This is the ultimate beginner's guide on how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost that will make money, complete with a step-by-step tutorial.
Want to start a blog, but have no experience? You're in the right place!
Starting a blog is one of the best sources of passive income and is a fantastic side hustle to generate extra income while sharing your knowledge with the world.
The best part is, that you can start a blog for very little money and be set up in just 15 minutes! I made $758 in my third month of blogging with absolutely no experience! Yes, that's right!
In fact, there are many bloggers who make millions per year from their blogs! Can you believe that?
In this post, you will learn all of my favorite (and free) blogging tools, mistakes I made so that you can avoid them, and everything you need to do to start a blog that makes money with a complete step-by-step tutorial.
I am basically detailing the full blogging tutorial that I wish I had when I started my blog!
Starting a WordPress blog is quick and easy. I am able to offer a hugely discounted rate for my readers and they'll even hook you up with a free domain name for a limited time! This makes it so CHEAP to start a blog, at only $2.95 a month. To start, sign up for your WordPress blog here with my affiliate links and then follow my detailed tutorial below. =) You can thank me later.
This post is all about how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost with no experience.
Starting a Blog with No Experience
When I started my blog, thefinancialcookbook.com, I had absolutely no experience in websites, graphic design, or even writing (aside from the essays in college).
However, I wanted to challenge myself to learn a new skill and figured if nothing else, I'd learn something new and hopefully inspire a few people along the way.
I was looking for a side hustle and had a great idea for this business that would actually help women in their lives so I decided to go for it!
Little did I know that within just 3 months, I'd earn $758 from my blog which I run at night only. (I have a demanding day job.) Within 8 months, my blog was making a consistent $2,000 a month. WHAT?!
By month 11, my blog was making $7,000 a month!
Clearly, this paid for my initial startup costs that were under $4 a month on BlueHost. That's amazing!
I didn't even expect to make money for a year so I was thrilled!!
When I started this blog, I honestly wished I had a blueprint guide that would have helped me avoid the many mistakes I made.
I went through a lot of trial and error, mistakes, and a ton of wasted time. Trust me…a lot OF WASTED TIME. So much so that I had to re-do all my posts not once, not twice, but three times!!
Every article I read said how easy it was to start a blog.
And it was easy, to a certain extent…
However, they failed to mention the things to avoid. Those things would have greatly helped me and saved a lot of time!! (You know how I feel about time…it's money.)
Now, I've done just that for you.
I've created a blueprint beginner's guide to blogging for you to follow below on how to start a blog from scratch in the hope that your blogging journey will be much more seamless so you can get to creating and inspiring others right away (and making money)!
If you needed a sign, this is it. It's time to make your dreams a reality.
Why Should You Start a Blog?
A blog is a great way to make extra money as a side hustle. Work that you put into it now will pay off in passive income later down the road.
Blogs allow you to start a side hustle that makes money for hardly any startup cost! You can start a website for just $4 a month so it's a popular choice for people because of the low entry cost.
This makes it affordable for pretty much everyone!
In addition, a blog is a place where you can teach others about your knowledge on a topic. We all go through this world with different journeys, so what better to share what you know than through a blog that will help others!
A blog has great potential. Take a look at my list below!
Reasons to Start a Blog
- Money from a blog can help you get out of debt. The money you earn from your blog can help you pay off your debt or allow you to invest in things that are important to you.
- Money from a blog can give you extra spending cash. That's never a bad thing to not feel guilty about purchases or to have your bills paid for passively.
- A blog may allow you to quit your job and be your own boss. A blog has the ability to replace your day job. Who doesn't want to work for themselves? There are so many bloggers making millions every year from their websites. Granted, it takes time and doesn't happen overnight. However, it can certainly be done.
- A blog allows you to live a flexible schedule. This means that you can take your kids to soccer practice, go to a doctor's appointment without taking hours off, go on vacation whenever you want, and take a sick day without feeling bad about it. You can also go to the gym when you want to during the day! (That for me is a huge plus!)
- A blog allows for job security. When you are your own boss, you don't have to worry about job loss. If your blog gets big enough and you can quit your job, you'll be able to sustain your income through your blog.
- A blog can bring down your stress level. Working for yourself and having a creative outlet to help others is very rewarding. This can help contribute to your happiness and overall stress level. Everyone needs less stress in their life, that's for sure!
- You can work from anywhere. There is such a huge opportunity cost (or should I say benefit) to this. Having the flexibility to work anywhere in the world is something people dream of! It's actually one of the reason's I started this blog. Following my dream while living anywhere? That sounds like heaven!
- Blogging is exciting! I work really hard at my day job at a Fortune 500 company, and I'm darn good at it. I win awards every year for my work. However, having my side business (The Financial Cookbook) that I work on at night and on weekends drives this amazing passion I can't explain. I'm so excited to work on it every day, to respond to my readers, and to constantly learn. There's a major fire it lights inside me! =) I'm sure you'll find the same thing when you start blogging about something you are passionate about!
- You meet amazing people! I have made so many friends through blogging! I think it's because we all mutually respect each other and know how much hard work and dedication goes into it. It's fun because we can all learn from each other!
- The perks go on and on. There are so many amazing perks to blogging. I could go on forever!
Being your own boss is a dream for most! (I'm not there yet clearly since I'm still at my day job, but that is certainly a dream of mine someday!)
You'll be along for the ride with me as I share things I'm doing, things I did, and mistakes I made.
Is it Too Late to Start a Blog in 2022?
I read about this all the time and hear this all the time. The short answer is…NO!
In fact, people were online reading blogs MORE THAN EVER in 2020 and 2021! Traffic has skyrocketed for bloggers that were established. In fact, SemRush found that in 2021, the content marketing industry is worth $412 Billion. WOW!
More than ever, people are searching the internet for answers to their problems and seeking guidance from people like them.
If you have valuable content to share, do it!
The market is not saturated and there's plenty of room for additional content creators.
Just think about it. In 10 years, imagine how many google searches there would have been for content you created. Then think about 20 years, etc.
I know bloggers that make millions of dollars blogging and they said when they started, they were told the market was too saturated…look at them now!
To take it a step further, I look at the internet as real estate.
If you own a domain, that's “land” that no one else can purchase. You own it FOREVER (as long as you pay the small fee per year). Someday, someone may even want to purchase your domain from you.
I know a blogger who bought a domain, did nothing with it, and then sold it 2 years later for $50,000 because it was a highly sought-after domain. Therefore, I love buying domains, but that's a side story for another time.
The point is, the market is NOT saturated, and now is actually the best time to get started on a blog! In fact, my journey below should inspire you further. =)
My Blogging Journey
I self-taught myself how to create a blog/website, write content, market it, etc. I have a full-time (very demanding) day job so I did it at night during the quarantine for “fun”.
However, I ran into many challenges that I wish I had known about. I write about them in this article to hopefully help you avoid those mistakes:
Other related blogging articles:
- Feminine Blog Themes You’ll Fall in Love With
- Best Blogging Courses I Took to Earn $7k a Month from My Blog (with Zero Experience)
- Blogging Tools (free resources and plugins I use)
- Review of Bluehost: Beginner’s Guide for New Bloggers
I launched my blog in December 2020, but didn't take it seriously until the beginning of February 2021.
To be honest, I was burnt out on the mistakes I had made over 2 months so I needed a break once it was launched. (This is literally the opposite of what you should do.) My website just sat there for 2 months with no new blog posts, no upkeep, no marketing, nothing.
I also was just too busy in December to put proper time and attention into it. Then, January was even busier at my day job (and some health-related concerns) so I couldn't even comprehend working on my website.
Therefore, I started taking it more seriously in February of 2021. I took a few classes, learned how to market it properly, and committed to doing 1 blog post a week. (Many bloggers recommend 3 a week, but that's just not feasible with my day job. I still want to have fun and enjoy life, obviously!)
To be honest, I thought it would take a few years before seeing any type of income from my blog. I honestly just wanted to make an impact in the world and help other women become financially independent.
However, in just 3 months of taking my blog seriously, I went from generating $0 in months 1 and 2 to making $758.37 in my 3rd month!! I couldn't believe it! Within 8 months, the site was making $2,000 consistently! (I'll write a post soon on exactly how I did this.)
Making money from my blog is super exciting as I'm realizing I could possibly turn my dream of running this business into a reality someday. (I love my current day job and obviously can't leave anytime soon, but who knows where this business journey could take me!)
However, while additional money is exciting, the true excitement came from the messages I receive on a daily basis!
My goal was to change the lives of other women so seeing sweet messages explaining how I've changed their lives completely warms my heart.
Since I work a full-time demanding job at a Fortune 500 company, I run this website at night in the hope of changing the lives of others. Therefore, I'm exhausted all the time. Haha!
However, messages like that keep me going and allow me to remember my mission. It's also a reminder that I am actually helping people and not just speaking to air. =P
THANK YOU to those that have taken the time to reach out to me and let me know how I've affected your life. You are such a blessing and I'm here to empower your journey, but THANK YOU for also empowering mine!!! #womensupportingwomen
Now, let's get started on how to start a blog so that you can start your journey as well!
Related Articles about Blogging:
- Feminine Blog Themes You’ll Fall in Love With
- Blogging Tools (free resources and plugins I use)
- Should I Start a Blog? The Truth About Blogging
How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost
This is a very detailed guide on how to start a blog that will be set up to make money.
Honestly, it's the exact blueprint I wish I had started out so that I could have avoided many mistakes along the way. I'm hoping it will help you all with your journey!
Let's go through my step-by-step instructions so that you can learn how to start a blog from scratch as well! The entire process should only take about 15 minutes! Grab a glass of wine because we're about to do this together! =)
1. Decide on a Blog Niche
The first thing you need to do is decide on a blog niche.
There are SO MANY profitable blog niches these days! I kid you not. I see people making millions from a super-specific blog niche all the time!
I'm amazed by it!
In fact, the large bloggers say that the more specific the niche is, the better! You'll rank higher on Google and in Pinterest if you have something specific because there will be less competition.
Answer these questions to help decide what blog niche you'd like to start:
- What do you want your website to be about?
- Do you have a business you need a website for?
- What are friends/family coming to you for advice about?
- How do you want to impact the world?
- What do others struggle with that you can assist with?
- Do you have knowledge about something that you want to share?
- Is there something others can benefit from?
- Who will your target audience be?
- What are you passionate about?
I recommend you pick a niche to stick to so that readers can connect to your brand and company. Check out these great blog niche ideas below!
Ideas for Blog Niches
- Health/Fitness
- Fashion
- Beauty/Makeup/Skincare/Hair
- Recipes/Food
- Finance
- Careers
- Photography
- Real Estate
- Mom/Kids/Parenting
- Lifestyle
- Home Decor/Design
- Construction
- Tactical
- Gardening
- Travel
- Business
- Social Media
- Many more!
There are so many blog niches to choose from!
If you aren't sure about a blog niche, just google it to see if there are other bloggers.
You can also look on Pinterest to find bloggers in that niche. Look at their content. Decide if it makes sense for you to start your blog in that niche.
I had the idea for mine for years. However, I never knew how to execute it. I was really passionate about helping my friends find jobs, negotiate their salaries, buy their first home, and reach financial independence.
I knew I wanted to help other women and knew that I had something special to do so!
Now, here I am. =)
I NEVER thought I'd be writing about how to start a blog, but since it was harder than I had thought, I figured if I can help someone else launch their blog/dream/business idea, it's totally worth it!
Alright, now that you have a blog niche idea, let's go to the next step.
2. Buy a Domain
Once you know your blog niche, you'll want to buy a domain.
A domain is essentially the URL of your website. For example, my domain is www.thefinancialcookbook.com.
Go to NameCheap to see which domains are taken and which are available, BUT DON'T PURCHASE IT YET (I'll show you how to get it for free). I just like the easy interface of NameCheap. This will help you decide on a name for your blog and company. If the name you absolutely love is taken, try other synonyms to see if those are taken.
You may be able to find something similar to what you want. However, BE CAREFUL TO NOT HAVE A COMPANY NAME SIMILAR TO ANYONE ELSE!
If you find a domain that isn't taken, do a google search to make sure nothing similar (or inappropriate) comes up.
Fun fact: One of the company names I was considering would have been a HORRIBLE choice.
I googled it to make sure it wasn't taken, and low and behold, a lot of “exotic” photography came up.
HOLY SMOKES! I'm SO glad I googled it first.
Moral of the story is to google your possible company name first. =)
I always recommend choosing a “dot com” (.com) versus anything else. A dot com is highly recommended by the top bloggers so I figured to be safe, I'd go that direction.
Even if it means that your ideal dot com blog name is taken, I'd still recommend going with a dot com versus dot org or anything else.
From my understanding, your domain will be seen as more reputable by Google. (You want Google to love your website. That's critical to your blogging success.)
When you've decided on a new domain that isn't taken, I will show you how to get a free domain below with web hosting in steps #4-#6.
Now that you know the domain you want and have verified that it is not taken, let's move to the next step.
3. Pick a Host
I had no clue what hosting was when I started.
Hosting is essentially a company that hosts your domain so that people can go to your website. Without a website host, you won't be able to actually set up a website.
Now, there are tons of free blogging platforms, but what I learned early on is that you need a host company if you want to make money on your website.
I did a lot of research on this because you need the right hosting company in order to have a successful website that doesn't lag, can be monetized, etc. Based on my research, the best hosting company to use was unanimous.
Every single major blogger recommended BlueHost for the website host since it is the best value so I followed suit.
Plus, BlueHost was offering a FREE domain for signing up! It's a no-brainer!
I didn't understand it at the time, but literally, every single major blogger was saying having a self-hosted blog is a MUST if you want your website to be found and to be monetized.
Since the cost of entry is so low, I figured it was a no brainer to do it the right way starting out! You can sign up here for as little as $2.95 a month (and get a free domain)!
I learned that you don't want to use the free hosting websites because then you can't monetize your website effectively (or at all) since they own your website essentially, instead of you owning it. Every major blogger made a point to make that very clear.
Those websites are extremely hard to monetize and advertising agencies often won't work with websites that aren't self-hosted.
Moral of the story is to get a website host.
Best Web Host for Beginner Bloggers
I must say, I couldn't be happier with BlueHost!
Not only were they the most affordable option, but they offered the largest value for what I'd be getting!
In addition, when I was setting up my website, I had made several mistakes because I was trying to do it on my own. (Read the mistakes I made here so you can avoid them.) I called, emailed or chatted with BlueHost support at least 10 times in the first couple of weeks. They were always so kind and helped me right away.
One time I messed things up so badly that they spent hours fixing it for me. I don't even know if they're supposed to help with those things, but they did! I was super grateful because I clearly had no experience in website design (and still don't), but they helped with every step of the process!
Anyways, BlueHost is giving my readers a free domain for the first year and web hosting for only $4 a month by signing up here. That's amazing and such an insane deal!
That means you can essentially start your website for $48 for the first year! It's time to start that side hustle, ladies!
Since I already made $758 in month 3 of blogging, I've clearly already paid off the $48 for the year. Woohoo! =) Your turn!
If you have any questions, just let me know!
I'd recommend signing up for at least 12 months, but you'll get a better deal if you sign up for 36 months. I say go big or go home! Give it a commitment of a certain period of time and go after it! Blogs take time so set yourself up for success from the beginning.
Plus, we're in this together, right? I'm only a bit ahead of you so we will learn together!
Here are the reasons I highly recommend BlueHost:
- Works seamlessly with WordPress
- Makes your website self-hosted so you can monetize it and build a company/brand
- Their technical support is amazing!
- It's the most affordable option for the value. You can start a website for as little as $3.95 a month! That's SO cheap!
- It's the most popular option among the blogging community
- It's SUPER easy to navigate
- You can set up your website within MINUTES. Yes, MINUTES. If I can do it, you can certainly do it. I'm not very tech savvy!
- WordPress is FREE through Bluehost
- You get a FREE domain upon signup
- Bluehost even offers a guarantee that you will love the service, or your money back!
One last reason is that if you have any questions, you can contact me! I'd be happy to help offer advice so feel free to email me! =) Plus, I obviously just went through this process not too long ago when I set up my website, so it should be a bit fresh in my mind still!
Start your WordPress blog by signing up here!
4. Sign Up for Bluehost
If you decide to sign up for Bluehost, here's a quick tutorial below to follow.
1.) Click on the link to sign up here to get a free domain and $2.95 a month hosting.
2.) Click on “Get Started”.
5. Pick your Plan
Next, you'll need to decide which plan you want.
To get the cheapest price, you'll want to choose the basic plan for 36 months.
I still use the “basic” plan because so far, it's been completely sufficient. Plus, it's the most affordable so I'd recommend starting there! You still will get a free domain (which is a $15 value).
The 36-month term will give you such a great discount if you choose to do that! Girl, you've come this far and you're about to make your dreams a reality. I'd recommend the 36-month option to give you plenty of time to make it happen! You can always renew, but might as well jump in with both feet first right?
I did the 36-month option and now 3 months in, I've already paid for it with the money I've earned from my blog. =)
If I can do it, you can too!
You don't need the plus, choice plus, or pro plans right now. Those can be things you look into down the road. For now, just the basic plan will do! Plus, you can always change the plan later if you decide to add another domain, etc.
I didn't opt for any of the other things. I read that I didn't need them so to save money, avoid any of the extras they offer. Just the basic hosting will do!
6. Set Up Your Domain
Next, you'll set up your domain. This will be free with your hosting plan. =) (We love free things!)
If you know what you want, perfect! Type it in.
You can try typing in different domains to see what's available.
Tips for Picking a Domain:
- I'd recommend picking a domain that won't be misspelled easily. (My domain can be long and hard for people to spell sometimes.)
- Think of something catchy that people will remember
- Make sure it ties into your niche
- Google it first to make sure there aren't similar company names
If you aren't sure, you can skip that step for now and come back to it! See how easy this is already? =)
7. Enter Your Information to Finish Setup
On the next screen, you will be taken to the Account Information page where you will enter your personal information, email address, and credit card.
Voila, you're ready to go!! Bluehost is such a great deal, you won't regret it! Now, for the fun stuff!
8. Set Up WordPress
Next, you'll want to set up WordPress for your blog. This part is completely FREE, and we like free.
You can do this easily through Bluehost, which is why I highly recommend Bluehost. It all seamlessly integrates to make it easy for us. (I need easy, don't you?)
Here is a tutorial on how to set up WordPress through Bluehost:
- After you create a Bluehost account and have a domain, Bluehost will guide you through how to start your blog.
- You will go through the guided steps
- You can now pick a theme. A theme is the design of your website. For now, you can pick any theme you'd like at random because we'll come back to this to pick a theme that best suits you in the next step. They have many free themes to choose from and you can always change it later. (Read my snippet below on how to pick a theme effectively as that is what caused me a months delay in set up.)
- Click on “Start Building”
- You can now start building out your website.
- If you're good to go with your theme, then you are done on setting up your blog! However, before you leave just yet, you may want to step 9 below on picking a theme. This is information I wish I had when I started as the theme is where I lost a lot of time. I thought it would be easy and seamless. HA! I was so wrong.
9. Pick a Theme
Okay, when it comes to picking a theme, you'll want to listen up.
I lost about 2 months (or longer) in time and spent hours upon hours pulling my hair out because I didn't understand how to do things with my free themes and theme demos.
I thought that when you choose a free theme, your website automatically looks that way and then you customize the colors and text. HAHA! Cute, right? I was new! I had no idea!!!!
Nope. It literally means it will be a white screen and you can go build it. UM NO. I tried. I spent weeks with one theme and then it still looked terrible so I switched to another free theme and redid the whole thing for another few weeks. That one also looked terrible so I uploaded a free demo. It looked like a sketchy insurance company website.
After 2 months of wasting my time and losing a lot of precious hairs and even many nights of tears on the phone with Bluehost all night long, I decided I needed to do more research as surely there was an easier way. (I'm a smart girl so for me to have that much trouble with website setup was ridiculous!)
That will take you forever if you have no experience like me.
What I recommend is doing one of 2 things: finding “demos” of a site you want or purchasing a theme you want to upload into your WordPress dashboard. (I was completely against purchasing premium themes because I wanted to spend as little as possible on this site, but take a look at my findings below and you may think differently. I know I do now. WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.)
First, let's discuss the free theme way of doing it!
Tutorial on How to Use a Free Theme
- Find one of the free WordPress themes you like.
- Next, go to the theme's website and see if they have demos listed.
- You'll want to use that file to upload to your site so that your site will look EXACTLY like the demo site.
- Then, you can customize things.
For example, the Ocean WP WordPress theme has demos on their site and you can download the demo file and then upload that to your WordPress site. That's when you'll be able to just change the colors, text, pictures, etc.
Doing this will save you literally MONTHS of time. I kid you not.
Maybe I'm just not a good learner, but I could not figure it out and even once I did, I messed up so many things on the site that I had to be on the phone with Bluehost, WordPress, and in WordPress blogs every night all night for like 6 weeks. It was a NIGHTMARE!!
(I was realizing that figuring out how to start a blog from scratch on my own was a strong no-go.)
I finally learned about “demo” sites. That helped me GREATLY, but I still just wasn't satisfied with the look of the site AT ALL. It looked like a demo site. It looked like a sketchy used car website.
I started looking at other blogs I liked and a paid theme was recommended. I didn't want to spend any additional money on the site so I refrained from buying anything.
In fact, I waited another MONTH and spent countless weeks in frustration before I decided to finally buy a WordPress theme.
Let me tell you. BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE!!!!!! BY FAR!!!
Here's what I did.
Tutorial on How to Use a Paid Theme
As I said, I really wish I had bought my theme sooner. In fact, I wish I had bought it on day one.
Instead, I spent 2 months banging my head against a wall and crying over SO MANY WEBSITE glitches because the free themes weren't cutting it (I tried 7 different ones).
I came across a beautiful website and they mentioned their WordPress theme was super affordable at under $60.
GIRL, I KID YOU NOT. BEST DECISION EVER. SPEND THE MONEY. I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. $60 IS BASICALLY THE COST OF A DATE NIGHT.
You won't regret it. Trust me.
I can't speak to all paid themes, but my particular theme is from 17th Avenue Designs. They have the most feminine, beautiful website themes I had ever laid eyes on!
I did a full write-up of these themes and my personal experience that you can read about here.
Basically, when I bought the theme, I had read that my blog would look EXACTLY like the demo theme that 17th Avenue shows. Sure enough, it looked exactly like the demo theme within MINUTES. Yes, MINUTES!
OH MY GOSH! I couldn't believe I had wasted months before buying it! The very second I uploaded my new theme to my site, I WAS IN LOVE!!!!! I was literally smiling from ear to ear and so proud of it instantly!
It looked so professional and feminine. I started customizing immediately to have the exact look I wanted for my niche!
I believe these are the best themes for beginner bloggers.
Not only was the theme a BREEZE to set up, but I also didn't even realize it came with so many additional resources!!
For instance, they have a huge library full of thousands of tutorials on how to make customizations to your website.
As an example, I wanted to add the Facebook and Instagram logos so there's a tutorial on exactly how to do the code for those things. Every tutorial is explained in the easiest way possible, which I needed since I knew nothing about websites.
In addition, they have amazing customer service!
I've been able to find everything I need or they create a tutorial for me to do it. It's seriously so amazing, I can't even believe it's just a one-time cost.
It's basically like having 24-hour technical support at your fingertips. Plus, it's a woman-owned company, which I love to support.
I know I'm hyping this up, but I genuinely only recommend products I LOVE. I'm here to make your life easier and to impact it in a positive way. If my journey can help even one of you, then I'm here to do that!
Read more about why I loved 17th Avenue here: Feminine Blog Themes You’ll Fall in Love With.
Starting a Blog as a Beginner
WOOHOO! You now have your own blog/website! You can start building a brand and make your dreams a reality!
I'm so excited for you on this journey! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost as a true beginner.
If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me at thefinancialcookbook@gmail.com.
I also have a whole list of every plugin and resource I used for my blog. The majority of them are free so hopefully, they'll help you get set up even quicker with your website! They can be found under Blogging Tools. =) (As I said, I wish someone had laid this out for me before I started as that would have made my life so much easier.)
Are you thinking of starting a blog? What are your ideas/niches? Let me know below! If you'd like to bounce ideas off me, I'm all ears! I'd love to hear it! I'm sure our FREE Facebook Community of Women would also love to chime in to help empower you! Feel free to join us!
Blogging Tools to Use
These are my favorite blogging tools that got me up and running right away that you'll need too! Most of them are free!
Hollie Dos Santos says
Blogging info was excellent! Want to start blogging with my daughter who can show/ inspire other young kids drills / soccer skills to help them succeed. She is already considered an influencer . What are your thoughts about this?
Lisa says
Thank you for the sweet comment! WOW! I LOVE that idea! I’ve been seeing blogs that have “younger” people running them do REALLY well! Young readers are also online and they connect with them really well and grow up with them. I think that’s such a good idea!! =)
Lonny says
Thanks for another wonderful post. Where else could anybody get that kind of info in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.
laura says
I already have a blog , but I have no Idea how to add advertising o how start to generate income from it ??
Lisa says
That’s wonderful, Laura! I recommend Making Sense of Cents Affiliate Marketing Course. That will help you start the process of learning affiliate marketing! =) I’m so happy for you!
Maria Santos says
I want to say that I found you on TikTok and thank goodness I did. I want to blog about having to turn into an adult at 10 years old. It is based on my personal life story. Let me know what you think
Lisa says
OH MY GOODNESS, that is SO good!!!! You HAVE to share it when you get it up and running. That’s amazing that you did that!! People would definitely be interested in that!
Hector says
My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was entirely right.
This post truly made my day. You can not imagine just how
much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
purple says
Very good post. I’m dealing with a few of these issues as
well..
high Sleeper with Desk says
I needed to thank you for this wonderful read!! I absolutely
enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things
you post…
Sophie says
Thank you for the lovely post on this, I was excited to get this started since its been something ive been contemplating for years, but I guess the bluehost isn’t a monthly payment of 4.95, and when i got towards the end it says i have to pay 89 or so for the 12 month and 220 something for the 36 month. I simply dont have this kind of money, the pandemic has put me out of a job, im living under my mothers roof. I’m afraid I can follow through with this, is there any other way that i can get started with my blog without paying this much?
Lisa says
Hi Sophie! I’m so sorry to hear about your job!! Things will look up this year! Keep going! I believe it does charge the full 12 months up front, but then you won’t pay anything for the whole year. If you can come up with the amount for one full year, you’ll be good to go! I have 40+ ways to make money on this site that should help with getting that extra $89! =) I hope that helps and I’ll be praying for blessings this year for you!
Sophie says
Thank you Lisa appreciate your kind words, I’m optimistic something will come through and yes I will be checking out more of your posts 🙂
Lisa says
I know it will! Keep your chin up! You’ll have to let me know if you start it! My blogging posts will help get you up and running quickly to start making money. =)
Cheryl Tennis says
I started a website with another company and it was so frustrating. I also bought an email to go along with the domaine and the email server had so many glitches!. So I have a question…how do I go about getting an email with my domain name and what email host is reliable and easy to use?
Lisa says
Hi Cheryl! Great Question! I use Flodesk right now and have loved them. Before, I was using Convertkit and they are also great! If you were having glitches with the email server, I’d go with Converkit as they are really advanced!
Semaj says
Thank you so much! I’m going to start a blog soon and this spelled it all out for me! Thank you so much!!! I’m starting at 27 :)))
Anonymous says
I meant 17
Lisa says
Wow, 17!! You are going to be set for life with this kind of mentality!! SO EXITED FOR YOU!!!!
Lisa says
Aww, you’re so welcome!! You’ll have to share the blog with me on IG so we can celebrate you!! You’re so welcome!! You got this!!
sanaz ghaed says
It’s actually unreal, I was about to give up on my blog because I couldn’t find the perfect theme for my website, it frustrated me and I was so not down to continue, but this blog literally spiked my soul back on what I was wanting in the first place. THANK YOU SISSTA U R THE LIGHT <3
Lisa says
Awww, I’m so glad!!! You got this!! Don’t give up!! =))
Brittany says
Hi, I just wanted to ask about signing up. Did you sign up for both the Shared Hosting and the Website Builder or just one of them. Also, thanks so much for the information. I found you on TikTok and definitely a fan :).
Lisa says
Hi Brittany! Thank you so much for the kind words! I signed up for the self hosting and then WordPress will be free. You need both =) The host will host your website and then you build your website in WordPress. Let me know if you have any questions on that!
bit.ly says
I really like looking through an article that can make men and women think.
Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
Anna says
Lisa! Your blog is amazing, I can’t stop reading! I’m also a gal with a full time Fortune 500 job, but always wanted to start a blog as a creative outlet. I’d love to focus on mental health and really taking care and loving yourself however I’m not anywhere close to a professional in that area. Do you think that’s an issue? Really would love to inspire more self love, esp in working women! Thanks for this wonderful blog! xx
Lisa says
Hi Anna! Awww, you are so sweet!! Thank you for the kind words! Oh my gosh, I love that idea! Mental health is soooo important and putting yourself first. I don’t think that’s an issue because you can offer your take on things from a real person, which I think sometimes goes further. For example, I am not a financial advisor, but I personally have seen success in finances so I write about my experience. I think it helps others to know that I am just like everyone else, instead of having to be a professional in the area. If you decide to do your blog, let me know, and you can do a guest post on here. =) Good luck hun! Keep me posted! =)
Karleen says
Hi Lisa new mom here, I’m not a writer it’s hard to express myself in writing but I’m interested in starting a blog… I know there’s a lot of mom blogs out there but want to write about both sides of being a mom the reality and document my experience and journey from and what I’m learning along the way, not sure if that’s too much idea information or if it’s even a good idea 🤣🤣 anyways what do you think?? Also I cannot find a name for this blog. What process do you use to format your blog to make it flow so well. The layout , how you bold and even add color to certain words/phrase to capture the attention.
Lisa says
Hi Karleen, that sounds like a great idea! At the end of the day, I always recommend people write about things that they are passionate about as that will be conveyed through their writing. I have some articles under “blogging” that go over those topics and break down how to find a name, themes, etc. I hope they are helpful and good luck! You got this! =)
Karleen says
Can I write a blog about being a new mom and also share recipes my family/toddler enjoys? Or is that not “niche” specific too broad?
Lisa says
Hi Karleen! I think that’s an amazing blog category! There are so many successful mom blogs that it’s a great niche!
Cyndi says
Hi! I loved this informative post and have been contemplating starting a blog for WAY too long! My holdback is the niche because there are SO many things I want to write about but I don’t want to start 5 separate blogs! Haha. I am the oldest of 9 and have always wanted to start a blog about my family/life/growing up experiences and where we are now (but idk how that would generate income). I’m passionate about self care/skin care I work for a plastic surgeon and could tell stories for days about the journeys I witness to self-confidence and self love. Can I make money just writing about life and sharing my own journey? I’ve also been through a really rough time with a break-up and I know I’m the day and age there is so much heartbreak and people looking for ways to heal and I’m coming out on the other side and feel like my story should be shared and could help others… I’m like a ping pong ball when I try to think of where to start so I just don’t start. But I wish I would’ve 10 years ago! What should I do?! Do I need to focus on ONE theme or can I somehow incorporate all of these things in one blog with sub-categories? Help!!!!
Lisa says
Hi Cyndi! Great to meet you! I would actually focus all of those things into one blog. It can be about self care (which encompasses physical and mental) so it definitely works together!! I totally agree that everyone needs help with those things so I think it would be great! The biggest thing I always say is that it needs to be something you’re passionate about. You will be more successful with that then writing about something you don’t enjoy. =) You’ll have to update me when you launch it! So excited for you!
Anonymous says
thank you for posting this. it’s extremely helpful. But it’s not really just $48 to set up bluehost with everything it adds at the end it about $138 to $208
Lisa says
Hi there! What is it adding in? There shouldn’t be any extras you need. Just unclick anything it adds for you. =)
Hannah says
Hello! Thank you so much for this article! I found you on tik tok and your information is very helpful! I was able to get a long-distance relationship blog up and running!
Your blog is amazing and very inspiring! Thanks again 🙂
Lisa says
Hey Hannah! I’m so glad to hear that!! I’m excited to hear how your blog comes along! Keep me posted! =) You got this!
Anonymous says
Hi Lisa, wow this blog is amazing – thank you for all the wonderful info and advice! I am starting a new side business and want to have a blog along with it. You mention making sure that the company name isn’t similar to another company online. What if the name you want is similar, but not exact? You also mention in one of your posts about legal stuff you need to add to your blog. is there a post where you go over that?
Thanks,
Sarah
Lisa says
Hi Sarah,
Oh my goodness, your comment made my day! Thank you so much for the kind words! I would honestly try to steer clear away from any name that is similar. There are so many great website domains still out there so try your best to come up with something unique so you don’t run into legal trouble later. I don’t go over the legal stuff needed since I’m not a lawyer so I’d recommend reaching out to a lawyer to ask those questions. =) So excited for you!!! Keep me posted on your blog!!
Anonymous says
Hi Lisa, thanks for your reply! Do you happen to know why Bluehost does not have some domains available even though they’re available through other web hosting companies? How important is your domain name? According to these websites, different words are much more valuable than others. The one I want is two words and high priced on other hosting pages. Are people more likely to go to your blog if it’s a catchy/easy domain name? If you’re focused on Pinterest traffic maybe it’s less important on the exact domain name? Thanks for your help!
Lisa says
Hi there! That’s really odd! I’ve never heard of that before. If you can get the website on another site like godaddy or namecheap, get it. I’d be very shocked if some had it and others don’t since websites are like real estate. You literally own them. Are the other websites perhaps not self hosted sites? If so, then it would make sense because your website would have extra words on it. So intsead of xyz.com it would actually be something like xyz.blogspot.com or something like that. Domain name is important just to make it easy for people but has nothing to do with whether or not your site is visited. I’d find something that doesn’t come up with anything else when you google it and just make it easy.
Lisa says
Thank you so much!! =)
katie says
Hi, I have loved your post on and i have followed all the steps. i purchased the bluehost then i purchased a theme from 17th avenue, now i am somewhat disappointed as i need to spend minimum $149 on an installation package… is this correct? is this what you did? or have i gone wrong somewhere?
Lisa says
Hi Katie, no, not at all! I’m guessing the installation package is if you want 17th avenue to install it for you. You can easily do it yourself though and I did it myself. They give you step by step instructions. =) I hope that helps!
Gerardo Camberos says
Got all the initial parts set! But, how do I now start to monetize my blog? Any good articles or websites to get that going?
Justine says
First of all – Thank you for sharing your knowledge about all of this! Secondly, wondering if WordPress works differently in the US? I’m in Canada, and purchased themes can only be applied with a WordPress business account (which is about $440 CAD after tax) – likely a big jump for many from the “blogging on a budget” posts on TikTok etc.
Lisa says
Oh wow! I had no idea Canada would be that expensive! I’ve never heard of this as I do have Canadian friends that were able to follow the steps and get their blog up and running for similar prices to the US. Were you able to follow the steps in the blog post?
Diana says
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing all this information, it’s so valuable and believe me when I say valuable because some moths ago I wanted to start a blog as well. I started with bluehost and set up my domain, I didn’t know that you can put “.com” so there it was “.uk” ( I don’t know why) any way I got at the theme phase and it was a struggle as well, I couldn’t do anything on the page and I lost a lot of time and patience, when I couldn’t take it anymore I’ve paused and let everything on hold for a month or so, after that period I decided to give it another try but at the log in it sad that I had to buy it again everything, as in I didn’t already paid, I couldn’t do anything I’ve changed emails whith bluehost but still I didn’t resolved the problem so I quite. But after a lot off thinking and after reading you’re post I decided to try again . But i had a question that kept bugging me when I first started, about privacy policy, disclaimer, and terms and conditions?! Cand you tell about the importance of this and how can I get them? Thank you very much!
Lisa says
Oh no! I’m so sorry you went through all of that! Trust me, I know. There’s so many mistakes I made and trouble I went through. Just keep going!! I am not an expert on the legal side of things and I consult with a lawyer on those things. I’d recommend you do the same! =)
Chandler says
Thank you for this, it was so helpful!!
Only question so far since it’s been awhile since you posted this, do you still only use the Basic plan for Bluehost? What about adding on extras? Adding on Domain Privacy + Protection seems important but can’t decide!
Lisa says
Yes, i only use the basic version still! I don’t remember if I added on any extras, but I don’t think I did!