Easy Tips for Starting Your Own Blog

Are you trying to start your own blog? If so, there’s a lot to cover when it comes to getting started. You’ll have to figure out what platform, whether to self-host and what kind of design you want. Today we’re going to take a look at some of the most popular options and give you some tips for starting your own blog!

How to Get Started with Your Own Blog

Choose a Platform

First, you’ll need to choose a blogging platform. Put simply, this is the interface you’ll use to put your blog up on the internet. There are a few options, but the biggest one by far is WordPress. If you hadn’t guessed, the very post you’re reading was made in WordPress. Roughly half of all the blog on the internet were made using the WordPress platform.

Why is WordPress so popular? There are a few reasons. Firstly, it’s very well laid-out, offering a clean and simple way to manage your content. Secondly, it’s easy to search for a layout and template you like the look of. This makes your content look very professional and makes monetization significantly easier! Not everyone who blogs is going to make a ton of money, but if money is your goal in this then WordPress is likely your best bet. It’s simply the most professional-looking mass-market blog platform.

Alternatives

As for alternatives, there are a few you can look into. The biggest other platform out there is called Blogger. It’s a fine resource, if a bit more limited than WordPress. If you prefer Blogger’s style and layout, however, that’s totally fine. You can make an awesome-looking blog with Blogger.

The next biggest blogging platform is a website called Tumblr. Tumblr’s a bit of a cross between a blogging site and a social media platform. It’s a bit atypical in terms of hardcore blogging, but it’s worth keeping in mind. If you want to do something more social and off the wall then you might like Tumblr’s looser, more casual approach.

Self-hosting or Free

Once you’ve picked a blog platform, you’ll need to figure out whether you’ll self-host or not. Self-hosting costs money, but it gives you a lot more control. Not self-hosting means your blog will be free, which is cool, but it comes with some notable limitations. For one thing, you won’t have your own domain name. Your domain, instead, will be hosted under the platform you’ve chosen.

For example, a blog hosted by WordPress would have a WordPress domain name. For all intents and purposes, it would belong to WordPress. If they wanted to delete your blog, they could. It’s unlikely, but the point stands. The other option is self-hosting. Self-hosting costs money, but it gives you a lot more freedom. You get your own domain name, you have more monetization options and you own your site.

The price is also lower than you might expect. The average price is about $5 or $10 per month. That’s not too bad, especially if your site is making more than that each month.

Design an Attractive Blog

If you’re new webpage design, don’t sweat it. You can make a great-looking blog through a blog platform like WordPress without needing a design degree. The first step is deciding what your blog’s theme should be. If your blog is all about video games, you should opt for a game-related theme. WordPress has a wide variety of themes, so choosing one that fits your blog and your style is important.

The next thing to remember is that a clean, easy-to-navigate website gets way more traffic than an ugly, cluttered one. If your site’s visitors can’t find an article pretty quickly, they’re going to move on. That’s no good! You need a design that grabs attention and is easy to navigate.

The Internet is Your Friend

If you get stuck or confused and can’t figure out where to go next, don’t freak out. There’s a ton of options for you to check out and get your bearings. The internet is downright full of resources made just for people starting their own blogs. If you’re hitting a snag, you can bet someone else has hit it before and written a guide on it.

There you have it! Those are some of the first considerations you’ll make in starting your own blog. Remember to have fun with it and make it your own! If you’re having fun and doing what you love, everything else will come naturally!