One may start a blog for various reasons. The first of which is Money! It is true; you can earn by becoming a blogger. For me, the first yearly amount I got from my blog was $100k, and things are getting better. Because I make a living from blogging, it has made it easy to stay at home with my baby while working from home.
Using me as an example, never allow anyone to tell you that blogging is easy and a get-rich-quick scheme. What many do not know is that it takes a lot of time and effort to make money. However, it is a great business to start, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom, student, or simply looking to earn a bit more. The startup cost is low, and the potential is unlimited.
Previously, I worked at a restaurant waiting tables, and now I am living my dream. Today, I wake up every day and do exactly what I want to do.
Therefore, do you wish to start your blogging journey? Continue reading while noting all the points and checklists to follow. Doing this will make your journey easy.
1. Blogging Topic
Just like in most things, you must have a topic. To get a topic you will enjoy, you have to look at the things you are interested in. If you are interested in a specific topic and enjoy writing about it, your readers will surely pick on that. Furthermore, you will enjoy doing it. That is the most important thing, especially if you intend on sticking with it.
It does not matter if you plan to blog as a business, your topic should be fun and something you enjoy.
Blogging is also about sharing a specific skill. For this reason, you should look at which particular skills you have that you intend to share with the world. For example, if you do well in the kitchen, then you can start a food blog. If you have a fashion sense, then you should blog about fashion. Employ a graphic design service to make your blog eye catching and professional.
NOTE: if you offer solutions and tips to people, more and more people are likely going to flock to your blog.
2. Platform
The platform makes a huge difference. In other words, knowing the best blogging platform matters. In my experience, WordPress is the king. In fact, I will not discuss other options simply because of the many benefits you get with WordPress as a blogging platform. Let’s look at few reasons why WordPress is the best platform for blogging: –
• Excellent platform for beginners due to the support you get and how easy it is to use
• It offers many free themes to choose from
• It is very easy to customize, even when you do not have coding knowledge
• There are many plugins that make it easy to do just about anything
• WordPress is the most commonly used platform (due to the many resources it offers and support)
When blogging, you should never use free platforms. Why is that? Well, below are some of the many reasons why you should avoid doing this: –
• A majority of the free platforms will restrict your ability to put ads or make money
• Some place their ads on your website
• You will not get any support even for something simple like design change (you may even pay for support services)
• You will have an ugly URL. Example http://www.blogname.freebloogingplatform.com
• You will never own the blog on the free platform. This is like building a house on another person’s property
Addressing the last point – if you do not own the blog, you are liable to shut down anytime the owner of the free platform sees fit. Some blogs have been closed simply because the blogger was working with the rival platform. Never allow yourself to put your blog in someone else’s hands. This is a bad idea.
3. Have Your Domain Name Or URL
If you have a domain name, click on How To get HostGator Hosting to get your hosting setup going.
Remember, because you have your blogging topic and are ready to set up your WordPress blog, it is time for the domain name. A domain name is an address given to a website, and it is what we see as http://www.yourblog.com.
The million-dollar question is; how do you choose a domain name? well, below are few tips to consider: –
• Making it as short as possible. Remember, the shorter the domain, the easier it is for people to remember and type.
• Blogging message. It is wise to have a domain name that conveys the message of your blog. It should act as a short introduction to your message. For example, assuming that your blog is all about cars. Then your domain can be something like http://www.carsport.com
• Never copy. It is wise never to copy someone else’s ideas when it comes to blogging. It is not wise also to use brand names in your URL.
