Starting a blog can be a difficult task, but you’ve already taken the most important step: taking action.
Right now, you are halfway to creating a blog that will help you achieve your goals.
1. Where to Start
The easiest way to succeed online and build a good profile from start is by helping other people.
You have something that they don’t have and you can use this to your advantage (in a good way). Just by sharing your knowledge, even if that’s trivial for you, other people will benefit from it and they will look up to you, seeing you as an authority.
Don’t think at how much money you want to make, but at how many people you can help. If you do that, money will come very easy afterward.
Also, think about your passions and what do you like to do most. It will be a lot more easier for you to write about a topic that you are passionate about.
Then do some research on that topic, learn more about it and become an expert on that topic by sharing with others what you’ve learned.
2. Get a Domain Name
Once you have decided about your topic, it’s time to get a domain name. A domain name is the address where people can find your website.
For all the domains I register, I use Namecheap and I highly recommend their services.
But before purchasing the domain name, make sure that you read more about how to choose a domain name
3. Get a Hosting Account
If you have followed these simple steps you should have until now a good topic to write about and a domain name for your blog, so you are up to a good start.
Next, you will need to find a host for your content.
There are multiple choices for you out there and it might take some time for you to research all the options, before choosing a good hosting company for your blog.
However, to make your task easier, I would recommend you to go directly to HostGator.
This is what I use and it’s a company with a great level of support and excellent response times.
4. Install WordPress
The next step that you need to follow in order to start a blog is to install a platform were you can post your content.
WordPress is the most used blogging platform on millions of websites (YES millions), it’s powerful, supported by thousands of developers and reliable.
For WordPress you can choose from a wide variety of plugins and themes, which will extend it’s functionality and make your blog unique.
So, all you have to do is just go over this tutorial about how to install WordPress on your HostGator account and you should be all set.
Once you install it, you will need to read more about WordPress to make sure that you have covered the basics.
Be sure that you also install some of the best plugins to enhance the basic functionality of WordPress and add some extra security.
5. Get a Premium Theme
You can easily choose a free theme, but if you are looking to get started blogging with a bang, I would highly recommend you to get a paid theme, such as Genesis from StudioPress.
It’s a great framework, with a lot of enhancements built in, secure and with advanced SEO settings. Plus it has some child themes with an amazing design.
You can get it from here and then read more about how to install a WordPress theme.
If you want to learn more about Genesis, then check out my Genesis theme review.
6. Build Landing Pages
It’s a good practice to remove all the distractions from specific pages and have one goal for every page.
So if your goal for the newsletter signup page is to make people signup for your newsletter, then remove the sidebar, your ads, the menu and anything that will distract the reader to take that action.
If the goal of your sales page is to sell something, then remove anything that will make the reader go somewhere else.
This type of layout is called a landing page and you can build them by tweaking the layout of your WordPress theme.
If you are not sure what a landing page is, my Google Analytics course page is a landing page, this page is a landing page, my about page is a landing page.
You can build them from scratch using your design skills, with your theme if it allows you to do it or using Premise.
7. Create “Cookie Content”
Cookie content (got this from Sonia Simone) is something that you give away to your readers (a PDF or an eCourse) to signup on your blog for updates.
This is more of an incentive to get people on board and engage them with your content.
Because eBooks are used by everyone and a large number of readers unsubscribe after they get the eBook, I would recommend you to go with an eCourse that is delivered using an autoresponder.
You can create an autoresponder using Elevatr.
Either of these choices will be a good choice, so test them and go for whichever you like most, but don’t spend a ton of time analyzing them.
To see an example of how this type of course works, check out my Google Analytics course.
8. Start Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is one of the best things that you can do attract traffic to your website.
And the traffic that you attract through guest posts it’s targeted traffic that converts very well and if you have a really good incentive for people to signup to your list you rapidly grow your subscriber numbers.
Test, Listen and Improve
In order to build a successful blog for you or your business you need to continuously test new stuff, listen to your readers so you can get feedback from them and add more value for your readers.
This will not guarantee your success, but if you keep your focus, have clear goals and work hard results will definitely come.
Looking for Help and Advice?
If you are ready for more, head over to WP Backpack and check out more WordPress advice and services.