Last Updated on Mar 13, 2020 by James W
You’ve probably heard it many times before, but blogging can improve different aspects of your life. Some of the benefits of becoming a blogger include:
- Becoming a better writer and thinker
- Living a more purposeful life
- Finding more meaning in life’s little things
- Developing healthier lifestyle habits
- Meeting new people and building a community
- Feeling more accountable for your actions
- Making some money or creating a part-time income
- Becoming a more well-rounded person
If these aren’t enough reasons to start a blog, then maybe blogging isn’t for you. Having detailed all those reasons to start a blog, let me help you with a guide on how to actually do it.
How To Start Blogging
- What are you going to blog about?
Personal experience or journaling is one of the primary motivations when individuals consider blogging. However, instead of a lifestyle blog, you may want to share your expertise or knowledge in a field. You can even create a blog to network and develop credibility in a specific industry.
Choose a subject matter that you are passionate about. Blogging success doesn’t happen overnight and you will need the stamina to grow your website for at least a year before seeing any huge results.
- If I’m not technical, how do I actually start a blog and deal with technology?
In the early 2000s, you might have needed a computer science degree to build a website using HTML, CSS, and PHP. Fortunately for you, today’s technology has advanced so far that literally anyone can start a blog. The secret – a wonderful blogging software called “WordPress???. There are dozens of tutorials on starting a blog using WordPress.
In fact, setting up a blog is the easiest part of the process. Here are a few things to think about beforehand – decisions that can play a huge role in the success of your blog in the future.
Choose your blog’s name.It is vital that you choose the appropriate name for your blog. Depending on what you choose to blog about, choose the name that fits best.
Choose a blogging platform.A self-hosted WordPress blog is not for everyone, although it does provide maximum flexibility and the greatest potential to earn money. A few other options include Blogger, Tumblr, Wix, Weebly, SquareSpace, etc.They all have free versions, including WordPress.com, but I still highly suggest a custom domain and self-hosted WordPress site.
Later on, when you have more experience, there are many advanced featuresyou will be able to take advantage of. You may even start another website for your business!
- How do I find the best hosting company?
To find the best host company, consider these specific factors:
- Pricing – a domain can cost around $10 per year; hosting can cost anywhere from $4 to $10 per month, with discounts if paid for a whole year. When you buy hosting, you often get the domain for free.
- Serve Space, Bandwidth, and Uptime–to prevent overages, pick a hosting company that offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Read reviews to find uptime and server consistency.
- Technical Support – via phone, email, or chat; 24/7 support is the best. Again, check out reviews to find the best customer service.
- Backups – this ensures that you blog is backed up regularly so that in case of a crash, you can restore everything; automated backups are optimal so you don’t have to worry about the technical aspect.
- Easy WordPress Install – you can always install WordPress on your own, but good web hosts will have an easy installation process: a 1-click install.
Once you’ve gone through all the steps above, you can then log in to your blog and start tweaking its layout, design, and settings. All blogging has a learning curve, but after a few weeks, you will really start to enjoy the benefits of having your own voice on the internet.
