Blogging has evolved over the past couple of years as more and more technology come out and there hasn’t been a better time to start blogging until now or maybe 10 years ago. I started my first blog in 2010 with Blogger and during that time, it was among the popular blogging platforms in the market. However, WordPress started to take over a couple of years later which is when I made the switch; And I never looked back. But, how do you even start a WordPress blog? It’s simple. Let me show you how to setup a WordPress blog.
What Is WordPress?
WordPress is a content management platform that is very versatile and highly-supported by the open source community. It is a software that helps you build a website, blog, and even an app. When you buy web hosting, you have the option (for the most part) to choose to install WordPress so you can use it to build your website.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
There’s a big difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. The dot org website is the place where you get plugins and themes to use at your website or blog, while the dot com website is the place where you can get paid services such as web hosting, domains, etc.
Steps On How To Setup A WordPress Blog
When you create a blog, you need space to put it out in the web. Just like you need a home to live in, your blog needs a home to live in and we call that web hosting. With any house, there’s an address, and in the online world, we call it the domain or domain name (e.g. www.blogpreneur.io). As a budding blogger, below are my top suggested web hosting providers for 2022.
➜ Get your domain and web hosting
Domain and web hosting is a crucial element to blogging if you want to make serious money with it. Sure you can use Tumblr or other micro-blogging networks, but having your own space will help you build a brand and establish your unique identity.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Your Web & Domain Hosting Provider
- Your Budget
How much are you willing to spend or not spend on your web and domain hosting? Do you prefer something that is budget-friendly or do you have the means to go above and beyond?
- Your Technical Knowledge
Not all web hosting providers are the same. Some offer user-friendly interfaces while others can be more technical and confusing to navigate. If you are someone who doesn’t know much about coding or web development jargon, you’re probably better off going with something that has an intuitive user interface as opposed to something that is not.
- Customer Service
For blogging newbies without much knowledge on web jargon, you would want a web host that offers 24/7 customer support so that if your website goes down for some unknown reason, you can easily reach out to them for help.
- Promos, Deals, and Web Hosting Cost
Ten years ago, it was way easier to choose which web hosting provider to sign up with because there were only a few of them. Nowadays, there’s just a tad too many that offer extremely great deals which makes it harder to decide what the best one is. Do you research and weigh out your options. Identify which ones are important to you and which ones aren’t. For example, do you prefer to have free SSL included with your hosting or are you ok buying it separately? Or, would you rather have the domain and web hosting bundled together or would you rather buy them separate? There’s too many things to consider, so take your time.
GET MANAGED WORDPRESS HOSTING
Find out how you can get an expertly managed WordPress hosting so you can forget about web maintenance and just start creating content for your blog
Reputable Web Hosting Companies
If you seek highly reputable web hosting companies that would without a doubt provide top notch web hosting services, these are the suggested web host providers.
Ideal for:
- Online businesses
- Higher budget allowances
- Rapidly growing businesses
WP Engine $22/mo*
WP Engine is one of the best web hosting providers in the market and boasts ultra fast WordPress hosting solutions for online businesses.
Dreamhost $2.95/mo*
They provide support to over 1.5 million websites across the globe with 750k+ WordPress installs.
⚡️ Kinsta $30/mo*
If you’re serious about your business and website, the Kinsta platform may just be your perfect match.
Budget-Friendly Web Hosting Companies
In my opinion, if you are just starting out, the best route to follow would be to start small and cheap with these affordable web hosting companies.
Ideal for:
- Beginner bloggers
- Online startups
- Personal blogs
- Zero to no audience/followers
Hostinger $0.90/mo*
Founded in 2004, Hostinger currently serves more than 29 million users across the globe, with Millennial Bella being one of them.
Hostens $0.90/mo*
Lithuanian-based web hosting company founded in 2003 serving more than 100,000 clients across Europe.
🔥 Ionos $0.50/mo*
Top notch support is what pumps and drives Siteground to deliver exceptional web hosting services to its clients.
Famous Web Hosting Companies
These web hosting providers are well-known due to their creative marketing techniques and expertly-curated audience targeting that almost anyone who lives and breathes the internet will easily identify them just by their names.
Hostgator $2.95/mo*
A hosting company that began in 2002 all the way from Texas, they welcome both beginners and pros in the internet industry.
💥 Namecheap $1.88/mo*
Best user-friendly web host company that was founded in 2000 with over 14 million domains registered under its name.
Once you have signed up for web hosting + domain, it’s time to setup your WordPress blog and explore your WordPress admin interface.
➜ Install WordPress in your chosen web hosting provider
For the most part with any web hosting provider, there would be an option for you to install WordPress as an app. Usually, it is run under the Softaculous software.
The WordPress admin dashboard looks exactly like the picture on the left. There’s a welcome message that goes with it and some options that you can start using whenever you are ready (e.g. pages, posts, or view site).
The navigation menu is to the left in the dark background and contains several options to customize your site.
➜ Choose or upload your desired WordPress theme
When you create your WordPress website/blog, it will be defaulted to its generic theme depending on the version of your WordPress. The latest WordPress version is 5.8.1 with the theme entitled “Twenty Twenty-One” as its default (makes sense because it is the year 2021). You can also buy WordPress themes in several marketplaces such as Themeforest or Creativemarket. These two famous WordPress theme marketplaces are the main go-to places of WordPress users and lovers.
Feminine WordPress themes can make your blog look pretty and polished if your target audience are mostly females. If you intend to write for any gender, it would be best to go for a WordPress theme that is gender-neutral.
➜ Install essential WordPress plugins on your blog
WordPress plugins will be the backbone of your website or blog. These plugins are a great way to customize and personalize your website according to your needs. For example, if you intend to sell products, you can utilize WooCommerce to setup an online shop within your WordPress site. Likewise, if you are a service-based provider and would like for people to be able to schedule appointments with you, you can install plugins such as Bookly PRO or EventOn. However, no matter what type of WordPress blog or website you create, there are a few essentials that you will need for better upkeep and maintenance.
👆 Yoast SEO
Free + Pro Options ($89/yr)
In order to keep your website Google-friendly because you want Google to be your blog’s friend, you will need a good search engine optimization (SEO) plugin, and Yoast SEO is by far the best kind of plugin out there (in terms of free WordPress plugins).
👆 Elementor Page Builder
Free + Pro Options ($49/yr)
Design and layout-wise, Elementor is by far my best choice for web design layout and creation plugin.
👆 WooCommerce
Free + Pro Options ($89/yr)
If you intend to sell products (digital or tangible) on your WordPress website, WooCommerce will help you build an online store for free.
👆 Cookie Consent Plugin
Free + Pro Options ($49/yr)
To be compliant with online laws & regulations, you must notify visitors of your privacy policy & cookie settings. A cookie consent plugin will help you achieve this fairly easily.
👆 UpDraftPlus WP Backup
Free + Pro Options ($42/yr)
Backing up your website is an absolute must because you don’t want to lose all your hard earned work such as blog posts when an update suddenly makes your site non-functional. It is crucial that everytime you update anything on your website, you backup first.
👆 Pretty Links
Free + Pro Options ($79/yr)
Masking affiliate links will allow you to have personalized URLs based off of your domain name. Instead of having https://amzn.to/w9874hy8, you can transform it into something that looks like this: https://millennialbella.com/product-name-here.
👆 Ninja Forms
Free + Pro Options ($49.50/yr)
Everyone needs a form one way or another. Whether it be for customers to contact your or simply submit thehir email to sign up for your newsletter, Ninja Forms makes it super easy to do just that.
👆 Sucuri WP Security
Free + Pro Options ($199/yr)
Obviously, you would want to harden the security of your website using trusted plugins that will help protect it from brute force attacks and hackers. The last thing you want is losing access and ownership of something that you own.
➜ Start creating meaningful content for your target audience
Once all of the necessary WordPress plugins are set and loaded, then it’s time to put your blog or website to work. You can start uploading products that you want to sell (digital or tangible), or you can start posting articles that you’ve written. If you haven’t written anything yet, then go ahead and start!
In summary, building a website to start a blog or online business can be a tedious process. Thanks to WordPress, this has been made way easier to accomplish and I truly hope that this guide on “How to Setup A WordPress Blog” has shed light on a few of your questions. If you have any further concerns or queries you’d like for me to answer, please feel free to comment below and I will do my best to answer them as quickly as I can.
