Building a blog isn’t all that difficult. Building one that is successful takes a bit of effort. Of course, this also depends on your vision of “success.”
For the sake of argument, let’s say we want to build a blog that drives traffic and makes money. But what if we are the only ones building the site and creating its content?
The idea of this page is to break down what is needed and how we can create a website from the very beginning.
Spoiler alert; it’ll take some time.
Building a Blog from the Very Beginning
Creating a successful blog is more than just slapping up some words and hoping someone is reading. And if you’re doing it all yourself, it’s going to require a lot of motivation, determination, and patience.
Realistically, the odds of you putting up a blog and seeing overnight success is slim to none. In fact, your odds are better at winning a billion-dollar lottery.
When you consider that there are almost 87 blog posts published per second, well, that’s a lot of competition.
Below are the steps I’ve laid out to help you set up your own blog and the methods I use for both clients and myself to drive traffic.
- Building a New Blog: It Starts with an Idea
While it’s possible to build a successful blog without having a solid idea about what to create, having a purpose makes the process easier. Especially when it comes to design and content. Today, let’s dive into getting that idea to build something grand. - Building a New Blog: Hosting and WordPress Setup
Now that you have an idea for your new blog, it’s time to set up WordPress. This is because WordPress is one of the easiest and most versatile platforms on the Internet for content creation. - Building a Blog: Customizing WordPress and its Settings
When it comes to building your new blog, customizing WordPress is one of the more time-consuming projects. You want the site to look and behave as you want. Today, I’ll go over the Settings page and how to customize a theme. - Building a Blog: Using WordPress Plugins and Why
Plugins are what provides WordPress with a long list of functions and features. And with more than 60,000 available for free, you can add a lot to your website. Let’s look at those plugins and why you’d want to use them.
Building a Blog Isn’t Expensive – If You Do It Yourself!
Some “expert” bloggers or companies try to push the idea that creating a website is expensive. They mostly site things like paying writers to create content, paying developer fees, or adding premium themes and plugins.
While it’s true these can vastly increase the overall cost of your website, they are unnecessary to get you started.
In truth, you can start building an awesome blog while spending less than a cup of coffee each month. For instance, GreenGeeks can get you started with around $107 if you pay three years in advance.
This comes down to $2.97 per month. However, you’ll have to pay for your domain each year, which is only about $17 per year.
The bottom line is that you can put together a popular blog without spending a great deal of money. It all comes down to how much of it you want to do yourself.
As your site starts to grow and your monetization methods start pulling in some cash, then you can decide if you want the bells and whistles.
10 Tips for Creating an Amazing Blog
- Keep a watch on Google: The search engine can make sweeping changes to the algorithm at any moment.
- Always cite your work: Link to trustworthy and accurate sources when making claims.
- Always be open to learning: The more you know about blogging, the greater the chance for success.
- Use grammar-checking apps: People will point out if there are errors in your work.
- Be consistent: Blog readers, followers, and search engines want consistent posts and updates.
- Research the topics: It may take more time, but a well-planned and well-written post boosts success.
- Be interactive: Respond to comments and engage your readers.
- Write for your readers: Always put your target audience first and Google second.
- Have fun: Blogging can be an incredible experience as well as therapeutic.
- Have patience: It takes an average of a few months for a blog to gain momentum.
What Kind of Blog Are You Building?
Despite the popularity of video usage, blogging is still an extremely popular form of content. And there is nothing wrong with combining video content with your website to expand your audience even further.
As 77% of all people continue to read blogs regularly, there is a good chance you’ll find your target audience.
Be patient with the process and write the best content you can for those who appreciate your work.