How To Start a Blog: For Beginners

So you’ve decided to take a leap and start a blog? Yeah! What an exciting new thing you’re about to embark on. You’re probably thinking “but how do I get started?”. Well, friend, I am so glad you asked! That’s exactly what I am about to tell you so buckle up, it’s gonna be a crazy ride! This post is going to give you step by step instructions on how to start a blog the easy way!

Here we are in 2018, the age of knowledge at the tips of our fingers. There’s so much information out there and it can be overwhelming and intimidating when you’re just starting out and want to start a blog. Take it from someone who knows (*insert hand raising emoji here*). When I first started blogging back in 2015, I relied heavily on Google to teach me. While it was useful, there was still a ton of information I had to learn on my own, and want to make this process a bit easier for you than it was for me when you start a blog.

1st–Choose a Blog Platform

This step is a biggie when you start a blog! When I first started blogging, I used Google’s own Blogger. In my opinion, this is not the best platform to use because it hasn’t been updated in a really long time, and you get a lot of spammy traffic. Add that to the fact that it’s really hard to customize without hiring a designer who can code. So when you first start a blog, I recommend starting with WordPress. 

My favorite platform to use is hands down self-hosted WordPress.org. Self-hosted WordPress simply means that you own your site and its contents. You do have to find a hosting service if you don’t have fast internet that can handle the demands of your site. Me? My site is completely hosted from my home because we have insanely fast internet, but there are lots of affordable hosting options out there such as: Reclaim Hosting, Blue Host, and Host Gator that are great options when you start a blog with WordPress. 

When you start a blog through WordPress, it is extremely customizable and user-friendly. You can add plugins to make your site even better. There are so many things I love about it! If you can’t afford to pay for hosting, WordPress does have a free blogging platform that you can use at WordPress.com. While you don’t own it and it can’t be customized to the extent of self-hosted, it is a great option if you’re just starting out! 

2nd–Find a Theme

Once you have decided on a blogging platform, now the fun part comes in picking a theme! This is the best part when you start a blog. Themes are fun ways to express yourself and there are literally thousands of options. It’s important to pick a well designed and well coded theme that won’t cause you any problems but also fits you and your personality perfectly. 

{Affiliate disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. All that means is if you end up purchasing through a link, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you}

If you chose to start a blog on self-hosted WordPress, my favorite place to buy themes is Restored316. These are beautifully designed and coded feminine WordPress themes for the female entrepreneur. Restored316 has themes for all kinds of entrepreneurs and you’re bound to find one that suits you! They even have a quiz that you can take to help you decide on the best one for you. If you are on the free WordPress.com, there are lots of free themes to choose from on there for your site! 

3rd–Pick a Name

This is probably one of the most important things about your blog. Choosing a name when you start a blog can sometimes be no easy feat. When I started a blog, I picked a name that I felt at the time spoke to my focus for the blog. After about a year of blogging, I decided to rebrand because my focus had shifted a little and I wanted something that would be more fitting. Then I got this current blog that I have been writing on for about 2 and a half years now and I still love. 

When picking a name for your blog, ask yourself a few questions. 1) What is your blog going to be about? Once you figure out what you want to write about, it’ll make choosing a name a little easier. 2) Who do you want your readers to be (aka: your target audience)? The people you are wanting to reach have a major role in deciding on your blog name, because they are the primary focus of your writing. 3) Is it easy to remember? You want a blog name that people are going to remember, one that will stand out. These are all important things to consider when deciding on a blog name, because your blog name will be your blog’s identity, and eventually it will become your brand. So take care when picking a name and put lots of thought into it. 

4th–Pick a Domain

When you start a blog, having a domain for it is super important. This domain is going to be what people will type in online to find your site. You can set up a domain on whatever platform you choose, after you purchase it. My favorite place to purchase domains through is NameCheap. There’s a reason they are called that too, because their domains are pretty cheap! The best part? You can find a custom one that’s perfect for you, and they even have an email service if you’d like an email with your domain at the end. Example: [email protected] would be the email you could use for all things #blogging.

Your domain says a lot about you and your site, so you have to make sure it’s a good one when you start a blog. Your domain could be your name, your blogs name, or something completely different! You are in total control. Some things I will recommend if you decide to use NameCheap is turning on auto renewal for your domain–this automatically charges you for your domain each year–and turning on WhoIsGuard that will help protect your public contact information by keeping it private.

5th–Design your Blog

Outside of picking a theme when you start a blog, this one is also so fun! Designing things for my blog is my second most favorite thing to do outside of writing. It definitely takes discipline and effort, but I love being able to do it. The first thing you’re going to want to do when you start a blog, is to design and customize it to your liking. On WordPress, this is super easy. All you have to do is go to your dashboard and click Appearance–>Customize in the sidebar then once you see your theme that’s activated, click “customize” once more. In this screen is where you can pick all your colors and layout for your new site. Don’t be ashamed if you have to ask for help–I most definitely had to! You’ll get the hang of it soon, I promise.

Once you have your blog name chosen, your theme activated, and your colors customized, now is the time where you’ll either want to hire a designer for your images, or you can make them yourself. I had a vision of what I wanted when I started, and I learned how to make images. If you have the Adobe Suite, you can use Illustrator to design your header, and Photoshop to design everything else. If you don’t have those, I highly recommend Canva for those just starting out! You can do so much in there.

Something else I recommend doing is making a mood board on Pinterest of things you like or that inspire you that you can incorporate into your blog’s header. Like mine having flowers because I love them and I wear one in my hair everyday! Don’t know where to start? I have tutorials for both Photoshop and Canva on how to make images! 

6th–Write Your First Post

Heck yeah, friend! You’ve successfully created a blog and I couldn’t be happier! Now that you’ve completed all the initial steps and got your blog online, now it’s time to start pumping out that amazing content that I just can’t wait to read! When you start a blog, it can all seem really overwhelming, but you’ve made it through! 

Let me formally welcome you to the blogging community if this is your first blog, and say that you’re gonna love it here! This community and the people in it are some of the most inspirational, kind hearted, boss babes around and I am tickled silly that you’re now one of us too! Here in the blogosphere, we support each other fervently, we encourage each other to keep pursuing our dreams, but above all we help one another out. So if you’ve got any questions at all, shoot em my way and I’ll be more than happy to help you on your way, cause I’ve been there and I get it. 

Now, get out there and change the world! You’ve got a voice and the world needs to hear and we certainly need more people like you in it.