Guide to Creating a Blog

This is created to give beginners a fast, foolproof guide to starting a blog, without having to learn HTML or waste your time reading long, boring tutorials.

… And once you’ve set up your blog, there are  additional guides for getting more visitors to your blog as well as making it profitable. This should keep your start easy and painless.

If you’re still hesitating, read our answers to why you should even start a blog.

Ready to create your blog today? Let’s get started…

There are 5 steps to start a blog. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through each one below in-depth. Choose your blogging platform

Step 1: Getting Started – Choose your Blogging Platform (WordPress)

Before you can even start worrying about how your blog will look like, you’ll need to choose your blogging platform.

WordPress, Tumblr and blogger market share

There’s a lot to choose from. You are able to create a blog with many different blogging platforms, such as WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger and more…

However, given that there are over 72 million active users using WordPress today, it’s clear which platform is the boss. Even my own blogs and sites are built with WordPress blogging platform. Here’s why:

While the other blogging platforms are generally all pretty OK, nothing in my opinion has ever come close to matching the freedom and customization options that WordPress offers. So without a doubt, go with WordPress. Especially when you are just starting out.

HOLD UP! At this point, you don’t need to install nor download anything – I’ll show you this in a minute, but first…


Why you shouldn’t create a blog on a free blogging platform

Without a doubt, you need to self-host your WordPress blog.

Think about it – what famous, successful blogger you know is using a free blogging website like “startbloggingonline.freeblogs.com” instead of their own domain name like “StartBloggingOnline.com”, for example?

It’s not just that – free blogging platforms have other problems too – including…

All of these limitations apply to the WordPress.COM blogs. What you really want is to self-host a WordPress blog – it’s the same software without all the limitations!

Don’t get me wrong: If you really don’t care whether or not your blog will be successful, go with free blogging platforms. They’re an okay way to try out blogging for a little bit.

But if you ever want to look credible, build an audience and make money blogging, then you need your own blog, on your own domain name, with your own hosting. That way, you make the rules and control your content.

If I were you, I’d start with a self-hosted blog on my own domain from day one. Setting up a blog like this is WAY easier and less expensive than you think.


Finding a domain name and web hosting provider

Now to exciting part! To set up a self-hosted blog on your own domain name, you’ll need two things:

Domain name – This will be your personal blog address where people find you over and over again. For example Google’s Domain is www.Google.com. Your new blog domain name will be www.YourBlogName.com, except you’ll choose what’s going to be behind YourNewBlog. The cost of a domain name is usually Rs 800/year.

Web hosting – This will be the home of your blog address and content that’s on the blog. Without web hosting, you’ll be unable to use your domain. Think of it as a computer hard drive that stores all your content on your blog (images, blog posts and so on). The cost of web hosting is usually somewhere between Rs 300 to Rs 400 per month.

It’s less than an XL coffee at Starbucks, so it won’t break the bank. But it’s an important investment to your blog success.


Step 2: Set up a Blog on your own domain name (self-hosted WordPress)

If you don’t have a hosting or a domain name yet – don’t worry. I’ll be showing this in a minute…

At the end of this step (2), you will have a fully working self-hosted WordPress blog on your own domain name! Sounds promising, huh?

Some hosting companies do not have one click install for WordPress. If that’s the case, see this guide for installing WordPress manually (not recommended for beginners, though).


1. Go to www.HostGator.com and then click “Start Your WordPress Blog”.


2. Pick a Domain name for your blog

Already have a domain name?

Just write it in the right box (I already own this domain) and keep moving to the next step by scrolling down a bit.

How do I choose a good domain name?

Choosing a bad domain name is one of the most common mistakes I see bloggers make. Be sure you choose a domain name that is…

1. Easy to Remember – Don’t choose a nonsense name, something tough to spell, or a long name full of dashes. “www.best-tech-gadgets-in-the-world.com” won’t ever stick in someone’s head, but something like “www.techgeeks.com” rolls off the tongue.

2. Unique and Descriptive – You want a name that reflects who you are and what you care about. Be creative and build an identity you’re excited about!

3. Trustworthy – Domain extensions like “.com”, “.org” or “.net” are the most popular, with “.com” being the one most people think of first. Try to avoid crazy extensions like “.rocks” or “.biz”, as these are less commonly used, tougher to remember and not as trusted.

Type the domain name you want to use in the box, then click “next”. If the name is available, you’ll be able to claim it. If it’s not available, choose another one.

Your_Blog_Domain

If the name you want isn’t available, HostGator will show you some alternatives that are similar – or you can punch in a new name and try again. I’d suggest you to use something that ends with .com, .net or .org


3. Choose your blog hosting plan

I recommend the “Hatchling” plan for now – you can always upgrade later if you decide you want more advanced features, but you get more than enough with the Hatchling.

choose_blog_hosting_plan

4. Complete your registration

Once you’ve chosen Hatchling plan and found a name you like that’s available, you’ll need to register it by putting in your contact and billing information.

You’ll also have a chance to customize your package a bit. This is a chance to save some more money, so don’t skip it! Apply discount code “STARTBLOG”

additional_blog_services

Few suggestions:

1) Domain Privacy Protection (DPP) hides your registration information in the “whois database”, a worldwide database everyone has access to. I recommend it if you want to keep yourself anonymous, but uncheck the box if you want to save as much as possible.

2) I’d uncheck all the other boxes (Site Backup, Constant Contact, SiteLock Security) as these aren’t really worth your money. You can always add them later.


5. Log in to your new account and install WordPress blog

It may take a few minutes for HostGator to register your account, so be patient. You should get a confirmation email when your account is ready.

Once you’ve logged in to your control panel (all the information you need for that should be on your inbox) , it’s time to install WordPress. Thankfully, this takes just one click!

Once clicked, you’ll be automatically transferred to Mojomarketplace.com – don’t panic, this is just a site that helps HostGator install platforms (like WordPress).

You should immediately see a screen where you’re offered to “Install” or “Import” WordPress.

Click “Install” to get to the next step.

When you’re finished, “Install WordPress”. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see a loading bar at the top of your page that will eventually tell you that your WordPress blog has been installed and you’ll see your log-in credentials.

blog_install_finished

6. Log in in and check out your new blog

Once the installation completes, you’ll get an email that shares your login information, including an “Admin URL”. (In case you missed that notification bar)

To log in to your blog, click the admin URL. If you forget this URL, it’s simply www.yourblog.com/wp-admin (where “yourblog” is your domain name).

New Blog Homepage (1-6 steps)

Congratulations – you now know how to make a blog using WordPress. You’ve installed WordPress and set up your blog, all on your own! As you can see, it was really easy and straightforward.


Step 3: Configure, Design and Tweak your blog

In this section, I’ll show you some WordPress blog basics, including:

WordPress blog

Sample of a customized WordPress blog (SmartPassiveIncome.com)

If you’ve set up your blog, you’re now ready to start using WordPress and customizing your blog. I promise – it’ll be pretty easy and fun at the same time.

Remember: You can log in to your blog by going to www.yourblog.com/wp-admin/ and using the credentials you set up with HostGator or any other hosting company you used.


Understanding the WordPress Dashboard

When you log in for the first time, you’ll see a dashboard or admin panel that looks something like this:

Your_WordPress_dashboard

Let’s break down some of the most important ones for new bloggers to know:


Changing Your Blog’s Design (Themes & Layouts)

WordPress blogging platform uses design templates called “Themes” to figure out how your site should look. Changing your blog’s layout and design is as simple as installing a new theme.

There are over 2,000 professionally designed, fully-customizable and free themes to choose from – so you’ve got a lot of options. If you want to see more premium type of templates and themes, head over to Themeforest.net


Here’s how to find and install a theme you love:

Mouse-over the “Appearance” tab in the WordPress sidebar, then click on “Themes”.

find_a_perfect_theme

On the next screen, you’ll see several themes are already installed. If you don’t like those, click the “Add New” button at the top, or the great big “Add New” square to start searching for a theme.

add_new_theme

Now, you’ll see tabs where you’ll find featured, popular and brand new themes, as well as a “Feature Filter” and search bar.

featured_themes

I really like the “Feature Filter” option, because you can choose themes in certain color schemes, select specific layouts and even choose themes with built-in advanced features.

Just choose the options you want, then click “Apply Filters” on the left hand side. If you’re finding this challenging, just search by keyword – there’s no wrong way!

apply_filters

When you’ve found a theme you like, click “Install”. You’re nearly done!

Once the theme has been installed, all that’s left to do is click “Activate” on the next screen:

activate_your_blog_theme

Installing a New Plugin (add some cool features to your blog)

Plugins” are little software modules that you can install to add features and tools to your blog. They can do all sorts of things, like:

And lots, LOTS more.

Installing them is really easy. First, Mouse-over “Plugins” in the sidebar, then click “Add New”.

add_new_blog_plugins

Now, you can search by keyword to find plugins for almost anything!

find_plugins

When you find a plugin you like, just click “Install Now” and then “Activate Plugin” on the page that follows.

activate_plugins

BE CAREFUL: Before you install any plugin, it’s a smart idea to Google its name and read reviews. Some plugins can break your theme, cause problems with security, or just plain work poorly, so always get a second opinion first.

Also, make sure your plugins (and themes) are always up-to-date. Don’t worry though, WordPress usually lets you know when some of them are out of date.

If you don’t know which plugins to use at first, have a look at my blog post – “Top plugins for WordPress blog that I personally use“.


Configuring your blog to be search engine friendly

There are some things you’d need to do to make your blog more search engine friendly. Search engines do not like two things:

See the difference? One is filled with irrelevant information and the another one is short, clean and neat.

In order to change your links to a more cleaner, click on the “Settings” -> “Permalinks” and use the following settings:

permalinks

2. Spam comments – Unfortunately, lots of people want to leave automate spam comments on your blog. They do that for couple of reasons – to get people from your blog to their blog and to advertise their services/products.

To avoid that, make sure you moderate your comments. Here’s how to do that: Go to “Settings” -> “Discussion” and tick those two options.

disable_comments

Managing Your User Information

If you ever need to change your user details, password, or add another user so someone else can access your blog, it helps to know how to manage your user details.

To manage users, mouse-over the “Users” tan on the left-hand menu.

new_blog_users

Adding a New User

Click the “Add New” link in the users section of the left-hand menu, and you’ll be brought to this page:

addusers

Fill in the details for the user you’d like to add – including a password you can remember to share with them. You can send it to them via email by clicking the radio box option – but that’s not always the most secure way to do things.

BE CAREFUL: The “Role” you choose from the dropdown menu will determine what your new user is able to do.

Don’t give access to anyone who doesn’t need it!


Step 4: Adding/Writing Blog Posts and Pages

By now you should have fully working WordPress blog on your own domain name. You should also have a custom blog theme that fits with your blog’s topic. Congratulations – you’ve done a LOT and I’m proud that you’ve managed to get so far.

In the LAST step, I’ll show you how to write your first blog post and share some tips for writing blog posts.

In this section, I’ll show you…


Using WordPress to Blog

Adding a New Post

To add a new blog post, click the “Posts” section on the left hand side-menu, then click on “Add New”.

Adding_a_new_blog_post

On the next screen, you’ll see something like this:

Writing new blog post

You can add the title to your blog post in the top field, and your content goes in the big text box below the title.

You can save your draft or publish your content live by using the box menu on the far right of the page. You can even schedule the post to be published later – or make the post private so only friends can see it.

BlogPost_status_visibility

Once published, your new post can be found in the “All Posts” section of the “Posts” tab, so you can edit it any time.

Let’s take a quick look at some things you can do to spruce up your post:


Adding Images

To add an image to your post, click the “Add Media” button right above the lower content field.

Tip: Before you click “Add Media”, be sure you’ve left your cursor inside of your blog post where you want the image to show up. Otherwise, you’ll have to move it later on.

Adding_media

Next, click the “Upload Files” tab on the screen that pops up, then click “Select Files”.

adding_images_blog_post

Once you’ve found the file, double click it and WordPress will upload it automatically.

When the upload is finished, make sure the image you want is selected, then click the “Insert into post” button to add the image to the post you’re writing.

insert_image_into_blogpost

Adding a Link

Linking out to other websites is a great way to build relationships and share interesting content.

To add a link, click on the icon in the toolbar that looks a bit like a chain link.

instert_a_blog_link

On the pop-up, you’ll need to enter a few important bits of information.

Adding_link2

Finally, click “Add Link”, and your link will be added where you left your cursor in the post you were writing.


Adding Headers & Editing Text

It’s a good idea to use headers and bolding to make your content easier to read and scan.

Adding Headings

To add a heading, click on the drop-down menu on the bottom left of the toolbar.

Blog_Post_Headings

Try to only use “Heading 1” once within your page (usually at the top), and use “Heading 2” or “Heading 3” for other sections in the copy, as this is better for search engines.

Tip: You can also highlight the text you want to change in your blog post, THEN click on the dropdown menu and select the format you want the text to be in.

Editing Fonts

You can also bold, italicize, underline and even change the colour of your text in a click or two.

change_font

As you can see, this is all pretty simple for someone who has worked with Microsoft Word.


Step 5: MAKE YOUR BLOG SUCCESSFUL

Analytics from StartBloggingOnline.com (taken from my personal laptop).

Now that you have set up your blog and know the basics, it’s time to make your blog successful. Many

beginners struggle at that point, thus I’ve put together a handful of guides to get you going easier.

Things to do after you’ve created your blog:

The first thing I’d do is create a proper About Me and Contact page.

Done those two? Go and read those posts.

Ready to take your blog into next level?

Once you have some content on your blog it’s time to get some traffic and make it profitable.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: What blog site should I use?

A: WordPress is the most popular platform, powering over 25% of the web! Best of all: it’s free.

Q: What blog should I start?

A: Recipe blogs, fitness blogs, and business blogs are some of the most popular.

Q: How do bloggers make money?

A: There are a number of ways including advertising and digital products, but some people just do it for fun. Check out my article How To Make Money From Your Blog.

Q: How Do I Pick A Domain Name?

A: I would suggest using your real name (because you can change it later).

Q: Are blogs social media?

A: Blogs can be considered social media, because they have comments and social interactions. However from a technical standpoint, analytics software does not count blog traffic as social media traffic.

Q: Is blogging dead?

A: No way! Over 409 million people read blog posts every month. You’re reading one right now!

Q: What’s the difference between a blog and a website?

A: Blogs are frequently updated with articles while a website is generally “set it and forget it”. Blogs might have less features than a website and just focus on creating really good content. For this reason a blog is more socially active, with shares and comments.