6 Easy Steps to Start a WordPress Blog

Let’s assume that you already know what you want to blog about and work on getting a blog setup and started.  Setting up a WordPress blog can be very simple and quick.  If you are not sure what it is that you want to blog about, then pick something you are passionate about and we will go from there.  I am going to walk you through 6 steps on how to get your WordPress blog up and running in no time.

Domain Name

If you want to be able to rank for certain keywords and drive more traffic to your site, then I recommend actually purchasing a domain name instead of blogging on WordPress.com.  As I discussed in yesterday’s Affiliate Marketing Monday, domain names are fairly cheap and will cost you about $10 a year.  I buy all my domain names from GoDaddy.com as it is just my trusted source.  Before you buy the domain, make sure that you do a little research.  Purchasing a domain name too long or difficult to spell could be the demise of your blog from the very beginning.  Make it relevant, short and sweet.  GoDaddy will generally give you a deal if you purchase a package of domains.  It is the most important to get the .com, but the other ones can be important when it comes to search engine optimization and personal branding.

Hosting Services

Now that you have purchased your own new domain, it is time to get it hosted.  A host is pretty much a central location for all the files that your website needs to run properly.  That is about as simple as it gets.  You can purchase a simple hosting plan that will cost you about $5 a month that can host one website.  I recommend spending the extra $5 a month and going with a plan that allows you unlimited sites.  There are a few things that I look for in a host.  First thing that I always do in search on twitter about them.  I want to be able to see how fast that they respond to issues.  Prompt response in a hosting company is critical for me.  If you do not plan on getting too advanced with your blog, then most of the other areas should not concern you as much.  Having a 24/7 support team however is important.  I typically don’t write blog posts until about 2 a.m. if I need something done, I know I can count on either Host Gator or Blue Host (two different hosting services that I use for my sites and why you see affiliate banners for both on the right).

Installing WordPress

This is the part that you may think is going to be really tricky, but in reality, it is quick simple.  The fastest and quickest way to do this is by logging into your Control Panel, which is referred to as the “Cpanel”.  You can locate your cpanel by simply typing in “http://yourfakesite.com/cpanel.  Obviously you will want to include your site name in there.  You will be asked to login with the credentials that you used to create your hosting account.  Basically what you are doing is logging into your hosting account.  Once logged in, follow these simple steps:

1. Find the software installing service called “Fantistico”
2. On the left hand side you will want to look for “WordPress”
3. Click on New Installation
4. Choose your domain when it asks for what domain to install on.
5. For the administrator name, do NOT use the word Admin in there, be creative and think of something that nobody else would think of.
6. Insert a random password.
7. Click on Install
8. Once it is finished installing, it will give you a link to log in to your admin dashboard, please bookmark this url as it will be the most important url of your blog.
9. Pat yourself on the back, you just successfully installed WordPress.

WordPress Dashboard

When you first log into your WordPress dashboard, just take a deep breathe, it is very easy to navigate and to learn.  Most of the common things are pretty self-explanatory.  You have a posts section, where you can edit or add a new posts.  You can add new pictures or videos.  There is also a small tab to create new pages.  This is useful if you want to create an about the blog page or a disclosure page, or any other sort of page you want to create.  You will also find appearance and plugins on the left hand side of your dashboard as well.  Next step is looking at your appearance and choosing a theme.

Choosing a Theme

This part can either be fun or consume a lot of time.  When it comes to a theme, there are two ways to search for one.  If you just want to use the theme as is, then search for the one that you want your site to look exactly like.  If you are able to mess with the code a little bit, then choose one that you feel you will be able to change some colors and move some images around.  The themes do allow you to move widgets around, so that is where I recommend you make any adjustments that you want.  You have full control over the order of things in your widgets, without even having to mess with any code.  If you do not want to pay for a theme, then there are plenty of them to search through.  Just go to “Appearance – Themes” and you will be able to search for whatever criteria that you prefer.

Start Posting

Once you have done these simple steps, you are ready to start posting.  There are many other things that you can do within the WordPress Dashboard, especially with the plugins, but these steps are all you need to get it up and running and begin writing blog posts.  Remember a few key tips when writing your posts.  Write about your passion.  Don’t try to make up a passion and pretend to be somebody your not because you will eventually run out of things to write about.  The more passionate you are about it, the easier it will become to make money off of your blog at a later time.  Gary Vaynerchuk has written a great book called, Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion(affiliate link) that has literally changed the rest of my life.

With these 6 steps you should be blogging in no time at all.  When you decide to setup your blog, send me an e-mail or use the contact form to drop me url so I can check it out and see how you are doing.
photo credit: Scriblio via photopin cc