Hey, future blogger!
Use this step by step guide I have created to start a Wordpress blog on Bluehost.
If you've found yourself on this page, chances are you either want to start a blog or you are curious about blogging.
You're probably apprehensive, maybe a little scared, worried about how you'll look, curious if you can actually make any money blogging.
Not that long ago, I found my mind wrestling with the same thoughts.
I thought about starting a blog for a long time and I even wrote some posts on a word document, and then let them sit for months. If there is one piece of advice that I have right off the bat, it is don't think about it, do it.
I started this blog as a way to write down my opinions and experiences with personal finance (because I did it so wrong for so long), and hopefully encourage/teach others along the way!
If you are in the same boat, just do it!
The best part of starting a blog as a full time endeavor or side hustle is that it's so inexpensive to start.
When I realized that it would cost me literally less than one latte per month
to start blogging, I was sold.
I did my research, and found that Bluehost is by far
the best hosting provider for anyone looking to start an online website.
Join me on the blogging journey. I'll take you step by step through the process below!
HOW TO START A WORDPRESS BLOG ON BLUEHOST (STEP BY STEP GUIDE)
When I started blogging, I wanted to find the best hosting possible for the best price. This is possible by using Bluehost.
Bluehost will be the hosting site (for your domain name), and Wordpress is your blogging platform (where you sign in to actually write & publish posts).
Through my link
, you will also get a free domain name
if you sign up for hosting for 12 months or longer. I would definitely recommend signing up for at least 12 months, as this is a better value (cheaper per month).
If you want the BEST
deal, then signing up for the 36 month plan is the way to go, as the price per month goes down to only $3.95.
You might be wondering why I recommend that you pay for website hosting instead of signing up with a free hosting site such as Blogger or Blogspot.
The reason is if you ever want to make money off your blog and turn it into something more than a hobby, then signing up through Bluehost on Wordpress is absolutely vital.
DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE
of signing up with a free hosting site.
With Bluehost, you can put whatever ads you want on your site, use any affiliate links you want on your site, and even directly advertise absolutely anything you want on your site. With the free hosting sites, many advertisers won't even look at them because they are not seen as professional.
Here are some of the benefits of using Bluehost:
- It's affordable
- You get a free
domain
- If you purchase Bluehost, you get Wordpress for FREE
- You will be self-hosted
- It is more professional
than the free hosting sites
- It's extremely easy to use
- They offer excellent technical support
Now that you are hopefully convinced that Bluehost is the best option, continue below for a step-by-step tutorial on how to get your blog up and going!
You should see this screen when clicking my link to purchase Bluehost:
1. Choose Your Plan
After you click the get started now button, you will be taken to a screen where you choose what plan you would like to purchase.
I have the Basic
package, and that is what I recommend you purchase.
Unless you are going to be doing something extremely advanced, this is all you need to get started, and its the cheapest option!
2. Register Your Domain Name
A domain name is what people will type in to get to your website (my domain name is liverichlyspendsimply.com).
It took me quite a while to come up with my blog name, and now I like it, but I sometimes wish I would've chose something different because I'd like to talk about more topics than just personal finance.
Be sure to really think about your site name.
You want something that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and that is associated with what you will be blogging about.
If you want to sign up first and think about your domain name later, click the option to continue with registration and choose a domain later.
3. Choose Your Hosting Package
After registering your domain name, you should be taken to a screen that will ask for basic account information and then at the bottom have an area for you to select your hosting package:
When signing up for hosting, the best value
is to choose the 36 month
option. However, if you are unsure about blogging I would recommend purchasing the 12 month option so you can see how it goes!
I also purchased domain privacy protection, and that was the only extra item that I purchased with my blog.
I would recommend purchasing this as it ensures that your contact information stays safe.
Remember, you can always purchase additional items later.
4. Create a Secure Password
After you enter your personal and payment information to purchase the hosting, Bluehost will prompt you to create a password.
Make sure that your password is secure and that you keep it somewhere safe!
5. Install WordPress
After creating a secure password, you will be asked to choose a theme for your WordPress site. It is ok to just pick a theme and continue on with the process, as you will probably change what theme you have anyway after getting WordPress set up.
After you pick a theme, you will see the screen below:
Click " Start Building
" to get started customizing your WordPress site.
It will then prompt you to choose whether your site will be for business or personal, see below:
Either option is fine- it's up to you!
You can now start writing posts and customizing your site until you are ready to launch!
A FEW SECRETS TO GROWTH FOR BEGINNERS
PINTEREST IS KEY!
Y'all, listen up. Pinterest is the key to your blogging success.
In order to be successful on Pinterest, you need to pin around the clock, pin relevant content, and have other bloggers in your niche share your content.
I accomplish this by using a Pinterest scheduler, called Tailwind.
Tailwind
is a program that schedules pins for you at the optimal time of day for YOUR
specific
audience.
It collects data from your Pinterest account and following, and creates a pinning schedule for you based off of the data collected from your profile.
No one has time to pin on Pinterest all day.
This is troublesome for most people because Pinterest is the KEY
to blogging success.
I have been using Tailwind
for about three weeks and I have seen a 500%
increase
in my Pinterest monthly viewers.
If you aren't convinced, you can start a free 30 day trial
(that's what I did).
After just ONE week I saw my stats increase so significantly that I purchased it immediately.
I honestly wish that I would've invested in Tailwind sooner. It has truly been a game-changer
for my blog.
YOU NEED A STANDOUT BLOG THEME.
No one stays on a blog that is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
One mistake I made when I first started blogging was trying to get my blog super pretty and the same style as other big-name-bloggers, but doing so with coding instead of just biting the bullet and purchasing a theme.
Truly.
Don't waste your time with coding.
If you are looking to sell your own product at some point, Bluchic themes
are perfect because many of them are woocommerce optimized!
Another great affordable place to grab a theme without spending a fortune is ThemeIsle.
I would highly recommend this for newbie bloggers.
I also love
the designs from Pretty Darn Cute Design!
I have heard great things from other bloggers about these themes, that they are trendy, easy to use, and they offer great customer support (VERY important)!
START WRITING
Now that you have a good theme and a great service for your social media marketing, start writing.
A good rule of thumb is to have 20-30 blog posts
ready to publish
before you even launch your blog and make your site live.
I did NOT do this when I started, and so I felt extremely overwhelmed trying to do a million things at once once my site went live.
Again, I'm telling you from experience, friend!
I want you to skip the land mines that I walked over :)
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS...
</h3>
<!-- /wp:heading -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>If you have any questions on ANY part of this process, feel free to email me at liverichlyspendsimply@gmail.com.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I know when I first started I was pretty lost and spent A TON of time watching YouTube videos and reading different articles.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I am more than happy to help you out :)</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Also, if you would like more blogging tips/tutorials, comment below and let me know!</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":752,"linkDestination":"custom"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://irp.cdn-website.com/e6c74451/dms3rep/multi/We-would-like-to-express-our-sincerest-gratitude-for-celebrating-our-wedding-with-us.-ffd2c036.png"><img src="https://irp.cdn-website.com/e6c74451/dms3rep/multi/We-would-like-to-express-our-sincerest-gratitude-for-celebrating-our-wedding-with-us.-ffd2c036.png" alt="" class="wp-image-752"/></a></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]</div>
