How to Set Up A Blog in 7 Insanely Simple Steps
Welcome to my very first blog supporting YOU on how to set up a blog!
Firstly, let me say a huge ‘Congratulations’ for deciding to take this first step.
Becoming a blogger allows you to create a community and share your passions with an excited audience, but it also involves commitment. In saying that, blogging is a hugely rewarding experience and the more effort you put in, the more enjoyment you’ll get. To make your journey towards blogging superstardom simple, I’m going to start with the very basics. In this article I’ll cover how to set up your own blog and what you need to do to get started step-by-step.
Ready to become a professional and published blogger? Let’s dive right into it!
STEP #1 – DECIDE WHAT TO BLOG ABOUT
What are you most passionate about?
The first (and most important) step in creating a blog is deciding what you are going to blog about.
Deciding what to blog about can be challenging at first, especially if you’ve seen other blogs cover the same topics that you’re interested in. If you love travel but you can name 10 AMAZING travel blogs off the top of your head, it can feel like you’re late to the party.
Guess what? You’re not!
The fact that there are multiple successful blogs related to your passion means there is an audience hungry for that topic – and you’ve got a unique voice to add your own spin.
Choosing a subject, or subjects, you’re passionate about will also help you stay motivated as time goes by. Finding continuous inspiration can be difficult, especially as building a blog audience takes time. My advice is to choose something you love, something you’re good at, and something you want to share with the world.
When I first started my blog, I decided to choose something I loved and something I did frequently.
That turned out to be:
Travel
Photography
Eating out
Combining my passions resulted in this blog. And as you browse my content you’ll see that my content is all about these 3 topics in one way or another. Now I’ve branched out to share my experiences around blogging so that I can help others – but I’m still sticking with the core themes I’m knowledgeable and passionate about.
Website URL
Instagram handle
Facebook page
Any other social media channels you want to join
Step #2 - Choose a unique (and memorable) name
You’ve found your topic, congrats!
The next step is to choose a unique and memorable name for your blog. This step is crucial because your name will go a long way to your success as a blogger.
It’s best to go with something short and sharp as this is easier to remember and look for on Google. Compared to a name that’s tough to spell which can be a nightmare for people to find on Google.
Choosing a name is also tough because there are over 600 million blogs in the world today - and once a name is taken it can’t be used again. This is another big challenge because the name you choose should be available across multiple online touchpoints, including:
Website URL
Instagram handle
Facebook page
Any other social media channels you want to join
Your blog will live online, but claiming ALL possible social handles gives you room to grow down the line. Imagine setting up a blog, attracting thousands of excited readers, then realising the IG handle was taken?
This process took me some time at first because the name I wanted was taken (so I know your frustration if you’re running into the same problem).
I came up with my unique blog name by brainstorming words that represent my values and problems I wanted to solve. Digital, unequal, change, creative, confident, authentic, emotional intelligence, empathetic, design.
The result? DEQU.
STEP #3 - Buy your domain name and website host
Once you’ve decided on your blog name there will be a couple of costs to turn your idea into a real, live blog.
The first cost is to purchase your domain name and make sure no one else can snap up your great blog name (I already know you’ll pick something awesome).
I purchased my domain name on Godaddy.com and snapped up a few variants too. Even though I intend to use just one name, I didn’t want future competitors taking a similar name so I thought ahead. You don’t necessarily need to buy variations of your chosen name, but it’s a good reminder to always be looking ahead at where your blog could go and how your blog might grow.
The second cost is to host your website.
This is different from your domain. If your new blog was a house then the domain name would be the address, and the host would be the house itself. A website host is needed to get your site online and found on Google, but not all hosts are the same so it helps to compare prices and inclusions.
I currently use Bluehost which I’ve found reliable, with limited downtime over the past 24 months and a hosting package that was super reasonable.
Step #4 - Choose an eye-catching theme
After you’ve purchased your domain and found a hosting provider, you’ll need to pick a theme.
Choosing a theme is an exciting chance for you to customise the look and feel of your blog - but the amount of choice can feel overwhelming.
If you’re stuck for ideas, try Googling popular blogs in your niche for inspo. You won’t want to steal their themes exactly, but you’ll be able to get an idea of the designs and stylistic choices others are making.
Stuck for ideas? Discover the 5 steps you need to take before choosing your website design
There are a number of different ways to choose a theme for your blog. For example, you can build a site from scratch on a website builder and pick a ready-made theme. Or, create a site on WordPress and choose a theme that you customise yourself.
Since there are a number of locations to choose your theme, across both paid and free market places, here are two that I recommend:
Wix: If you’re looking for a basic website design that you can build yourself, then Wix is a great choice. The Wix platform is easy to use, even for the most novice user, with simple drag-and-drop features that let you design a website in a spare afternoon.
Envato: If you’re looking for something a little more customisable then try Envato. Envato is a WordPress theme (meaning you’ll build your site on the WordPress platform) and offers a number of options to suit any kind of blog (including mine!). I bought my theme on Envato and had it installed by the Envato team for an additional fee.
BONUS TIP: If you’d rather focus on creating content instead of installing themes and working on the technical side, try searching for themes that come with installation support, or browse online marketplaces like Upwork for affordable technical help.
Step #5 - Create content aka ‘The Fun Part’
Alright enough with technical set up, now comes the fun part.
Creating your content and putting your words on the screen is at the heart of a successful blog. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of picking a name or choosing your favourite design, but if you’re not truly excited about what you’re writing, your audience won’t be excited reading it.
Whether you plan on blogging as a hobby or as part of a business, I recommend creating a Brand Guidelines Kit. This will outline your primary colours, fonts and tone of voice. As your blog grows you’ll be able to refer to your Brand Guidelines Kit and keep your message consistent.
If you’ve been planning your blog and been hit with a thought like “oh my God I’m not a professional writer, what am I DOING?” then you’re not alone. It’s natural to have these thoughts, but the truth is, you don’t need to be a pro writer!
Your audience will be drawn to your authenticity and honesty, not your grammar or writing skills. But if you’re still feeling a few nerves, here are some simple tips to improve the readability of your blog:
✔ Use short sentences and short paragraphs: Notice how this article is easy to read line by line? Your audience will get overloaded with a wall of text, so focus on breaking up the page with lots of space.
✔ Use a free readability tool: Online tools like Hemingway App can score your blog for readability, as well as point out problems like difficult sentences or use of passive voice.
✔ Optimise your images: Images can make your blog more engaging, but images are also typically large in file size - which can slow your entire website down. Free online tools like Tiny PNG or Optimizilla can bring down the size of your pictures without affecting image quality.
✔ Have fun: It’s cliche advice but it’s true - if you have fun with your writing and make it exciting,people will be drawn to it. Your vibe attracts your tribe, so don’t be afraid to add your character and be unapologetically YOU.
Step #6 - Install Plugins
Plugins are software apps you can install on your website to take your content and website to the next level.
For example, you could add a plugin that lets people share your latest blog straight to their Facebook, or add a plugin that stops spam comments from popping up on your site. If you’ve built your blog on the WordPress platform, you can search for plugins in the ‘plugin tab’ of your WordPress admin dashboard.
With over 50,000 plugins to choose from it can get a little overwhelming, so here are the three top plugins I use on my website:
Akismet Anti-Spam: The best way to protect your blog from spam (and trust me you’ll get a lot of spam)
Yoast SEO: An easy to use plugin that allows you to build your content in an SEO-friendly way (I’ll be showing you how to use SEO on your blog in an upcoming blog so stay tuned)
MailChimp: Allows you to quickly and easily add a signup form for your MailChimp list, which lets you email people when you write a new blog or have an announcement.
Step #7 - Publish
You’ve got through the first 6 insanely simple steps to take your blog from an idea in your head to a live website that stands out, is full of exciting content, and protected with the latest plugins.
There’s just one step left - and it’s the SIMPLEST step of all.
Are you ready?
Hit publish!
Congratulations, you’re now a published blogger and all it took was a few simple steps. If you haven’t made your way through all of these steps yet, you should budget 1 to 2 weeks to move through each phase without rushing things.
Blogging is your way of connecting with people who have been waiting for your voice and your message. So whether your blog grows into a business and a way to monetise your personal brand, or stays part of your personal life, you’ve now got a proven roadmap to get started.