OK, you know you are a writer, but you are stuck in park and can’t figure out the best way to start writing without giving up your regular life.  You don’t have to tackle it head-on.  You can slide into it sideways to begin.

Today we will go over how you can easily start a blog (yes – a blog) in about 30 – 45 minutes. I love that anyone can become a blogger! I love even more that the sky is the limit in terms of growing your blog and blogging income!  This page will grow and become better over the next few days.  In fact, I started this article a few months ago on a different blog I write, theReasonableRealtor,com

You have causes, hobbies and life experiences to share with the world and there are lots of people who are probably looking for the solutions and answers you can provide.

The best things about blogging: No boss, no commute and no limits to how much you can make. I love the freedom and autonomy of working for myself from home!

Blogging is also one of the most low-cost side hustle business I’ve found. The cost of setting up a blog is about $3.95/month for hosting which is pretty reasonable when you think about it. It’s a small investment to make in something that can provide unlimited income and could replace having to work outside the home. I was able to make the money I invested into self-hosting my blog back pretty quickly!

Plus, if you ever find blogging isn’t right for you, you have options to sell it plus the cost of starting a blog didn’t cost you much more than one cup of Starbucks coffee per month. It’s a low risk and very low overhead business – basically a no brainer which means you have so many great reasons to start your blog today!

3 Steps For Starting A Blog

These are the three basic steps in starting your blog which we’ll be going over below:

One – Decide what to blog about and generate some domain name ideas

Two – Choose a blogging platform and pick your hosting

Three – Get started with WordPress and then design and launch your blog!

Choose Your Blog Niche And Name

Step 1: Decide what to blog about and generate some domain name ideas

When you’re looking to start a blog, it’s important to blog about something you love. You’ll also want to be sure there is plenty to talk about on the niche and topics you choose so you’ll never run out of things to talk about on your blog.

As you’re thinking of what you want to blog about you will also be considering what blogging niche that topic fits into. It helps to know how most blog niches are typically monetized.

I recommend choosing a niche that has lots of monetization opportunities that are a match for your topic and personality. For example if your niche relies heavily on YouTube but you hate being on video then I would re-think that. Obstacle.co has this amazing article on blog niches and how to monetize each one which I would highly recommend you check out here.  

It would also be great if what you’ll talk about and your blog name go together but you can also pick a more generic blog name so you can choose or even change your blogging topics later. Many bloggers these days are using their full given names for their blogs which I love because it allows you to change topics or niches without having to start your blog over later. Start generating some domain name ideas to check for availability so you can select one when you’re setting up your blog.

And what if you can’t decide? Start anyway! The easiest way to figure out what you want to do is by eliminating what you’ve tried and didn’t like doing!

Best Blogging Platform And Hosting

Step 2: Choose A Blogging Platform And Pick A Hosting Service

Ok, so this next part is really important when you start a blog. I recommend using wordpress.org as your blogging platform and paying for self-hosting with Bluehost and I’m going to explain why below. I say this because you might also be considering another platform like blogger or blogspot or some free hosting services and here’s why I would not recommend those.

Can you guess why?If you guessed monetization then you’re spot on! Yes, if you want to monetize you have to be self-hosted on a platform that allows for easy monetization. It’s definitely worth it to pay for self-hosting so you can monetize your blog!

And to be clear, you should set up your blog on WordPress.org (NOT on wordpress.com!) This is because WordPress.org is for self-hosted blogs. Why is self-hosting important? Because that means you OWN and control your domain.  And you absolutely want to own the site where your blog is hosted.  If you start a blog on the wrong platform you will not be able to monetize it as quickly or easily.  You won’t be able to place advertisements or make money using affiliate links to promote anything UNLESS your blog is self-hosted.

I know I’m repeating myself but self-hosting is a must if you want to monetize your blog. So, now that we’re clear on that let’s look at some of the other awesome reasons to start your blog with WordPress.org and Bluehost today!

Blogging is the lowest cost side hustle I’ve found and you can start a money-making blog for just a few dollars per month! Through my link you’ll receive discounted pricing and you will also receive a free blog domain ($15 value) if you purchase a year of hosting.

I highly recommend signing up for the 12 month hosting plan. It’s completely affordable and you can save money by buying 12 months at once. If you’re looking for a better deal, the best value would be their 36 month plan which would lower your monthly rate. So, if you like the idea of saving more money on your hosting then I would go for their 36 month plan which will bring your monthly costs down overall.

I personally have had a great experience with Bluehost and they’re perfect for the new blogger. With my link Bluehostis only $3.95 per month. It’s an inexpensive way to self-host your blog using WordPress. Bluehost is not only extremely inexpensive, with the purchase of a 12 month plan, you’ll get a free domain, access to free themes, their 24/7 support and their 1-click WordPress installation! You will be able to run advertisements, use affiliate links, direct ads with a blog hosted on Bluehost. That’s a hard deal to beat!

Review Of the Great Reasons To Start a Blog With WordPress and Bluehost

1. Great pricing at $3.95 per month with a 12 month plan. And even better pricing if you sign up for a 36 month plan! That’s less than a cup of Starbucks coffee to run your blog!

2. Free domain ($15 value) when you sign up for a 12 month plan

3. Access to free themes

4.Bluehost’s amazing 24/7 support

5. 1-click WordPress install for free with Bluehost

6. You will be able to monetize your blog with ads and affiliate because you’re self-hosted

7. Your blog will also look way more professional to readers, companies and affiliate networks if you’re self-hosted as      opposed to being on Blogger or BlogSpot.

WordPress And Launching Your Blog!

Step 3 – Get Started On WordPress Then Design And Launch Your Blog!

Go to Bluehost and click the “Get Started Now” button

You can get your domain name directly through Bluehost which makes the whole process very easy. Remember that if you buy a 12 month plan your domain name will be *free*!

I should also remind you that the best value would be purchasing a 36 month plan which makes your monthly rate lower over a longer term. Also, if you’ve already decided you want to get the free domain, the easiest thing is to continue to the next step and buy your hosting all in one transaction.

By the way, I know they offer the option to sign up for a monthly plan but I wouldn’t recommend that as it’s risky. If your plan lapses or your credit card is declined for any reason, your website could expire as often as every 30 days which means your website goes down and you risk losing traffic, visitors and business, etc. It’s a hassle and not worth paying more per month just to have to deal with that because paying on a monthly basis is also less expensive.

Select Your Plan

Click on the package you want to buy.

The “Basic” plan is really all you need for now. You can always change it later if you want and just pay the difference. The only extra item I would recommend you to get is Domain Privacy Protection which is only a little extra per month and it keeps our contact information private. I feel that is completely worth it to keep your address private and I did that when I purchased my hosting plan with Bluehost.

By the way, if you are unsure about blogging then I would still sign up for the 12 month plan as it’s still a great deal at that price plus you’re getting the free domain!

Pick Your Domain Name

Here is the fun part. Check to see if the domain names you came up with are available. Select and Register for the domain name you want for your blog! This part is so exciting! And the best thing is that if you can’t decide on a domain name right now you can still get started with your hosting and finalize your domain name later!

Create your password. Please keep this secure as it’s very important.

Install WordPress on Bluehost using their 1-click installation!

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! And it’s SO easy!

You’re Almost There Now!

After you create your password, Bluehost guides you through everything you need to do in order to start your blog.

Bluehost will ask you to pick a theme. Don’t worry too much about this as you can change it later. The only thing I would make absolutely sure of here is to pick a theme that is ‘responsive.’ This means a theme that can work well on both mobile and desktop devices.

 You’ve Started A Blog!

CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a WordPress blog! Your next step is to work on the design and producing awesome quality content.

You can click on Posts to “add a post”

You can click on Media to “add an image to your post”

You can start deciding on your header, footer, side bar and about me sections as well!

Thanks for reading my article on starting your own blog!

There are a lot of books available about blogs, and  I’ll be adding a lot more info to this area over the next few days.