Every day I get questions from readers asking about starting a blog of their own.
I write a lot about making extra money on the side and publish the occasional income report for WhatMommyDoes.com, so it makes sense I would get a lot of questions.
If you are interested in starting a blog so you can make income from home, you are in the right place! Let’s dive in.
I LOVE getting questions and spend quite a bit of time each week going through and answering each question individually.
I realized one day that I should probably start putting answers to some of the most common questions in a central place so I can just link to them in my responses.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner!
“I Want to Start a Blog so it will be making money by next year”
One comment I get a lot is “I want to start a blog, but I don’t know if I should use Blogger or Weebly or what else is available?” I also get asked, “Do you have to pay for a blog?” and “How do you make money blogging?”
While these are not all questions you can answer in a single blog post, I am going to address the most basic ones first.
The ones regarding how much it costs to start a blog and what platform you should use.
Because this question always comes with an expectation that the blog will make money in a reasonable amount of time I’d like to point out that blogging is a longer term thing.
While you can’t expect to make money right away, the earnings can come with a lot of hard work.
So in that vein, blogs started in 2022 can expect to start earning in 2023…those started in 2023 can expect to be earning some time in 2024 and so on. That’s why I’m focusing on starting soon! 🙂
The most important thing is that you start NOW so you have time to get everything set up before you absolutely need the blog to be earning.
Bloggers who have realistic expectations about how long it takes to get a blog profitable end up sticking with it longer and making more in the long run.
Anything else is a recipe for burnout.
Can you start a blog for free?
I will tell you that most people who contact me express a desire to make money from their blogs. Therefore, I’m going to assume that’s your goal as well and that will direct me in what I tell you to do.
You may have heard of Blogger and Weebly and possibly even WordPress.com before.
If not, all you need to know is that those are great options for someone who wants to start a website FOR FUN.
All three of those options will allow you get up and running very quickly, and they will be easy to use. It’s perfect for the recreational blogger, like someone who just wants to use their blog to keep family members up to date or have a place to document their travel adventures.
There are many reasons I wouldn’t want a money-making blog created on a free website platform, but the MAIN ONE that’s enough to make me pay for my blog is that on a free platform YOU DON’T TRULY OWN YOUR BLOG.
When you publish a blog on Blogger, for instance, you are technically at the mercy of Blogger.
They own the platform your blog runs on, so if they decided they wanted to shut you down, they could. When you start making hundreds or even thousands of dollars per week, that’s not an acceptable scenario, in my opinion!
What’s the deal with self-hosted blogs?
The way you can truly own your blog is if you create a SELF-HOSTED BLOG. What this means is you buy a domain name and hire a company to “host” your blog.
In other words, you register your blog name and then look for a service to help you display your website on the internet.
What does it cost to start a self-hosted WordPress blog?
Getting a self-hosted blog up and running doesn’t cost as much as you’d think.
The base price is $2.95 per month for web hosting if you use Bluehost. Although you do not absolutely NEED a premium blog theme to get started, I recommend going that route so your blog looks great from day one.
A premium theme like the ones designed by Restored316 will cost between $100-$200.
I CAN NOW OFFER BLUEHOST PREFERRED PRICING!
>> Bluehost Preferred Pricing – 60% OFF
If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog, this is a great time to snag this deal! I don’t know of any other legitimate business you can start for this amount. We’re truly living in an amazing era!
Bonus: If you sign up through me, you’ll also get a FREE DOMAIN NAME (a $15 value) with your hosting plan in addition to the rockin’ ebook below!
FOR EXTRA STEP-BY-STEP HELP
You can have my Start a Blog Bootcamp for FREE
This course walks you through all of the major things you need to do to give your blog a jump start. Keep reading to find out how to get the course for free.
I wish I had had access to a course like this when I was first starting out. It’s so much easier to have someone walk you step by step through the set up process (as opposed to how I had to piece together all the information I needed from dozens of blog posts and Youtube videos!
No thank you! This course is your easy button. 🙂
In the Start a Blog Bootcamp we’ll cover how bloggers make money, how to choose a blog name, how to determine your blog categories, and more. It will basically guide you through the process of pre-planning your blog all the way to the point when you start drafting your first blog post.
Here’s a peek at the table of contents:
I have more trainings in the works for the stuff you need to know after this. There is a lot that goes on between starting a blog and having a $10,000 month blog, but little by little we will get there together!
It includes blog name worksheets!
With this course, you also get access to some handy cheat sheets to help you choose the perfect blog name.
These are super helpful to help you choose a blog name you won’t regret!
To get this course from me for free, all you have to do is this:
- Visit my Start a Blog Bootcamp registration page
- Register for the course, using the code “startnow” during checkout
- Use the training modules + worksheets to plan out your blog and choose the perfect blog name
- Sign up for Bluehost web hosting using this link or the one in the course
- Install the theme of your choice using Bluehost’s one click install (I explains themes and install below AND in this post)
- Email me at [email protected] with your URL/blog name to let me know you’ve started your blog. I would be honored to follow along on your journey!
Blogging is the best thing I ever did for myself and my family. I truly hope you decide to start one, too.
Just imagine where you could be a year from now if you get started this week!!
From here, you can redeem the free course above OR just keep reading for Bluehost setup instructions.
BONUS!
Anyone who starts a blog using my special Bluehost link can have a complimentary copy of my Blog Budget Spreadsheet (a $37 value)!
This will help kickstart your blog finances on the right foot!
All you have to do to redeem your copy of the Blog Budget Spreadsheet is
- Create a free account on Adventures in Blogging by registering for the Start a Blog Bootcamp above
- Then forward your Bluehost webhosting receipt to admin <at> whatmommydoes.com with “Blog Budget Spreadsheet” in the subject line.
We will then add the Blog Budget Spreadsheet to your Adventures in Blogging account!
Your domain name registration is included with your Bluehost package.
I recommend getting the domain name and registration done in one step like this. It’s what I’ve done with all my blogs to date and it makes things simple.
IMPORTANT: Please note that Bluehost bills upfront for annual hosting packages. There are two main advantages to them doing this. I want you to know about this now so you don’t go all the way through the setup process only to realize it when it comes to Step 4: Billing.
- By billing upfront you are able to avoid any billing issues that might effect your site being up. You don’t want to get a new debit/credit card a few months from now and risk your hard work by forgetting to link your new card information to Bluehost billing right away. I like having the peace of mind that my webhosting account is paid up for a year or more at all times.
- You are able to ensure that your domain name, and for all intents and purposes your brand, are paid for and cannot be purchased out from underneath you by someone else. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, I recommend the 36-month hosting; if you are looking for the shortest term, the 12-month package is what you want. Honestly, at this point in my blogging career, I am looking at a way to secure my domain name for the next 25 years or more…this billing stuff gets confusing if renewals come too often and I can’t afford to lose my domain name or hosting due to a billing mistake. Anyway, just my two cents – I don’t want you to be caught unaware!
With all that said – if you want to have a MONEY MAKING BLOG, you absolutely need to pay for hosting.
And if you are serious about earning income from it, you don’t want a month to month deal. TRUST ME.
Questions About Starting a Blog
You probably have a lot of questions right about now. I will try to address a few of them right now.
- What should I write about? – You can literally blog about anything you want and make money doing it if you spend enough time building up your blog over time. There are bloggers who specialize in every topic you can think of. I know bloggers who only write about flipping old pieces of furniture and others who specialize in gardnening. I know bloggers who write about specific illnesses, recipes they make for bake sales, being a mom in general, or planning trips to Disney World (seriously!). You can even specialize in coloring pages or beauty reviews. The choice is yours! Perhaps the toughest thing you need to do now is carefully consider your domain name, which leads me to the next question….
- What should I name my blog? – You can be very specific here. I mean, there are blogs that specialize in Gluten Free Recipes. But I am too scatterbrained for that. I named my blog WhatMommyDoes because I wanted to be able to write about ANYTHING I wanted to that related to my life as a mom. So this means I write about holidays, food, kids activities, making money from home, budgeting, printables, weight loss and more. My blog is heavy on financial advice, but I could have easily have gone in a holistic or parenting advice direction. If you have a variety of interests, I would suggest titling your blog something general so it can logically hold all things you’re interested in. My next blog will be even more generic than this one….I’ve already reserved the domain name through Bluehost…it’s called SweetGumRoad.com 🙂
- When can you start making money with a blog? – You can start making money from your blog the minute you start getting traffic to it. If you want to earn money it, you’ll need to keep in mind that you have to be “selling” in one way or another. You can start with banner & block ads then branch out into affiliate products (that’s where you recommend products in exchange for a commission) and sponsorships (like when companies pay you to write about their products). I would also focus on writing great content in the beginning and building up your blog traffic. The more traffic you have, the more you will make from a blog that has advertising on it. I have a couple of posts that might help you with that when you’re ready. First is my Recommended Blogging Resources page that walks you through some of my favorite ad/post networks and the second is for when you’re a bit more established and have at least 20 blog posts under your belt. That’s when you’ll want to grab Traffic Transformation. It’s full of advice on how I built my blog from 17,000 to 350,000+ monthly visitors in 2015. Feel free to buy it any time, but just know you won’t be able to apply these concepts until you have your blog set up and are comfortable with posting to it.
- How much money can you make blogging? – This will vary from person to person. While I cannot tell you exactly how much you will earn through your blog, I can tell you that my blog makes
$5,000-$7,000$8,000 – $15,000 per month right now (and
has been since late 2016). It took me 450 blog posts to get to this point, so I won’t lie – it was A LOT of hard work. But it’s totally worth it to me. I built this blog on late nights and stolen computer time while my babies were napping, and it has allowed me to be a stay-at-home-mom while contributing to our household finances. Now that my youngest isn’t a baby anymore (and will be starting Kindergarten in a few months!), I have even more time and have been able to accelerate my efforts. I have started publishing income reports on the blog… you can get them here: WhatMommyDoes Income Reports I am so excited to see what the future holds for me & my blog once I have every school day to work uninterrupted! 🙂
Did I miss anything? Let me know if you need to know anything else before taking the plunge and starting your blog.
How to Start a Self Hosted Blog on Bluehost
Now that we’ve gone through the reasons I would start a self-hosted blog and I’ve answered some common pressing questions, let’s dive into the startup tutorial.
I even included some screenshots of the entire Bluehost blog start-up process, so I think it will be very clear to follow.
Right now I recommend doing one of two things:
- Opening a new tab in your browser, then toggling back and forth between this page and Bluehost as you do the setup.
- Or you could print this page out and use it as a checklist! In fact, I created a printable version of this tutorial so you can do just that. Click here to grab the PDF to print out >> How to Start a Blog Using Bluehost: New Blog Checklist
If you’re strapped for time? I’ll email my blog startup checklist to you!
If you would like to use this tutorial to start your blog but don’t have time right at the moment (or maybe you’re at work and can’t walk through this tutorial right now), you can get a free copy of this checklist emailed to you by signing up for my Start a Blog Newsletter.
This is an especially good option if you’re viewing this page on mobile right now.
Just Click here to subscribe using your name & email address, and once you confirm the email newsletter subscription, you will automatically receive a download link for the PDF checklist via email.
If you’re ready to get started now, let’s do this! The instructions start below.
Blog Setup Overview
Before we jump into the step-by-step blog setup, I’m going to walk you through the 4 main steps you need to take to start a blog.
Steps to start a blog:
- Decide on a blog name – This is the first thing you should do because it is how you will be known online. Your blog name is the same thing as your domain name a.k.a your web address. You know, like www.YourBlogName.com. I recommend choosing a name that’s 1) easy to spell 2) means something to you and 3) all the major social media handles are available (Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). You don’t want to get all excited about a blog URL and register it only to find out that you can’t have that Facebook name because it already exists! So make sure and do your homework before you decide on a website name. You’ll want to come up with a creative & cool blog name that tells the world what your blog is all about. If you think of a name and find out it’s not available, don’t worry. There are millions of different blog names to choose. The most important thing to remember is that you want to have a .com website address, not .net or .tv or anything like that. If your favorite blog name isn’t available, consider trying a variation on that name or going with something similar yet slightly different.
- Get a host (and register your blog name) – For a beginning blog, I recommend going with a trusted & affordable webhost. For this I recommend Bluehost. I know many big bloggers who started out on Bluehost & they offer just about the best deal you can get online. When your blog grows, you may have to move to a premium host that can help you manage all the traffic coming your way (my blog is run by Servously and I’m on a plan that can handle up to 2 million page view per month)…there’s no need for you to spend that much money right now, though! We’ll get you going the affordable way.
- Install WordPress with One Click – This is the program your blog is published with. WordPress is what will make creating your blog posts and customizing your website possible without knowing how to code. The same way you can change colors in a Word document without having to know the hex code for blue. It takes a lot of the technical stuff away and lets you do your thing! Bluehost has one-click install, which is exactly how it sounds. Literally within a few minutes your new website will be rocking WordPress, the best blogging platform available. I love that Bluehost can do this for you.
- Purchase & install a theme – This is the “skin” of your blog, the look & layout of your page. I’ll show you several different options. Think of your theme like the a pre-formatted Word document with pretty subheadings and fonts already in place. A good theme will allow you to get up and running with a good looking site right out of the box. After you get started, you will then take the base theme and customize it to your liking (moving features around, setting up categories for your post, etc).
Step by Step Bluehost Blog Setup Instructions
Now this might seem like a lengthy tutorial, but it really isn’t. This is about as hard as answering a handful of questions and then clicking a button the rest of the time.
I tried to show you screenshots of every important step, so it should go pretty fast…let’s get started and I’ll show you how Bluehost works!
Step 1:
Head over to Bluehost’s home page and click on the big green “Get Started Now” button. Review the plan options (you’ll make a choice in Step 4…but you will want to choose the Basic Plan. You can always make a different selection later, but for a beginning blog, the Basic Plan is plenty good enough).
Step 2:
Next, you need to choose a domain name for your site. Hopefully you’ve given it some thought after reading the tips above. If not, now is the time to make your choice. Your domain name comes free with your Bluehost hosting package. Enter your domain name under the “new domain” box and click “next.”
Step 3:
Fill out your account information.
Step 4:
Continue below to choose which hosting package you want. Normal, shared hosting is priced at 12, 24 and 36-month terms. To help save you money, the longer term you purchase, the lower the monthly rate will be. For example, by choosing a 36-month hosting term, you can get their best introductory rate.
Which option you choose is a personal preference. I personally went with the 12 month package my first time because I was hesitant to commit to more than that (even though they have a money-back guarantee LOL).
There are other add-ons to choose from here. I don’t think any of them are truly necessarily except for the Domain Whois Privacy. This basically means that instead of your personal information being listed in an online directory, Bluehost will be listed publicly as your site owner.
Of course, you will still be the owner of the domain name, but your contact details will not be publicly accessible.
As far as backing up your blog, that is actually important, too; however, there are free plugins you can install later to help with this.
Step 5:
Enter your billing information, confirm you have read the Terms of Service, and click “next.”
Step 6:
Awesome!!! Give yourself a pat on the back. You just took the first steps to starting your own self hosted blog and now you need to choose a password.
Make sure it’s secure so hackers can’t get access to your site. (I don’t have screenshots for this part because you know the scoop on setting up passwords…pretty self-explanatory).
Note: If you are offered additional add-on services at this point, I would say no to them. You can always change your mind later.
Step 7:
Now that you are all signed up and are able to log into your account, you can get started installing WordPress! Bluehost lets you install WordPress with a 1-click install. It’s just about my favorite thing ever.
Navigate to your Account Dashboard and look for the “Install WordPress” button shown below.
Step 8:
On the WordPress installation screen, click “Start” to begin installation. (This is the one click install I mentioned above…seriously so easy!)
Step 9:
Select your domain so Bluehost knows where to install WordPress. You may get a warning that you are overwriting files, but as long as you don’t have another website built yet, you can check the box and continue.
Step 10:
Click on “Show Advanced Options.” This section allows you to set up your own username and password for your WordPress install. It is recommended to use a different username than “admin” and a very strong password. Important: Write down this password somewhere you won’t forget.
In the next step, you will receive a confirmation email containing all of your login information EXCEPT your password.
Make sure that the “Automatically create a new database for this installation” box is checked, unless you have a database already set up that you want to use. After you’ve read the terms and conditions, check the box indicating that you’ve done so, then click “Install Now.”
Step 11:
Now you’ll see the progress page, which will show you how far along the installation is. You may also see a green bar along the top of the page that will indicate when your installation is complete.
Once WordPress is fully installed, it will provide you with your site URL, the admin login URL, your username, and password. You will get a copy of this information, except your password, in a confirmation email as well. Make sure to keep it in a safe place!
Step 12:
Click on the Admin URL in the confirmation email from the previous step. The URL will look something like this: http://www.yourblogname/wp-admin
Enter your username and password to access your WordPress dashboard.
From here, you can control everything to do with your WordPress site, such as writing posts and changing the appearance. (If you forgot your password, you have 12 hours to retrieve it from your Bluehost Notification Center).
Remember, if you sign up through this tutorial, you’ll receive a special offer of shared hosting at $3.49/month for 36 months, as well as a free domain name for a year!
Congratulations!!!! You now have your very own WordPress blog and are ready to embark on a fantastic blogging adventure!
Your next step is to find a blog template (also know as your theme).
Installing Your Theme
Free vs. Premium vs. Custom Designed Theme Templates
Now that you have WordPress and hosting for your blog, you’ll want to choose a functional and nice looking blog template, or theme. Let’s run through the three options available – free, premium, and custom theme templates.
- Free Blog Templates – If you are starting your blog on a tight shoestring budget, then you can by all means start with one of the free themes that comes with WordPress and change to a paid theme later on with the click of a button. Keep in mind that the better your blog looks, the faster you will be able to make money with it. So if making money is one of your goals, see option #2.
- Premium Blog Themes – However, if you want to have a nice looking blog that makes you money, I highly recommend you go with a premium theme created on the Genesis framework (see below for more details). A premium theme will come with a lot of features and pre-formatted sections so you don’t have to spend a ton of time working on the layout, background, colors, and fonts to make your blog look nice. You can get started with this option for $79 – $149 depending on the theme you choose. If you’d prefer not to go searching around for your own theme, you can go with one of the Bluehost blog themes + purchase and install it right inside of their dashboard.
- Custom Designed WordPress Theme – The version of my blog you’re looking at is actually a custom design done by Laura at PixelMeDesigns. This design cost over $600, but by no means should you pay for a custom design when you’re just starting out! First of all, I’m a big believer in a blog paying for itself (call me frugal) and second of all, when you’re first starting out you don’t really know what you will ultimately want in a blog template, so if you were to get a custom design now, I’d bet good money you’ll have to get another one at some point when you realize all the things you didn’t ask for originally.
My Theme Recommendation If You Want to Make Money from Your Blog
If I was to start all over again as a beginning blogger, I wish someone would have told me to go straight to a premium theme. They’re nice enough to look professional, but not so expensive that you can’t justify the expense before making any money.
I wasted a lot of time searching for a free theme that didn’t look basic, and I ended up going with a premium theme anyway. So that’s what I recommend to everyone who’s serious about making an income generating blog.
When you really get into blogging, you’ll be spending a lot of time writing, learning about social media, etc and you will wish you weren’t also worrying about how to move the email subscription box around or how to change your blog’s background color scheme.
A premium template has all of that set up for you in a neat little package.
Bottom line is – I would save your money for a custom theme for when you’re really ready for it and can justify the expense, and just go with a nice looking premium theme that’s better looking than the free ones but more affordable than custom.
For this I recommend themes designed on the Genesis framework (this is what my custom theme is based on and what I recommend for anyone who wants to start a money-making blog).
What is the Genesis Framework?
This one takes a little explaining, as it can be confusing. In order to create the best blog you can (in my opinion), you will want to create it on the Genesis framework. Genesis is sort of the platform, or base, for many different types of blog templates. Once you have the Genesis framework, you must then get a CHILD THEME to use with it.
I think it’s easier if you think of the Genesis framework as Microsoft Excel and the child theme is a ready-made Excel document with pre-formatted colorful cells and formulas already in place. The child theme designer has already done the hard work for you. All you have to do is upload the template and start tweaking it to your taste (changing colors, placement of headers, etc).
A company called StudioPress makes the Genesis framework. StudioPress also makes its own child themes, but you can also get child themes from other designers.
TIP: If you decide to get a StudioPress child theme to operate on the Genesis framework, I recommend purchasing them as a single package on the StudioPress website. You will receive a discount by doing it this way. For instance, if you were to purchase the Jessica theme and Genesis framework in one transaction, you would get both for $129.95. Not a bad deal for your very own standalone professional-looking website, if you ask me!
My very 1st blog was created using the Lifestyle Theme from StudioPress (which requires the Genesis framework), and it was by far the easiest to create even though I knew the least about making a website back then!
I regret ever going with another theme provider, and all of my future blogs will be built on Genesis. So that’s why I only recommend Genesis to new bloggers. It gives you so many bells and whistles for a great price and the support forums and tutorials are second to none.
You will be able to customize your site in practically any way you choose.
There are tons of cute templates to choose from. But even better than that, keep in mind as your site grows and you can afford a custom blog redesign, your designer will be able to build something phenomenal on the Genesis platform.
All my favorite bloggers use it!
Example >> I even used a Genesis theme paired with Bluehost to create my other blog, Adventures in Blogging. I went with the Mai Theme for this and love it.
StudioPress offers so many awesome blog template options for different types of blogs. I know many many bloggers who use Foodie Pro, which is a lovely clean template great for showcasing pictures. I am also partial to the girly and fun Pretty Chic theme.
For further details and a better understanding of the whole Genesis framework/child theme thing, I recommend reading the Genesis for Absolute Beginners document (free!) from StudioPress.
If you look through the StudioPress templates and don’t find one that strikes you as perfect for your blog, I do have a few other recommendations from trusted designers. These designers also use the Genesis framework to design their themes.
I am in love with some of the newer girly looking themes available, so these might be what you’re looking for if you want a more feminine look to your blog.
Just remember that you will need to separately purchase the Genesis framework in order to use these blog templates. It’s not a complicated process; it just adds an extra step.
Pretty Darn Cute Designs
This designer has some beautiful blog templates designed on the Genesis framework. Here’s a link to the selection of Pretty Darn Cute blog template options.
I’ve been a long time fan of Modern Blogger Pro and I think the Fun Theme could be great if you think you might want an ecommerce store of some kind attached to your blog.
Lovely Blog Templates from Restored 316
Restored 316 specializes in creating chic, trendy, and feminine WordPress themes using the Genesis Framework for women-owned blogs.
Their themes are gorgeous. They range from simple & chic to colorful & trendy and run about $50 each (before you purchase the Genesis framework which is $59.95). You can browse the entire Restored 316 blog template collection here. I’ve shown a couple of my favorites below:
Some of the Restored 316 themes are ultra feminine and minimalistic. This is a preview of the Tasteful theme and how it looks on various screen sizes.
My Favorite Themes
Upon popular request, I’ve written a separate post that goes over 15 of my favorite themes from StudioPress and Restored 316.
I know it’s so difficult to narrow down a good theme when you’re just starting out, so I reviewed ALL of the themes available from both providers and listed the ones I think would be perfect for any new blog (with the exception of photography blogs – I didn’t review those because most of my readers are interested in blogging about photography).
I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the themes I mention in this post: Recommended Blog Themes (install one after you download WordPress)
Starting Your Very Own Blog the RIGHT Way: Recap & Next Steps
Whether you go with StudioPress, Pretty Darn Cute Designs, or Restored 316 for your WordPress theme, you will receive excellent customer service and access to forums to get help with any technical questions you may have.
If you decide to go with another Genesis framework designer, just make sure you have access to a support line or forum; it will come in handy once you get started tweaking your design to suit your style.
Now that you know how to start a blog the right way, you can get to the important part – creating lots of awesome content! A good base of content is what you need to make an impact with your blog – earning extra money is the tip of the iceberg.
You can not only make money from your blog, you can use it as a platform to start a consulting business or even inspire people to fulfill their dreams. The direction you take with your new blog is really up to you, and I can’t wait to see what you decide!
Once you have a good 25-50 posts under your belt, I encourage you to check out my ebook meant for intermediate to advanced bloggers called How I Grew My Blog from 17K to 350K+ Page Views in 9 Months. It’s a recounting of the learning process I went through to grow my blog to what it is today.
But it’s definitely not for beginners so, just make sure to bookmark my ebook (I recommend pinning the image) and come back for it when you’re ready!
Have Questions About Starting a Blog?
So there you have it. My straightforward tutorial guide to creating your own self-hosted WordPress blog using Bluehost.
If you follow this tutorial to a T, pretty soon you will have a full-fledged home based business on your hands!
I wish a step-by-step outline was available to me when I first started my mom blog!
Once you’ve completed the steps above, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to answer any other questions you have along the way as you make your blog your own.
Blogging is by far the easiest way to make money from home I’ve ever found (and I’ve had a lot of at home jobs before!).
You will LOVE earning while you stay at home with your kids.
Now go out there and rock the blogging world!!
Good Luck!!
~Lena
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Liz says
What is your opinion on a subtle swear word in a blog name?
Lena Gott says
I think it can work depending on how subtle it is and also how you plan on monetizing. You don’t want to get blocked by search engines or social media because your name gets trapped in “bad word” filters. Also, if you want to get corporate sponsors / sponsored posts, I wouldn’t do it. But if you don’t care about those kinds of sponsorships, perhaps? I’d love to hear what it is!
Elise Chwan says
Hi Lena,
Can I follow your directions in this tutorial, but using an existing free WordPress blog? I started a free one with the intentions of setting up a blog this way you describe above, but only found your post one week later. I am curious if there is some way to use what I started, but update it to a paid domain name through Bluehost, and connect back to my WordPress account… just wondering if this is possible and if so, how. (If not, I should start fresh?)
Thanks,
Elise
Lena Gott says
Hi Elise – It appears you can! I saw a tutorial on WPBeginner.com on this exact topic. It doesn’t look super difficult, so I hope you can do it fairly seamlessly. 🙂
Sara D. Korkuc says
Excellent Blog! thank you for that, I have all set and I am ready to start writing. My only question is, Do I need to buy the genesis framework before Restore 316 templates right? , because I love their designs but I am not ready to spend more than $100 on that yet.
Lena Gott says
Hi Sara – Yes, you would need the Genesis framework in order to operate a Restored 316 template. I like to use analogies, so it’s the equivalent of needing to have Microsoft Word on your computer before you open a Word document. If you go directly with StudioPress, you can get a framework/theme combo for as little as $79 total, I believe. I think Restored 316 actually sells one of their themes directly on the StudioPress website last time I checked, so you might want to look into that. It could be just the deal you need to get your blog started. You can always change themes later with the click of a button.
Celine says
Hi, Lena.
My budget is practically $0.00 So it is possible to start a blog with a free web hosting site and eventually transfer my domain/host to Bluehost?
Lena Gott says
Hi Celine – I am not positive about that. I think it is possible to start on Blogger, then migrate to WordPress, but I’ve never done that before and can’t say how difficult it is. If you just want to give blogging a try before spending any money, I’d say that’s just fine to start. Good luck!
Claudia says
Hello! Just stumbled on your site and saw the post how to turn 17k+ monthly page views to more than 100,000+ a month. But for those of us starting out, what would you suggest doing to just get to 1,000 page views a month? Any tips other than just writing great content and patience ? 🙂 Thanks!
Lena Gott says
Actually, in the beginning, that’s your best strategy – focus on writing a lot of great content. 🙂
Beth says
Could you start out with a premium theme from WordPress MOJO Marketplace and then later move to Genesis Framework and theme? Just looking at the cost difference.
Lena Gott says
If it’s a WordPress.org website, you will be able to switch templates with the click of a button. I’ve used a non-Genesis based theme before and switched later. Honestly, I wouldn’t do it again in order to save $50-100 but if that amount of money is a big deal, then I say go ahead and change later if you want.
Sanket sawant says
Nice post,
This is my first visit on your blog and found this article pretty helpful. I started my blog career with blogger platform but immediately shifted to WordPress .I am pretty happy now on this platform and the points you have discussed on ho to start a blog is pretty helpful for newbies for sure.
Lena Gott says
Glad you think so, Sanket!
Heather says
The one thing I’m not sure about is how you get paid. Is it like a paypal scenario or is it linked to your bank account? I’m extremely new to this so I was just wondering how it worked.
Lena Gott says
Hi Heather – Most payments you receive as a blogger will come via PayPal. Payments from larger companies like Google or Yahoo would likely be direct deposited. And some will come by check. It can actually get quite tedious tracking all of the different payment methods, but it’s definitely a good problem to have! 🙂
Ginette says
Thanks for all the info. Can i blog in different language? I’d to blog about immigration lifestyle.
Lena Gott says
Yes! you can totally blog in a different language 🙂
India says
I have been trying to get my blog business off the ground for a few months now and I wasn’t fully understanding the “getting started” part until today! This is the best start up blog info I have come across! Thank you so much for being so detailed and visual! I love the step by step guide and the analogies that you provided. I’m a visual person and the analogies gave me total understanding of what you meant, allowing me to bridge my gaps. I look forward to learning so much from you. Because you have given me homework tonight lol….my domain name and social media availability, I will miss the discount on creating my bluehost account by 4/27. But that’s ok because thanks to you I now have a roadmap to navigate my startup journey. I will have everything set up by this weekend! I will make sure to update you because I would love for you to check out my site and give me some pointers if you don’t mind. Thanks again!
Lena Gott says
I’m soooo glad, India! I’m glad you emailed me and this guide is helpful. I wanted it to be easy to understand. Starting a blog is EASY, but the process isn’t SIMPLE to understand until someone explains it to you or you stumble your way through it like I did. That’s why I wrote this. 🙂
Lena Gott says
Oh! And the super discount Bluehost coupon is available anymore BUT they do have another sale going on through May 2nd. I’ll update this post with the info.
Nichole says
Hi Lena!
I just wanted to say thank you for writing the step by step instructions, it has been a life saver for me! I have been wanting to start a blog to share neat and helpful ideas I have come across and with having 2 little one’s of my own, working, trying to keep a family farm going and running our house hold (a.k.a. life lol) spending hours on the computer doing research has not been easy nor practical at times. I have been wanting to do this for years and felt overwhelmed by my research since half the things I learned I didn’t understand 100% and being not so computer savvy didn’t help. After being discouraged for so long, now after I found and read your blog I was relieved and grateful that you took the time to lay this out the way you have. And finding out you can make money from it just topped it off to dive in and get started. Thank you!
Lena Gott says
Thank you so much, Nichole! I’m so very glad you found this helpful…that was my goal! I really wanted to lay it all out step by step so beginners like you don’t have to go through all the agony I did learning everything the hard way. It took me 4 blogs and lots of trial and error to be able to write this, so I’m glad it’s helping!! 🙂
Luanna Prater says
As a blogger, usually how long should a post be and how often should you post? Do you explain, in your instructions, how to draw traffic to your web site and how you get adds?
Lena Gott says
Hi Luanna,
Great questions! Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the optimal length of a post. I write rather long form content – my posts are usually 1000-3000 words long….but I know many bloggers who write a few paragraphs and call it a day. I post 2-3 times per week and find that’s a pretty common posting frequency. Any more than that, and most people burn out.
The best way to get traffic to your site is with the big social networks (Facebook and Pinterest) and search engines. Once you get a blog up and going, I would literally just start researching each one of those strategies…it’s too complicated for me to explain in one reply. But the main gist is that you need 1) great content worth sharing and 2) awesome images. If you can provide readers both of those things, you’ll be on your way to having a decent amount of blog traffic.
I hope to write about this type of thing more in the future and send out my tips to the Start a Blog Newsletter. Make sure you sign up for that above so you’ll get notifications!
A.Dirkx says
Thank you so much for putting this together! Your entire blog has been such an inspiration to continue with starting something on my own. I have been out of the technology side of things for a little while and am still finding bits and pieces a little challenging.
Can you clarify for me (and I’m sorry if it’s the same things you have already spelled out). I have purchased my blue host package, downloaded wordpress on the computer, and now I am looking for what I need to do in the best order next.
If I understand it correctly I need to download and pay for genesis, and then I need to choose a theme and pay for that separately?
Thank you for clarifying! 🙂
Lena Gott says
Hi Amanda! First of all, I LOVE your blog name! I wish I had thought of that. 🙂
To answer your questions – if you already have hosting, you will need Genesis and a theme to run on Genesis. So you’re exactly on track. I would first look at themes because if you end up buying a theme directly from StudioPress, you’ll be able to get your theme + Genesis in one package. If not, and you buy a Restored 316 theme, for example, I think you have to buy them separately. I would go through a lot of demo sites and see what stands out to you. If you have’t done it already, you will also need to do a one-click install of WordPress onto your website….you’ll need to do that before you upload a theme into WordPress (it’s the equivalent of installing Microsoft Word before you can open a Word document on your computer).
I hope all of this makes sense! Please let me know if you have any more questions!
A.Dirkx says
Thank you so much!
I get a little nervous putting money in to everything ( I know in the end it will all be worth it — fingers crossed )… but since I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing I would hate to buy this or that and then it’s the wrong thing!
I will give it a whirl! Thank you again for having your page, and being so responsive. HAPPY EARLY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU 🙂
Gabby says
Thank you for all your hard work. My biggest question is do you have to give any of these companies a social security number or a company equivalent. I want my blog to be about religious themes and to give most of my money to helping others.
Lena Gott says
Hi Gabby – Do you mean in order to get paid? It depends on the company. Sometimes no, sometimes yes if you need to fill out a W-9. You are responsible for keeping track and reporting at the end of the year to the IRS. But you are welcome to turn right around and donate your earnings to church/charities! Hope that answers your question. 🙂
Cissy says
Thank you so much for the detail!
Forgive me if this is a stupid question. 🙂
My question is how exactly you generate income?
I had a Blogger in the past for strictly card making.
I am looking for generating specifically about $900 a month now but gosh, I don’t understand how you generate the income.
Can you explain a bit more & how do you put other companies sites on your blog?
Thanks!
Cissy
Lena Gott says
Hi Cissy – I actually wrote a post that overviews exactly how that works! I know it can be confusing when you know that you can make extra money blogging but it’s completely unclear how it’s done. Truth is, there are tons of different ways to make money blogging. This post goes over 7 specific monetization methods I use on my blog: https://www.whatmommydoes.com/7-ways-i-make-5000-per-month-online/
I hope it helps clear it up a little for you! Let me know if you any other questions.
Ashley says
Hi Lena, I am loving all of the tips you’re giving us! I just signed up for Bluehost using my existing wordpress blog but I am kind of lost as to where to go from here. I was going to use mailchimp but I’m wondering if I still need that with bluehost? I am also wondering where on bluehost I go to install ad’s.
Can you help with this?
lightloveandspirit.com
Lena Gott says
Hi Ashley – Sorry it took me so long to respond! Yes, you can still use MailChimp with Bluehost/a self hosted WordPress blog. You can use any email service provider you like, actually, because you don’t hook it up through WordPress. You separately set it up and then send people there to sign up. To install ads, I highly recommend the Ad Inserter plugin. You simply grab the html code from your ad provider and paste it in there. SO EASY.
Rachel G says
Thank you so much for all your info on starting a blog. You inspired me to start my own blog and I learned so much about it from your posts. You’re awesome!!!
Lena Gott says
I’m coming right over to check it out! So excited for you, Rachel!
Lena Gott says
Your blog is amazing!!!! Make sure to tag me on social media so I can be sure to share your new posts! I’m @WhatMommyDoes everywhere (Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
Sandy Harvill says
Excellent, easy to follow instructions. I. Just finished setting up my blog, gritsbymimi.com and followed these instructions.
I did go with Bluehost and WordPress. I must confess that I did not set it up on the Genesis framework yet because I am on an extremely tight budget right now, but hopefully will change over by the end of the year.
Really enjoy reading your blog, please keep up the good job!
Lena Gott says
I’m so glad, Sandy! I am working on more posts in this series, so stay tuned! Also make sure you’re signed up for the newsletter using the link above…that way you’ll get notified when I post more tutorials.
Sarah says
How do you make money by blogging? Who pays you?
Lena Gott says
Hi Sarah – I wrote a post about some of the different ways I make money blogging. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it will give you a good overview! https://www.whatmommydoes.com/7-ways-i-make-5000-per-month-online/
Sara says
Hi! I loved this post! I recently started a blog but I only have three posts so far and no traffic! I am looking for any extrea kind of help or advice you could give in the meantime! How do I get an initial following? Also, i am currently on wordpress but have bought my own domain to transfer to once i get some views:) my blog is currently didsomeonesaysarablog.wordpress.com. And my domain is savoringthesimplelife.com Any views and input would be extremely helpful and much appreciated! thanks so much!
Lena Gott says
Hi Sara – My #1 tip for you would be to work on a content plan, post consistently and don’t look back! 🙂 When you only have a few posts and little social media following, it’s easy to get discouraged and think no one is interested, but in reality it takes tons of content to A) get people to your blog and B) stick around for a while. I would concentrate on content right now and also set up your wordpress.org blog right away. If you want to have a money-making blog, I really do think it’s the only way.
Doralis Machuca says
Hi Lena! I Just start reading you and I’m interested in star a money making blog but my first language is Spanish. Can I write in Spanish and do the same things that you do to make money in your blog? Thank you!
Lena Gott says
You can definitely do that. I know some bloggers have their blogs translated into both languages so you can essentially market to both audiences. I don’t know where you’re located, so that may affect what types of things you can sell, but I definitely think it’s possible to do. If you’re in the US, I know you can qualify for ALL KINDS of sponsored campaigns that require spanish-speaking bloggers.
Nicole Goodrum says
I started my blog following your guide and I am so glad I did it! Thanks so much!
Lena Gott says
yay!!! Keep me updated as you go along! 🙂
michelle says
Hi Lena!
I am new to this. VERY NEW!! I am faced with having to make some extra income in order for our family to stay afloat and so i am going to take my stab at blogging! I am so scared to spend this money to get going but in order to make money you have to spend money. ugh!!
I do have one question so far, how do you post your affiliate links and ads? I have paid for Bluhost, and have installed the WordPress, and created a blog name and address….now I am looking into the Genesis framework and either the Divine Templet or the Tasteful one, but in all the demos I have been watching and looking through I don’t see any ad placements….Can you recommend a steer in the right direction for me? Or a tutorial? I emailed you about the book your offering once the steps are completed but I have not heard back yet, maybe the info i need is in there. I’m just hesitant to spend more money until I know for sure the templet will let me do what I need to do to gain some income…
-Michelle
Lena Gott says
Hi Michelle,
I saw your email! Congratulations! You should have a reply now…let me know if you don’t see it. You will be able to add ads to your site after you get it set up. I use a plugin called Ad Inserter and it inserts ads where I want to in my posts). I place the top and side ads with widgets, which are available in every theme. Once you get, say, 20 blogs posts or so up then you can start adding ads. The easiest to start with is AdSense and then you could try Media.net and apply to ad networks as your blog grows. I hope to release a guide to ad placement soon to help with this, but it isn’t ready yet!
Katy says
Quick question – is the offer to get Blog by the Numbers still available?
Lena Gott says
It sure is! I will be able to offer it at least through the end of the month, maybe longer if I can negotiate that! 🙂
donna says
Loved finding your site! I am taking a leap of faith and know absolutely nothing about blogging. I am set up but do not have the money for a paid theme just yet. Which FREE theme do you recommend on wordpress?
Lena Gott says
Hi Donna – The TwentySixteen theme is a basic theme that will allow you to use wordpress.org without paying for a premium theme. If you want to get started for free, you could start with that and then upgrade once you decide if blogging is for you!
bigrock coupon says
Thanks for this great post. I have just finished setting up my blog last week and have also gone live. Your step-by-step guide has been very helpful in setting up the blog. Now the next step is to promote the blog. Any suggestions here. I know there are many things I will need to do to effectively promote my blog, but if I have to take two immediate actions in this direction, what would they be. Thanks again for this great post.
Lena Gott says
The best thing you can do right after you begin blogging is to create lots of great content – I would do that and simultaneously do all you can to learn how to create good images. if you do those two things, you’ll be off to a great start.
Tina says
Hi! I can’t tell you how relieved I was to run across your blog. I’ve been trying to find the right advice for start-up, but all the other blogs with this kind of post that I have read have been so different from what I want to do – I couldn’t visualize it! I have my blog all planned and it is very similar to what you have here. I will focus on motherhood, with different categories such as recipes, a creative side, weight loss, mommy stories, etc. But, as I’m ready to jump in and click the button to start up, I get overwhelmed by some details I feel I need filled in before I start:
#1 I want to give my readers the ability to contribute to some of my areas. I was thinking one of my headers would be “Submit”. There I would give an email address for them to send the stories, recipes to, but once I post what they send, am I responsible if it’s not really theirs? For example, someone sends a recipe that they use all the time, but took out of a cookbook. If I add “Submitted by__” before the recipe, am I covered, or is this something I cover under the disclaimer? If I want to, at some point, go back and turn a collection of recipe or story submissions into a book or eBook, do I need to ask these people for permission and give part of profit? Or can I cover this possibility in wording before they ever submit?
Also, on above issue, what do I need to look for at start up for email support if I’m expecting these types of contributions? I expect it could eventually add up to alot of emails per month.
#2 I am an Amazon junkie, and will be recommending a lot of their products. I guess this means the affiliate program would work for me? Do I sign up with them before ever entering my 1st posts if I plan to use them from the beginning?
#3 I’ve read a lot about having a lot of content already before “advertising” a new blog. Do I populate it with multiple posts before publishing, or is my website accessible as soon as I create it, and that’s not even a possibility? I’m hesitant to do one at a time at what will be my usual posting rate, because that would take many weeks to have enough content. If, however, I gain early readers with 1st posts, then hurry out more, I feel I would be expected to keep up that pace.
#4 Is there a place to play around on, or practice the website set-up, before purchasing? Without being in the paid for, creating stage, it is hard for me to figure out if the website will do as I need it to, as far as links,etc.
Thanks so much for your help!
Lena Gott says
Hi Tina – Wow! You have amazing questions! Let me answer them in order:
1. Short answer: YES you will responsible for any plagiarism someone gives you. I never use content that I haven’t checked through a plagiarism checker, written myself, or paid someone I trust to write. With that said, I think your reader stories section is a great idea!
2. No, you don’t need to sign up with Amazon right away. Just do it as you have time and after you have a handful of posts under your belt. I don’t know if they verify your web presence in order to approve you, but you don’t want to chance that they do and find out you don’t actually have a blog up and running yet. I know that ad networks usually do this, so I would wait until you have 10-20 posts to apply.
3. You website won’t be accessible until you publish it to the world. Some people wait until they have 5-10 posts but I did mine right away. It’s up to you.
4. Not that I know of but usually the website demos will give you a pretty good idea. Any template with a categories header and drop down lists will be customizable in those areas and most premium wordpress templates are customizable with widgets. I think you will be able to do what you want with a wordpress website, so your main choice will be the design/layout. As your blog grows, you may move to a custom theme like I have and then you can really customize everything to your liking!
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Kiwiaussie says
I have been through all the steps and paid for a 3 year subscription, but cannot afford to buy a theme. I have found a couple of themes online, but I cant figure out how to make them work. They upload, but I cannot seem to put a site name on them. It just says LOGO, and I cant edit it.
So I feel like I have wasted my money setting it all up if I cannot even figure out how to then make a blog out of it.
What am I doing wrong?
Lena Gott says
Hi! I have two ideas. 1) Can you downgrade to a 1-year subscription and then buy a theme with the difference in price? 2) if you’d rather not do that, then a free theme is perfectly fine for the time being. Logos are usually images, not editable text. If you email me (use my contact page) and let me know which theme you chose, I should be able to look at it and tell you what steps to take next.
Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged when you’re first starting out! The early days are the toughest, but just like any other software programs you begin using, it gets easier over time and it will all start to make sense one day.
Susie Wickman says
Just opened my BlueHost account (nightmare). Still working on setting up the rest.ge I posted something with you before but I don’t know on what page. I don’t know if you responded. I’m requesting the free book ‘Blogging by the Numbers’. That was one question I don’t know if you answered, if it was still available.
How did you start your first post? I have lots of ideas for posts. The first one seems a stumbling block. Genealogy theme.
Susie Wickman says
Please don’t post my last name. Next time I won’t enter it. Thanks
Tina says
Thanks for your reply to my earlier questions. I finally got enough figured out, took the plunge, and today I launched my blog! I’ll be sending you the email for the ebook later. My site is http://www.noyouneedtocalmdown.com. Please let me know where you think any major issues are. I am still having issues with the social media aspect. I shared my blog through my Facebook page, opened a fan page, started a Twitter account, and now I’m stuck on what to do next with those! When I see other shared posts from other mom bloggers, are those bloggers just sharing things they find in their feed? Same with Twitter and Pinterest. I mean, these people aren’t posting all original articles, ecards, or whatever it is, are they? Can I share their FB posts that showed up in my feed? That is all a little too confusing for me. I can’t believe all the different parts to this blogging job besides just writing! 🙂
Lena Gott says
Hi Tina! I’m so excited for you! There is definitely a LOT to learn about blogging especially in the beginning when everything is new, but we will get you there! To answer your question, bloggers share posts that they find interesting OR that they wrote themselves. There are no hard and fast rules to social media. You can share what suits your blog or your personal style.
Lindsay says
Hello! Love this post- found on Pinterest- definitely inspiring for me to get started soon!
I only have a Mac computer- does that matter? Especially with some of these themes and such?
Thank uou
Lena Gott says
Hi Lindsay! You can definitely blog with a mac. Everything you need to do is done online and then there are mac version of every major application you’ll need. I know some really big bloggers who only use Macs. 🙂
Kendra says
This may be a very silly question . . . I am in the process of setting up a blog … all the blogs I look at have excellent photos! Do these bloggers take them or is there a place where you can get photos to display on your page? Also …. after you start the blog . . . and are writing . . . how do you start making money? How do you get ads on your page?
Lena Gott says
Hi Kendra – you are in luck! There is actually no reason to take your own photos in certain niches. If you were a food, fashion/style or crafting blogger, then I’d say yes, you need to get good with a camera. But most blogs can be run without any special picture taking knowledge – almost all of my images are from photo stock websites. Sometimes I get free ones from Pixabay and sometimes I pay $1 per photo on a site like DepositPhotos.
As far as the money part, that is something I will have to teach you after you get going. There’s a lot to it. It all starts with content creation. You layer on ads after you have the base of your blog set up and at least 6 posts live. I will show you how to do that as well once you are ready (if you join my Blog Growth Mailing List which is one step after the Start a Blog Mailing List that you can signup for on this page).
I hope you decide to start a blog! I can’t wait to see what you choose to write about.
Lena Gott says
If you would like an overview of how exactly you can make money from a blog, you might want to check out this post I did of an example $5000 revenue month. https://www.whatmommydoes.com/7-ways-i-make-5000-per-month-online/
Mindy says
Wow, this is the most detailed post I have seen about starting a blog! Thank you! I have a question, I already have a blog on WordPress.com and purchased a domain name, however I’d like to change it anyway. Is there a way to transfer the blog I already have to bluehost and be able to change the name without losing posts I’ve already made? Hope this makes sense! 🙂
Lena Gott says
Hi Mindy – I believe the WordPress.com to WordPress.org transfer process is pretty simple, although I have never done it before! I would contact Bluehost and see if they can help you with this or just look up a tutorial on it. I know people have done it before. There should be no reason you’d have to lose posts in a transfer…it should just be a matter of how easy it is to accomplish. I’m sorry I don’t know more about this topic! Putting it on my own reading list! 😀
Nina says
Lena,
Thank you for explaining the Genesis Child Theme and the Genesis platform! I finally understand all the steps. Yay! I’ve picked out my theme from Restored 316 and purchased my Genesis package. I’m wondering what the best way to create a logo is? Do you have any recommendations?
Lena Gott says
Hi Nina – I’m so glad this was helpful! If you can figure out your logo dimensions in your theme (might take a bit of digging or you could just ask in the Restored 316 Facebook support group), you could easily create one yourself in PicMonkey or Canva. Or you can find someone on Fiverr (but you’ll need the dimensions to send to them, too, so it’s still the first step).
Mercedes says
I started with WordPress alone….. the domain was included with my membership…. do I need blue host? And the genesis thing….. I’m so confused I want to do this right, I’m so passionate about so many things so the writing part is the easy part….
Lena Gott says
Do you know if you are with WordPress.com or WordPress.org? I know it is very confusing in the beginning. If you got a WordPress.com blog, then that is not your own. It’s hosted on their servers and can be taken down at any time. You will want to go with a WordPress.org site that’s hosted through Bluehost and on your own domain (you will have to pay for the hosting + domain name + theme of your choice using this method). If you let me know which one you are with (.com or .org), then I can help you a little more! Hope this helps.
Laura says
Thanks for this detail and lengthy article. It helped me get my blog up and running faster than I thought possible. I appreciate the help!
Lena Gott says
Holy moly, Laura! You started that blog with my help?! It’s amazing!!!!!! Thank you so much for stopping by to comment. Please stay in touch. 😀
Sneha says
Hi Lena,
I am a person who likes writing about things I enjoy like many bloggers, but I’m young still in school and need a good way to make cash to pay for school. I am very glad to have found your post about blogging but I am very new to this. So I’m wondering is the Bluehost $2.95 a month still a current deal and for how long will the company host my site ?
Lena Gott says
Hi Sneha,
Yes, the deal is still good! I will update the post when it goes away. Bluehost will host your site forever as long as you keep paying the monthly $2.95 fee. So it’s up to you how long you want to continue blogging. You pay for the webhosting in one year increments, so you pay once and it’s good for at least 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months depending on the term you choose. Does that help?
Brittany says
Hey Lena! I just started my blog!! (Hold your applause please!! You’re much to kind!! ^_^ ) I signed up through your link up above and was wondering where I could find the link for the above book? Blog my number? Also, I remember reading that you
Lena Gott says
You are too funny, Brittany! To get the ebook, just email me! lena whatmommydoes.com
Marissa says
Hi Lena,
Thank you so much for the helpful information! However, after reading through all of the questions and answers, I am still pretty confused about a couple items. The first is WordPress.com versus WordPress.org. I have also read elsewhere that WordPress.org is far more flexible in the long run. At what point in your above instructions was this selection determined?
My other question is regarding the Genesis Network and choice of theme. I found a WordPress Premium theme that I want to use. Suppose I have followed all of your steps in this post thus far, are you saying that the WordPress premium theme will not work if I do not also purchase an account with the Genesis Network? I appreciate you taking the time to answer all of our questions.
Lena Gott says
Hi Marissa – good questions! My entire tutorial is based on WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a free platform for publishing a blog that has very limited customization capabilities (meaning, you won’t be able to make money from it easily). You wouldn’t need to purchase a theme if you use WordPress.com because it comes with your account. When you use WordPress.com, they own your blog and can delete it at any time. That’s why I only recommend WordPress.org if you want to have a money making blog.
To operate a Genesis theme, you have to have the Genesis platform. In all, it’s about $100-$200 for a theme + platform if you purchase it all through StudioPress like I have recommended in this tutorial. It’s an amazing price for being able to start what could become a life changing money making business for you! Hope this helps! 😀
Kimberlee says
I am brand new to blogging but very anxious and excited about it! I feel like I have great content to write about (undecided on my blog name) but I was wondering, from your experience, if it is better to write long detailed blogs or shorter less detailed blogs. For instance, this blog needed to be long because you are pretty much offering a service (of information) and you need to be very detailed for your viewers but do you recommend the same for new bloggers to get their feet wet or take it slow to begin with?
Lena Gott says
Hi Kimberlee – Great question! How long your blog posts are will depend on your goals. At a minimum, I’d say 300 is the lowest number of words. But most of mine are over 1,000 words. I’m a wordy person, though. 😀
The main point is to remember your posts need to be helpful – whether that takes you 400 words or 4000 words depends on you. I will say that the posts that help you sell a product or service will need to be longer. You cannot provide too much information to someone trying to make a purchase. So in that regard, longer posts are a great idea if you plan on selling anything on your blog. 😀
I hope this helps! Feel free to comment again if you have more questions!
~Lena
Kimberlee says
Thank you! You have been a great help! I plan to start my blog in the near future. I just have to do some research about the content I am looking to write about and see if the topics are wide open or very saturated. The last thing I want to do is be behind the 8 ball. I am a planner and I like to have everything organized and ready. For example, my daughter doesn’t turn 16 years old for another two years and I already have a set amount of money that is pulled from my account each time I get paid for her car fund 🙂
Natty says
Okay, so this may be a bit of a dumb question… but I can’t seem to find the answer on any other similar blogs.
If I purchase a domain through Bluehost, do I then have to additionally pay for a “pricing plan” on WordPress? I long term would like to monetize my future blog, and on WordPress I am only seeing that as possible with their “Premium” plan of $8.25/month. Do I have to pay this on top of the Bluehost monthly cost?
Thanks for your help my dear!
Lena Gott says
Hi Natty – No, I think you are mixing up the two WordPress platforms. I believe WordPress.com (a free platform with limited features) offers you the option to upgrade to a premium plan. What Bluehost does is gives you a self-hosted blog (you own it and dictate what happens to it). If you go with Bluehost, all you need is the hosting plan ($2.95 a month using the links above) + a nice looking theme which you separately purchase, then you’re set!
Robert R Martin says
Excellent write up! Definitely using some of the info and tips you provided!!
I did have a question though. If I use Bluehost and install wordpress, am I required to purchase a premium plan through wordpress or will I be able to do everything I need within bluehost??
Sorry if that was a total newbie question! I just don’t know where else to look!
Lena Gott says
Hi Robert – It looks like you are currently with WordPress.com, which is different than WordPress.org. When you use Bluehost, you will transfer your blog from WordPress.com onto WordPress.org within Bluehost (you’ll install WordPress, then choose a theme first). There will be no need to upgrade your WordPress.com account because you will no longer need it! Hope that helps. 😀
Justin says
First off thanks for this post and all the helpful tips/guide. I’m creating a blog right now and have gone through bluehost, got a theme, and am working in wordpress to get the look and everything finalized.
My question is I’m trying to create a contact form and/or social buttons in a widget. How do I get the facebook, twitter, and other social media little bubbles?
Lena Gott says
Hi Justin – You can add those share buttons by installing a share bar. I use SumoMe (the free version) for this!
Brittany Quinn says
Great resource I’m going to change from Go daddy to bluehost soon I keep hearing great things. I will go through your link when I make the switch so I can get the free eBook. Awesome resource.
Lena Gott says
Hi Brittany! Thank you very much. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Myra Johnson says
Hello Lena! I’m so grateful to have found your blog! It is exactly what I needed right now. I have a question for you. I’m helping my husband transition from a store type business to a blog, and will need to make the blog more masculine looking, but not too masculine as I’ll also be posting on it. Does StudioPress or Restored316 offer less feminine/more masculine themes?
Lena Gott says
Hi Myra! Yes, StudioPress definitely does. Those are actually more masculine/business oriented than anything else. Just go to their site at the link above and browse their themes, not just the ones I recommend. Restored316 only makes feminine themes. 😀
Katie says
Hi Lena! I’ve had a wordpress blog with my own domain name for about two years. Today I found your blog and bought into BlueHost and even got the Genesis framework with the Lifestyle theme. However, when trying to set it up, I failed miserably and now it’s an awful mess. I’m not even sure where to turn for help on this.
Thoughts on keeping my domain name in wordpress while adding the BlueHost and Genesis into it?
Thank you!
Lena Gott says
Hi Katie,
Do you mean you already have self-hosted WordPress or are you with WordPress.com? Once I know that, I can answer your question properly! 😀
As far as setting up the Lifestyle theme – I used to have this theme and the StudioPress forums for this theme are really thorough. You should have no problem finding directions on setting it up like the demo if you search the forums. That’s how I figured out how to do things like install the homepage slider and change the background colors, etc.
~Lena
Melissa Gaitan says
Hi Lena! I found your tutorial after buying my domain name and installing WordPress. I am currently in the choosing a theme process, and would like to start with a free one and then upgrade to a premium theme later. For the life of me, I cannot find ANY free themes! My installation is at 65%, it took me to the page to choose a theme in the MOJOMarletplace, and I cannot find any of the free themes. I’m certain I’m looking in the wrong place, lol, please HELP!
Lena Gott says
Hi Melissa – The free themes are not in the MOJO Marketplace within Bluehost. You must search for free themes within WordPress itself. Look under Appearance > Themes! 😀
Melissa Gaitan says
About ten minutes after submitting my question, I found it! But thank you 🙂
I tried, and tried, and tried to customize my own free theme. After about four hours of back and forth nonsense, I’ve decided to purchase a premium theme. Go figure! I really like the designs from Pretty Darn Cute, are there some like it with the Genesis Framwork package? I think that’s what I’ll be purchasing.
Thanks again!
Lena Gott says
Yes! That’s exactly why I recommend a premium theme. I tried and tried and tried to go with a free one at first as well, but no matter what you do, you cannot make them look professional!
Yes, there is actually a Pretty Darn Cute design on the StudioPress site as a recommended theme. All of her themes work with the Genesis framework, though. If you don’t want to the one offered by StudioPress, then all that means is that you need to first purchase the Genesis framework from StudioPress, then a Pretty Darn Cute theme and upload them to your WordPress platform.
Jolee Pearsall says
How important is it to buy a theme? Are there free themes available when you sign up for blue host? I am interested in starting my own blog, and I have been reading through a lot of blog posts, yours is especially helpful. I’m fine with paying the cost of blue host up front, but I’m not sure about paying for themes if its not absolutely necessary. Thanks in advance.
Lena Gott says
Hi Jolee,
Great question! So, you will need a professional looking paid theme if you eventually want to earn money from your blog. However, if you really need to start with a free one you can do that through WordPress after you install it. The free themes aren’t available through Bluehost, but rather WordPress itself. So you will sign up for webhosting with Bluehost, install WordPress, then search within WordPress for free themes. I think you’ll quickly see why I recommend a premium theme once you see the options available. They are very very plain and won’t look very nice at all no matter what you do to them. I tried this myself and so have many people – I get emails all the time about this and what happens is most people spend hours and hours trying to make a free theme look nice and end up buying a paid theme just like I said. It’s funny actually! Cause they’re always like “I should have listened to you because I just wasted three days of my life.” LOL
Natasha @ Maintaining Miracles says
I started my blog recently. I wish I would have stumbled onto this blog sooner! I love the details you used and I am in awe over your blog! It’s amazing. I could go on and on asking you a million questions! Good work! I am beyond impressed!
Lena Gott says
oh thank you, Natasha!! 😀
Joanna says
I’m a little late to the party, but this post is great! I wish I had seen this before purchasing a domain name and package. You obviously put a lot of time into creating this post, so thank you for all of the helpful tips!
Lena Gott says
Awww thank you, Joanna!
Destiny says
Hi, I have purchased a bluehost domain through your website. Do you still have any of the free ebooks available to give away?
Lena Gott says
Hi Destiny – yes I do! Please email me using the contact form! 😀
Berita Bola Akurat says
First of all I would like to say great blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you do not
mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your thoughts before writing.
I’ve had difficulty clearing my mind in getting my
thoughts out there. I do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like
the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any
ideas or tips? Many thanks!
Lena Gott says
Hi Berita – That’s a great question!! I also have a hard time getting into the writing mood. What I normally do is set aside the first 30 minutes to check email/get into a creative mood and then start writing. And then sometimes I will just walk away and write only when I feel like it and am rested. I can’t write when I’m tired or distracted. I find that 30 minutes of creatively focused writing time is better than 4 hours of staring at your computer….:)
Madison Jordan says
This was so informative and helpful! I purchased with bluehost yesterday and coudln’t quite figure out how to connect wordpress to use the app when I go live and get to posting content, and this was such a great step-by-step!! I really appreciate the help and the theme suggestions. 🙂
Lena Gott says
I’m glad this was very helpful for you, Madison!!
Jaana Flaherty says
This was a great article. Thank you. I may have missed this in this article, but once you download your theme from the WordPress and genesis like I have- is there a simple step by step tut on actually understanding all that you need to know about it and what all the stuff on the inside of that blog is? It’s all just so confusing to me.
Thanks so much,
Jaana
Lena Gott says
Hi Jaana – I am working on a tutorial of my own because there aren’t a ton out there. But in the meantime you can look at all the tutorials from the theme provider you chose. That’s why I highly recommend Restored 316 and StudioPress (the absolute best IMO) because they have good support forums. So many other blog theme providers leave you in the dark! I am happy to answer any questions you have. Just email me! lena at whatmommydoes.com
~ Lena
Melanie says
Thank you for all your wonderful information! My question is, do I need to purchase and install a genesis and child theme before I start writing any blog posts or is it possible to wait and install after I’ve started to get some content on my blog first? I’m not going to publicize my blog yet, just trying to feel like I’m getting somewhere by having some content started. When I’m ready to publicize I’ll upgrade to genesis and child theme. Will that work without being too much of a headache?
Lena Gott says
Hi Melanie – I personally wouldn’t wait until you have posts to purchase your theme. Only because you will spend time setting up whatever theme you do have and then you will essentially waste many hours that could have been spent setting up your premium Genesis theme. If you need to save money, it’s definitely an option, but if you have the $100-$150 to spare right now, I’d go ahead and get the theme.
Anamika Anny says
Hey Lena,
Wanna know about this hosting stuff a bit! When I was about to purchase a plan from bluehost ,I notice something about country like US or INDIA kinda thing.. Lett me know what is it about cj I really wanna know if my domain will be assecible worldwide or not if I go through bluehost !! Kinda confusing for me.
Thnx
Anny
Lena Gott says
Hi Anny – I am not sure I understand your question. I believe tha?t’s just a demographics question? As far as I know you can access wordpress worldwide. That would be a good question for Bluehost support.
Lenae says
Hi Lena!
What if I do not have 100-200 dollars for themes and platforms, is there another way that is less expensive? I am very interested in blogging and making a living from home doing it as I too am a stay at home mommy.
Lena Gott says
Hi Lenae – You can technically start a blog with a cheaper theme so this is an option. Just browse around, especially on the Restored 316 page linked above. They have cheaper alternatives. But you really cannot get out of paying $100 – $200 to get started properly. It’s a tremendous value considering you can create a real business out of this! You just cannot start other businesses for this amount of money. I would save up and wait until you can afford it.
Karen says
Hi Lena! I’m so happy I found your page. Thank you for all the information on starting my own blog! I’ve recently resigned from my job and have been staying home with my children. I’m really interested in blogging (learning how to) and crafting. I feel the need to find ways to contribute to my family’s income. I can’t wait to get started after our move! Thank you again!
Lena Gott says
I’m so glad you found my posts helpful, Karen!
Abigail O'Rourke says
Hi Lena!!!!
I’m setting up a blog of my own thanks to all of your great info. It’s called The Gold Direction. I’m super excited. I’m looking for budget friendly suggestions on how to get a logo, or if I even need one right away. If you have any thoughts on that, please share.
Thanks
Lena Gott says
Hi Abigail – that’s so exciting!!! For a logo, you can easily create one in PicMonkey yourself. Just figure out what the dimensions for that space on your site is from your theme (or ask in your theme’s support forums). For instance, my first logo has to be 600 x 600 px wide so that’s what I created in PicMonkey. To this date, I still use that basic circle! I find that nobody really cares. If you don’t want to do it yourself, I recommend just going to Fiverr.com and paying someone to do it. It might cost more than the base $5, but I wouldn’t imagine it would be more than $15-25.
Holly Long says
I’ve enjoyed your information on starting a blog, and darn it would love too. Your simply instructions and “all you have to do” and ta da you’ve put the money into it and “ta da” you’ve drained the bank account and worked and “BELIEVED” it would work and it hasn’t, what do you do than? Is it really that easy?
I’m a career nanny. Love my job, have learned a lot from the children i have cared for over the years. BUT NOW, I’m a widow, my husband was killed in a motorcycle accident on our 3rd wedding anniversary in October 2018. I lost my job AS A NANNY 2 days after his passing.
I WANT TO START A BLOG! Is there a guarantee I’ll be successful with your instructions?
I would LOVE TO MAKE THE MONEY you say you have made.
Lena Gott says
Hi Holly,
I am SO SORRY for your loss! I cannot imagine what you are going through. To answer your question – no, it is NOT EASY to start a blog. It’s a simple process, but takes a lot of patience to build up your traffic and following. I don’t want to mislead anyone in thinking it will be a walk in the park. Is it worth it, though? In my opinion – YES! This is the BEST JOB in the world. 🙂
Brandon @ The Website Nerd says
Lena, great step by step breakdown. You’re also throwing free alternatives in there at the beginning, which I think is great for somebody who isn’t “serious” about starting a blog and aren’t in it for the long game.
Keep pumping out the amazing content!
– Brandon
Lena Gott says
Thanks, Brandon!