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This is a straight-forward, simple explanation of how I start blogs in under an hour using Bluehost. You can see plenty of reviews online and you can visit my post on blogging if you would like to see more of your options for service providers. When you’re starting out, sometimes you just want to make progress rather than get bogged down by information overload. Today, I’ll be sharing what I found to be the best options for new blogs and websites.
WordPress.org, WordPress.com, & Pricing
Before we dive in, just a quick note to explain the different WordPress options and what’s free and what’s not. WordPress.org is free software to create your website but you need to pay a hosting provider. WordPress.com can host for you but they charge and have restrictions on how you can monetize. This post focuses on a simple way to use WordPress.org so you have freedom in how you earn from your site.
Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Blog Quickly
For some basic background information, you will need a domain name (your online website address, e.g. www.your website.com), a hosting provider, and a software platform to create your actual visible website. You don’t need to remember all of this and there’s actually a super simple way to get it all set up. Here’s how you can make your blog in under an hour:
- Bluehost is a hosting platform that allows you to do everything at once. You can buy your domain name (sometimes they offer them free), choose your hosting plan, and connect to WordPress. I’ve personally used them for years and find it much easier than connecting several services together, which can be complicated and take days for everything to communicate. I’ve also found Bluehost to be the best price for my needs and they are recommended by WordPress as a compatible hosting provider.
- Once you’ve navigated to the Bluehost website, you’re going to choose your hosting plan. Each one explains what’s included and you can choose the plan that best suits your needs.
- Once you’ve chosen your plan, you’ll be prompted to choose a domain name. Bluehost will let you easily search for available domain names at this point. You can also connect an existing domain during this step. Try to keep your name short, simple, easy to spell, and bonus if it includes relevant keywords (but not necessary). You want something descriptive of your blog and recognizable.
- Next you’ll be prompted to check out and can choose any additional services you need. I would recommend the professional email service (Bluehost sometimes includes a trial of this for free). The professional email will give you a mailbox name of your choice that ends in your domain name (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com). This can be necessary to look professional and is also required when applying to some affiliate programs, if you are planning to monetize your blog.
- Once you’ve checked out, you’ll be able to connect your site to WordPress. Navigate to the “Websites” section in Bluehost. From there you should see your website available. Don’t panic if it’s not because sometimes it can take a little time to get everything set up, especially if you’re connecting another domain name. In my experience it is ready quickly on the same day but can be the next day if connecting an existing domain name.
- Once your website is available, you can actually open it in WordPress (from the Bluehost Websites screen) and start editing. It’s that easy!
The Fun Part: Designing Your Blog
Can you believe how easy that was? Once you’re in WordPress, choose a theme and start designing your blog and writing! There are some configuration steps that you’ll run into down the road but this will get you to a great starting point. In a separate post, I’ll cover some of the nuances you may run into over the next month as you learn the platform. For now, enjoy blogging and check back later for some tips to make your blog a success.
