This post contains affiliate links, I might get a small commission when you purchase from this post at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use and trust.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
The term blog comes from the word weblog. This is, basically, an online journal. Here you can record videos, photos, opinions, stories, and other types of writing. It can be quite an enjoyable experience. You can even make money from it.
Starting a blog is quite easy. Here I’ll detail the steps you need to begin.
1) Purchase a domain
A domain name is the name of your website. It’s an address where people can find your website.
Selecting the right name is important. You should use a name that’s easy to remember. It should identify your business or the purpose of your website/blog.
The next step is to use a website domain name finder. This is used to check if the name has already been taken.
You’ll also need to select an internet TLD. TLD stands for top level domain. For the non-technical people, it will be the extension of your domain name.
Popular TLDs include .com, .net, .org, and .website, just to name a few. As you can see, the TLD for my blog is .website. It’s relatively inexpensive compared to other TLDs.
Once you’ve identified a name, that’s not been taken, it’s time to purchase the domain. I’d recommend Namecheap, as that’s the one I’ve been using for my blogs for a long time. They’re very affordable, when it comes to domains and hosting.
2) Pick your Blogging Platform
WordPress.org is my choice when it comes to blogging platforms. Don’t confuse it with WordPress.com. WordPress.org is self-hosted, unlike WordPress.com. This means that you’ll have ultimate control over your content as well as monetization.
WordPress.com takes care of everything for you. Your choice of plug-ins and themes are limited. Your choice of monetization is also limited.
If you plan to blog for a long time or you’re running a business online, WordPress.org should be your go-to.
They’re other platforms like Wix, Blogger and Squarepace, to name a few. The most-used one, though, is WordPress. You’ll find endless themes, plug-ins and support for this platform.
3) Choose your Host
Next, you’re going to need to purchase hosting for your blog. Hosting allows people to have access to your blog.
Namecheap is the host, that I’d recommend. They’re the one that I’ve been using for a number of years now. They’re very affordable with three different types of plans. With each plan, you get a free domain.
If you’re not a technical person, Namecheap will assist you in getting things started. I know I needed help, the first (second and third ) time when I got started.
After you’ve set up your platform (WordPress in my case), then you’re ready to get your blog started. In a later blog, we’ll look at some of the things I’ve done after I’ve gotten the blog online.