HOW TO START A BLOG IN 2022
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR STARTING YOUR WEBSITE/BLOG
So you want to start a blog, and preferably not “just another blog on the internet”. You want a blog that inspires you, won’t fall apart, and makes a real difference to your readers, while making you soulful abundant money.
Hello there. You’re at the right place.
Whether you are just starting out or you are an old-timer who fell off the wagon for a while and want to come back to blogging, the idea of starting a blog can be overwhelming. In fact, the whole process is probably making you want to quit before you even began!
But, here is the good news – I’m here to tell you that nowadays the process of getting a blog started is no longer a rocket science!
Yes, there is a process involved, but if you can read, follow instructions, fill up some forms and upload some files, then you can set up your blog right now, right here. That means you can have your very own blog TODAY if you want!
But, wait, there is a right way of starting a blog?
Well, I would say that there is no ONE right way, but there are definitely several wrong ways that can cost you money and time to correct down the road.
I have personally made some bad mistakes that cost me not only money and time, but also a ton of frustrations.
And I don’t want you to walk down the same path and make the same mistakes as I did.
So, in this comprehensive guide, I’ll guide you through step-by-step on launching your blog the right way, minus all the guesswork.
Just to be clear, I’m not talking about starting just another blog on the internet. I am talking about starting the kind of blog that you can’t wait to dive into creating and sharing, while making an impact in this World and helping you support yourself and your loved ones.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission when you purchase through my affiliate links. This is how I’m able to keep most of my content free and support my social missions. Read my full disclosure policy here. Thank you for supporting my blog!
FIRST, SOME COMMON BLOGGING QUESTIONS
- To establish your credibility, thought leadership, and your brand. Your blog is an excellent platform for you to share your knowledge, showcase your skills, express your personality, and therefore, establishing your credibility, thought leadership, and your brand with your audience.
- To promote your business. Your blog is an excellent marketing tool for your business. It is a cost-efficient way to increase search engine visibility in your chosen field, which is why many digital marketers use blogging as part of their marketing strategies.
- To centralize all your content. You may already be sharing content on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Podcast, etc. Having a website/blog acts as a HUB for you to centralize everything so that your audience can find all your content at one-easy location.
- To have more control over your brand and your content. Let’s face it – you don’t own your social media accounts! At any given time, Facebook, IG, YouTube etc can change their algorithms and you could lose all your followers overnight. Having your own website gives you SUPREME control over social media.
- To become a published author. Aside from having an accessible digital space to showcase your written work (and to practice writing), publishers nowadays require authors to have an existing audience and an established online presence. This makes it easier to sell books. Alternately, if you already have an existing following, you can self-publish your own book instead of waiting for a publisher to discover you. In fact, many bloggers/influencers prefer this approach.
- To have a creative outlet. Some choose to use their blogs to document their thoughts, stories and milestones or just blog for fun. And that is perfectly OK too.
- To learn a new skill. Perhaps you have been hearing about this whole blogging thing and you want to see what it is really like and to learn a new skill. Who knows, perhaps this could lead to a new career down the road, whether as a freelance writer, an author, or new work opportunities at digital marketing companies.
Yes you can, but I don’t recommend it. If you intend to build your brand, turn it into a career, or make money from your blog, it is mandatory that your blog is self-hosted. This means investing in hosting and a domain for your blog. Why?
- You will not be able to advertise or promote affiliate products (two ways to make money blogging) if you are not on a self-hosted blog.
- With free blogging platform, you
- If you are using a free blogging platform, your customization is limited. Often, these platforms come with only very limited templates and features, often making it difficult to create the look and feel of your ideal blog.
- If you are on a free blogging platform, your domain name will look something like “yourbusiness.Freewebsite.com” (rather than “yourbusiness.com”), which isn’t good either if you want to use your blog for professional or business purposes.
If you follow this guide, your basic setup is around US$65.
Basic Setup: US$65+
Web hosting and domain via SiteGround (first year): US$65+
Wanting extra? Pro Setup: US$180+
Web hosting and domain via SiteGround (first year): US$65+
Premium WordPress theme (one-time investment): US$60+
Pre-made logo (one-time investment): US$15 – 30
Premium stock photos bundle: US$20 to $50
Email marketing software (monthly): US$20+
Web hosting is the space on the internet where your website/blog is stored. Your domain name is your website’s unique address. Example: This website is hosted by SiteGround, and my domain name is www.MillieLeung.com.
To start a self-hosted website, you will need to have both web hosting and a domain name. More on that below.
No, it is not too late. The competition for blogs may be higher these days than years ago, but the World is a huge place and the online World continues to grow every year.
Plus, there is only one YOU in this World! You have your own unique message, perspective, stories and gift. Put your unique spin and create amazing content, and you will attract readers who like you for who you are.
There are 7 steps in starting a blog with purpose. We will dive into each step in details below.
Take a deep breath and don’t feel overwhelmed. I am right here with you. Just follow along step-by-step and you will have a beautiful and purposeful blog of your own setup soon.
Are you ready to start your blog?
7 STEPS TO LAUNCH YOUR BLOG
(Click to skip over to corresponding session…)
1. IDENTIFY YOUR Niche
The fact that you’ve read this far told me that you are someone who is looking for more purpose in your blog.
You don’t want to start “just another blog on the internet”. You want something that represents you, showcase your expertise, and makes a difference to your readers.
I’m totally with you.
I believe that the perfect niche should be both purpose-driven and profitable.
It should be something that you are passionate about, something you can make a difference with, all the while allowing you to make a living supporting those you love.
Because at the end, purpose is what keeps you going even when passion is fading, profit is fluctuating and your blog’s algorithm is going all over the place.
HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR PERFECT NICHE
So, you may ask… “HOW do I identify my perfect niche?”
- Passion (What makes your heart soar). Your niche should be something that you are truly, deeply passionate about. Something that makes your heart soar and something that you could talk about forever without getting bored of.
- Profession (What can you teach others). Identify something that you have expertise, knowledge and experience in and are able to teach others on.
- People (What do your people need). Think about who you want to serve and what problems you want to help solve in this World.
- Profit (How can you get paid from it). Last but not least, if you want to have a purpose-driven AND profitable niche, you need to identify your profit model. What products or services people are willing to pay for in your niche?
Where your Passion, Profession, People and Profit intersect is where your perfect blog niche is – one that is purposeful and also profitable.
If you would like to dive deeper into identifying your perfect blog niche, check out my Perfect Niche Formula online course.
2. DECIDE ON YOUR DOMAIN NAME
So you may be thinking, do I really need a domain name? Can’t I just use a free blogging platform?
(In case you’ve missed the Common Blogging Questions above, a domain name is your website’s unique address. For example, the domain for this website is www.Millieleung.com.)
So, the straight answer is YES, you NEED your own domain name if you are serious about starting a blog the right way.
REASONS WHY YOU NEED A DOMAIN
Here are the reasons why you need your own domain for your blog:
- Have complete ownership and control over your content.
- You want to use your blog to promote a business. Your own domain name gives you instant credibility as compared to a free website. Just think about “yourbusiness.freewebsite.com”vs “yourbusiness.com”. No comparison, right?
- You want to build a personal brand and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. Yup, same idea as the last point.
- You may want to eventually make money off your blog. Because if you are using a free blogging platform (and you don’t have your own domain), you will not be able to monetize your blog.
When you invest in your blog from day one, it becomes of value to you.
With that said, yes, definitely register a domain and set up a self-hosted blog (we will talk about that in the next step).
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR DOMAIN NAME
Ok, now let’s get creative. We are about to brainstorm for your domain name.
Here are a few pointers that will help you choose your domain name:
- Think about what you will be blogging about. Think of the topic you want to blog about, the audience you are speaking to and use descriptive words that are related to what you are blogging about.
- Keep it short and easy to spell. This will make it easier for you to share your blog and make it easier for your readers to find your blog.
- Make it memorable. If you want, you can make your domain name unique, interesting and memorable.
- Use your name. Otherwise, you can also use your name as your domain. If you are a coach, speaker, author, personal trainer, building a brand under your own name is a great idea. This also allows you to expand your blog topic in the future if you want. As you can see, my blog www.MillieLeung.com is under my name and that is fine too.
Make a list of your domain name ideas, giving room for a few options in case what you want is no longer available.
A word of caution: Don’t fall into analysis paralysis and over think this. Focus on making progress. Then, move onto the next step where you will sign up for your web hosting!
3. SELECT THE RIGHT BLOG HOSTING
Web hosting is the space on the internet where your website/blog is stored. Your domain name is your website’s unique address. Example: This website is hosted by SiteGround, and my domain name is www.MillieLeung.com.
To start a self-hosted website, you will need to have both web hosting and a domain name – and I recommend you to get both from SiteGround.
I personally trust SiteGround 100% with my website. Believe me, I have tried out other website hosting companies before and even if some of them offer cheaper prices, I would never go back to using them again. I will write a blog post to share with you my painful story with another web hosting service at a later date.
If you want to know why I think SiteGround is absolutely awesome, you can read the details below:
SiteGround customer support has been amazing. They have helped me moved my servers and helped me troubleshoot technical issues I have had before. Seriously, I couldn’t recommend them more!
You can call them at any point of the day, access them through live chat (my favorite!) or simply start a ticket to send your questions and have them email you back if you need any technical support. They are always available. Even when everyone else is asleep!
It is terrible for any bloggers when their blog goes down. You feel like you have no control and you are missing out on potential subscribers, fans and clients! Which is absolutely no fun.
SiteGround has a very impressive uptime score – 99.99%! Which is one of the very best in the entire industry! So you can be sure that your blog is in great hands with SiteGround.
Most web hosting companies only provide support for their own services. However, SiteGround takes their support one step further. Not only they provide excellent support on their own services, they also assist you if you have questions on WordPress too.
I have used their technical support for WordPress related questions before and they are helpful, knowledgable and super friendly.
It is no wonder that SiteGround is one of the web hosting companies officially recommended by WordPress.org!
This is no joke! Imagine you have your blog beautifully setup… BUT, each time your reader clicks on your links, it takes a long time for the page to come up. You will lose your readers! People are impatient these days and in many cases, they will simply click back and visit some other blogs out there if you make them wait too long!
This happened to my blog before and once I switched over to SiteGround (from another popular big name web hosting company), my site loading speed improved drastically from 8 seconds to less than 2 seconds! That is a HUGE difference. And this is why I wholeheartedly recommend SiteGround!
Seriously, who needs to make things complicated when there is a simpler way?
SiteGround makes your blog simple to setup – which is so important especially when you are just starting out. I mean, let me just show you how below!
(Note: If you are currently using another web hosting company, you can easily transfer over to SiteGround with just a few clicks or have it professionally transferred for free with their GrowBig and GoGeek plans.)
Web hosting with SiteGround starts as low as US$3.95 per month for the first year and US$15.95 for domain. That’s like only US$64 for a whole year!
* Click the button below to setup your blog along side with this step-by-step guide:
STEP 1: CHOOSE A PLAN.
The StartUp Plan works great for beginners, with up to 10,000 monthly visits. When your blog traffic starts growing to more than 10,000 page views (that’s the goal right??!), you can then easily upgrade to the next plan.
The GrowBig and GoGeek plans are ideal for advanced bloggers. So if you have an existing blog you want to migrate over from another web host, or you plan on having multiple domain names down the line, choose the higher plans.
Decided on the plan? Great! Click on the orange GET PLAN button and let’s keep going!
STEP 2: TYPE IN YOUR PREFERRED DOMAIN.
On the next page, you will be taken to a domain registration form. Type in your preferred domain name.
It will verify if the domain name you picked is available, after which you can proceed with the registration details.
STEP 3: COMPLETE THE REST OF THE FORM.
And then you just have to complete your account information and other payment details. Fill up the form and make sure that you choose the 12 month period for the best deal before you check out.
Click on the blue PAY NOW button to finish your order and you will be ready to install your WordPress in a minute!
After payment, you’ll receive all the payment info via email.
You should also receive your login details via email so watch out for those Welcome emails! One of those initial emails will take you to your SiteGround dashboard.
4. SETUP WORDPRESS.ORG
You are doing awesome!
In this step, we are going to setup WordPress.org on your website. Now, there are other Content Management Systems or blog content platforms around. But I will not go around in circles and just tell you straight out—choose WORDPRESS.ORG.
About 35% of all websites in the World is supported by WordPress.org. It is FREE, flexible and SEO-ready. There is also a large community of third-party plugin developers and theme designers, which means you will have many reliable options to customize your blog. My blog is built with WordPress.org and I highly recommend it!
SiteGround makes it really easy to setup WordPress.org. In just a few clicks your WordPress will be setup.
First, go to SiteGround Homepage and login to your SiteGround Customer Area (on the top right hand corner).
Once you login to your Customer Area for the first time you will see the below screen. Click “Set Up Site”.
On the next screen, select “Start New Website” and then select “WordPress”.
Complete your WordPress website login details. Your WordPress login is how you will be accessing your website in the future. You can use the same email address and password as your hosting service or use different ones for better security. Once you are done, then press “Continue” and finish the setup.
That’s it! You have now successfully started your self-hosted WordPress blog on SiteGround!
PS – If you find yourself lost in the process at any given point, SiteGround has a 24/7 support that will walk you through the process.
5. DESIGN YOUR BLOG
Yay! You have now started your blog and it is active! And you can click on the first link “View Your Site” to take a look (see screen shot below).
Of course, it’s not looking too pretty just yet, because you have not yet customized it or added any content. Nonetheless, it is a perfectly functional website and it is a great start!
To customize your website, click on the 2nd link to “Log In Admin”. This will take you to the WordPress dashboard where you can add a theme, customize your website, add content and to design your ideal blog.
Some people will tell you to skip the design and just come back later.
However, as a creative person, having a blog that you love looking at will definitely helps with the creative process. And of course, a good-looking blog will also attract readers and keep them on your blog too! So I do recommend you to spend some time designing your blog.
If you want to hire a web designer to take care of the design of your blog, go ahead. However, if you don’t have the budget to hire a web designer, don’t worry, there are many other options available as well.
WHAT IS A THEME?
In WordPress, a theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets used to define the appearance and display of a WordPress powered website. They can be changed, managed, and added from the WordPress admin area under Appearance » Themes. There are many free and premium WordPress themes available.
CHOOSING A THEME
There are many free WordPress themes available. A free theme I recommend is Astra. It is light-weight and customizable and used by more than 700,000+ website owners.
However, if you are able to invest a little bit of money, I would recommend you to go for a premium theme (typically US$60+, one time investment).
What’s nice about using a premium WordPress theme is, the theme developer already takes care of the plugins that you need to make it look functional, professional, and pretty. All you have to do is to select your favorite design and install!
My favorite place to get premium WordPress themes is Creative Market. It has many beautiful feminine designs at affordable pricing.
In case you are wondering, this is the theme I’m using from Creative Market. I highly recommend it! The theme designer Louise has SUPERB customer service. You can absolutely have the peace of mind that she will assist you during your setting up and customizing process.
6. INSTALL ESSENTIAL WORDPRESS PLUGINS
WHAT IS A PLUGIN?
A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites.
I have listed down some essential WordPress plugins you need to make your blog runs smoothly from day one like a pro in Blogging Resources.
Don’t take this step lightly! Setting up the right plugins will help you lay the foundation for your blog.
A word of caution: Although plugins can add functionality to your blog, do NOT overdo them! Only install the plugins that are absolutely necessary. Too many plugins can lead to website security issues, slow loading speed, site crashes and more. Follow my recommended plugin in Blogging Resources to install essential plugins to start.
7. SETUP ESSENTIAL PAGES & START BLOGGING!
Before you share your blog with your friends and family, you will want to have some essential pages written up and setup on your blog.
Here are the essential pages you’d want to prioritize:
- HOME PAGE. Your home page is the “main entrance” of your website. Your home page should be able to tell your visitors what your blog is about and what to expect. Make it easy to navigate to essential pages of your site.
- ABOUT PAGE. This is where you want to tell your visitors about who you are or what your company is about. This page is one of the most important and most visited page of your website, so do make sure that you spend some time crafting the content on this page.
- BLOG PAGE. This is where your visitors can find an archive of your blog posts.
- CONTACT PAGE. This is the page where your visitors can easily contact you.
- LEGAL PAGES. If you intend to eventually make money from your website, make sure you have a Disclosure Policy. If you’re collecting email addresses, make sure you have a Privacy Policy in place, too. You can check out legal documents bundles here.
Congratulations! You have taken a BIG step forward! Now, it’s your turn to put that beautiful purpose-driven strategy into action and start sharing your heart out! Happy sharing!
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