Are you planning on starting a blog in 2021? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
I am going to walk you through step-by-step and show you exactly how to start a blog the right way this year to set yourself up for success.
The fact that you’re here means that you are ready to do this thing. Anyone and everyone has the potential to start a successful blog that has the potential to make money.
If you are willing to put in the hard work to grow your blog and make money, let’s hop right on in!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
Choosing your blog’s niche might just be the hardest thing that you are going to have to do when starting your blog.
In 2021, everything has been done, so don’t stress yourself by trying to come up with something “new”.
What you want to do is think of a way you can provide value by adding your unique style to a concept that already exists.
Consider these questions when trying to determine your blog’s niche:
1. What am I passionate about?
This may come easy to some, but for me I didn’t already have a hobby that I enjoyed that I could create a blog about. If you do have a passion, you are starting off on a good foot
2. What is something I can provide a unique insight into?
Sometimes our life experiences by themselves can make an excellent niche idea. One example of this would be the parenting niche.
Every parenting blogger isn’t necessarily an expert parent. However, each parenting blog is unique because they each provide their unique insight into the journey of parenting.
3. What are people already searching for?
If you plan on making money with your blog, this question is CRITICAL. In fact, it’s even more important than asking yourself what you are passionate about.
If what you are passionate about lines up with something that is already a highly searched topic, you’ve hit the jackpot! If not, you may have to reevaluate.
Here are some of the most popular and profitable blog niches for 2021:
- Parenting
- Finance
- DIY
- Food
- Health & Fitness
- Travel – Travel blogs have always been huge traffic bringers and money makers in previous years. However, I would proceed with careful consideration.
- Sewing
- Fashion
- Lifestyle – Lifestyle blogs typically consist of a variety of different topics that are centered around one target audience. For example, my lifestyle blog is centered around content for Millenials. Other examples would be college students, people who are married, pet lovers, moms, etc.
Step 2: Choose Your Blog Name
Choosing your blog’s name is something that you need to think long and hard about because it is going to stick with you forever.
Here are a few things to consider when deciding your blog’s name:
1. What is my blog about?
Because you have already determined your blog’s niche in step one, this part should come easy.
2. What are words that describe my niche?
It’s time to bring out your handy dandy dictionary and thesaurus. For a blogging niche such as food, there are endless ways you can incorporate food into your blog name. But for others, you may have to think a tad bit harder.
3. Who is my target audience?
Are you targeting men? Are you targeting women? College kids? All of the above? Pick a name that your target audience would easily relate to, resonate with, and understand.
Step 3: Purchase Hosting & Domain
Now that you know exactly what your blog is going to be about, who your target audience is, and the name of your blog, it’s time to purchase your hosting and domain name.
THE #1 HOSTING SERVICE FOR NEW BLOGGERS
The number one hosting service that I recommend for new bloggers is SiteGround.
When I was deciding on a hosting service for my blog, the most important thing to me was site speed and reliability.
Before I started my blog I read so many horror stories from other bloggers with other hosts about how their sites were crashing on a regular basis, and they were struggling with Google SEO because of how slow their site was.
I knew I absolutely DID NOT want to be in that boat. I did extensive research, reached out to seasoned bloggers, and read endless reviews and chose Siteground to be my hosting service provider.
And let me tell you…..I have not had ONE SINGLE ISSUE with them. They are seriously AMAZING and affordable for bloggers.
They offer 24/7 live chat support (which is essential when you are a newbie blogger), offer an easy to use platform, and you can easily integrate wordpress.org right from them.
Pro Tip: If you plan on making money blogging, wordpress.org is what you need!
I strongly believe that EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of you has the ability to start a successful blog. Don’t let a bad hosting service set you back!
I’ll admit, there are certainly other cheaper HSP’s out there, but CHEAPER does not equal BETTER. If you are serious about blogging, the #1 one thing I would not take the cheaper route on is your host.
How to Sign Up For SiteGround
1. Choose Your Plan
If you are just starting out, I would recommend going with the Startup or GrowBig plan depending on your budget and blog goals.
You can always start with the lowest plan and upgrade at any time when you start getting more traffic.
I started with Growbig and it held up to about 50,000 pageviews and I had to upgrade to GoGeek!
2. Choose Your Domain Name
Remember the blogging names you thought of earlier? It’s time to see which are available for use. If you already have a domain that you own, you can easily add it in this step too.
3. Review and Complete Your Order
You are now officially set and ready to go to get your site up and running!
Ready to get started?
Click here to purchase your SiteGround Hosting
Step 4. Install WordPress
As I explained previously if you plan on making money with your blog, you must install WordPress.org on your site.
Luckily for you, WordPress.org is actually FREE when you sign up with SiteGround! Siteground’s easy to use platform lets you sign up for WordPress directly on their site.
Step 5: Design your website
It’s time to design your dream website. There are so many theme options out there to choose from. You will be guaranteed to find the perfect fit for you.
WordPress has free options available on its platform that are fine to start out with. If you want to opt for a paid option, I personally love Restored 316 themes.
If you are tech savvy they are easy to install yourself with step-by-step instructions. They also provide installation services if you want to leave it to the pros!
If you are on the hunt for themes, you should also check out Studio Press.
Step 6: Create a One Month Content Plan
Your website is up and ready to go. It’s time to start writing. You want to go in with a plan when it comes to writing your first pieces of content.
It is important that your content is focused and represents your core message of what you are providing your audience when they come to your site.
Starting a blog for the first is without a shadow of a doubt stressful. Having a content plan will keep you grounded and focused on what you love and keep you from straying off course.
(Be sure to sign up for my free 7-Day Pro Blogger Challenge to learn exactly how to create a killer content plan & write the perfect blog post )
Step 7: Create a privacy policy & disclosure page
One of the biggest mistakes I made when starting my blog was not having a privacy policy and disclosure on my site. You want to be sure your blog is legally compliant.
WordPress does have free privacy policy templates which will be okay starting off, but as you grow, it would be best to make sure you are 100% compliant with federal laws. A Self Guru has some awesome templates at an affordable price.
Want to learn more about starting a blog the right way?
There is sooo much information that you have to learn as a new blogger, and I know just how overwhelming it can be.
I couldn’t fit all of the information that I wanted to in this post. That is why I created the 7-Day Pro Blogger Challenge!
In the 7-Day Pro Blogger Challenge, I walk you through step-by-step some of the key foundational strategies and practices that you need to know as a newbie blogger to set yourself up for success.
After each day’s lesson, you will even receive homework to work on to help you stay on task and to take action with the specific strategies that we talk about each day.
Let me tell you, it took me one whole year to learn all of this information. Basically, this is everything I wish that I knew when I first started blogging, and the things that no one really talks about on the surface.
I wish I would have known this information when I was starting off because I would have been so much further ahead of the game!
I would love for you to join me on the challenge! Can’t wait to see you there. Sign up below!
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