So you think you love saving money and you've heard a thing here and there about this whole blogging world and well you want to jump on board. Great!
Welcome to the coupon/deal blogging world! It's a crazy roller coaster but I have three steps you need to take to get started with your blog- even if you don't want to talk about coupons all niches need these three things to get up and running.
READ If you are serious about blogging and want to get started I have an in-depth guide here for you.
Blogging is fun and hard. If you are a parent it's much like parenting but you have a wee bit more control! It sucks you in and consumes you so be careful when you start out. Over the next several weeks I am going to be sharing my blogging tips with you all. So if you are really curious about it stick with me each week. This week is just the basics.
I'll show you how you get a blog up and running. This is the easy part really. Yet it's the most crucial. It's taking that step of faith. I know for awhile I thought about a blog and didn't really understand what it meant.
I just knew I wanted to share deals and ways for others to save money like I was and that I might be able to make some money. I had no idea until a year ago that people make six figures blogging. My leap of faith was wobbly. First I bought my domain. Then I waited three months before I got my gentle nudge from a blog post. Today two years later I am so grateful I did.
Because blogging is such a complex thing I have to break everything up for you. The emotional part, the balancing part, the technical side etc will all be in a post itself. Today we are just going to see how you get it started and if there is someone out there who is on the fence maybe this will be your gentle nudge to take that leap of faith.
Before you commit to starting a blog I think it's important to ask yourself these three questions:
What is my blog's main focus?
What do my readers need when they come to my blog?
Why do I want to start a blog?
I have to say if you only want to start a blog for money and you have a family you are going to struggle. The reason is blogging takes serious dedication. I blogged for one whole year spending hours on the computer with ZERO pay.
Part of that was learning as I went and tending to a family. But what kept me going was the passion I had for my mission. Don't get me wrong you can totally start a blog and make money off it right away but the truth of the matter is your passion and drive to the reason you started the blog has to be strong enough to get you through the hard times.
So let's get into the First Three Steps to Starting a Blog:
Get a Domain
First, you need to have a domain. Think of this as your street address. This is also the name that people will be typing in to get to your blog. This is the name that people will be seeing all over their Instagram and all other social media accounts.
Ideally the name of your blog you want as your domain. Make it a good one.
My suggestion, try to get the word coupon in there for search engines. When thinking of your domain name think about your mission. What are you offering to your readers? There are thousands of coupon blogs but if you focus on bringing something to your readers that's unique, something they need, you will do just fine.
I started my very first blog with GoDaddy and paid $5 for a two-year domain. They have some great deals for first-time buyers over there. I highly recommend them for your domain. I have found them to have the best price.
Get a Hosting Company
Once you have your domain you need a hosting company. Think of this as the rent you are paying to live. Your domain needs a home on the world wide web. I have been with a couple different companies. My favorite and the one I have all three of my blogs on currently is Web Hosting Hub. I love that I am able to call them and speak with someone right away. I have only had one time with my site having an issue with a plugin and they were on top of.
For those of you who are just starting out and do not want to spend a ton of money I highly recommend Blue Host. They have great customer service and can fit any budget. The best part is right now they have an amazing promotion going on for $2.95/month for hosting. Trust me that is a deal. That ends up being $36 a year.
Trust me that is a deal. That ends up being $36 a year. BUT this deal is only valid for a limited time. If you are on the fence I would sign up for this and get the ball rolling. Regular price is $7.99. If you grab their $2.95 hosting they also give you the option for a free domain. So really if you are starting up right now is the time to grab this deal.
Even one of my favorite bloggers- Crystal with Money Saving Mom recommends them.
Start with WordPress
Once you have a domain and hosting company you need something to build your website on. I recommend using WordPress. It's the easiest site to use and having the options to use plugins to minimize learning code is amazing. It is free too! If I can do it, you can do it. My favorite site for questions with WordPress is wp beginner. You can read their great article on why they recommend WordPress here.
Once you get those three steps taken care of we can get into the fun stuff. You can find a lot of information for starting blogs in different niches but the coupon/deal blogging world is a bit quieter on sharing the inside stuff. But not for long!
READ 12 RESOURCES TO HELP YOU EARN A STEADY INCOME
If you are looking to start a blog- it doesn't even have to be about deals or coupons these three steps are how you get started. I have learned so much in the past two years of blogging that I can't wait to share with you. We are in a time where you can make money online in so many ways you just have to take the time to understand and apply.
If you have a few hours a day to work on the computer, you love to help others, write, and learn I encourage you to get started blogging.
Pick a Theme
A Theme is all the bells and whistles to your blog. It's the design. There are free themes for WordPress and depending on your budget you can go with a free theme. But you can't stick with a free theme forever. I noticed a great difference in traffic and less spam when I switched to a paid theme.
What questions do you have about starting a blog?
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