before I used to do it through HTML straight from my host but thankfully I found WordPress.
Wow! How in the world? I can’t even begin to fathom how frustrating designing straight from HTML would be. The whole blogging gig is definitely time consuming but so worth it… and addicting!
I love this! Thank you for such details and the great links. I am in the process of researching how to start a blog to allow people to read about my husband and I’s new farmhouse that we are going to be renovating and your blog has been a wealth of knowledge! I have subscribed!
YAY! Go for it, Amy! That sounds like a blog I would LOVE to read!
Hi, Lauren! Thanks for all of your information….I’m definitely going to do a blog…have so many things I can share with people, as well as, help them at the same time.
My laptop just died…am using an iPad….can I do it on the iPad? Thanks!
Cindy
Glad to help, Cindy! I’ve never blogged from an iPad. I actually don’t even own a tablet, but I imagine it would still be very difficult since I think the backend of the blog mostly requires a laptop/desktop. I could be wrong though. Worth a shot!
Love this blog post! I am starting a new blog myself! And it’s nice to get tips from people that have already Been there
So glad it can help, Nancy!
I started a blog a couple months ago, but I have been putting it off some because everything is just overwhelming. This info helped a lot!
Yay! And ya know… that overwhelming feeling never goes away because blogging is constantly evolving. Just keep at it. We’re all making this up as we go along, trust me. 😉
Oh! Thank you for this post. After four years on Blogger I recently switched to WordPress, and yeah… I wish I had begun with WordPress, too. 🙂 Or, at least that I would have moved over sooner.
Ugh it’s SO hard making that switch. Hang in there!
Soooo helpful!!! I am just starting out and get overwhelmed every time I sit down to begin. Thanks for sharing your expertise in such an easy way to understand! I didn’t know I needed a blog dictionary!
I know EXACTLY how it feels! Abby Lawson’s ebook is a GOD SEND!
Thank you for this information. I just found your site today and I’ve been busy reading for a couple of hours now. I started flipping furniture/repurposing about 15 months ago and every day feels like a new learning experience. I’ve made so many mistakes and have gained a lot of valuable knowledge. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at blogging and didn’t know where to start so I appreciate how you’ve shared your experiences. I think the first thing I need to do is get Abby Lawson’s ebook. Thanks for the tips!
Go for it, Lena! Yes, I would definitely start with Abby’s ebook. She’s very good at breaking it all down to make it seem not so overwhelming.
Hi Lauren,
Been doing some research on blogging, have never done it myself, but I see a lot of others that seem successful at it, I would like to order your Master Package; my question is, will I really be able to start a blog with the information in this package? Some of the information I have read online seems so complicated. I would really like to get started blogging the right way and I really like what I see on your site. Very informative & easy to understand so far. What would you recommend for someone who has never done this before?
Thanks, Carole
Hi Carole! Yes! I didn’t write that blogging ebook; that ebook is by Abby Lawson, but yes, I personally read it a couple of years ago and it walks you through step-by-step to get started and set up everything to get your site running, but it also explains how you can grow your blog from those beginning stages. I wish it had been around when I first started my blog because it would have taken out a whole lot of the guess work.
Hi Lauren!
I can’t thank you enough for publishing this great post. I downloaded the ebook right away and have been devouring it ever since. I’ve created a word document and have been jotting down post ideas, tips, design ideas, blog name ideas, and so much more. You’ve made an intimidating experience much less intimidating with this information. I’ve also been reading your blog pretty much every day which has provided me even more inspiration for my own blog. I’m hoping to get everything lined up and have my blog launched by next Sunday. I’m super excited to start this new journey and next chapter of my life. I can only hope I will be as successful as you and the other bloggers I’ve been introduced to through Abby’s book.
Best,
Rose
Yaaaay! So glad to hear that, Rose! Wishing you the best in your new adventure. 🙂
HI Lauren
thank you so much for your help. i started my blog today and am so glad i found your post. i am not yet sure about what i want to blog about so like you said without an audience i can totally experiment and find out what works for me.
thanks for the info
Have a nice day.
So glad it helped, Cheryl! Wishing you the best in your new adventures. 🙂
Wow, so glad I found this! I’ve been thinking of starting a blog for a little over a year now, and I’m getting ready to make some moves. Heard great things about WordPress and will definitely be going that route, but an extra thanks for sharing all those links and walking us through the steps!
Thanks again – looking forward to exploring your site. 🙂
-Lindsey
So glad it helped, Lindsey!
Starting my blog has to be completly free. Do you have any advice on stating with out puting up any money
I started my blog completely free on Blogger.com and designed my own site using a ton of how-to videos on YouTube. It was very challenging, but it can be done. And I know other people who started out on WordPress.com (which is the free version). After about a year, I hired a designer and switched everything over to WordPress.org and bought my domain and hosting.
Lauren, Hi!
First let me say I appreciate your candid sharing of your blogging knowledge. A newbie like me really appreciates the experience of seasoned pro’s! Your post on 6 tips to write an engaging blog post is exactly what I needed right now. I am waiting till March 7th to buy Abby’s new book!
I have a question I have been struggling with since I started blogging that maybe you can help me with. You have a resource page for printable’s that is only accessible by subscribers. I have spent the better part of this last year trying to figure out how to do that. Many bloggers are not open to telling new bloggers how they maneuver things (without charging many $$ for this info.) So I am asking you how you go about setting that up or even directing me to the right tutorial for that. (I have tried many but no success yet.) Thanks for the great info already shared!
Jeannee
Hi, Jeannee! I set mine up by writing it like a regular page on the backend of my blog on WordPress. Before publishing your page, on the left side near your publish button, click “visibility” and click “password protected” and type in your password you want to create. Then, for my email subscribers, I use ConvertKit, so I set up a sequence with 1 email that sends immediately to subscribers when they sign up to receive the password and a link to the printables page so that they can access it. I hope that helps steer you in the right direction. 🙂
SUPER helpful! Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice! I was on Blogger the last couple years with mostly just a base of readership from friends and family and decided to take a bigger leap into the wide world of blogging!
Help! i got started on WordPress.com and i thought that i paid for it! Apparently not? Is my blog going to fail if i just use wordpress.com and not .org?
I’ve known some bloggers who started out on WordPress.com to get a feel for blogging and when they were ready to monetize, they switched everything over to WordPress.org. But if you’re wanting more than a hobby blog and would like to put ads on your sidebar right from the beginning, you do need to use WordPress.org.
I really liked this article. It’s nice to know it’s not just me that struggled with starting a blog, I’m still really new. But I really appreciate the suggestions you’ve posted. I have alot to learn but this has helped. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post! I just started my own budget DIY home décor blog about 2 months ago so I’m definitely in the early learning stages. Blogging just seemed to go hand in hand with my Etsy shop – two things I’ve realized I LOVE spending time on (and they allow me to be home with my kiddos). I am giving myself time to get my feet wet, learn, and grow as a blogger but you’re site is great. Currently I am on Blogger but hope to switch to WordPress one day as well. I’m getting tired of a 9-5 grind – feeling like I am missing out on my children’s childhoods and blogging is something that makes me happy. I will definitely keep following your blog and recommend it on mine as well. Keep up the good work girl! And endless thanks for the info.
So glad it helped, Marie! I know exactly how it is. Best of luck in your blog and your Etsy shop! It really is the best creative outlet when you need to be home with kiddos all day. 🙂
These are all great tips. I went through what you did with Blogger v. WordPress at first. I love reading about others progress in blogging.
I loved your info. I have been wanting to do this for about a year. Just afraid, I guess. Nervous. But after reading your info. I can do this. I will text you again soon to let you know what happens. Thank you. GOD BLESS. Barbara
Thank you so much and this is one Ultimate list for sure. People are always asking me about starting a blog and I shall be referring them to this article. From the right host to the design and then finding your audience all are essential aspects of blogging and it’s great that you have highlighted them all. Thanks
Hello. Please I would like to know if Bluehost is suitable for hosting blogs in Africa?
I believe so, yes.
Hi!why do you need a host before installing WordPress?
Hi Chaya,
If you’re going the self-hosted route, (WordPress.org) you need a place to host (hold) your website. You can download it but it must be installed on a web server (host) before it will work. So definitely a needed component for your blog.
I love all of your tips! I just started a blog on wordpress.org and now that I read this, I’m glad that I did! Do you type your posts straight into wordpress or do you do them somewhere else then copy and paste? I’m finding that I’m making lots of silly mistakes since it doesn’t seem to check my writing as much as Word would. Thanks for your input!
You can whichever feels comfortable for you. If you have heard of a program called Grammerly, you can install a free version and it literally checks your typing in any program. It’s a lifesaver!
Thank you so much for all of the information!! I am starting my research because I want to start a blog and hopefully I will be able to launch it in about a month or so! The tips and tricks (and things you wish you knew at the beginning) have been noted and very much appreciated 🙂
Hey Lauren,
I have my blog on blogger and have not been happy with it for a bit. I keep changing the theme and layout, but just not completely happy with it. After reading your blog, I have decided to switch to WordPress. Like you, I’m super paranoid about losing anything on it because I have had this blog for two years now. Who did you use to do the switch for you? or is there anyone you recommend?
Thank you in advance!
Johanny
Hi Johanny! I used Sara from Moonsteam Design. It was a few years ago, so I have no idea what her workload looks like now. But you could certainly reach out to her. Here’s her website: https://moonsteamdesign.com/
Thanks for this helpful information. I just started a blog at wordpress.
Thank you for the insight. I am slowly starting a blog about overcoming food addiction. I am having the hardest time thinking of a title. I want to make inspirational magnets and decals also to help women with their struggles. Any pointers on a clever title?
Maybe start with a saying you live by and a play on words with that? Try searching common sayings, song titles, idioms? There are domain name generators out there too like this one: https://www.shopify.com/tools/domain-name-generator
Hii i have to say, i have read so much out here about blogging because i want to start, yours is the best i have read and its the most motivational one because i can tell by the way you write that you really do enjoy what you blog about. And thats where i got stuck. Before reading your article, i had decided i will write a life style blog that talks a little about everything though i know i am not interested in everything! Thank you for making me become confident in what i want to blog for (i love cooking). Your part of “start with an open mind” just got me to the next level.
Thanks again
Glad to help and best of luck with your new blog!
Great Read! 🙂 I always dreamed about having my own blog…..However always thought I am not good enough 🙁 However lately I received more and more question from IG followers about how I do my diy etc. I thought it would be fun to finally have everything in one place 🙂 One question though… what is the MAIN difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org? I went on Etsy shops recommended by you and they stated that their themes are not supported by worpress.com and that they don’t allow themes from third party? Now I am lost and not sure where to start? WordPress.com or wordpress.org?
Yes! Do it! I know it’s intimidating, but it’s great not having IG dictate everything. So the main difference is wordpress.com is hosted by wordpress (free), but you can’t have monetization (ads, affiliate links, sponsored collabs), and you can’t really customize it. WordPress.com is really just if you’re a hobby blogger (which is fine, if that’s what you want to do). WordPress.org requires you to have a site host, and you can buy custom website designs and make blogging a paying gig. I hope that helps!