Starting a Blog
Starting a blog is much easier now than it has ever been, with the advent of automated scripts and free content management platforms such as WordPress it has made it possible to run a blog without any programming knowledge. The price of web hosting has dropped to the point where for less than $50 you can have a .com domain name and a fully functioning website that is extremely easy to update and modify.
The first thing to think about when starting a blog is what web hosting company you want to go with, before you can start worrying about the design, layout, advertisers, etc. you will need to figure out what you want as your domain name and which web hosting company you wish to go with. I would suggest using a web hosting company that has good control panel software along with some kind of automated installer like Fantastico De Luxe or Simple Scripts – this allows you to simply click a button to install WordPress.
WordPress Hosting – Blog Hosting Providers
My top pick for WordPress hosting is FatCow Web Hosting, they provide a lot of power and support for just around $50/year including a free domain name. Using the banner at the end of this page will bring you to their special offer page, saving you even more on web hosting. When choosing a hosting provider always check to see how many domains you can have on your account, with FatCow you can host unlimited sites. This way when you decide to start a new website or your business starts to expand, you will be able to continue using the same provider.
Here’s a checklist for starting your blog:
- Figure out your niche (personal, technology, investing, etc.)
- Come up with a domain name, Check if Your Domain is Available.
- Choose a reliable WordPress hosting company – FatCow WordPress
- Pick a WordPress theme –Free Official WordPress Themes.
- Start writing content & adding widgets & images.
- Promote your blog & build backlinks
- Make money through advertisements – Google Adsense.
Now that you have purchased your WordPress hosting go to your control panel and set up WordPress. Login in to your WordPress dashboard and now it is time to choose a theme for your blog. Depending on your needs you can either get a free theme from WordPress or you can get a professionally designed theme. My favorite WordPress designers at the moment are the folks over at WooThemes, where you can get a 3 for 1 theme deal. The themes at WooThemes are great because they cover many different styles, and more importantly they come with built in features so that when you want to change the design you don’t need to manually write any code.
Now that you have a framework down start writing content for your blog, make a few static pages such as an about page and a couple pages that show your expertise (or your personality if it is a personal blog). Once people have something to look at, start promoting your blog by commenting on similar blogs and through social media. It will take quite a while to build up a steady source of traffic but once you do you will want to monetize your site, I would recommend using something like Google AdSense as it is quite easy to setup with WordPress.
Best of luck with your new blog, this new source of media can be quite fun and when developed properly quite profitable as well. Spend some time figuring out how the blogosphere works, why people link to each others sites, etc. and it will pay off. Take advantage of the changing trends, at the time of this writing Facebook and Twitter are still king but there will always be a new way to gain traffic on the horizon, and the faster you adapt the better off you will be. If you have not yet signed up for WordPress hosting I would highly recommend FatCow WordPress hosting.
