If I’m not blogging or sharing pictures on (my favorite social media place to be) I’m coaching other bloggers. A lot of the time I work with bloggers who have had their home on the Internet for several years and are looking to re-brand themselves and mold their blog into a career.
What I’m finding is that we took many wrong steps when we first started our blogs. There are different routes we could have taken in the very beginning to make our lives easier as our blogs grew and we wanted to turn this writing hobby into a full time career.
I wanted to write a post about how to get your blog started on the right foot, to ensure your success in the future, no matter what route you may take.
Let’s start walking – – ->
1. Buy Your Own Domain and Get Hosting
What does that even mean? Hosting? It may sound like something big and scary, but in reality, it couldn’t be simpler. Getting your blog “hosted” means you are parking it somewhere. I always tell even beginner bloggers that getting started right away with hosting will better your odds in the future versus creating your blog on a free site. There are different rules and regulations when it comes to content, working with ad networks, and more, that you want to be able to own your blog. When creating your blog on a free site, if that website wants to shut down or take your content, you are out of luck.
The only hosting I have ever chose and recommend is Bluehost. I’ve never had a problem with them, and when I need help with anything related to my blog, I can easily call them or chat with them online 24/7.
Bluehost is also very affordable and easy to install WordPress in just a few clicks.
It’s that easy to get started with your very own blog just like the pro’s!
Click Here to sign up with Bluehost today!
2. Jazz Up Your Blog
Using WordPress, the next thing you will need to do is get a theme and personalize your blog. You can hire a designer to create your perfect vision, download a free theme in WordPress, or buy a premium theme yourself.
Some premium themes that I recommend because they are easy to customize and are very attractive are using the Genesis theme. They also have some great themes that go along with Genesis, at Studio Press. This blog is run on Genesis and is very easy to edit and make your own without knowing any coding or HTML.
3. Content is King
It’s easy to get caught up in the design, the theme, and the social networking. One common mistake that bloggers tend to forget is that content is what is going to drive your blog and turn it into a business from a hobby. Good, daily content is what will drive your numbers up, grow your audience, and gain your trust with your followers.
Write creative pieces, share fun projects, write about current events, and share what you know by teaching others. There are so many great ideas when it comes to your blog that can keep it growing until you say stop.
The best part about creating your very own blog, is that it is yours! No one can tell you what you can or can’t do, what you can or can’t write about, or even if you have to be politically correct. Your blog is an extension of you and a place to express yourself.
Follow these steps to create a blog that is ready to grow with you and meet any goals you set for yourself!
*Affiliate links have been used in this post. Please read my website disclosure here.
I started w a free site and keep getting told that was a big NO NO…. UGH… I will ride it for awhile and see how hard it is to move over to a hosted site.
It’s not too difficult Aimee, just a step that you could have avoided before. People only have trouble transferring because sometimes you can mess up posts, comments, page views, etc. BUT if you have your blog running just fine using Blogspot, just buy your own domain and get your domain linked to your Blogger account. I actually have several websites where I use Blogger and people would never even know the difference. 🙂