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Starting a blog can be as easy as abc, especially when you have steps to follow. When I started my first blog, I had a hard time figuring out what to do. I spent several hours on google learning all about it.
When it was time to start my second blog, I had completely forgotten all the steps I took to start my first blog, hence why I decided to write this post on “7 Easy Steps To Start A Blog.”
After talking with several bloggers, and out of experience, I was able to come up with these 7 easy steps to starting a blog. This are the steps that I used to start each of my blogs and I hope that you find the helpful.
- Pick a name for your blog
Make sure you take some time to do this. For me, this was the hardest part. Narrow the names down and ask friends and family to help you choose the very best one.
- Purchase a domain name
Once you have a name for your blog, it’s time to purchase a domain name. All my domain names were purchased from Namecheap.
- Sign up for a Hosting Plan
I recommend InMotion Hosting because they have really good customer service. I have the Power hosting plan under the Business tab. They usually have sales, so make sure to chat with the sales rep or call them to see if they can offer you a better deal than what’s listed on their web page. And if you can, get the longer plan, 3yr vs 1yr to lock in better savings. Blue Host also has an amazing hosting plan. Make sure to check out both of them first before choosing a hosting plan.
- Install WordPress
After signing up for a hosting plan, you can download WordPress or contact InMotion Hosting customer service to help you do it. You can even just chat with them which for me is way easier than calling.
- Reroute your website on NameCheap
Because you didn’t purchase a hosting plan with Namecheap, you’ll need to reroute your website by changing the Custom DNS. Simply Log in to your Namecheap account where you will see your domain listed. Click on the manage icon, scroll down on the Domain tab to Nameservers, and change the custom DNS from what is listed to the InMotion DNS. After a couple hours, your website should be active.
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Log into Your Blog WordPress Url
You can do so by using the credentials provided to you by InMotion Hosting. If you can’t locate it, it’ll usually be in this format www.yourblogname.com/admin/ or www.yourblogname.com/login/. As soon as you login, you can pick one of the free WordPress themes or purchase one and customize it to your preference.
- Start blogging
And Voila !!! It’s time to write your first post.
Optional Additional Steps to Follow
- Install the Genesis Framework
The Genesis Framework makes it very easy to build websites with WordPress regardless of if you are a novice or advanced. If you want to do this, you will have to pay the one time fee and install the Genesis Framework.
- Install a Child Theme
A child theme is like the design of your blog. I like it because adds appeal to my blog, makes it easier to edit, upload photos, customize etc. Basically, I can do much more with my blog. Remember that in order to use a Child Theme, you will need to have the Genesis Framework installed first. The child theme used on my blogs is Foodie Pro Theme. There are so many other options. Make sure to find one you really like because once you purchase it, that’s it.
See examples below
I have 4 blogs total, however, I don’t update all of them often.
These two blogs below were created based on the 7 steps mentioned above.
These two blogs below were created based on the 7 steps mentioned above, as well as the optional additiona steps 8 and 9 (Genesis Framework and Child Theme).
As you can see that there is quite a noticeable difference between all four blogs. There is no right or wrong way to do it. You’ll just have to choose what works best for you.
Tips
- Don’t forget to sign up for all your social media accounts; such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest etc. Make sure you use the same name all across the board so it’s easy for people to find you.
- My favorite website for when I need help with WordPress is http://www.wpbeginner.com.
- Another great resource that I love is “How To Start A Blog” written by two blogger friends of mine at Create Your Dream Blog.
- YouTube is really great and has plenty of tutorials that you can watch.
I hope this was helpful. Feel free to email me at hello@themomtrotter.com with any additional questions you may have.
I am still learning as I go, but one things for sure, I LOVE blogging about our travels, as you never know who you may inspire!!
