Starting a blog today is incredibly easy, even for the “technology challenged”. I have gone through the process of starting a blog, adding features and gizmos and stuff that looks cool. I do NOT however, repeat *NOT*, write content for a blog. That’s my partner’s job. Fortunately for me, my partner is also the mother of my children, so she doesn’t have to go far when she has an issue. Not that she can’t handle it – it is easy after all, right? That’s just the roles we have. She does content, I do the “backend” stuff. (except this time)
Backend is cool lingo that means “making the blog/website look cool”.
So let’s get get started on your blog.
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT
If you’re thinking of trying blogging and don’t have a lot of experience writing, then definitely go the FREE WordPress route. I emphasize free because you can start a free blog with WordPress, but they also have many paid features AND they place a lot of their ads on your blog. You could try it and find out that blogging is not for you. So I think it’s really important to remain focused on what your goals are. Also, if you get a free WordPress blog, the URL (address name) will look something like this:
www.yourcoolblogname.wordpress.com
Or, for about $10 -$12 you can have your own domain name, and it’ll look like this:
www.yourcoolblogname.com
Or, if you go with a paid web hosting company like Bluehost, you get a free domain! That’s what we did for a number of reasons:
- It’s CHEAP!! We are all in for under $50 and that is good for a year.
- More bandwidth. This means that when someone comes to your blog, the pages will load faster. We all hate those slow loading sites.
- More choices. When it comes to the fun part of designing your blog, you get more choice when it comes to what it will look like and what it can do.
- Customized email address. This is minor, but I really like having just my name as my email address–> [email protected] <– drop me a line!
- Our goals include growing our blog and with this method we have many options if we ever want to change platforms, servers or host.
- It’s super cool having your own dot com!!
- C.H.E.A.P
So lets assume you, like us, are ok with the $50 investment. Start here:
GET A SERVER
Of course, we recommend Bluehost.com.
This isn’t just a plug, it’s who we and millions of other people use. Why?
- Bluehost is Cheap
- It’s super easy to use
- It’s recommended by WordPress
- There’s a TON of online resources when you need help
- When you sign up you get a free domain. $10-$12 savings
- It’s reliable – Bluehost is one of the biggest names in the game.
**NOTE** ALWAYS WRITE DOWN all user names and passwords. Between WordPress, Bluehost and email setup there’s going to be a lot of them and you’re going to need them. Keep them safe and yes, I am speaking from personal experience!
One of the biggest hurdles we’ve had to overcome is our own fear. Just remember, you control whether or not it gets published on the internet or not. You can keep it all private if you like. But just put yourself out there, this is for you after all.
INSTALL WORDPRESS
Ok, so you have a place to host your site & you’ve picked out a super cool domain. The next step is to install WordPress. This is the platform I recommend because it is massive. Over 82 MILLION active users. There is no end to the plugins and add ons to personalize and manage your blog, PLUS the online help is massive . My most recent problem was trying to put 2 videos side by side on a page. So I went to google and typed in, “2 videos side by side WordPress” and I had my answer within the top 3 hits.
Guess what? If you made it this far, you made it to the fun part. Using WordPress! Now don’t worry about making it look perfect right out of the gate. A good site is built on over time. We’ve come a long way from where we started in May.
Just have fun. There are so many options and details you’ll find over time, like favicon and avatars and SEO. Just don’t focus on the bells and whistles too much. Focus on content. Content is what a blog is about and it’s what brings people back to your site. Remember that.
I have run into people who are scared to start a blog of their own or are intimidated by web design, but as someone who has gone through the process to start a blog and maintain one, it’s easier than you think.
I will let you in a on a secret….this is the first blog post I have ever done and really the first piece of writing I have ever done. As I look now, my word count is at 798 for this post and it BLOWS ME AWAY that I actually wrote something that long. If I can write, then so can you.
If you need any help or advice to start a blog of your own, I encourage you to contact me. I will do my best to answer any questions or get you over any speed bumps. I do email, skype and telephone.
Click here to send me a message.
We all have something to say. Especially you!!
Good Luck from Costa Rica!
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