There are many reasons why people start a blog. Some people start a blog for fun, some start a blog because they have a passion for blogging and some start a blog as a way to make money online.
These people create blogs to share their unique lifestyles, teach people how to do things or talk about current events to make money.
If you’re one of those people who would like to start a blog and make money but don’t know where to begin, this post is for you.
In this blog post, I will guide you through the process of starting your own blog and share some useful tips on how to monetize it to help you start making money online. So, let’s get started!
To start a blog and make money, you will need a few practical things to get started.
- Find a niche
- Choose a domain name
- A hosting company
- Install WordPress
- Build you content
- Make money with your blog
1. Find a niche
The first step to starting a blogging business is finding a niche. That means picking a topic that you can become an expert in and that others need help with.
Choosing the topic of your blog may be one of the more challenging parts of starting a blogging business. You know that you want your blog to make money, but you also want to write about something you could see yourself writing about for a long time.
How to choose your blogging niche?
Here are some ideas for blog topics for your new blogging business:
- Consider your topics of interest. Specific blogging topics may be more profitable, but you have better choices.
- Choose a topic that you know something about. People go to bloggers because they want to learn something they don’t already know. A good blogger must have some authority on the subject, or they will quickly lose the respect and trust of their readers.
- Write about something that you can successfully monetize. You may know a lot about something and have experience with it, but it won’t be a successful blogging business idea if there isn’t a way to make money from it.
- Choose a topic that isn’t a passing trend. Think about the long term while building a profitable blogging business. Making money blogging about a topic that is only popular for a few months would be difficult. Short trends are sometimes simpler to follow on social media than on a blog.
2. Pick a domain name.
A domain name is your website’s address. When you visit a website, it is given a unique name so it can be found on the internet. For example, Walmart.com is the domain name of Walmart.
Choosing a domain name that’s easy to remember and accurately describes your blog’s content is essential.
You can purchase your domain name through a domain registrar or get a free domain name for one year when you sign up for hosting like Bluehost. A domain name costs a few dollars annually and can be transferred between hosting providers if you change blog services.
You should also consider using the best blogging platform, like WordPress. These blogging platforms often integrate with your custom URL so that people can find and bookmark your blog.
Domain registrar websites:
3. Choose a hosting provider.
Choosing a hosting provider is the next step toward starting a blog. Hosting companies provide storage for your blog’s content and other media. You will need to pick a hosting provider that works with the blogging platform that you’ve chosen.
Web hosting is the service that allows you to publish your blog on the internet and make it available to readers worldwide. At its most basic, web hosting is effortless: you sign up for a plan, choose the type of web space you want, including disk space or monthly traffic, and get started.
I recommend Bluehost as a web hosting provider Because it’s one of the best web hosting companies and one of the top WordPress recommended providers. It has everything you need to start a successful blog and offers a free domain name for one year when you sign up for an annual plan.
Click Here to get started with Bluehost and get 70% off.
Here from the pricing page, choose Hosting as mentioned.
Then scroll down and select the CHOICE PLUS plan that starts at $5.45/month to save 72%
After that, you will be redirected to this page to choose a domain name you get for free for a year, enter your domain name, or skip this step and create a domain later.
In the next step, you will be asked to provide information about your account, such as your name and email address.
Scroll down, review the package information, and remember to uncheck any extra packages you don’t need.
In the last step, enter your payment information and click on the box shown in the picture. If you do not want to receive offers or calls, click submit.
Your order should be completed, and you will be redirected to create a password to log in to your Bluehost account.
Now that you’ve purchased web hosting for your blog, you can log in to your account and follow Bluehost’s guide to set up WordPress and get your site online.
4. Install WordPress
WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system. It’s simple to use and ideal for businesses of all sizes. And here are a few reasons why:
To start, WordPress is excellent for SEO. You can ensure your site is optimized for Google and other search engines using the correct plugins like Yoast or RankMath. That means that more visitors will be able to discover your website.
WordPress is just an excellent platform for creating a professional website. You may build a site that looks exactly as you want it to using its wide range of themes and plugins. WordPress can help you develop the perfect website for your needs, whether you’re a small business or a significant company.
Install free theme and plugins for your blog:
WordPress has a library that includes many free themes to improve the look of your blog.
You can search for the appropriate theme for your site and install it by downloading the theme file from wordpress.org and uploading it to the site, or you can install it directly from the dashboard, under appearance, choose themes, then add new.
Once the installation is complete, you can customize the theme by selecting different colors, fonts, and layouts.
Recommended themes:
- GeneratePress
- Astra
- Kadance
- OceanWP
Install necessary plugins:
Installing plugins is an essential step when setting up a WordPress website. First, you’ll need to identify which plugins you need to install based on the type of website you’re trying to build.
For a basic WordPress website, you may need to install a security plugin, a caching plugin, a contact form plugin, and an SEO plugin. Once you’ve determined which plugins you need, you can begin the installation process.
Popular plugins:
- Yoast SEO
- Contact Form 7
- W3 Total Cache
- Jetpack
5. Build your content.
Even if you start a blog about something that isn’t your full-time job, you should treat it like a real business. That means creating an editorial calendar to plan your blog topics and publish dates. If your blog is intended to generate income from sponsored advertisements or affiliate links, you will also need to keep track of traffic statistics.
Google Analytics is a free tool that helps you track traffic and search engine rankings for your blog posts. You can also use other free analytics tools like Semrush to help track your blog’s progress.
6. Make Money from your blog.
There are many ways to make money blogging, and we will discuss some ideas for monetizing your site below.
- Affiliate Content
Affiliate content is a popular option for bloggers to monetize their blogs. This monetization brings content providers and businesses together to advertise products and services.
Affiliate content usually includes helpful information to readers while attempting to sell something. For example, a blogger might write a blog post about how to bake bread and then include links to their favorite bread pans.
This type of monetization can be very lucrative when bloggers find an affiliate partner that pays a high percentage or if they can sell a lot of products.
Amazon Associates is one of the most accessible affiliate programs available to new bloggers because they sell such a diverse number of products that most bloggers can find something they can link to in just about any article.
However, unless a blogger sells a high quantity of products through these affiliate links, they are unlikely to make a high profit because Amazon’s affiliate percentage of a sale tends to be low.
Bloggers are more likely to profit more when they team up with specific brands that pay a higher rate.
Some of the most popular affiliate networks and programs are:
- CJ Affiliate (Formerly Commission Junction)
- ShareASale
- Fiverr
- Bluehost
- Shopify
- Semrush
- Sell Services
Many bloggers have skills that can be transferred to web services. Some bloggers may want to promote their in-person services through their blogs. People will trust your experience and be willing to pay for your services as your following grows and you show your authority in your chosen niche.
Bloggers usually promote the following services:
- Consulting
- Freelance writing
- Marketing
- SEO
- Graphic design
- Logo creation
- Website design
You can also sell in-person services in your niche. A blogger who writes about landscaping and gardening can help people design the ideal backyard, whereas someone who blogs about food or baking may love catering parties.
There are a lot of services bloggers can offer on their blogs to make them profitable.
- Online Courses
Online courses are a growing opportunity for making money online and are a natural fit for bloggers.
If you’re a blogger, you can make money by selling courses on your website. You can educate people on how to set up and maintain a blog and build their email lists. You may already be an expert in the field you’re teaching or have learned the skills from other teachers.
In any case, if you’re passionate about what you do, there is probably an audience out there that needs your help, so take advantage of this opportunity.
Some of the top platforms for creating online courses are:
- Teachable
- Kajabi
- Skillshare
- Udemy
- Thinkific
- Ebook
Many bloggers will create eBooks as lead magnets to grow their email list, but you can also write eBooks for profit. Your eBook can be promoted on your website and sold on online marketplaces like Amazon.
Another advantage of an eBook is that you may sometimes repurpose content from your blog in your eBook.
Your eBook should offer something new and different from your blogging content, but there’s nothing wrong with including blog content in the eBook you sell.
Conclusion
Blogging is a great way to share your interests with an audience and make money from your passions. You can learn how to start a blog and monetize your blog. You can make more money on your time by choosing a niche, picking a domain name, and building a blog with WordPress.
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