To start a blog you have to decide where do you want to store it- on a free platform or create a self-hosted website. The essential difference between the two is where your files and site are located.
Think about it this way- where would you like to store all the stuff that means most to you? In a free storage facility with limited access and possibilities or in independent storage that costs a few bucks a month and is completely yours so you can do whatever you want with it.
If you want professional hosting with great customer service at affordable prices go for Bluehost.com or SiteGround.
My site is hosted on Bluehost. Here’s why you might choose to go with Bluehost as well:
Follow this step-by-step guide to start
your WordPress blog with Bluehost:
Want me to do it for you? Sign up for my Blog Set Up services and I’ll set up your WordPress blog for free when you use my affiliate link.
Go to Bluehost.com and click on the “get started” green button.
Now, you select your plan.
I went for the basic one and would advise you to do the same. In any case, you can always upgrade later on.
Choose your domain!
Here you can insert a domain you’ve purchased or just purchase a new one for free with your Bluehost account (for 12 months).
Don’t have a name for your blog yet? This part is important but you don’t have to choose one right away! Just click on the “I’ll create my domain later”.
If you need help with choosing your domain, go to NameMesh, Namelix or Wordoid. All these are domain generators in which you can enter keywords and it would generate different options for your domain.
You’re almost done! Set up your account
Under “package information,” I will say the basic 36-month-plan is the best value for your money. As you can see prices go down as your plan is longer. Still, you can choose a shorter plan since they are also extremely affordable. I chose the 36-months-plan and never looked back.
Under package extras, Bluehost offers a few extras but you can tick these boxes off if you’d like.
It’s time to purchase your hosting package!
Enter your card or PayPal details and you can move on to the next steps of starting your blog, building and designing it!
Choose a password
Once you received the confirmation email from Bluehost and verified your domain you will have to create a password for your Bluehost account. Just like other online accounts you have (or even more), your blog is at risk of being hacked, so choose a complicated password.
Great job. Now you can log into your account.
Install WordPress
After logging in you will be led to the Bluehost dashboard where you can choose a theme. I would recommend skipping it for now since you can always choose one later on.
In the next screen press “Start Building.” That’s it! With Bluehost’s one-click installation, you just built your WordPress blog!
Next, WordPress will offer you help in setting up your business or personal kind of site. You can click on “I don’t need help” and skip that stage.
Launch your site!
Click on the “launch” button and on the next screen choose your title and description. This part is important for SEO purposes. My title, for example, is- SugarTravels and the description is- Your Exotic Travel Blog.
That’s it! In less than 10 minutes you made the first step in the process of starting your blog!
Now you can move on to designing your WordPress blog b in our next lesson.