Blogging can be a great way to make some extra money or earn a full-time income.
Then theresSuzi Whitford, a stay-at-home mom who decided to create a blog.
Heck, The Penny Hoarder is a prime example.
Web hosting packages available on Bluehost
This website started out as founder Kyle Taylors personal blog in 2010.
He used a free blogging platform and updated the content about once a week.
Fast forward to 2018, and The Penny Hoarder has transformed into a media company.
Taylors no longer a blogger.
Hes the CEO of a company that employs more than 100 employees.
In 2017, The Penny Hoarder brought in more than $37 million in revenue.
OK, so you dont have to gothatbig.
Maybe you just want to make some extra money from your blog.
We put together your step-by-step guide to starting a blog from scratch no technical experience required.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Blogging can be a fun and breezy hobby, a way to share your words with the world.
It can also generate some serious income.
He wrote about odd side gigs and how he saved money on groceries.
TheNomadic Boysare a gay couple who travel the world and share gay-friendly guides and reviews.
There are two mini steps to this:
1.
This requires choosing a web host.
Your host will provide the storage, bandwidth and speed to keep your website alive and well.
There are a number of hosting options out there, and they all essentially do the same thing.
For the sake of simplicity, were going to focus on one of the most well-known services:Bluehost.
We recommend Bluehost, because its straightforward and offers great customer service.
Plus, its pretty affordable.
Its basic package starts at $2.95 a month.
This includes a single website, a free domain for a year and 50GB of website space.
In all, that comes out to less than $120.
Not bad for three years.
Once you make your selection, its time to choose your sites domain.
Choose Your Sites Web Address
Your domain name (or web address) is like your street address.
It helps readers find your website.
But heres where it gets tricky: Just like a street address, your domain name must be unique.
If you want to see whether your dream domain name is available, use this domain name checker fromBluehost.
If the domain name you want isnt available, Bluehost will offer similar alternatives.
you could always change .com to .net, for example, but remember people are used to typing .com.
Deviating from the norm might throw them off.
Bluehost will ask if you want to purchase atonof add-ons to your package.
We dont think any of these are absolutely necessary, but you might want to consider privacy protection.
Its less than $1 a month, and itll keep your contact information private.
This is the tool youll use to build out your site and publish content.
Heads up: There are a number of blogging platforms to choose from.
Its easy to wade knee-deep into research, comparisons, and pros and cons.
Some of the most popular free blogging platforms for beginners include Wix, Weebly and WordPress.
For this guide, were going to recommendWordPress.
And, hey, were a little biased.
Heres one quick note: see to it youre downloading the software for a self-hosted WordPress blog at WordPress.org.
WordPress.comallows you to create a website, but its less customizable and more difficult to monetize.
It can take up to 24 hours for your domain to fully register.
Theres no rush, though.
You need some time to get it looking spiffy.
Choose a Theme
We recommend first choosing a theme.
WordPress offers both free and paid premium themes.
you’re free to also buy third-party themes from a marketplace like Etsy.
We recommend starting with one of the free themes.
Heres a fun pro tip that can save some time:Different themes will offer different features.
Check off the feature boxes to find your perfect fit.
you’re free to change the theme in the future.
Create a Menu
Once youve selected your theme, start building your pages.
Maybe you want to start with a general Blog page.
Second, set up a menu.Go to Appearance, Menu then Create Menu.
you could name this something generic, like Navigation.
Check off which pages you want on your menu, and save.
Youve got the essentials.
Keep playing around with the site.
If you have any questions, the WordPress blog offers a ton of guidance.
you’ve got the option to also search most questions on YouTube to find step-by-step video tutorials.
Step 5: Start Writing
Ready to create content?
Lets review some of the most important pages on your site.
Your Homepage
Your homepage is arguably the most important page on your blog.
People want to feel connected to you like they know you.
Your About-Me Page
This is another important page and a great place to showcase who you are.
Itll help the reader feel connected to you like a trusted friend.
Dont be afraid to lean into who you are.
Use your unique experiences, perspective and personality to differentiate yourself.
Your Contact Page
Your readers are going to want to reach out to you.
Make that easy on them by setting up a Contact Me page.
Include your email address and how to find you on social platforms.
you’re free to also installa contact form plugin.
This allows readers to reach out without nabbing your personal information.
Plus, all inquiries go straight to your primary email account, so you dont have to juggle multiples.
To create your first blog post in WordPress, click Posts and Add New.
Once everythings set, click publish!
Your goal right now is to build up your high-quality content.
Paste this into your websites pages and posts, and Google will start tracking your visitors.
We suggest paying attention to the source of traffic (social media, direct, Google, etc.
), the number of pageviews and the time spent on the page.
Over time, this information can help you tailor content to your readers needs and interests.
Think: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr…
The best platform for your content will depend on your goals.
If youre relying on visuals, share a photo on Instagram.
If youre in the crafting niche, Pinterest could be a great resource.
you’re able to simply share them on your personal accounts and see how they perform.
Add social media buttons on your site, too.
This will help your readers easily share your content.
For this, youll need to explore a WordPress plugin.
One simple and free option isSimple Share Buttons Adder.
(In fact, that could be how you stumbled upon this guide!)
SEO is intricate and cavernous.
Thats what people are searching a lot more than something like my Blue Apron experience.
There youll also find questions people ask Google as well as related searches.
Once you get the hang of these basics, start exploring the SEO world more deeply.
Youll find there are tons of online tools and tutorials thatll guide you through the complicated world of Google.
Write Guest Posts
Which other blogs or websites do you like in your niche?
Many sites are open to new, quality writers covering interesting topics.
Then, you’re free to link back to articles on your blog within the post.
This will help you gain exposure with an audience thats already into your topic.
Remember Suzi Whitford, the stay-at-home mom who started her own blog?
Build an Email List
Want to let people know when a new post has been published?
Or deliver great cross-stitching tips to their inbox?
Mailchimp put togethera beginners guide, so check that out for all the nitty-gritty details.
There are several ways to make money from blogging.
An ad web connection acts as the middleman between you and advertisers.
One of the biggest ad networks right now isGoogle AdSense.
The tool automatically serves up display ads.
Those are the ads you see along the sides of a webpage.
We dont suggest plaguing your readers with ads.
This is distracting and overwhelming feels quite spammy.
Instead, opt to display one or two ads per page.
This option is worth experimenting with to start.
Once you build up your audience, consider approaching advertisers directly for advertising partnerships.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing is super popular.
Lets go back to Blue Apron as an example.
TheBlue Apron affiliate programallows you to earn a commission when you promote its two-person and family meal plans.
These sales are noted through a tracking system a special link and program thatll keep tabs on customers.
Many times, you have to apply to join an affiliate program.
when you land a tracking link, youll create content around the affiliate.
Like we talked about earlier, maybe you write a Blue Apron review for your blog.
There are hundreds of affiliate programs out there, and each one pays differently.
The key is to do research and find ones that fit your blogs niche and mission.
Ready to Start a Blog?
Lets Do It
Many online resources claim starting and monetizing a blog is easy as pie.
As you’re free to see from this comprehensive guide, its rather intricate.
At times, youll get frustrated.
Youll look at the clock and realize its 4 a.m. Youll feel like youre out of ideas.
But, if youre really passionate about your cause, keep going.
Carson Kohler ([email protected]) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
She understands firsthand the intricacies of starting a blog.
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