Would you like to know how we started this blog and how you can start one too? Did you know that you can start a blog and earn money from it?
I started this blog not knowing much. It worked out so well that I’m showing you how to start a blog too. It might be a life-changing journey for you also!
Here is a simple guide on how to start a blog and a great tutorial for anyone interested in getting started.
But first, let me tell you a little about how I got started.
Less than 2 years ago I started this blog as a hobby and as a way to help other people and also to earn some extra income for my family. Plus I knew it was a great way to learn new skills.
It took off much quicker than I imagined and I was able to quit my job after just a few months as it was consistently making money, just from working on my blog part-time. Better still, my husband was also able to quit his job before the blog was even 12 months old and now has much more time to spend with our family.
What we love most about having this side business (other than the fact that it makes us both a full income from part-time hours) is that it is so flexible that we can work on it whenever we want and from wherever we want. We have two very small children and it has also given me more time to spend with them which I love.
We can go traveling and work on our blog from anywhere and we’re even planning on moving to another country because it’s given us that possibility that we wouldn’t have had if we worked a regular day job.
And it all started because I took that first step by starting a blog.
Today, I want to show you how you can get started too.
Now is the best time to start blogging and a great way to make a living with your own experiences, interests, and passions.
Best of all, you don’t need any technical skills to become a blogger, it’s easier now than ever. And by following our guide below you can start your own blog and be up and running in just 15 minutes!
Disclosure: We recommend Bluehost to anyone we talk to who is interested in starting a blog, including our friends, family, and our blog readers. We’ve also been able to become an affiliate with Bluehost, which means we get a commission if you sign up, at no additional cost to you, and also means we’re able to negotiate a special discounted price for you too – so you’ll get discounted pricing and a free domain through our link.
A blog is a great way to make extra money
Having a blog is great because it gives you several different ways to make extra money.
With a blog you can:
- Make money from showing ads.
- Recommend products that you like and get paid a commission.
- Sell things you create, like printables, templates, ebooks, and more.
- Let other people write guest posts on your blog and get paid for it.
- Write posts that are sponsored by companies.
When we started out we only had adverts, but more recently we’ve added some digital products. We’re also likely to add more things as we go.
What can you blog about?
You can blog about anything! The possibilities really are endless. You could blog about DIY, budgeting, food, parenting, anything that you are interested in or passionate about.
If you’re not sure what you’ll want to blog about you could just start off broad, as it’s easy to add categories to your blog. On this blog, we write about everything, from meals, budgeting, kids’ activities, and more, because that’s what interests me and because I’m a mom I can share my thoughts, tips, ideas, and experiences.
You’ll soon find a topic that you love to write about and that also works well with your readers. So generally, those are the topics that people tend to stick to writing more about going forward. That’s how it works for many bloggers. So don’t worry or overthink it, just get started. The sooner you get started the quicker you will get there!
What’s in a name?
When it comes to naming your blog, if you’re not sure what name to choose for your blog, then just choose a name that’s not specific to any topic. A lot of people even start a blog and name it after their very own name and that works well too.
There are so many interesting voices in each topic, so don’t worry that others are blogging about the same things, you have your own unique voice, perspective, and experiences, so what you have to say will be interesting and valuable to others.
I can’t wait to see where your blogging adventure takes you!
Who to start a blog with?
I recommend starting your blog on Bluehost, because of everything that you get and need when starting a blog, including reliable service and fantastic customer service. Also because of their incredibly low price (and even lower if you use click our links).
Plus, they make it so easy for you to get started. I’ll show you how in more detail below.
Just like our blog, when you sign up with Bluehost, you’re essentially renting a plot of internet space that you use for your blog.
You can start a blog today for just a few bucks a month. We get a cheaper price for our readers if you use our link. This way you can start a blog for as little as $2.95 a month and get a free domain name ($15 value), that’s a very special price for you.
That’s such a low amount compared to how much you can actually make blogging. Like I said earlier, within a year of starting this blog both my husband and I were able to quit our jobs and make a full-time income, from part-time flexible hours! It has been our sole income ever since. I’m so happy that we have this life of flexibility and freedom, it wouldn’t have been possible in any of our previous jobs.
There are some places that let you start a blog for free, however, I’ve always found that they’re only basic blogs and don’t allow you to make money from them. They basically make money from you by showing ads on your blog that they get paid for.
That’s one of the reasons why I recommend Bluehost because they’re so much more professional and your blog looks so much better too. A $3 a month blog with them gives you full control of what you can write about, plus it’s easy to make money with.
Better yet, when I started this blog I had to figure a lot of things out for myself. But now Bluehost makes it so much easier for new bloggers with their quick setup process and their new Builder feature that really helps you customize your blog with creativity.
It has never been simpler to build a blog than it is now with their Builder. Now you can enjoy building your blog with their easy-to-use drag and drop features that help you make your blog look just the way you want it to look.
It really makes starting a blog and running it fun and easy!
Great for non-techies!
It’s easy to get started fast. Just name your blog, select a design template and start building!
You can customize your blog to your heart’s content with so much design freedom.
Plus you can look at stats to see how your blog is growing, and they even have tools to help you grow it more.
What I love most about them is that you get peace of mind, as they guarantee that your blog will run reliably. They also handle automated security updates and backups, plus 24/7 support and how-to guides if you need them.
How easy is that?! Now you can start a blog without worrying about all the geeky stuff.
Some features include:
- Drag-and-Drop WordPress Builder
- 300+ Design Templates
- Total WordPress Design Freedom
- Free Domain for 1st Year
I’ll show you what that means and how to get started in my step-by-step below!
How to start your new blog
I started this blog because I wanted to try it out and I’m so glad that I did. Just ask yourself where do you see yourself in 2-5 years’ time? I know I’ve never wanted to be limited in the things that I can do.
So are you ready to grab your plot of land and start building?
Click here to start your new blog (this will open in a new tab) and then follow the tutorial below!
- Click to go to Bluehost. Make sure the price says $2.95 (that’s the special price for our readers if you use our link).
- Hit the blue Start Building button.
- Choose the BASIC option at $2.95 a month – (you can always upgrade to other packages at any time in the future if you ever want to, but the basic package is all you need and what most bloggers start with).
- Next, choose your domain. This is your blog address. I honestly went with the first name that popped into my head, try not to overthink it. Many people get stuck at this point and don’t end up progressing past it, which means they never actually start their blog because of something so simple! Don’t let that be you!
Just give yourself a minute to think and then go with something you come up with. If you’re really stuck you can choose the ‘I’ll create my domain later’ option, but I recommend just going with the favorite name idea that you have right now.
- Next, fill in your personal information.
- Under ‘Package Information’ here is where you can choose the 12 or 36 months plan. When you pay for at least 12 months you get a free domain name, that’s a $15 value. The 36 month plan is the best value, but it’s up to you. I suggest unchecking the package extras except for Domain Privacy + Protection option – this keeps your personal information given when registering private from the internet, which to me is worth 99 cents a month.
Congratulations! Welcome to the world of blogging!
If you see the Welcome to Bluehost screen that means you’ve officially started your blog – congratulations!
Just finish off any last steps that are displayed such as choosing a password and you’re on your way.
That’s it! WordPress is what your blog is built on and is what’s used by most bloggers around the world.
You’ll also get access to the Builder which will let you get creative and customize your blog.
Just play around, customize it to look how you want it to look, write your first post, and most of all, have fun!
Bluehost marketplace gives you access to hundreds of free and premium themes for your blog. Just pick one that suits your style and start building. You can change it whenever you want as often as you want.
Tip: Bluehost has lots of help in their support section. Just type ‘WordPress’ or ‘Builder’ into the support search box for lots of tips and guides on how to use different features, such as adding your first blog post or customizing your theme.
Bonus tip! If you need help to use WordPress then there are plenty of classes available on Skillshare that will show you all of the basics you need, from adding new posts, uploading pictures, and much more. You can sign up for a free 30 day trial and learn everything you need and much more and you can cancel before the end of the trial and it won’t cost you a penny to learn.
Things happen when you take a leap of faith
I took a leap of faith and started a blog, not really knowing much about blogging, other than that bloggers enjoyed blogging and got to make extra money.
Starting a blog has worked out so well for us that we’ve also even started another blog too!
The key is to just get started. So head over to Bluehost now and start your blog too, and it might be a journey like ours that changes your life!
I can’t wait to see where your blogging adventure takes you!
Enjoy and have fun!
AI TRANSPARENCY: Whilst the majority of our creations have been created completely traditionally, occasionally we utilize AI tools in our design process. We acknowledge the advancements in AI technology and leverage them responsibly to optimize our creative output. However, it is important to note that our utilization of AI does not compromise the human element of our work. Our commitment to delivering high-quality designs through a balanced integration of traditional expertise and AI enhancements remains paramount.