Starting A Blog
Starting a blog does require an initial investment, but the start-up costs are extremely small compared to starting any other type of business. All in all, a blog can cost you as little as $50 a year or about $4 per month.
Domain and Blog Names
The first thing you need to do is brainstorm and register a domain name. Anyone who has set up a new email account knows that sometimes the most difficult part is finding a unique name.
Your site’s name should reflect the content you will discuss so visitors are encouraged to click-through on search engines and check out your blog.
Try to find a short, memorable domain name that is a “.com”. While a “.com” is better than a “.net” or “.org”, there are some very large blogs who have been successful using those other extensions.
Once you choose a domain name, you will need to buy it. You can purchase domain names through BlueHost, HostGator or GoDaddy. We recommend you buy cheap hosting with the same company because you will get your domain for free.
Please note that, while you can start a blog for free at Blogger, Tumblr, or WordPress.com, these free blog sites have limitations on design, control and monetization, and are not for people who want to start a professional blog, grow an online business and make money blogging.
To become a serious blogger, you need your own domain name and hosting. Here’s our guide on coming up with a blog name.
Web Hosting
A web host is a company that stores all of your blog files. There are lots of companies that offer cheap web hosting, but choose carefully since low rates can sometimes mean poor service and if your blog is never working, you can’t make money. In fact, Google and search engines may actually penalize you.
I personally recommend BlueHost because they offer the perfect combination of cheap prices, excellent customer service, and performance. For less than $4 per month, BlueHost gives you:
- a free domain
- unlimited bandwidth
- 99.9% up-time
- 24/7 support
- a 30-day money-back guarantee
You can set up your blog with our step-by-step guide.