Kristie Hill

Grow your blog business.

Everything you need to know about starting a blog.

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Updated March 21, 2019

Today is the day! The day you start a blog. A blog is an online place where you can share content that inspires, educates, or entertains an audience of your very own.

This post is going to show you how to set up a professional blog from the start. When you go live, no one is going to know you’re a newbie, because you’ll have a remarkable setup!

Before we get into the technical details of starting a blog, let’s talk about what you need to be a blogger and answer some frequently asked questions.

Ready to get started? Skip to the step-by-step instructions to get your blog online.

What do you need to start a blog?

Not really sure what’s involved with starting a blog? Wondering what you need to start?

Look no further. This post details all the things you need to start a money making blog. First we’ll talk about the top four things, followed by other tangible and intangible things you need to start blogging.

note: as far as needs go, we are talking about money making blogs here. What you need for a hobby blog will be a bit different. If you’re serious about earning a profit from blogging then you need these four essentials.

Now that we have that out of the way,

What are the four most important things you need to start a blog?

  1. An idea or message
  2. An audience
  3. A platform
  4. A way to connect

Let’s break those four areas down so that you understand what your’e getting yourself into when starting a blog. When you start with these four core elements, you’ll be set up for success.

An idea

The first thing you need to be able to start a blog is an idea. A message you want to share with the world.

You need a solid idea for your blog’s content and topics.

Your idea is what you will write and talk about. It is what people will know you for.

While some people are successful just blogging about anything or life in general, the majority of successful bloggers have a more focused idea.

In the blogging world this is often referred to as a niche.

What is the message you want to share?

One more thing to consider about your idea – will anyone be interested in it? Which brings us to the second thing you need to start a blog.

Read this post if you need a little more help deciding what to blog about.

An ideal audience

Having an idea is the first step, but the second is – will anyone care about your blog?

Who is your message for? Why should someone care about your ideas and thought? How will your idea help them?

Since you haven’t started blogging yet you get to be the person to decide who your audience is! When you have an audience in mind, it will be easier for you to write content around yoru idea.

As a blogger your blog is not about you. It’s about the people that come to your blog.

The content on your blog should enrich your audience’s life in some way. Whether that be to inspire/motivate, teach, entertain, or

A Platform

This is your blog. Your website. Your digital home base. You place on the www.

There are a few things that make up your blogging platform: the place it is hosted, how it looks (theme), and the domain name.

There are many different blogging platforms, with the most popular being

  • Self-hosted WordPress
  • WordPress
  • Squarespace
  • Blogger

There are other options than those three, but save yourself the hassle and just don’t even go there.

Self-hosted WordPress is my personal favorite because of it’s endless options, flexibility and highest potential. If you’re serious about this blogging thing, you’ll probably want to start there too.

With self-hosted WordPress you’ll have the most control and options. There’s no limitations on how you can monetize or set it up. No need to be intimidated or discouraged with setting up a blog. Starting a blog on WordPress is simple. (hint: click that link for a step by step tutorial)

What role does WordPress play in the bigger scheme of things?

WordPress is a content management system. It’s where you’ll log in to create and publish your blog posts. You’ll have a back end version and your readers will see your pretty blog.

The domain name frequently comes free with your hosting. Or you an purchase it separately.

The last part of your platform is how it looks.

We will go over setting up your platform in detail in the step-by-step instructions below!

A way to connect

The last thing you need is a way to connect your audience and your blog. You might be thinking social media.

That’s not where I’m going.

Social media is great socializing and chit chatting with your people. But it’s not always the best at getting people off that social site to your blog. We want them to go to your blog.

Email is the best way to get people to your blog.

After you get your platform set up, you’ll need to get set up with an email service provider. Two popular options in the blogging world are MailChimp or Convertkit.

These services allow you to collect email addresses on your website and then mass send emails through their management system.

Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:

  1. When people visit your blog, you’ll encourage them to sign up for your email list (frequently referred to as a newsletter).
  2. Once they are on your list you’ll email them regularly (ex: once a week or every other week) to remind them you exist and to check out your blog.

In 2019, email and blogging go hand in hand.

Let’s recap what you need to start a blog.

If you’re ready to start a money making blog you need: an idea or message to share with the world, an idea on who your blog is for, a platform to host you blog, and a way to connect your readers to your blog.

Ready to get started now?

Learn how to start a blog

The 3 basic steps to starting a blog

  1. Pick a name for your blog

  2. Set up your blogging platform

  3. Make your blog look god

Starting a blog is easy and probably one the most affordable personal businesses to start. And today I’m going to show you how.

Whether you’re starting a blog to make money or as a fun hobby, you are going to have an amazing blog set up and ready for visitors.

Let’s get your blog started.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are my referral links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products I’ve used and trust. 🙂

1. Pick a name for your blog

The name for your blog will become your brand. It is how people will recognize you. It sets expectations and the mood for your blog. Jot down a few names that could work for your blog.

What is a domain name? This is the identification of your blog location. A blog’s domain name is part of the URL. Example: http://domain.com. The URL is http://domain.com and the domain name is domain.com

2. Set up your blogging platform

I use WordPress to create my blog/site. There are a lot blogging platforms but WordPress is the one I know and use. I find that it has the most flexibility and options.

WordPress requires a host. For new bloggers, I recommend hosting your blog with BlueHost. They have affordable hosting for WordPress bloggers and make it super easy to install WordPress. Get up to a 40% discount when signing up for hosting by using the links on this page.

Head over there and let’s start setting up your new blog! <– Click this link in a new tab or window so you can follow along.

Select your hosting plan

The starter plan is usually sufficient hosting for new blogs. If your blog grows quickly (hopefully!) and you get mounds of traffic you can upgrade at any time. Of course, you could also start with the plus plan, if that is what you prefer.

Select a domain for your blog

The domain for your blog is what you will name your blog. You can either sign up for the free domain that is included in your hosting package or if you already own your domain name you can transfer it to BlueHost.

Continue on with setting up your site:

Choose a domain name for your new blog.

Fill in all of your information

This part is pretty self-explanatory. Make sure all of your information is accurate and then head on to the next step.

Fill in your account information for your new blog.

Go over the package information and fill out the billing section

Blue Host Package information

As for the extras, it’s up to you to decide what you want to spend your money on. I love the security of the site backup because I am frequently tinkering (and breaking) my blog code. The backups save me all the time.

I don’t feel like the search engine jump start is necessary – especially since I’m going to show you how to submit your site to Google.

The domain privacy protection replaces all of your personal contact information with BlueHost’s contact information.

Confirm your account and set up a password.

create a password and account for bluehost

Install WordPress

If you used my links for Bluehost, then WordPress is going to be automatically set up for you. YESSS. Makes your life so much easier. First, you’ll need to set up a password for your account.

start blogging bluehost
start blogging bluehost

You’ll then be prompted to log in. This will take a few minutes to get everything configured for you and then, presto! You’ll land in your new dashboard.

Login to your WordPress dashboard for the first time!

In the future, you can log in to your WordPress account, go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and enter your username and password.

The WordPress dashboard.

3. Make your blog look good

There are a lot of things you can do next, but my favorite is to install a theme. A WordPress theme adds structures, functions, and visual displays to your WordPress Blog. The appearance is the first impression readers have of your blog. I know your mom always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I think we all have a hard time with that.

There are a lot of free themes for WordPress if you are not ready to spend money on premium options. To find a free theme that fits your needs and desires log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Themes and start your search.

If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend purchasing a premium theme for your blog. I love and use Genesis themes because they are beautiful, responsive, HTLM 5 current, and SEO enhanced. If you need help choosing a theme, read my tips for picking out the ideal theme for your blog or, check out my top 10 favorite Genesis Child themes for bloggers.

StudioPress Premium WordPress Themes

How to Install a Premium Theme for WordPress

Once you have purchased your theme and downloaded the .zip file, it is time to upload it to your WordPress account. Head over to your WordPress dashboard at yourdomain.com/wp-admin On the left-hand side, navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New

Add a theme to your new blog

Next to Add Themes, click Upload Theme Click Choose File and then browse your computer to find the .ZIP file you downloaded when you purchased your theme and then click Install Now.

How to add a permium theme to WordPress blog

Once the upload is complete, hit activate and your theme is live. Follow your theme setup instructions to get everything looking the way you want it. Have fun with this part!

What should you do next with your new blog?

Your blog is all set up and ready for you, but there’s a lot more to get ready before you share it with anyone. I’d be happy to guide you through the process! Get my start a blog checklist in the box below.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Hay.. i am from Indonesia… are you change your domain name? i bookmarked your website blogambitions dot com and come here to kristiehill .. by the way, thank you for sharing how to start a blog.. In Indonesia i had used hosting Niaga Hoster, even though the price is expensive but it had the best service and fastest loading that i ever tried.. Thank you..

    Reply

  4. Hi Kristie, I want to become a travel blogger but I don’t know how to start my blogging. when I checked your blog, I have a clear Idea for how to start blogging. Thanks for sharing this amazing article.

    Reply

  5. Hi!

    Do you suggest a certain computer? I need to buy a new one and I’m interested in blogging.

    Reply

  7. It’s very helpful for all blogger. Specially this information will be helping to the newcomer. Thanks ! complete

    Reply

  8. I figured out how to create a blog in 20 minutes. This guide can help anyone create a WordPress blog easily. I feel this guide so right for beginners, Thanks a lot for help me to create an excellent blog.

    Reply

  9. I think i’ve arrived late for this blog but I think its ‘better late than never’ situation for me. I’m thinking to start a blog website in wordpress and I hopped to your site & i loved the read.
    Thanks Kristie!

    Reply

  10. Hi Kristie your site and all the information is all so helpful i got your information from Physical Kitchness and i’m so happy i found it when i did im finally pursuing something i have always wanted to do and will be hopefully starting a blog soon.

    Reply

  12. hi Kristie , thanks your list Realy help me to start blogging.
    Thanks for sharing your ideas, and I’m really inspired with your Blog.
    I am also write a blog hope u will like my blogs…
    Please Check it out on my blog:

    Reply

  14. So far this is the best advice website for blogging I have viewed. I actually have a question regarding WordPress. I was asked to start a blog for an organization but they did not wish to put any money into the project since there are a lot of free resources on the web. I at first chose WordPress because of my familiarity to the program but I keep running into issues that I am not sure can be overcome on a no money budget. I logged into WordPress.com and I am assuming I must purchase hosting for that site. Also I cannot find options to download plugins especially for email subscription. The more I kept trying the program said I already had jetpack installed on my dashboard but I could not find the tab/option to create an email subscription list. My main question is it possible for me to run this blog through WordPress or do I need to try another provider. I apologize for the lengthiness of this question.

    Reply

    • Hi. There is a difference between an account at wordpress.com and using the WordPress platform on your own hosting.

      If you want to use plugins, your choice of themes, an monetize your site with ads, you will want to switch to a self hosted blog.

      Follow to the steps above to purchase hosting, install the WordPress platform on your host, and then you can import content from your previous wordpress.com site if you’d like.

      Reply

  16. Wow!!! Loved all of this! So much information, I hope Ive covered it all!! Still learning, but this is Such an AWSOME head start, Im sure Ill be coming back over your Blog over and over again!!! Thankyou so much!!

    Reply

    • Yay! I’m glad that you’re excited about your own blog/site Laura. What is your focus? Do you have a coming soon page set up yet? I’d love to follow you. Let me know if you have any questions about blogging or building your site.

      Reply

      • EEK! Mostly lifestyle, but I’ll have a common theme running throughout: all things home and design! My passion! I have the basics down, and a coming soon page already set up! Just going to get some other things ready before launching! Honestly, I’ve come back to your guide about a hundred times!

        Reply

        • Sounds fun! Home and Design blogs doe really well. Your coming soon page looks great. Have fun prepping everything. Unsolicited blog tip: make sure to make a pinnable image with every post. It needs to be vertical 🙂 Pinterest will be your bff as you grow your blog (also, maybe your worst enemy. It will be a love hate relationship) + with every post you write, ask yourself “How does this provide value to someone else? Why would someone read this?”

          Best of luck!

          Reply

  18. Thank you so much that’s so helpful, I really cant wait to start my blog now. Thank you!!

    Reply

  19. Great post, we run a travel blog and I think the most important thing we tell people is to travel with a purpose, Do not just wander around the world aimlessly. (Like ours is to experience and document the Top 100 Travel Adventures) So many travel blogs do not really have a purpose or a niche. Niche is key and many miss out on that because they want to cover and do it all. Do not just start a blog because you think you will get rich quick and be able to travel the world. It takes a lot of work and lots of time.

    Reply

    • Hi, Jaime. I’m so happy to hear this guide helped you get things up and running. 🙂 Your site looks great. I’m excited to see your blog promote your designs! Congrats.

      Reply

  23. OMG you have been so helpful! My friend and I are new to blogging and we need help branding. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to educate us!

    -Britt

    Reply

  24. This is such great information! I know I will probably have to come back to this post again and again! But I’m super excited about starting my own blog! Thanks for all the wonderful information!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Holly, I’m so glad this has been helpful for you. Let me know if you have any questions while you are setting up your blog. I’m excited for you too!

      Reply

  25. Thank you for your very helpful post. I’ve been thinking about having a blog myself. Now I get some ideas and will start my own blog soon.

    Reply

  26. Thank you Kristie for the helpful and detailed information. I plan to launch my blog next month and I know I will refer to this article often. I also signed up for your newsletter, can’t wait to read more.
    Thanks again,
    Amy

    Reply

    • Hi Amy! I’m excited about your blog launch. I also added a post about getting followers before you launch, hopefully, you find it helpful as well! Let me know if you have any questions as you get things set up.

      Reply

  27. Hey, that was really helpful. The simpleton in which you have broken down the step is really a dream. Thank you :).

    Reply

  28. Hi! Thanks so much for this its so helpful! I’m was really confused on how to start a blog before reading this blog however i’m still finding it really hard to gain followers and i was really confused on which websites and things to find. I’m not sure how to really reach out to others as i am a bit socially awkward and i guess its the same on the internet 🙁
    If you ever want to check out my website https://www.tumblr.com/blog/optimisticcandb

    Reply

    • Commenting on blogs, like you did here, is a great way to reach out to others. Not awkward at all. Unfortunately, I don’t have a tumbler account so it isn’t letting me see your site.

      Reply

  29. Hi! This has really helped me out. I have only recently started blogging and will definitely take this information on board. Thanks!
    From http:/observingthesphere.wordpress.com

    Reply

  31. Thank you for this! I can’t even tell you how helpful this all is. Im exploring the idea of blogging while all my other stay-at-home ventures have failed and got quickly overwhelmed when I dug into how to actually put the whole thing together. Great breakdown and love the visuals.

    Reply

  32. I just want to first thank you for all of your super helpful posts and connection with us readers! Your site is literally my go-to guide for practically everything lol especially blogging. I purchased hosting/theme etc. just recently and gosh! I knew it would take a load of work but i didn’t realize how technically declined I was I am not techie at all but didn’t think it would be such a time consumer to learn and I feel wayyy behind. In one of the comments- you mentioned hiring a technician- could you make any recommendations? Several months ago, I bookmarked one of your pages in regards to your coaching and then realized you stopped offering it! I felt so bummed because I honestly feel overwhelmed, don’t know where to safely and wisely put my money so I can get my site running and started on the right foot. I’ve been slowly following all advice on your recommendations page, I just feel like this process would spare me time if I had help from an actual person (well, email support as I travel alot). Thanks sooo much again!

    Reply

  33. Thank you very much for your post, it’s going to be really helpful. I have a question, though. I’m a designer and my focus is branding, and graphic, logo, and website design. I hope to get some clients from social media, but I also need to get some from my website. I will have a blog on my website, but I’m wondering if there is anything I need to do differently than you’ve shown here in this case. Obviously I’ll need a services and portfolio pages. What has me confused is that my website will be geared toward getting design clients and the blog will be a way of doing that, rather than the blog being the point of the website. Thank you!! PS my website is still under construction.

    Reply

  35. Wow! and Wow!! You are so such a great instructor with a good heart Kristie, you made setting up a blog so easy and fun. God bless you for being good!. I had a website few years back but somehow lost focus on blogging due to poor traffic and I was spending for hosting without getting any thing in return, so I backed off after 2years. But now I really wanna kick-start it again and I will really need your help. Firstly, I will need your assistance in deciding a niche I can focus on, my former website was an information blog where I post news and articles. But now I need to be quite specific. am good in sharing inspiring and motivational thought, should i focus on that or should I creat a niche from the course I studied in school (Criminology and Security Studies), maybe writing contents on crimes, deliquencies and security measures.
    Furthermore, a friend of mine who’s into blogging said he can help me with a niche he had wanted to blog on, only if I can pay him some token. Do you suggest I buy his idea or should I source my own niche. Looking to hear from you ma’am.

    Reply

  37. Thank you so very much for leaving this post. I am ready to start a blog, not just for the money I can earn but also for the experience with sharing my thoughts and ideas and also meeting new people.

    I will definitely share my URL when I am up and running. At the moment I am still doing my research!

    Question: I already have twitter and pinterest accounts but would you recommend creating a completely new one for my blog and domain name?

    Thanks again!

    Reply

    • Hi Samantha, congratulations on starting your blogging journey. To answer your twitter and pinterest questions – it depends. A lot of people convert their already existing accounts to their blog or business account and it works well. Others want to have separate accounts so that they can keep their personal life separate from their blog life. I personally have 1 twitter account, but I have two Pinterest accounts – a personal one and one for my blog. I do it this way because my blog niche is blogging and I try to only pin blogging/online related stuff for my blog ambitions account. On my personal account I pin whatever I want.

      I’d say if you’re a lifestyle, family, craft, food, or related blog go a head and change your existing Pinterest over to your blog Pinterest and just have one. Pinterest will even let you change your username. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  38. Thanks so much!! You answered a few questions I had and some I didn’t even know I had about blogging. I’m in the process of starting a blog and will definitely be using this post as a reference.

    Reply

  39. And hopefully, we can read another inspiring post from you concerning starting a business from humble beginnings and a predicted timeframe for receiving passive search engine traffic. 🙂

    Reply

  40. Hi! I find your blog very inspiring! I’ve had the idea of starting my own blog for around a year now, but now I’m really determined to do it! I’ve been reading a lot before starting it, so I make as few mistakes as possible, but I know they’re part of the experience.
    My first language isn’t English and I don’t know if it would be a good idea to blog in my native language (Spanish) or offer translations in English as well. How do you feel about languages and blogging? Does it make a difference?

    Thanks for this helpful advice 🙂

    Reply

  41. Hi Kristie, Thank you for sharing these tips and guides. I have been writing contents for various websites. Now I am creating create my blog. These resources will be a great help to me for laying the foundation to my blog.

    Reply

  42. I love this, I love you, and you are now officially my favorite blogger of all time! Seriously I got squeeze you into pieces. I have been searching for a post like this for weeks. Thank you so much for this one. I just created my blog and I had no idea where to go to find resources before launching. This is a great informational blog and so easy to understand. I like that you went beyond the normal “how to start a blog” posts. That part is common sense. I’m stuck with WordPress and I was staring at it like okay.. Now what. And then I found you ❤️

    Reply

    • Hi Kelley! this comment slipped past me somehow. Thank you so much for your sweet words. I’m glad that you found this post and that it has helped you out. Anything I can do to help you get rolling? I see you have a few posts already!

      Reply

  43. Been following this step-by-step. I’m not ready to make any posts yet but this has helped me create the foundation for my blog. I can’t thank you enough!

    Reply

  44. I have just started my blog – haven’t even made my first post yet! It has turned out to be a little more overwhelming than I expected. Your information was so helpful to me! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  45. Hi Kristie!
    I have been researching how to start a blog for months now and until this is all seemed very complicated! Thank you for simplifying it!
    Through my research, many blogs did not start with Bluehost and just stuck to WordPress. Wondering what the difference is?
    Thanks!!

    Reply

  47. Thank you so much for your help! I am researching how to set up a blog, so when I do launch it, it looks fabulous! I love that your post tells me exactly what to do, and HOW to do it. This has been extremely helpful! I would love a facebook invite to your group. I’m really nervous to start my blog but I also really want to do it! Thanks for the boost!

    Reply

  48. Hi Kristie. Just read your post. Lotta info for guy like me who is interested in starting a blog. I have a question I haven’t seen mentioned. If I set up website on desktop PC. Can I post and change things on my laptop Mac. Will I need to download WordPress on laptop as well? Any other problems that you may see working this way. Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  49. Thank you for all the information you give about starting a blog. I just started my blog a few days ago. It is very intimidating but fun. We aren’t live yet but I did setup the coming soon page you recommended 🙂 ~Kelly

    Reply

    • Looks like your coming soon page isn’t activated, or maybe you took it down? I would recommend getting it up and start connecting with people and pre-marketing your blog. It’s no fun writing for no one.

      Also, I would recommend changing your permalink structure (the text at the end of your URL for each post/page) before righting anymore posts. To do so, go to Settings > Permalinks. Change it to post name.

      Reply

  50. Thank you thank you thank you! This is the best advice I have read so far. I wish I had found this before I started. You give much more detailed information as far as saying HOW to do something instead of just what to do. THANK YOU!

    Reply

    • This comment has made my whole month. You pretty much summed up my goal for this series: detailed how to get your blog up and running. You’re blog is looking great. Have fun with it. Good luck.

      Reply

  51. My question is what is the biggest difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org ? I JUST started my blog a few days ago and haven’t even published the site yet, but I’ve been reading in different places the actual difference between the 2. Of course at this point I want to be setting myself up for success, but I don’t want to break the bank yet if it isn’t something I love you know? I downloaded the wordpress from CPANEL and I’m still learning the in’s and out’s of the website so any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

    • Hi Jaime. The biggest differences are this: at worpress.com you don’t have access to edit the code, which means no customization or adding extras. The other big difference is with wordpreas.com you are very limited on how you can monetize your blog. Self hosted, as you are set up now let’s you do whatever.

      I get it though, if you’re not sure blogging is your thing and you don’t want to invest money at first. You could always start at wordpreas.com and the switch over when ready

      Or, if you are set up with Bluehost – you pay for the year (or 3) up front, but should you decide to cancel, you get all the money back for unused months. So you’ll only be out $4-5 for each month you did blog.

      Good luck!

      Reply

  52. WOW, thank you for your help. I just launched my blog today….I am so sorry I didn’t find you first. I definately will be following you.
    If I started free on WordPress I can still just get Bluehost and go thru the steps and my blog will be here once I have all the plugins done, correct?
    TIA and I look forward to reading more

    Reply

    • Hi Amy, I am SO sorry, this comment slipped by my radar. Were you able to sort out the whole free wordpress.com and self-hosted wordpress through Bluehost? I’m happy to help sort it out, if you haven’t.

      Reply

  53. Hi Kristie,

    Thank you very much for the step by step instructions on starting a blog. I have spent several months just reading the different bloggers
    Blog about starting one. I would love to start one, but I get cold feet
    every time I attempt to start a blog. I always feel like everyone else can do these things, except me. I will keep in touch. Thanks again.

    Reply

    • Hi Ellient. I totally get the cold feet thing. Happened to me, too. What type of content do you hope to blog about?

      Also, I have a Facebook Group for people just starting their blogs or who haven’t started yet, would you like an invite? If so, let me know which email address you use associated with Facebook.

      Reply

  54. Hi Kristie,

    Thanks for the awesome info on starting a blog. I have a lot to work through, but with your help at least I have some direction now:)

    I am sure I will be asking lots of questions!

    Thanks again,

    Tarryn

    Reply

  55. Hi Kristie! I recently started a free blog at wordpress, is there a way for me to post my blog at pinterest? Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  57. Thank you Kristie!! This is by far the best post on starting a blog. Your instructions are really clear and easy to understand. I`m half way through the set up and can`t wait to start blogging. Thank you again! 🙂

    Reply

  58. This post is exactly what I needed! I just started my blog, along with becoming a Nutritional Therapist and I am more overwhelmed with the blog then I was about school. This post is so helpful and I am looking into the bluehost immediately. Hopefully I can export everything with out a problem. I have so much to do still, but this post has helped me get organized and I am so thankful!

    Reply

    • You’er site is looking wonderful Leonora! I love the name too, Love a Healthier You. So glad this series helped to keep you organized. Let me know if you have any questions for me!

      Reply

  59. I needed the list you wrote regarding what to do before going live! I keep piddling around doing a million different things to the format, in all reality not know what I am doing lol. I’ve needed to sit down and make a concrete list of what I need to do before going live and you just handed it to me on a silver platter!! Thank you so much! I wish I had seen this earlier and gotten a discount on my bluehost services…oh well. Maybe on my renewal?
    Thank you!!

    Reply

    • You’re welcome Natasha. Unfortunately, hosting companies make their big bucks with renewals – usually they don’t give discounts. bummer.

      I’m glad you’ve liked this series though for setting up your blog. I can’t wait to see what real estate tips and tricks you’ll be sharing – especially since I am in the market to buy a house this year!

      Reply

  60. Very nice article! Thanks for all those screen shots you’ve made for the beginners like me) as I understand you used WordPress, why WordPress? What are the advantages of WordPress oven the other platforms? Thank you

    Reply

  61. Hi Kristie!
    It’s me again. (sorry…) May you, please, let me know what size should be the photos is a blog post? I make mine with picmonkey and am always wondering what size I should make them. I couldn’t find any information about that except that it’s better to keep one and the same size all the time.
    I’m really sorry to bother you again, but I will really appreciate your help.
    Thanks a lot!
    Zori

    Reply

  62. I’m new n have had little education but I want to share n encorage others with my type of disabilty that we can have a happy n normal life. So thk u yr post I got off pinerest n it has given me things to learn n understand easyer

    Reply

  63. Hi Kristie!!

    Oh my goodness. You are actually a god send. I am HORRIBLE at all things technological but you were amazing in guiding me through building my website. Before I found your blog, I was lost. I was sure I would have to fork out some money to hire a web designer to build it.

    BUT THEN I FOUND YOU.

    You explained everything sooo clearly, complete with screenshots so that I could follow along. I wish I could reach through my laptop screen and give you a massive hug. Because of you, I’ve finished! My website is done and I’m pretty proud of it. So, THANK YOU! 🙂

    Alexia

    Reply

    • This comment is as good as a hug! Thank you so much for compliments and letting me see your new site. I love it. Can’t wait to see more of your posts and details of your book. Good luck Alexia, and let me know if you have any other questions.

      Reply

  64. Thanks a lot, Kristie! I think this is the most useful guide for starting a blog I’ve found. I’m going through every step now and it’s so much fun! You really have thought about everything that I didn’t even consider and it’s so clear and easy to understand. I’m looking forward to go live with my blog soon.

    Barbara

    Reply

  65. hello. nice article this was. i m looking to start a blog about (fashion, beauty, fitness ) but i m out of names for my domain. can u plz gve me some suggestion abt it. and shd include all these topic in a single blog or not?.

    Reply

    • I think those are great topics for one blog – they connect well together. As for the domain name, it is hard to find one that isn’t taken! It’s acceptable to use other extensions these days, it doesn’t need to be a .com. Good luck coming up with a name!

      Reply

  66. I have been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now and have been looking at so many different sites of how to start a new blog. This is so helpful, I am still really nervous about getting everything started, but I now I know where to start. Thank you so much, I love the step by step process.

    Reply

    • You’re welcome Kiearra. It can be a little overwhelming to start a blog, but hopefully this series breaks things down into doable chunks for you. Also, I’m adding a new step soon that will help you have readers when you go live with your new blog – because it’s no fun to write a blog for no one.

      Let me know if you have any questions!

      Reply

  67. Thank you Kristie. I’m new in blogging with a WordPress.com I’ve nothing yet posted because u need to learn more about blogging. your blog and posts were helpful. over one hour in your site is no joke nor a waste of time.
    With all the people’s comments I read, I could feel that you’re feeling fulfilled helping people. May Gos bless you.

    Reply

  68. I just wanted to come back and say thank you! I think I must have come back to this post everyday for a week now! I’ve been going through your list item by item and I think I’m almost ready to go live. Thanks again for the fantastic information!

    Reply

    • Jamie, thank you so much for your response! It always makes me happy to hear my tutorials have helped someone get their blog started. Can’t wait to see your blog when it goes live. Keep me posted.

      Reply

  69. Hi there! This article is beyond helpful I wish I would have seen it before I started and launched my blog! My sister and I are very, very new bloggers and we have set up our blog on wordpress.com using the free blogging option. We have discussed lightly about using and paying for a host to have our own domain but we didn’t know if it was worth it since we have so few blog followers. If we sign up for BlueHost would we be able to transfer our wordpress.com blog there? It’s all so confusing and this article was so helpful! Thank you!
    🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Asheigh, congrats on your new blog with your sister. I think it is so fun when people start blogs together!

      There are definitely pros and cons to having a self-hosted WordPress blog over a WordPress.com blog (if you haven’t yet, you can also read my post comparing the two).

      Every blog I have migrated from wordpress.com to self-hosted has only gained in traffic and followers. If it is your goal to grow your blog and make it a business (aka, eventual income) you will be better off switching earlier than later.

      If you purchase your hosting, you will still need to go through the steps on this page and then import your WordPress.com content to its new location.
      To do so: from your wordpress.com account, go to your dashboard and down to tools, export. Download the XML file.

      Now, log in to your new self-hosted WordPress site and go to Tools > Import. Upload the XML file. It should be a fast upload since you don’t have very many posts yet. But if it freezes, just refresh and upload again, and it will pick up from where it left off.

      A few more blogging tips for you: make sure every post include a picture. Also, try to include a pinnable picture in every post (a vertical image that depicts what the post is about).

      Please feel free to email me with any other questions!

      Reply

  70. Thanks so much for this post! I knew there had to be more to starting a blog than just getting a domain and hosting, this really goes into details and makes starting a blog a little less intimidating. I have a idea for my blog and already have some post ideas I’m working on, my question is how often do you post new content?

    Reply

    • You’re welcome Heidi! All of those “How to start a blog in 10 minutes” posts are a bit misleading, there is certainly a lot more that goes into starting a blog than setting up the basics.

      That’s great that you already have post ideas that you are working on. There really isn’t a perfect number for how often you should post new content. A lot of it depends on what type of blog you have. For new bloggers though, I recommend starting out with 2-3 posts a week (unless you blog about a very specific topic, then 1-2 posts a week is fine). One of the biggest reasons blogs fail is because the blogger gets burnt out. Don’t let this happen to you.

      Good luck, fee free to reach out with any other questions.

      Reply

  71. Kristie!!! YAY! I am so excited I found this post!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I knew that there was “something” out there calling my name that wasn’t typical. As it turns out it is blogging and I have the exact idea for what I will blog about. It was literally right in front of my eyes for my entire life! Isn’t that the way it goes?!

    I have the passion now I just need to achieve the dream. I will post again once I have my domain purchased and site live. I am incredibly excited and can’t wait to share it with the world!

    ~Brittany

    Reply

  75. This is a great step by step for me. I have a great focused idea for a blog but I’m feeling really overwhelmed about putting it together. There seems to be lots of moving parts to put together and the technical aspects are difficult for me. I’m sure I’ll be referring to your site often. Why do you use wordpress instead of blogger?

    Reply

  76. Such a great post! Thank you for sharing all your knowledge, I am feeling a lot more confident about jumping into the world of blogging now 🙂 One question I do have, though, I already have a domain purchased from GoDaddy and I’m wondering if I should use them to manage my WordPress blog or go through BlueHost like you suggest?

    Thanks!
    Michele

    Reply

    • Hi Michele, I’m glad my post helped you have more confidence jumping into blogging. GoDaddy is a great place for domain names. They really excel at domain names. I personally would not use them for hosting. From my experience, the customer service is much slower than most hosting companies, they don’t give access to all of your files unless you pay for higher plan, and they seem to have more down time. BlueHost is a great starter hosting company. My other favorite hosting company is SiteGround. If you want to be serious about blogging, sign up with them. The rest of this tutorial will be applicable.

      You can leave your domain name hosted at GoDaddy and point the nameservers to whichever hosting company you chose. Let me know if you decide on that route and I can walk you through those steps.

      Reply

      • Thanks for the reply! I think I will go with SiteGround, if I run into any trouble I know where to come!

        Thanks again!!
        Michele

        Reply

  77. After reading the book “Start” by Jon Acuff, I knew it was time to finally pursue my “awesome” and start writing. I couldn’t think of a better place to start than blogging. Your post gave me the direction I need to get started, and I am so thankful for that. I’m still a little nervous to make it all happen, but I am very excited as well. Everyone keeps telling me I cannot do it, but I know that is not the case. Thanks again!

    Reply

  78. Please help! I am trying my best to get a blog going but I am not doing too well. I signed up with bluehost and set up a wordpress.com account through them. I started posting and am trying to add Akismet but when I add my wordpress.com user name and password it says I don’t have an account.
    No one seems to know how to help me. Any chance you can?

    Reply

  79. hi Kristie,
    I read you blog. i found it very useful. thanx a lot for this wonderful blog. i have few queries regarding it. i have an clothing e-commerce website which i m going to launch soon, its at the final stage of finding a good web hosting site n server. I want to write a blog for my website. I m confused how should i go about it. I already have my domain name how will i link my blog and my website. pls help me

    Reply

  80. Kristie! I just wanted to send you a heartfelt THANK YOU for helping me get my blog started!! I didn’t even know where to start and I’m just so grateful for all of the information you have on your site. Take a look at my site (www.dirtinmyshoes.com). I think it looks really good and I couldn’t have done it without you. I will refer you to anyone who needs help getting started. Thank you for all that you do!

    Reply

    • Congratulations Ash! Your blog is looking great and I love your focus. I grew up in Utah and loved exploring the outdoors on family camp outs. Can’t wait to read about your adventures – especially since you also have a little guy.

      Would you like some blog tips?

      Reply

  81. Hey, Kristie!
    First of all I can’t even begin to thank you for the great help I got from your blog during the currently ongoing process of preparing for my blog.
    I just want to ask you something about BlueHost. In the screenshot you attached here it clearly says that it will bill the total hosting price for the 3 years in advance. Now when I check this page on BlueHost it only says “Billed Annually at ../yr” beside the extra options, BUT for the Account Plan it just says “36 Month Price – $3.96/month” and there’s no “Hosting Price” underneath that. Does this mean they bill you monthly nowadays or it’s still the whole 3 years in advance?
    I’d really love it if you explain this because I want to buy the 3 year plan but I’m not really sure I want to pay the whole lot in advance.
    Thanks again Krisite!

    Reply

    • Hi Salma, I’m glad to hear you have found my blog helpful in creating a blog.

      In order to qualify for the lower monthly pricing, you must pay for all 3 years in advance. Even though the pricing is displayed as “per month” you can only select to pay for 12, 24, or 36 months – up front.

      The extras have a fixed rate and can only be paid for on an annual basis.

      One of the beauties of BlueHost is should you decide not to continue with their hosting for the full 3 years, they will refund you any unused months.

      Hope that helps, let me know if you need further clarification.

      Reply

  82. This is a very helpful post for someone like me that is just planning to go into blogging biz. There is just one question I have please, You did not talk on making money from the blog.Or is it that making money through ads clicks is automatically set along with your above blogging process with bluehost?

    Reply

  83. Thanks for the advise…I am just starting my own site and this is so much to take in. I have so many ideas for my blog, but I don’t know how to get started. Your post has really helped get me started. Thanks a million!!

    Reply

  87. Thank you! I’ve finally taken the jump of starting a blog and have been pretty overwhelmed. I’ve had a shop on etsy & ebay for 2 years but want to branch out on my own. I’ve doing quite a bit of research and am glad i found this post! I currently use weebly and bought my domain but everything I read says wordpress is the way to go? I wonder if is it a big enough difference that it would be worth switching?
    There’s so much to learn! Thank you for sharing the info! This new to blogging chicy would be sooo lost without such awesome posts 🙂

    Reply

    • Since you already own a business, I think a self hosted website is the best way for you to go. You can actually add weebly to a self hosted site. WordPress is the most popular for its functionality and possibility. Many people us Woo commerce to sell product on their site. Let me know if you have any more questions, I’m happy to help!

      Reply

      • Very interesting blog. A lot of blogs I see these days don’t really provide anything that attract others, but I’m most definitely interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.

        Reply

  88. These are great! I had a favicon rotator plugin but I’ve been trying to limit the amount of plugins I use. I may have to investigate your post about adding a favicon.

    Thanks so much for sharing. This is brilliant.

    I’m pinning to my blogging board.

    Wishing you a lovely week.
    xoxo

    Reply

  90. Hey Kristie! Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday! I’m excited to connect with you and follow your blog and tutorials! I can already tell that they’re going to be extremely helpful when I can questions! -Erica

    Reply

    • Hi Erica! Glad you stopped by. Let me know if there’s any blogging related things you have questions on, happy to help! Also, good luck on your new twitter adventure!

      Reply

  91. Hi Kristi,
    Well, thepeacefulhaven.com is up and running ALL thanks to your amazing blog posts on how to set up a blog! I am indebted to you…because I know full well my blog would not be here if it were not for your clear advise! All I have to say is…THANK YOU!

    Reply

  92. Thanks for stopping by my blog! It seems like you have plenty of great resources here, I’ll have to check them out when I’m not about to go to work! How long have you had this site for?

    Corinne x

    Reply

  93. Hey Kristie, thanks for stopping by DYOB today and I really appreciate your comment about disabling the Pin it button! Only thing is, the code did’t come through in the comment. :[ I’d love to add it to the tutorial and credit you 🙂

    Reply

  94. I wish I’d had access to all these tutorials when I started my blog. Thanks for visiting Night Owl Corner….just stopping by to check out your blog too!
    Linda

    Reply

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