Blogging is no more a personal space but a career choice. Many people, who started blogging casually, had no idea that doing so would make them full time income. And now they make 6-7 figures a year. You can too.
There are plenty of ways you can start a blog. You may swing in towards the free services, but know that they come with severe limitations. Self-hosted blogs come with many rewards.
Think someone emailing you from @gmail.com vs @companyname.com. Later sounds more professional, right?
Having your blog on your own domain name adds credibility to your blogging business and make your content authentic.
You get it. Let’s not waste a second and start away. Here is the quick guide to start your WordPress blog in 10 minutes:
- A Paid Hosting Account from SiteGround (don’t worry this is only $3.95/month)
- A Domain Name (Comes free with the hosting)
- Installing WordPress
- How To Install A Theme
Step 1: Find a Host
A host is like your home where you keep your personal stuff, things. On the Internet, a host provides disk space where your files are stored.
SiteGround is one of the best WordPress hosting provider because of its technical support, highly optimized server for speed and security features.
Ready? Start by clicking here to go to SiteGround (opens in a new window so that you can refer to this page as you proceed).
Choose Your Hosting Plan
Step 2: Choose Your Domain Name
This is your address on the Internet. Make sure the domain name you choose is short enough for people to remember, and if it can include a keyword, that will help you establish your ranking on Google Search.
If already own a domain name, select “I already have a domain name” or select the later one if you want to register a new one. Good news is that domain name comes free with the hosting.
Step 3: Install WordPress
Now that you have successfully acquired Siteground’s hosting account. The next step is to install WordPress on your account.
Login to your hosting account and select my account and click “Go to cPanel”.
Once you are there, you will see a lot of options. You need to click the WordPress installer icon to start the installation process which is super easy.
Then click on the Install button. Choose the domain name you just registered or the one you brought over.
Fill in the site title, username and password. For tight security, choose a username other than admin.
You will need username and password to login to your WordPress administration panel so keep it safe.
Step 4: Install WordPress Theme for Your Blog
Now you need to access your WordPress administration panel.
The URL will be http://www.YOURDOMAIN.com/wp-admin
(Replace “yourdomain.com” the domain you setup in the step 2.)
Once logged in, hover your mouse on “Appearance” and click on “Themes”
Once you are on the Themes page, click the “add new” button.
Go with the New Theme
WordPress blog comes with 3-4 default themes but they are very basic. I recommend that you purchase a fresh, new theme at Themeforest because your content will be more powerful if you give it a proper real estate on your website.
Once you have bought the theme from Themeforest, you can come back to Appearance > Themes > Add New as explained above in the screenshot.
Congrats! You’ve successfully launched a blog. It’s time you start adding content. Happy blogging.
