If you wish to know how you can create a blog, you have definitely landed on the right platform. Being a blogger, I have collected a range of experiences from my work. Apart from this, I also like to study other renowned bloggers who educate me, inspire, and entertain the readers in their unique style. If you wish to grow your blog, you can definitely start making money. However, if you want to turn it into your full-time job, you have to understand the best way to create a good blogging website.
Blogging can be said as a dream job for people who take an interest in writing. While the starting process might be daunting, it will become easier and smoother when you keep walking. The process is very easy, and once you know it, you will have to keep working to acquire the best results. Here we will talk about the step-by-step guide that will work as guidance. We will find out all the basic requirements that you need to create a blogging website.
Hopefully, it will help you in your endeavor to start a blogging website and soon be willing to Monetize it once you find traffic coming on your blog.
Table of Contents
What is blogging?
Blogging can be a part of the website or an entire website. Blogs typically include visual and written elements that are published in several formats to make them readable for the visitors. It helps visitors to understand more about the business and get information about the products. With a large number of blogs published every day, you will find every single detail from different verticals.
Why should you start a blog?
There are several reasons why people start creating their blogging websites. Some of the most common reasons include:
Sharing ideas with the world
There are several times when you want your visitors to hear what you have in your mind. You might have some unique ideas that you want to share with the world. This is where blogging can be helpful. It is a great way to communicate with your readers. You can use your passion and creativity to customize blogs as per likings, ideas, experiences, and expertise.
Promote service or product
Most small business owners will use blogs as a basic form of content marketing. Writing strategy content with keywords can help to engage with potential customers. It will help them to feel connected and get all the information about the service and product.
Earn revenue
Blogging can be extremely lucrative when you make continuous posts with time. One of the best ways to monetize and see the fruits of your labor is by posting the best quality content that can help readers to get valuable information. When your blog creates information, it will help grab traffic. This is a great way to boost traffic and earn revenue. When you find more people coming on your blog, you will be considered as influence marketing and soon start earning revenues.
Builds a strong online community
Blogging is a great way to improve traffic to your website. So when you can find people coming to it, you will understand that you are drawing potential customers who are looking for information related to your products or service. So with more ideas and stories, you can create a great online community of similar interest. This way, you can build relationships and make conversations.
So, now that you have got an understanding of the reasons why you should start creating a blogging website, hopefully, you will be looking forward to finding the steps to create one. So without any further talking, we will find out the steps that can help you to start blogging.
How to start a blogging website?
Step 1: Choose the blogging platform
The very first step to starting a blogging website is to select the best blogging platform where you can start publishing your content. When you make a quick Google search, you will find out different names available in the market that can suit your distinct requirements. While there are several other blogging platforms, it is recommended to choose the best one that can satisfy most of your needs.
It is mostly suggested that you look for a straightforward platform to help you understand the process quickly. You also need to check out the options of attractive designs along with the templates provided by the platform to the users. Since you have to make sure that your users get intrigued by the looks, you have to ensure checking in detail before you choose.
Apart from this, if you find a blogging website with many features to improve your blog’s performance and Monetize content, it can become handy for you. With more effective features related to search engine optimization and monetization, you will be able to reap the ultimate advantages of the blogging platform and your blog.
How much does it cost?
This is probably one of the first things that will come to your mind. You’re probably starting due to your passion and ideas, which means that you might be unable to invest a lot of money. So you can look for a platform that provides free or a minimal charge.
Remember that when you choose your free blogging website, you will not be able to enjoy the range of features provided to the users. So it is generally advised to select the minimum plan and then start your blogging. It won’t cost much but will let you use the multitude of features that will later become an excellent decision for you.
Step 2: Pick a hosting platform:
Now that you have already chosen the blogging platform, you will have to make sure that you get it online. So you have to find the hosting platform. A blog is just like any other website that requires you to get hosted online. It will have a unique address where your visitors will get all the content you publish. So, it is time that you look for a suitable hosting platform.
Whilst there are several hosting platforms available in the market, here are some of the most popular ones.
- Bluehost
- GoDaddy
- HostWind
- DreamHost
If you wish to find the top 10 hosting platforms for your purpose, click on the link.
If you want to know the things you require checking while choosing a hosting platform, then the following are the significant factors.
- You need to make sure that the server hosting is always up and running. With a strong uptime rate of 99.95% and more, the hosting platform ensures keeping your site life without any server error.
- You have to make sure about the bandwidth. It is based on the data amount on your blogging website that you want to transfer to the visitor simultaneously. It is based on the number of pages and the amount of traffic. Remember, a site with incredible bandwidth will be able to serve the best to the people irrespective of the traffic count or the number of pages.
- Check for robust Customer support. The chances are always higher that there are some issues with the server. In such times, it is not possible for you to resolve the problem. So, while you choose a hosting platform, you have to be sure that they provide live, email, and phone support 24/7 so that you can reach them at any time.
Once the platform and hosting are chosen, it is time that you actually think about creating a blog. So this is where the brainstorming comes into play. You will be able to show your unique ideas and strategies to your visitors.
Step: 3: Find a good blogging niche:
Now that you have already got some knowledge about the technical things that you need to make sure of before starting a blog, it is time that you dive into the real thing. Now it is time that you find out the prime reason for choosing to start a blogging website. You have to make sure to create the foundation of your blog. You need to choose a URL and a domain name before you start building a blog.
Remember that when you choose a URL or domain name based on the business vertical, it becomes helpful for the visitors to understand what your blog is all about. To be very true, there is no limit when it comes to choosing subjects. However, the vital thing is to be specific to some topic that is the central attraction of your blog.
Some of the most common types of blogs are marketing, fashion, food, tech, real estate, and a lot more. Each and every type talks about the kind of information that you will get from the blogs. Even when you will be choosing a familiar genre, your blog needs to stand out from the others with your writing style and ideas.
However, if you are getting perplexed choosing the best blog niche, the following are some of the best ways that can help you to find out the best one.
- Find out your interest.
- Find out your potential audience.
- Be sure whether it will be a profitable idea or not.
Find out your interest: While creating a blog, you have to think about the long-term. In order to keep yourself motivated to blog regularly, you need to choose something you are interested in. However, if you choose any topic based on its popularity or profitability, it might help you to garner better results quickly, especially when it belongs to your interest.
If you don’t have much idea initially, it’s nothing to worry about. It is better to start with a brainstorming session about the subjects you like. You need to find out what excites you and what you are eager to learn, find out 5 to 10 interests that come to your mind and then choose the best one that keeps you interested.
Find out your potential audience: The very next important step to starting blogging is to find out the people who will be interested in reading. Remember that when your blog is able to bring a vast amount of traffic, it will eventually help you to make money from it. You can become a full-time blogger.
You can find out the demand of your chosen vertical by doing some market research. Use Google Trends as it shows how many people are looking for the topic that you have chosen. When it shows that it gets more searches, it means that it has increased market demand.
Be sure whether it will be a profitable idea or not: Whether it is a professional or personal blog, it is always better to find out the profitability associated with the chosen niche. Even when you are starting as a hobby, you must think about future monetization options. It will help you to evolve in your career.
There is a range of ways to monetize your blog: however, one of the most common is affiliate marketing. You can work as an affiliate where you work for a specific company and market their products with your blog. With more sales happening from the link that you have provided on your blog, you will be able to get the commission of the sale made.
You will always need to find out the money-making strategy while you start. The more profitable opportunities available, the better you grow in your future.
Step 4: Choose a domain and blog name:
When you think about how to start a blog, the fundamental question that might be lurking somewhere in your mind is the name you want to give. While this might seem very easy to some, it is not if you have to keep in mind the factors like being unique and the blog niche you have chosen.
There are three primary ways that you can choose while looking for a blog name. These include:
- Your first name
- Your last name
- A creative new name
- Your business name (if you have)
When you want to choose the name of your blog, you also have to keep in mind the personality that it will reflect. Should it be professional, formal, romantic, sweet, offbeat, or edgy? You have to understand the character that your blog will evoke and then choose a name.
When you have decided, you should choose the domain name. It is also known as the URL, which is the address of your website. Typically it is influenced by the blog name that you create.
Step 5: Design and set up your blog:
It is now time that you think about designing and setting up your blog. You need to keep a lot of things in mind while creating a design to ensure that your viewers like your website the very moment they drop. So, the following are the four most important things that you need to do in order to set up the blog and create a fantastic design.
- Find the blog template
- Find out the pages you wish to include.
- Get indexed.
- Create blog logo
Find the blog template: You have to initially set the template of your blog. One of the best ways to get the blog running is by choosing pre-design templates. You also need to make sure about the customization.
When choosing the blog template, you have to make sure you have an idea about your blogging niche. Depending on it, you can choose a modern, classic, minimalist, or rugged design.
Find out the pages you wish to include: After you have chosen the template, you need to be sure about the pages you want to include. Most the blogs have a contact page and an about page. However, if you are an online shop, you need to choose several other pages based on your business and a separate blog page.
Everything that you create will have an impact on your blog. When you choose to create several pages, make sure that you choose to design a good navigation menu. When the navigation is clearly done, it will help visitors instantly understand where to go in order to access the blog or find relevant information.
Get indexed: One of the most essential parts of blogging is ensuring that it becomes visible on search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and much more. You must know that until your blog pops up in the search results, your visitors won’t be able to find you.
So you have to ensure that the website gets indexed on search engines. Essentially it is Google that you need to pay attention to. You can easily do this by submitting a sitemap on the Google search console. It will make the process easier.
Create blog logo: It is now time to create an attractive blog logo. It is a great way to add unique aspects to your website. Your logo represents your business or your blog, which will become a recognized brand once it evolves.
So, you can choose a designer who can create a unique blog logo, or you can use online tools to create logos and customize them with your favorite icons, fonts, and colors. Remember that it will be a representation of your blog and business, so you must pay attention to creating a unique one.
Step 6: Find Out The Blog Topics:
If you look at the technical side, your blog is ready. However, now you have to focus on the main element. You have to think about all the interests and ideas that you have. Remember that the ideas you put into making a blog will be in vain unless you choose the best blog topics.
It can be really challenging to understand and find the relevant and best blog topic, so you can use the tools that will help you get an idea about the best topics.
You need to know that there are different types of blog ideas that you have to create initially before choosing the topic. You can choose to write a beginners guide, product information, general blog, hacks, and several other things based on your blog niche.
Step 7: Write the blog:
It is now time that you start writing your first blog post. However, before you dive into writing, the following are the most important things you need to include in your blog post.
- Keyword research is a must
- Find a blog title
- Write engaging content
- Insert Images
- SEO optimization
- Edit and publish:
Keyword research is a must: It is crucial that you focus on finding the right keywords while choosing the blog post. You have to find out targeted phrases that people are primarily looking for. Including them on your blog in a very strategic and free-flowing manner will help search engines and readers understand what your blog is all about.
Remember that the keyword research will be done separately for every blog post that you are writing. It depends on the blog topic you are choosing. Based on that topic, you have to find out the most common phrases searched and use them on your blog in a very strategic manner.
Find a blog title: One of the essential parts of a blog is its title. You need to include a strong title that will be associated with the keyword. In such cases, it becomes easier for Google to index your website.
Remember that you have to include compelling and catchy blog titles that will drive your readers to think about it. It will create inquisition in their mind and compel them to look at the blog you have provided. So, you can use question format or be direct while choosing any blog title.
Write engaging content: The next most important thing is writing and engaging content. When we talk about engagement, you have to make sure that the content is created by keeping in mind your targeted users. You can create captivating content and provide useful statistics along with exciting facts.
You have to create multiple paragraphs and ensure that they are extremely easy to read. Writing simple yet relevant content will effectively improve your website’s traffic count.
Insert Images: You cannot just keep writing a blog and expect your visitors to read. You have to understand that visual products are always a great way to keep your visitors attracted to your website. So you have to make sure that you insert several images relevant to the content. Create paragraphs and use pictures. Do not forget to include the ALT tags on the photo.
You can use keywords or describe the image so that it becomes easier for Google to understand what the image is all about. Therefore it might happen that even when the readers are looking for relevant images, they might show up. It will then redirect to your website, which is a great way to improve your traffic.
SEO optimization: A lot of things have to be done when it comes to optimizing your blog SEO. Remember that when the blog is backed with solid SEO, it will undoubtedly show results with continuous effort.
So you have to include the keywords you have chalked out, add internal links, use CTA on your blog, and don’t forget to include ALT text and post meta data for every blog you create.
Edit and publish: Once you have done everything, it is now time to publish it. So, make one last thorough check and then publish it. If it requires some editing work, make sure to do it and create an error-free blog.
That’s all!
Everything that is mentioned above talks about the way to create a blogging website. However, there are some additional steps included that you have to do after posting every blog to ensure that it reaches more audience and gets improved traffic from the last one. Make a lot of promotions, and don’t give up any opportunities of making money from your blog.
Conclusion
So now that you have got a complete idea about how to start blogging, hopefully, you won’t find it challenging. However, it is always beneficial to have professional guidance in order to improve the results. You can choose an SEO expert who will work on your blog to get an idea about the topics and keywords to create blogs, while the expert will do their best to optimize the SEO.
So without any further talking, start blogging.
Blogging FAQs
Yes. When you choose the correct vertical or niche, people look for information. If you provide detailed or specific information about the service or product, visitors will land on your website to find relevant information. However, you have to be very strategic while choosing the topic which will help in improving the profitability of your blogging.
There is no such specific answer to us as it is always the same. You have to keep in mind the thumb rule, which is that you have to keep working on your blog until it becomes a destination for people looking for relevant information. So, the rule is simple whether you want to know how to start food blogging or how to start fashion blogging to earn more money. You have to give your hundred percent and keep giving your hundred percent until your blog becomes a brand.
It will vary from one to another. There are no such specific numbers, but you can definitely earn huge revenue on a yearly basis as a blogger. Remember that your blog needs to have a unique factor that brings people to it.
There are several blog niches available that you can choose from. Everything is profitable until you are strategic and consistent. Some of the most promising verticals are fashion, beauty, food, home decor, finance, and technology. You can create blogs and include affiliate links or sponsorship to Monetize them.