If you don’t know what a blog is, the simple definition is that it is an online space that allows you to share your knowledge or thoughts on certain topics. You can have a blog as your main website or it can be part of your website as an extension. Having a blog can help you increase your brand and it can also make you revenue depending on how you approach the situation. Part of the design development process of a website these days should also include adding a blog section.
Blogging can be a way of differentiating yourself from your competition. There are many websites offering different services. Having a blog that is focused on a particular topic shows how you care about the topic. It also proves that you know what you are talking about. Today, we are going to discuss how to start a successful blog.
How to start a blog
9 Simple Steps – How To Start a Successful Blog
The following steps are a guide on how to create a successful blog.
Step 1: Determine the niche or topic of your blog
The first you have to do as a blogger is to determine the niche. You cannot start a blog that talks about everything, it just does not help your brand. You have to create a blog that is based on a particular topic. This helps you to focus on delivering specific content for your target audience. If you don’t know what to blog about, you can start by blogging about what you love. For example, you are interested in financial independence. You can decide to create a blog that is focused on talking about financial independence, ways to become financially independent, and everything related to financial independence.
Step 2: Pick a domain name
Once you have decided on the niche or topic for your blog, you have to decide on the name of your website. The best way to do this is to find a name that corresponds with the niche of your website. For example, if your blog is about fish tanks, your domain name can be www.fishtanks.com. This makes it easier for your target audience to know what you are talking about. If you are still finding it difficult to decide on a name, you can use your name as the domain name of your website. This is a simple alternative because when your blog continues to expand on its niche, you don’t have to worry about switching to another website.
Step 3: Purchase a hosting package
A web hosting company ensures that all the information related to your website is stored on a server. They also ensure that your website is visible on the internet when people search for your domain name. One of the popular web hosts to consider is Bluehost. They have good offers for beginners. WPEngine is a more high-end hosting company but their servers are optimized for WordPress and on average websites on WPEngine are 40% faster.
Step 4: Choose a web platform
A web platform helps you to design your website the way you want it. There are many web platforms for blogs, for example, WordPress and Wix. There are other web platforms available but it is advisable to use WordPress. WordPress is probably the most popular web platform on the internet, and it is highly praised for a reason. The platform gives you the chance to customize your website to every last detail. If you are using Bluehost as your web host, you can easily install WordPress because the hosting platform makes it available. WPEngine is great as well due to the option to have a staging environment you can use to test your new website before making it live.
Step 5: Put your site in maintenance mode
One mistake that can easily be made is that you will launch your website when you have not designed it yet. To avoid this, you have to make sure your blog is in maintenance mode. This gives you time to design your website to a certain standard before you finally make it available for your target audience. Keep in mind there are many different design options available when it comes to the theme, which we will discuss next.
Step 6: Choose your theme
Once you install WordPress you can start working on designing your blog. Now you have to focus on the theme for your website. A theme is a design for your website. When you have an appropriate theme, there is no need to code or design anything for your website. There are free themes available on WordPress.org for you to choose from, but if you feel you have enough money to purchase a good theme for your website you can go ahead and do that. But you have to make sure the theme corresponds with your niche, to provide consistency on your blog.
Step 7: Install Plugins
Plugins are web tools used for various purposes. As a blogger, you need certain plugins to make your website successful. But you have to be aware that having too many plugins can reduce the functionality of your blog. Some of the plugins you need as a blogger include Yoast SEO, Google Analytics Dashboard, Contact Form 7, Akismet, and WP Fastest Cache. You can determine the best plugins for your website along the way.
You have to consider adding widgets to your blog, usually in the form of a sidebar. Widgets are small bars that offer different functions. Some of the widgets you can install include popular posts, about box, and social media widgets.
Step 8: Start writing blog posts
The most important thing about having a blog is producing consistent content. When you choose your theme and it fits your niche, you can start writing blog posts. As we discussed in the beginning your blog must be based on a particular niche to target a specific audience. Depending on the time you have available you can write at least one blog post a week. Some people have the time to write blog posts daily, but everything depends on you. Plan on how you are going to post on your website for consistency.
Step 9: Promote your blog
Creating a blog is not the end of your journey. For your blog to be successful, you need visitors who are continuously interested in your blog. You can only do this by promoting the content on your blog. Today, social media has made it easy to share content globally. You can share your content with your friends and family. If you have enough money, you can also opt for paid promotions.
In Conclusion
In the above 9 steps, we have discussed how to start blogging. Blogging is a powerful tool to build authority in your niche as well as generating traffic to your website. Properly written blog posts with keywords and long tail keywords that are relevant to the topic and keywords you are targeting from search engines will help the traffic to your website to increase. As you can tell from this article, starting a blog is a fairly easy task. If you need help with any of the steps above, contact the pros at 5280 Software LLC.
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