If you want to start a blog, there is plenty of information available on the internet. But that’s precisely where the problem begins. There is far too much information. While it is always a good idea to know as much as possible, sometimes information overload can confuse you. Moreover, an overload of information can sometimes be very distracting.
I have prepared a simple guide to help you get started. Do not worry about buying the wrong hosting package or choosing the wrong website to buy your domain. There is way too much information available on the internet and it is very easy to get lost. You can always change your package later. What’s worse than buying the wrong hosting package is never starting a blog because you are confused about what do.
A Simple Guide To Start A Blog
Find Your Niche
A niche simply means an industry, a category, or an audience group that you want to target. For instance, you may want to start a blog about cars. Or, you may want to start a blog for teenage girls. Your blog does not strictly have to be about your niche only. For instance, if you start a blog on your city, it does not have to be about your city alone. You can add things like recipes too. The main idea is to concentrate on your niche.
Write Some Posts
Your blog posts can make or break your blog. You should aim to write posts of upto 1000 words. Be original. Yu can always research similar blogs to get ideas and inspirations, but never copy someone’s work. A lot of guidelines ask you to prepare 25 to 50 posts before starting your blog. While this is a good strategy, you do not have to stick to it. Just write around 5 posts, and get started. Planning to write 25 or 50 posts can delay the launch of your blog. Write 5 initiial posts, and then write 1 post everyday.
Buy A Domain
You can use free blogging platforms, but they are very restrictive. I do not recommend them. But, if you can’t buy a domain, do not let this hold you back. Start your blog on a free blogging platfrom and you can always migrate later. You can buy domain from HostGator or SiteGround.
Buy A Hosting Plan
Again, do not get confused. You can always change your hosting package later. You can get started on HostGator. You can install WordPress with one click.
Install WordPress
Log into the website you bought the hosting plan from. Most big websites usually have livechat support. Ask a representative to guide you through the installation process.
Select A Theme
Once you are done installing Word, install a theme. A theme will determine the overall look of your website. There are plenty of free themes available on the internet. You can even buy themes and get custom ones made for you.
Add Users
Never posts blog from the admin name. This will make it easier for hackers to break into yourr account. Create new user names to write blog posts. Keep your admin login for configuration purposes only.
Write Your First Posts
Congratulations! You are now ready to like your first blog post. Make sure you write compelling blog posts full of pictures.
There are obviously plent of other things to do when creating a blog. The information shared above is just a tip of the iceberg. I do not want the overload of information hold you back from starting a blog. I know a lot of aspiring bloggers who haven’t started yet because they let the information online confuse them. You do not need to know everything at once. You will learn on the way. Instead of trying to learn everyday, just know the basics and get started. Once you have started, explore new things everyday. So, for instance, you can learn about submitting your sitemap to google one day, and more about widgets the next.
At the expsense of sounding cliched, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take that first step today. Do not worry about the best hosting website, the best package, or the number of posts you already have. Just get started and explore new information everyday.
