How to Start a WordPress Blog: Walkthrough Guide ✨

Want to start a blog and make money, but don’t know how? You’re in luck! In this article, I will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Blogging is undoubtedly one of the best ways to make money online today. It’s so popular that you can find tons of information on starting a blog and making money online.

It’s going to be a wonderful decision if you start a blog, and it can be an even better decision if you monetize your blog with the right techniques. You see, there are many ways to make money blogging, and in this article, I’ll explore some of the most popular methods.

But I’ll start with the basics so that it is easy for you to follow.

---

What is a blog?

A blog is a type of website that is typically used to publish articles regularly. The articles are known as blog posts, and they are written by the site owner or a guest blogger from time to time.

In most cases, blogs are mainly for sharing information and connecting with others. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of businesses that have started using blogs for marketing purposes.

Blogs can either be hosted on free platforms such as WordPress.com or self-hosted on a custom domain name that you buy from a domain registrar. You will learn more about the difference between free and paid blog hosting in a later section.

Do you know When did blogging start?

Blogging started in 1994, and it has gone through an enormous transformation since then. Blogging was first brought to life by Justin Hall, who was a student at the University of Southern California. Hall started a website called Links.net, which was the first blog in the world.

Well, there are a lot of things to know about blogging. But it’s not about blogging history or the definition of a blog. It’s a lot more than that.

As a beginner, it’s enough for you to know that.

A blog is a type of online diary where people write about their thoughts, ideas, and anything else they’re passionate about.

Who can start a blog?

There is an old saying…

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

The same holds for starting a blog. If you have the will and determination, you can start a blog and make money.

If you know how to move a mouse and type on a keyboard, you can start a blog and make money. However, to be successful in blogging, it is important to have strong writing skills. In other words, if you can’t write well, blogging may not be the best option for you.

Are you a writer?

I know, I know. You’re thinking, “I’m not a good writer.”

Trust me, I’ve been there. In the early days of my blogging career, I was terrible at writing. It’s safe to say that my blog posts were boring and difficult to read. But, over time, I’ve learned how to write better blog posts by studying the work of other successful bloggers and practicing regularly.

So, if you’re not a good writer, don’t worry. You can improve your skills over time. Just be willing to put in the work and you’ll be fine. What you mainly require to become a better writer is to have a burning desire to improve.

Thinking of making grammatical mistakes?

Relax! We all do.

You can easily find many useful grammar checker apps online to help you proofread your posts before publishing them.

The point is that it should not be an excuse not to start a blog because you’re not a good writer. It’s just an excuse that can hold you back from becoming successful in blogging if you don’t address it.

So I recommend that you don’t quit your day job just yet. Instead, focus on continuously improving your writing skills and building a blog that generates a minimal income. Once your blog starts making more money, then you can think of quitting your day job.

That’s a better approach, don’t you think?

Why Should You Start a Blog?

If you are still wondering if you should start a blog, below I will show you the top 5 reasons why you should.

• Reason #1: Blogging is one of the best ways to share your thoughts and ideas with the world.
• Reason #2: Blogging is a great way to connect with others who share your interests.
• Reason #3: Blogging can help you improve your writing skills.
• Reason #4: You can make money from blogging by using the right monetization techniques.

The best part?

Anyone can start a blog and make money with the right mindset. There is a lot to learn and it may take some time, but you can do it.

Things You Need to Start a Blog!

I am sure you are excited to start a blog and share your thoughts and ideas with the world, but first, you need to set up your blog. Below are the steps to help you start your blog in no time.

In short, you’ll need 3 things to start a blog:

• A domain name – the URL or link of your blog, for Example – wpnavin.com, questioncage.com, or navinrao.com
• A web hosting account – is where your website’s files and database are stored so that they can be accessed via the Internet from anyone anywhere.
• A blogging platform – this is what you’ll use to create and manage your blog. I recommend that you select only WordPress.
• Of course one of your Debit/Credit card to make the payment.

That’s it. Let’s get those without any hassle, get all at a time with Hostinger. They provide a domain for FREE with a Hosting account.

Step 1: Choose Your Blogging Niche

• Find Your Passion: Ask yourself: What do I love talking about? Maybe it’s fitness, travel, food, or even tech gadgets. Choosing a niche you’re passionate about makes blogging fun and sustainable.

• Consider Your Audience: Who do you want to read your blog? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content to their needs.

• Validate Your Idea: Run a quick Google search or use tools like Google Trends to see if your niche has a sizable audience. If it’s trending, you’re on the right track!

Step 2: Pick a Domain Name and Hosting

We will see how to start a blog with Hostinger, one of the best beginner-friendly hosting providers. FREE Domain and Optimized Performance.

• To begin, click on the link

You will be landing on the above page, Click on the Claim Deal button.

• Choose a hosting plan

Click on Choose plan under “Premium” plan. It will take you to the cart.

There will be multiple plans, but you can go with the Premium plan. It just costs $2.99 per month and that will suffice your needs.

• Your cart – Click on Continue

Now, you are in your cart. It is advised to go with the 48-month package. It’s cheaper and 2 months FREE.

• Fill in your address and verify the Order summary, Click on Continue

• Make the Payment

Next, the very obvious thing to make the payment is to fill in the card details.

If you are done with buying the host, you might receive an email. Check that and you will be able to log into your website.

---

2. Get a WordPress theme for Your Blog

A theme is what will give your blog its look and feel.

There are thousands of WordPress themes to choose from, both free and premium. You can find free themes from the WordPress.org Theme Directory. But if you are starting to make money, don’t start with free themes. It has its cons. Invest a few dollars to earn many.

My theme recommendations to get started,

You can go with GeneratePress, a lightweight and SEO-friendly WordPress theme. Once you are done buying it, download it to your local drive.

Install WordPress theme

• To do this, go to Appearance » Themes in your WordPress admin area.
• Then click the “Add New” button.
• Click on Upload Theme and choose the theme from your local drive that you downloaded after purchasing it.
• click on the “Install Now” button and then the “Activate” button. Now, the new theme will be applied to your blog.

Now that you’ve chosen and installed a WordPress theme for your blog, it’s time to set up the right permalink structure for your site.

---

3. Setup Your WordPress Blog

Now that you have your site live on the server, it’s time to spend some more time to set up your blog and make it ready. I will walk you through my flow of setting up a new blog.

Securing the blog is always my priority even if it’s a new site or blog. We will make it simple by installing a security plugin, to protect your website from hackers and other security threats.

a) Secure Your WordPress Blog

Install WordPress Security Plugins

• iThemes Security
• WordFence Security
• Sucuri Security

Go to Plugins » Add New in your WordPress admin area and search for “WordPress security.” Then, install the plugin that looks best to you. All do the job.

These plugins will help to prevent hackers from gaining access to your blog and will also improve the security of your website.

b) Make Your Blog SEO Friendly

A permalink structure is the URL of your blog posts. By default, when you install WordPress, it will use a permalink structure that looks like this:

domain.com/?p=123

This permalink structure isn’t the best for SEO and will lead to negative SEO results if you use it on all your blog posts.

It’s much better to use a custom permalink structure for your blog posts. This will ensure that you get the most benefit from your blog and that you don’t annoy Google and other search engines.

c) Setting Up a Permalink Structure

This URL structure will allow Google to display your post titles in the search results.

• To set up a permalink structure, go to Settings » Permalinks in your WordPress admin area.

You want to choose the appropriate permalink structure. Many different permalink structures to choose from, but the best one for SEO is the “Post Name” structure.

This will make your blog posts look like this: domain.com/my-blog-post-title

d) Make Sure Your Website is Indexable

Before you start publishing content on your website, you need to make sure that your website is indexable by Google and other search engines.

• To do this, first, go to Settings >> Reading in your WordPress admin area.

• Then, make sure that the checkbox beside “Search Engine Visibility” is unchecked.

It makes sure that your website is not excluded from search engine results. This part is crucial because you want your website to be indexed by Google so that it can crawl and index your blog posts.

e) Make the Most Important Pages of Your Site

It’s time to create the most important pages for your blog like About, Contact, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, and Disclaimer.

• To create these pages, go to Pages » Add New in your WordPress admin area.

Once all the important pages are created and filled with the necessary information, make sure to add each page to your menu.

4. Start Creating Useful Content

The main purpose of blogging is to write great content for your target audience. And as you have already decided what to write about in our initial step. You just need to be creative and provide valuable information for your readers.

Crafting Your First Blog Post

Start writing the blog post in your WordPress Gutenberg editor. A block-based editor that makes it easy to create beautiful blog posts with formatting, images, and videos.

Writing Tips

• Catchy Titles: Grab attention with a title like “10 Life-Changing Travel Hacks You Need to Know!”
• Engaging Intros: Hook readers right away.
• Bullet Points & Subheadings: These make your post scannable and easy to digest.

Creating the Post

• go to Posts » Add New in your WordPress admin area, and then, You’ll see a blank canvas waiting for your words. write the title of your blog post in the “Title” box.
• Add a featured image
• Hit the publish button

You are done, Congratulations!

Keep publishing content on your website regularly.

5. Promote Your Blog Posts

There are multiple ways to promote your blog posts. One of the best ways to promote your blog posts is by sharing them on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Sharing blog posts on social media creates an opportunity to reach your target audience, and fellow bloggers and start receiving traffic. You can promote your blog posts on,

• Social Media: Share your posts on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Add social sharing buttons to your blog for easy sharing.
• Email Marketing: Collect emails through opt-in forms and send newsletters to keep your audience engaged.
• Networking: Engage with other bloggers in your niche by commenting on their posts and collaborating.
• paid ads, and more.

As its initial phase, focus on the freeways (social media) to promote your blog post regularly.

FAQs on Starting a WordPress Blog

Conclusion

If you have been thinking of starting a blog for money, I hope this article has given you some ideas on how to start and monetize your blog.

And, I must say that I still use Bluehost to host my blog. The good thing about them is that they provide a free domain name when you sign up for hosting.

I have been a happy customer of Bluehost for years, and I highly recommend them to you. They have great prices, so it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to start your blog. If you are interested in Bluehost, click here to get started.

So finally, you have learned the steps to start a blog.

It should not be difficult to follow these steps. Still, if you need any help, please leave a comment below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.