Do you want to be a successful blogger and make money from your blog? Starting a WordPress blog with Bluehost is the best thing I have ever done. I have managed to take my blog from nothing to it providing a supplementary income for me. If one of your dreams is to have your own blog and make an income by writing about what you love, then you are at the right place. I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to start a successful blog online.
This post is a beginner's guide on how to start a successful blog online with Bluehost and WordPress and make money from it.
How To Start a Blog with Bluehost
WordPress does have free plans BUT if you want to make an income from your blog, you should have your own host. A blog host is a company that provides the space on its servers and equipment to store your blog. When you use a free plan through WordPress, they are giving your that space for free BUT they technically own all of your content which makes it impossible to monetize your blog.
BUT there is a way to get around this, you can use WordPress for free but you can pay a host so you can own all of your content. Bluehost, the host I use, is the top hosting provider for blogs all over the world. They power over a million blogs, so it is clear to say, they know what they are doing.
To start a blog on bluehost is SO easy and it only takes a few minutes to do. And I will provide a step-by-step guide with screenshots so you know you are doing it correctly.
Anyone can make money blogging, I find it so crazy that I can make money while sitting on my computer.
How Much Does it Cost?
So let's talk money! When most people first start their blog, they don't have a lot of money available. One great thing about starting a blog with bluehost is that it is cheap. Right now, they are offering readers of The Impulse Traveler an exclusive discount! You can get hosting for only $3.95 and that comes with a FREE domain name! When I started my blog, I had to pay $12.99 for my domain name. This discount won't last long so it's best to start your blog now.
How To Start A Successful Blog Online
The first thing you need to do is think of the domain name you want. A domain name is the name of your blog or what people will type in the search bar to get to your blog. You should be strategic with your domain because people will be using it to access your content. For that reason, it should be easy to remember and easy to spell! You don't want people missing out on your greatness because you named your blog “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Blog” and they can't spell it.
It took me 3 days to think of my domain, so take your time. Before I knew any better, I googled synonyms for about 2 days. Little did I know, that there is a blog name generator that will basically make up the name for you. Once you have your name all picked out, it is time for hosting!
Hosting with Bluehost
Now that you have your name all figured out, it is time for website hosting. In this article I will be describing how to start a blog with Bluehost. Bluehost comes with free WordPress installation which will save you so much time. If you choose
Domain Names
You should take your time when coming up with your domain name. If you decide that you hate it 6 months from now, you will have to buy another domain and start all over with building your blog and generating traffic. Trust me, that is a job you only want to do once.
I came up with my blog name because when I travel, I always make the decision on impulse and buy my flights right then. That way, I can't back out of the trip. So The Impulse Traveler was born and I'm literally still in love with the name. When you come across the right name, you will know that it's the right name.
So now that you have the domain name in mind, let's head over to Bluehost so you can register your free domain name.
This is the screen you will see. To get started, you click the green get started button. On the next page, you will pick out which plan you want. Bluehost offers 4 different plans. I have the basic plan and have had no issues, but if you plan on running more than one blog you may want to consider the upgraded plans. The screen will look like the picture below:
Choose the plan that works best for you and move on to the next step.
Now you will claim your free domain name. If you already have a domain, you enter it in the box that says “I have a domain name.” If you use the free domain, you will have to choose which extension you want. I HIGHLY recommend getting the .com extension. It is most common and will make it easier for others to find your blog.
Set Up Your Account
Next, you will enter your information so you can set up an account. You will see package extras as an option, unselect them because they are unnecessary and there are cheaper alternatives to them. BUT I would consider the domain privacy option. It protects you from telemarketers getting your info and calling you to sell you stuff and they WILL call, living witness right here.
Now you will pick your package information and how long you would like the hosting. The longer you get the hosting, the cheaper the price is per month. I recommend the 24 month option, only because to build a business (your blog WILL be a business) it takes time and if you truly want a money making blog, 12 months will not be long enough for you to be great and you won't have to waste your time to keep renewing.
Then you enter your payment information and click submit. YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY PURCHASED HOSTING FOR YOUR BLOG!
Because we are affiliate partners with Bluehost, they have offered readers of The Impulse Traveler hosting for $3.95/month.
Step 2: Set Up Your Blog
Once you click submit, Bluehost will email you all of the information about your blog and domain name and you will have to create a password so you can access your account. The next few steps will look like this:
Installing WordPress
Another cool thing about Bluehost is, they automatically install WordPress for you in just a few clicks! If you are not technologically advanced (I'm not), it will save you hours of time. Once you log in, you will be able to pick the theme that you want for your blog. Your theme depicts what your blog will look like. A spectacular thing about WordPress, the free blogging platform that I use, is that it offers many FREE themes. You can make your blog as beautiful as you like it for $Free.99.
Once you've picked a theme that you like, you can now start building your blog.
Once you start building, it will take you to the WordPress dashboard.
You will then see the tools that Bluehost provides to make sure you have everything you need when building your blog.
Once you have everything the way you like it you can launch your blog.
This is the panel you will see
Step 3: Be GREAT!
Now that you know how to start a successful blog online, the only thing left is to be great! Your blog can grow as much as you would like it to. Just be patient, write about what you love, and be YOU! Your next step would be to start blogging. I recommend you pick your niche first. Blog with a solid niche tend to do better because you know exactly who your audience is. If you would like help picking a niche, I have a guide for you that you can find here.
Here is a downloadable checklist so you can keep track of everything you need to do.
