How to Start Blogging in 5 Simple Steps? (Beginners’ Guide)

Have you ever thought of starting your own blog? I know that just the idea of it can be nerve-wracking at first; especially if you don’t know anything about getting started. In this guide, I’ll tell you how to start blogging in just 5 simple steps.

Keep in mind though, this is a basic guide for absolute beginners. I am not going to teach you some hacks that you can implement & earn millions (yes, it’s possible). It’s just a simple guide that will teach you the process of getting that idea out of your mind & on the internet.

So, without wasting any more time, here’s a simple yet detailed guide on getting started with blogging for beginners.

5 Things You Must Do Before Starting Your Own Blog

Without zeal, nothing is possible. You must have a passion to write and publish. And, no matter how much criticism you get, you must not stop.

Let’s say that there are 52 weeks in a year. One article per week will add 52 blogs to your website. I am sure that out of 52 at least half of the articles will be impressive.

Regular writing – That’s how you learn.

To help you write, publish, and track your progress there are many free WordPress plugins.

Installing tools like Grammarly can help you frame better sentences and avoid grammatical errors. Check out our Grammarly Coupons and get a 20% discount on your purchase.

Pro Writing Aid is another fantastic tool to improve your write-ups. However, just like Grammarly, Pro Writing Aid is a premium WordPress plugin.

To help you buy it at a cheap price, we have some amazing Pro Writing Aid discount codes.

Pick an Idea & a Name

The first step in the process of starting a blog is coming up with an idea & a name. Now, this might sound simple at first; something that can be done in just a few minutes. But this is where a majority of people fail. I don’t want that for you.

I want you to take your time, preferably a few days, and really think about the things that you like & believe that you are capable of writing about for the long term.

It could be anything – hobbies, passion, life experience, or personal stories. Jot down all the ideas that interest you & try to fit all of them under one category.

After a few days of brainstorming, you’ll have a clear idea of the field in which you want to start your blog.

So, have you come up with a list of topics for your blogs? If yes, then the hard part is already over.

The next important thing is to select a name for your blog. The name can be anything you want but there are a few guidelines which you should follow in order to come up with a perfect name.

• It should be easy to type & remember: A name should be easy to remember & type. If not, then people will have a hard time looking you up on the internet.
• It should be short: If the name is short & simple, it’ll be easy to remember. Always try a dot com domain. dot us, dot uk, dot co, dot org are not very common. The dot com domain will be a little more expensive than the others but it’s worth spending.
• Use keywords, if possible: Keywords are the topics that your blog focuses on. If you have the keyword in your name, it will be easier for people to understand what the blog is all about. For instance, we write reviews & guides, hence the name ReviewsNGuides. If you want to start a health blog then you can name it mikehealthblog(dot)com or daisynutritions(dot)com. Just saying. Makes sense, right?
• Avoid punctuations & numbers: Numbers & punctuations in a name are straight-up confusing. It just not worth the effort. But if you have to, try to keep it short, sweet & simple.

Pick a Web Hosting

Think of web hosting as your blog’s home on the internet. That’s why slouching over this is not an option. If you are serious about blogging, then pick a paid web hosting.

The free ones might sound good at first, but there’s no guarantee when they’ll pack up their bags & close the shop. The result? Your blog dies with it too.

The internet is full of web hosting providers & picking one is a tough task. That’s why we worked hard on curating a list of 13 top best WordPress hosting providers. According to our research, we grade WP Engine as one of the best WordPress hosting providers.

It’s fast, secure, and cheap and you can buy it at an even cheaper rate with our latest WP Engine coupon codes.

We recommend one that’s well within your budget & offers a good mix of bandwidth, storage, speed, uptime & support.

Pick a Domain Name

The same rules apply to a domain name as a name in general; just like in the first step. It should be sweet, short & easy to remember; and if it has your focus keyword in it, then get it right away.

Another thing to keep in mind is the domain extension. Although .com is the most preferred extension, .org & .net are just as good. Chances are, if you don’t get the .com extension of your desired domain name, you can get the other ones.

In most cases, the web hosting you pick will also provide you with a domain name. If not, you can always go for dedicated domain providers like Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.

Pick a Platform

There are dozens of blogging platforms on the Internet – blogger, medium & WordPress being the major ones, where you can start writing and publishing articles.

But if you are serious about blogging, then I recommend going for the self-hosted version of WordPress.

This way, you’ll have full control over each & every aspect of your blog. The catch? You need a registered domain & web hosting. The good news is we’ve already covered them above in this article.

Installing WordPress on the server is extremely easy too. In most cases, the web hosting provider you pick will have a 1-click installation program to install WordPress on your server without you worrying about any technical complications.

Pick a Template

A template is the design & functionality of your blog. There are thousands of amazing WordPress themes on the internet.

The downside of this is that if you have no idea what you want, you can walk away with an expensive theme with tons of shiny awesome features that are of no use to you.

That’s why you have to be extra cautious while selecting a theme for your blog.

Another factor worth considering is the price. Amazing themes come at a price; but instead of thinking of it as an expense, you have to think of it as a one-time investment.

You can check out our curated list of top best WordPress themes if you are researching your next theme.

I recommend going for a theme that can be easily customized without the need of you learning to code i.e. drag & drop system. One theme that comes to mind is the WPAstra theme.

The Astra Pro theme would cost you just $49. Do you still think this is high? Apply any of our selective WPAstra discount codes and reduce the final price to an unimaginable extent.

Wrap Up

Now that you know how to start blogging, don’t forget to track your progress. You can track the visits on your pages. Just set up and install MonsterInsights plugin.

We suggest you install a stats dashboard in WordPress using the same plugin so that you don’t have to oscillate between your WordPress dashboard and other channels such as Google Analytics and Search Console.

So, there you have it – a simple guide on how to start blogging for beginners. It’s not as confusing as you think – you just need the basics to get started – an idea, a name, a hosting, a domain & a platform. Again, this guide is directed towards absolute beginners. We are also working on another guide of the same kind but with some advanced tricks & strategies which will be published here in the coming months.