- Choose a blogging platform. Use a platform that offers customizable templates.
- Pick a hosting platform. Consider a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support.
- Find the right niche. Narrow down your theme and have a specific audience in mind.
- Select a blog name and domain. Choose a descriptive name that piques readers’ interests.
- Set up and design your blog. Include imagery and effects that reflect your theme.
- Brainstorm blog topics. Write down all your ideas before narrowing down topic selections.
- Write your first blog post. Engage your audience with a killer title and use headers to make the content skimmable.
- Create an editorial calendar. Create a calendar to help you publish consistently and hold yourself accountable.
- Promote your blog. Use marketing strategies to expand your reach.
- Make money blogging. Take advantage of opportunities to monetize your blog.
In this complete how to blog A to Z tutorial, we’ll cover everything from choosing your blogging platform to making money from your written work. With a little bit of guidance, you can get your blog online in 30 minutes or less.
This is going to be the most comprehensive advice you’ll find on building a successful blog from scratch. If you want to start a blog fast, though, feel free to use the numbered steps above as a quick cheat sheet. You can go directly to the step you need the most help with, or grab a cup of coffee and read it all the way through.
What is a blog?
While a blog can encompass an entire website or simply be its own section of a website, this is a place to share content about a topic you’re passionate about. A blog will typically include both written and visual elements published in an easy-to-read, article format so visitors can swiftly browse and find what they’re looking for. And with over 31.7 million blogs in the US alone, you can literally find blogs about every subject out there, from home renovation to baking to local business marketing strategies. Once you’ve established a community of readers, the possibilities are truly endless.
We use our blog as a platform to support you on your website building journey. Our posts guide you through the entire process, from start to finish, giving informative insights and practical tips at every step along the way.
As far as a timeline goes, there’s no definitive “perfect” time to start a blog. If you feel that you have the time and resources to start, manage and promote a blog and are enthusiastic about sharing your ideas with the world, it might be the right time to take the plunge and start your blogging journey. The sooner you start, the sooner you can learn and grow as a blogger.
Choose a blogging platform
If you’re here, you’re likely curious about how to get started—and you’re in the right place. The first step in starting a blog is to select a blogging platform or Content Management System (CMS) for publishing your content. A quick Google search will show you that there are several different sites available that suit bloggers from all industries.
The blog you’re reading is actually built on Wix, a platform I highly recommend for new and seasoned bloggers. Wix’s blogging platform is fairly straightforward to get the hang of, and it offers a variety of attractive design options and templates to work with. In addition, it comes with features to analyze your blog’s performance and monetize your content, which will come in handy as you setup your blog and build your readership.
How much does it cost to start a blog?
When researching how to create a blog, one of the biggest questions people have is how much does it cost to start a blog. On many blogging builders, starting a blog is completely free.
You can decide at any point whether you’d like to upgrade to a variety of different plans, depending on your budget and needs. Learn more about how much does it cost to build a website.
Pick a hosting platform
Once you select your preferred blogging platform, you’ll need to choose a hosting platform. A blog, like other types of websites, requires a host. This essentially stores websites on a server under a unique address so that visitors can easily reach them.
faqOn some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog. In that case, you can skip this step and move to Step 3.
With other blog builders, such as WordPress, you will need to find and pay for a separate web hosting platform. Some popular options include:
- BlueHost
- HostGator
- GoDaddy
- DreamHost
If you’re not sure which web hosting platform to choose, take into account these factors:
- Uptime: The amount of time that the server hosting your website is up and running. A strong uptime rate (99.95% or above) is a good indication that the host’s servers perform well.
- Bandwidth: The amount of data your website can transfer to visitors over a certain period of time. This factor is based on the size of your website pages as well as the amount of traffic you expect. This quick bandwidth calculator can help you determine your site’s bandwidth.
- Customer support: Customer service you can contact in the event something goes wrong. Ideally, your hosting provider should offer an online help center, offer callbacks and respond to questions and concerns on social media.
faqOn some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog. In that case, you can skip this step and move to Step 3.
With other blog builders, such as WordPress, you will need to find and pay for a separate web hosting platform. Some popular options include:
- BlueHost
- HostGator
- GoDaddy
- DreamHost
If you’re not sure which web hosting platform to choose, take into account these factors:
- Uptime: The amount of time that the server hosting your website is up and running. A strong uptime rate (99.95% or above) is a good indication that the host’s servers perform well.
- Bandwidth: The amount of data your website can transfer to visitors over a certain period of time. This factor is based on the size of your website pages as well as the amount of traffic you expect. This quick bandwidth calculator can help you determine your site’s bandwidth.
- Customer support: Customer service you can contact in the event something goes wrong. Ideally, your hosting provider should offer an online help center, offer callbacks and respond to questions and concerns on social media.
Narrow down your blogging interests
When you start a blog, think long term. To motivate yourself to blog regularly, you’ll need to write about something you’re genuinely interested in. If you choose a topic solely on the basis of its being popular or profitable, your efforts will peter out pretty quickly, along with your entire blog content strategy.
If you aren’t sure right off the bat what you should be blogging about, that’s okay. Begin with a simple brainstorming session about subjects you like. What do you get excited talking about? What are you eager to learn more about?
Now, write down the first five to 10 interests that come to mind. For the sake of this example, let’s say:
- Travel
- Cooking
- Family
- Music
- Hiking
Next, think about your more specific interests within these subject areas and add them to your list. Your additions might look something like this:
- Backpacking in Southeast Asia
- Vegan recipes
- Raising twins
- Indie rock music
- Hiking in the Rockies
Don’t worry about these niches being perfect just yet. You’ll research them more thoroughly in the next steps. (However, if you’re looking for inspiration, check out how these popular art blogs are using their platforms to connect with audiences who share a similar passion.)
Research your audience
The next step of starting and creating a blog is to learn which topics people are interested in reading about. If your blog gains traction, you can eventually start making money from it and become a full-time blogger.
You can determine the demand for any given niche with a bit of market research. Begin by taking a look at Google Trends, which shows you how many people are searching for a particular topic. The more searches a topic gets, the more public demand it has.
For instance, let’s type “vegan recipes” into Google Trends. In the image below, you’ll see that there’s a relatively stable level of interest in this topic, so it’s a good candidate for a blog niche.
Paleo recipes,” on the other hand, has a much lower degree of interest. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea—some bloggers prefer to write for a more specific crowd if they have a unique specialty—but it does mean there are fewer people interested in that particular subject area.
If Google Trends reveals that interest in a subject area is either very low or declining, then that topic is unlikely to gain traction.
Check if it’s profitable blog niche you want to start
Whether you run a personal blog or a professional one, it’s a good idea to check whether your niche is profitable. Even if you’re starting out as a hobby blogger or want to create a fan website, you’ll want to think about future monetization options in the event that your blogging efforts evolve into a career.
There are multiple ways to earn money as a blogger, but one of the most common methods is affiliate marketing. As an affiliate, you’ll work together with a specific company, providing a link to their products within your blog, and earning a commission for any sale made through your site.
Considering whether you could build a blog as an affiliate is a good way to figure out if your niche is profitable. Think about the kinds of “best of” or “how to” posts you might write. For instance, “Best kitchen appliances for easy cooking” or “How to make carrot cake in 10 minutes.” In both instances, you could include an affiliate link to your favorite food processor or electric mixer and make money for each purchase made through your blog.
You don’t need to plan out your money-making strategy just yet, but thinking generally about profitable opportunities can help you choose a niche. For now, focus on starting your blog—we’ll talk more about making money blogging in Step 10.
04. Select a blog name and domain
As you think about how to make a blog, the question of what to name it is probably lurking somewhere in the back of your mind.
There are three main routes you can go with your blog’s name. These include:
- Your first and last name
- The name of your business (if you have one)
- A creative new name
When choosing your blog’s name, you should also think about the personality you want it to reflect. Should it be formal and professional? Sweet and romantic? Edgy and offbeat? If you’re stuck on names for your blog, this blog name generator is a helpful source of inspiration.
Once you decide, you should also go ahead and choose your domain name for your blog. Also referred to as a URL, a domain is a site’s address on the web (this website’s domain name, for example, is www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least influenced by, the name of your blog.
If you really want your blog to stand out, consider a .blog domain extension. It’s a clear and unique way to help your blog and content pop.
05. Set up and design your blog
- Choose a blog template
- Decide which pages to include
- Get indexed on search engines
- Create a blog logo
At this point, you’ve chosen a blogging and hosting platform, domain name and blog niche. You’re now equipped with all the basics for setting up your blog. Here’s how to optimize your blog design: