So, you want to be a blogger? In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to start a new blog on WordPress in 15 minutes!
It’s true; anyone can start a blog. However, starting a blog that’s built for success requires know-how; especially if you want to do it quickly.
Over the last 10 years, I have built many blogs and websites. I have made MANY mistakes along the way, but I have also learned many neat tricks and hacks.
I’m going to teach you my step-by-step formula to help you set-up and launch a blog that is built to make money! Sound good?
Before We Get Started
Before I show you how to start a new blog on WordPress in 15 minutes, there are a few things you need to get ready.
It’s essential to prepare the following steps before starting your new blog. If you don’t, you’ll not only slow down the process; you could stop hinder the success of your new blog.
Debunk Blogging Myths
When it comes to blogging, there are many myths and misconceptions. You may have heard some of these myths, and unless you know the truth, it could stop you from starting a blog in the first place. That’s why I think it’s important that we debunk some of these myths beforehand.
Myth #1 – Starting a New Blog is Expensive
In this post, I’m going to show you how to start a new blog using WordPress for as little as $3.95! Affordable enough?
Myth #2 – If You Can’t Write Well, You Can’t Blog
If you’re worried about writing, don’t be! I’m going to introduce you to my secret content weapons, such as Grammarly; which has genuinely helped to improve the quality of my content.
That being said; just like anything, writing requires practice.
I have never been the strongest of writers, and I admit, in the early days, my content was horrific! But, over time, my blogging has improved dramatically. I still make mistakes today, and my writing is not perfect; but the important thing is, I didn’t let it stop me from blogging, and neither should you.
You don’t have to be a Harvard grad to write a blog; you just need to be able to connect with your audience and add value.
Myth #3 – You Have to Post Every Day
That’s not true.
The reason I love blogging is because of the freedom it gives me; so that I can enjoy life and spend time with my family. Because of that, I have never been one to write every single day. I enjoy taking the time to think, plan, and research a post before I write it.
The key thing is consistency. Whether you post daily, weekly, or even monthly; stay consistent, keep producing great content, and your audience will continue to follow you and grow.
Choose a Domain Name For Your Blog
A domain name is the URL address that identifies your site. For example, the domain name for this blog is howdoyougetrichonline.com.
Choosing the right domain for your new blog is an important decision and requires some thought. A good domain name is something catchy and easy to remember. It also should represent what your blog is about.
The biggest challenge is finding a suitable domain name that is available. Ideally, you want the .com for your domain name, as this is the most recognized and professional look one for your blog.
Use Go Daddy’s Domain Name Search tool to see if your domain name is available. You may have to try a few variations of your name, before finding one that’s available.
Choose the Right Web Hosting
There are many web hosting companies to choose from. For many of my blogs, I use Just Host, and I highly recommend using Just host for your blog too. Here’s why:
- It’s easy to use and offers 24/7 technical support via phone or chat.
- You’ll get one FREE domain for one year when you buy hosting.
- Plus, you’ll get a FREE email address.
- WordPress is free with JustHost with a quick and easy 1-click install.
- It’s super affordable to get started; costing just $3.95 per month.
- Your blog will be self-hosted; which is vital for monetization and professionalism.
Choose the Right Blogging Platform
Choosing the right blogging platform is important’ and, it’s a decision that cannot be easily changed later on. I strongly recommend using WordPress, and here’s why:
- It’s the most popular blogging platform
- There are no limitations or restrictions
- Huge brands such as TechCrunch and The New Yorker you WordPress.
- It’s highly customizable (you can literally change anything) with many great tools available.
- Great for advanced SEO
Some of these features you may not be interested now, but can have a significant impact on your blog’s future growth.
1. Register Your Domain Name
At this point should already have an available domain name in mind.
You can click here to register a domain name and create a blog right now.
If you choose to use JustHost to register your domain name, as I recommend, this process will be quick and easy. Plus, you get a FREE domain name for 12 months, when you sign up for web hosting through Just Host.
Skip to the next step to easily register your domain name and web hosting through Just Host.
If you choose to use a different service, you will need to pay for your domain name and then link it to your chosen web hosting later.
2. Buy Web Hosting For Your Blog
I recommend using Just Host for your WordPress blog because it’s quick, easy, and affordable to use.
In most cases, the ‘Basic’ package is all that is needed; especially if you’re new to blogging. You can always upgrade your package later. The ‘Basic’ package will also secure you the lowest price to start your WordPress blog.
It’s only $3.95 per month to get started through this link; which will also include a FREE domain name and email address for 12 months.
Follow these steps to set-up your web-hosting with Just Host:
- Head over to Just Host and click the ‘Get Started Now’ button.
- Click on the ‘Basic’ package; or the package that you’re interested in.
- Enter the domain name you wish to register for your WordPress blog. Note: if you already have a domain name registered, you can enter it here to link it to the web-hosting.
- Follow the on-screen steps to enter your personal and billing information.
- And finally, choose a password for your Just Host account. Make sure you pick something secure.
That’s it! Your web-hosting is now complete. If you have any problems, Just Host has 24/7 technical support via phone or chat.
3. How to Install WordPress
If you’re using Just Host, this is probably the quickest and easiest step.
When you log in to Just Host for the first time, they will guide you through building your site. When presented with the option, select ‘Start Building with WordPress.’
Just Host will ask you to name your blog and write a tag line (this can be changed later, so don’t worry about writing the perfect tag line right now).
Then, press ‘Next’ and choose the domain name you wish to create your WordPress site with. Your newly registered domain name should be available to select.
Need more help? Watch this video:
You did it! At this point, your new WordPress blog is set-up and ready to use. That process should have taken no more than 15-minutes!
The next few steps will help you to customize and optimize your new blog.
4. Choose a WordPress Theme
When your first install WordPress, Just Host will ask you to choose a theme. There are tons of free themes to choose from.
You can spend some time choosing a theme that you like; or, you can just pick a random theme for now. Remember, with WordPress; you can change the theme whenever you want.
To change themes, head over to your WordPress dashboard, hover over the ‘Appearance’ tab on the left-hand side and click ‘Themes.’
If having a well-designed blog that’s highly customizable is important to you; then you may want to consider buying a premium theme.
The Genesis theme is a popular choice for blogs, and for a good reason. For this blog, I use Ashe Pro; which I also highly recommend.
5. Install WordPress Plugins
One of the biggest benefits to using WordPress is the fact you can add plugins; which helps you to customize further and optimize your blog for success. There are a few plugins that I download for every website I create, and I highly suggest that you do the same.
- Yoast SEO – This is your one-stop SEO plugin which will help to optimize your blog for Google & Bing search engines.
- Smush – Automatically compresses your photos so that your web pages load faster. Great for improving your user experience.
- Autoptimize – If your website loads slow, users will not appreciate it; and neither will Google. Autoptimze will help to optimize the performance of your blog for speed and load time.
6. Enable SSL For Your WordPress Blog
SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer, is responsible for making sure any data that passes through a web server and a browser remains secure and private. Enabling SSL on your blog will help you to establish trust with your readers and with Google.
If you set up your web-hosting with Just Host securing your blog is quick, easy a FREE.
Go to your Just Host dashboard, click ‘Advanced,’ and then scroll down to SSL/TLS. Here you can enable SSL onto your domain.
If you get stuck or require help, remember, Just Host has 24/7 live chat support.
7. Write & Publish Your First Blog Post
Okay, so now that your blog is up and running, it’s time to create some content.
To write a post, head over to your WordPress dashboard. On the left-hand side menu, hover over “Posts” and then click all posts.
You’ll notice that there is already a default post called ‘Hello world.’ This is a default post added by WordPress, it’s not important, and you can delete it whenever you want.
Click “Add New.” This should take you to the WordPress post editor. Here you can title your new blog post, write content, and add images.
You can click “Preview” and any time to see how your blog will look when it’s published.
When you’re happy with your blog post, hit “Publish.” Congratulations, you have just posted your first blog post!
Need more help? Watch this video:
8. Publish your Blog
Okay, so now that your blog is fully set-up and working, it’s time to launch it. As a default, WordPress will set your blog as private; this means you can see it, but no one else can. This is to give you time to work on your content and design your blog, before showcasing to the world wide web.
Publishing your WordPress blog is easy. Go to your WordPress dashboard; towards the top, you should see a banner saying “Publish.” Hit that button, and your blog is now visible to the world!
How to Start a Blog? FAQ
How do bloggers get paid?
There are many ways a blogger can make income from their blog. The most popular methods are through Google Adsense, Sponsored Posts, Digital Products & Affiliate Marketing.
How much a blogger will get paid will all depend on the niche of the blog and how much traffic generates.
Suggested Read: How to Become a Rich Blogger in 7 Powerful Steps
How to start a blog for free?
The truth is there are tons of great platforms out there which will help you to build a great looking blog or website, for free.
Free blogs are perfect for small projects and communities. For example, someone who is getting married could set up a free blog to post details about the big day; so that their friends and family can easily see.
However, you must understand, with most free blogs, there will be limitations.
If you’re looking to monetize your blog, then I suggest staying clear from free blogs; as most of them will not allow you to run ads easily. Free blogs are also more tricky when it comes to doing advanced SEO.
As I mentioned earlier in this post, you may not be interested in these features now, but they could have a huge impact in the future as your blog grows in size.
If you follow the steps in this post, you’ll be able to start a professional blog; which is built to make money. And, I show you how to get started for as little as $3.95. That’s the price of a Starbucks coffee!
If you still want to start a blog for 100% free, read this post:
7 Unique Ways You Can Make Money Blogging on Squarespace
How to write content for your blog?
I mentioned earlier in this post that writing content is not something that came naturally to me; I still struggle today. However, along the way, I learned many techniques and found some excellent tools to help me write more professional blog posts.
Grammarly is my super secret weapon, and by far, my favorite blogging tool! Grammarly continuously checks my content for grammatical spelling errors. It will also offer me suggestions on how to improve my writing, i.e. sentence structure. I seriously do not know what I’d do without it Grammarly; it’s a must-have for any blogger. Click here to check it out.
My biggest advice is to understand your audience. Take the time to know who your readers are.
What problems are they facing? What type of content do they like? What content do they want to see in the future? I use social media to ask questions and discover what type of content I should be creating. Because of this, I never run out of ideas, and my readers keep coming back.
Hopefully, you now know how to start a new blog on WordPress in 15 Minutes! Please do let me know how your blogging journey goes, and if you have any questions, drop a comment below, and I’ll reply asap.
