Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Amazon Associates, and StudioPress.
When you first start researching how to start a mom blog, it can get overwhelming. People are throwing terms you can’t understand out there in these super-lengthy tutorials that are way over your head.
But all you can articulate for the Google search box is “how do you make a website?”
I’ve been writing online for nearly 8 years. Sometimes I forget where I was 8 years ago. I didn’t even know what a blog was, much less how to start one!
How to Start a Mom Blog the RIGHT Way
There are so many things I wish I could go back and tell my new blogger self. Things that would save me countless hours upon hours of grief and limited the amount of time I spent climbing up an almost impossibly steep self-taught learning curve. Oh, but I can’t.
The next best thing I can do is teach all of you what I would do if I had to start a blog all over again, knowing what I know now.
First: How to Make a Blog the Hard Way
I remember the day deciding I wanted to learn about creating my own blog. I was 3 days post-partum with my second child and I was going stir-crazy. My mom was staying with us to watch my oldest while I tended to the new baby, and I had a lot of downtime on my hands during feedings.
I literally immersed myself in all the reading material on blogging I could find. And after three days, I emerged from this super study session with a blog idea yet still no clue how to make a blog in reality!
It took me another day of research to actually figure out how to get started. Now that I know what to do, I can repeat the process in 10 minutes.
I started my first blog using a lovely website template (explained below), had an easy time of it, and started thinking I could have more than one blog at once. So I started a couple more websites, but went with a different template. Boy, was that the wrong thing to do! I was blown away by how hard it was to use certain blogging templates, and I really kicked myself for not duplicating my first effort. Instead of the process being easy over and over again, it was excruciatingly difficult. The blog you are on right now was originally built on a NOT USER FRIENDLY theme that I got from ThemeForest, and it took A LOT of work to get it to look and function properly. (I finally had to hire a web designer to make it look the way I wanted to.) Not to mention all the times I crashed my site because I tried to do something above my knowledge level.
So what do I recommend for someone who wants to start a blog but doesn’t know where to start?
The Advice I Gave My Best Friend
The reason why starting a blog is so confusing is that the blogging basics aren’t usually explained in easily understood actionable terms. In order to save you TONS of precious time, I am going to tell you the optimal way to start a blog.
This is the same advice I gave my best friend of 20+ years when she came to me for blog start-up advice, so you can rest assured it’s golden. I would never lead her astray, as I would never point you in the wrong direction.
I promise you will like the result. So barricade yourself somewhere for 30 minutes where your kids can’t touch you and let’s get to it! 😉
How to Start a Mom Blog – List of 3 Simple Steps
1) Create a Webhosting Account – The first step to making a blog is signing up for webhosting. For this I recommend Bluehost. Many bloggers I know and trust started out with BlueHost and stayed with them until their blogs got really big. For a few dollars per month, you can’t beat their basic hosting package and they have a simple dashboard upon logging in. I like simple. The best part about Bluehost is that they make the next two steps super easy. In fact, they can kinda be lumped altogether because you basically do them all at once through Bluehost. Click here or on the banner below to sign up with Bluehost.
I CAN NOW OFFER BLUEHOST PREFERRED PRICING!
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!
START A BLOG BOOTCAMP….is FREE!
Now for something even more exciting – I have a super special freebie to tell you about!
I recently put together a step-by-step blogging course that walks you through all of the major things you need to do to give your blog a jump start.
I love helping others create & grow new blogs from scratch so much that I have decided to make this blogging course FREE for everyone.
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 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 lena <at> whatmommydoes.com with your URL/blog name to let me know you’ve started your blog. I would be honored to follow along on your journey!
- I will make sure you get on my email list just for new bloggers. You’ll start receiving emails from me designed to help you grow your blog in the early days. I don’t want you to have to do this all alone like I did! 😀
I truly hope you decide to join me on my crazy blogging adventures. 🙂 You can redeem the free course 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!
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.
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.
–> Select a Domain Name – During Bluehost registration, you will be asked to specify a blog name, a.k.a. your domain name, a.k.a. your web address. You know, like www.YourBlogName.com. This is where you’ll want to come up with a creative & cool blog name that tells the world what your blog is all about. You’ll be able to check for that name’s availability at this point. If it’s not available, don’t worry. There are millions of different blog names to choose. If you’re favorite isn’t available, consider trying a variation on that name or going with something similar yet slightly different.
–> Choose a Hosting Plan – During registration you will be asked to choose between a 1-year contract, 2-year contract, etc. Choosing a longer hosting term usually results in bigger discounts.
2) Install WordPress with One Click Install – Literally all it takes is one click and your new website will be rocking the best blogging platform available! Once you’ve signed up for Bluehost, navigate to your Account Dashboard and look for the “Install WordPress” button. Click on that, then on the WordPress installation screen, click “Start” to begin installation. Bluehost will take care of the coding magic behind the scenes and Poof! you will have a nice platform on which to perform the final step of setting up your blog.
3) Purchase the Genesis framework and find a Cute Blog Template (can be combined into a single step or done in two parts)
Now you need to take the final step. You have signed up for Bluehost above and installed WordPress. Now you need a way to display your blog on the web. You do this by publishing your content using a blog template (also known as a theme).
Free vs. Premium vs. Custom Designed Theme Templates
You’ll want to choose a functional and nice looking blog template. 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.
- 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. 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 – $130 depending on the theme you choose.
- 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 eventually 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!
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.
Recommended Blog Themes
I wrote about my 15+ favorite blog themes in this post. I’ll also go over a few options below!
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.
Have Questions About Starting a Blog?
So there you have it. My straightforward guide to creating your own blog in 3 simple steps. 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.
Sometimes I just need someone to ask me the right question…it’s so easy to forget what you needed to know as you were getting started & I just need a quick reminder.
Good Luck!!
More Useful Stuff
Only the Best Blogging Resources: Things I Recommend to Busy Moms Who Blog
I’ve tested lots of junk so you don’t have to!
This is a growing list of all the blogging networks, affiliate programs, etc that I recommend above all else.
Jessica Jones says
I love this post! I will definitely be sharing it with other moms who are interested in starting their own blog.
Amazmerizing says
Nice article. It is so confusing for newbies out there. I agree, its hard to remember what was the most difficult to navigate in the beginning. However I think your post does a good job on the hosting. I do recall having those questions whats the diff between host and server and do i really need to use all of these things and what is a template and which ones are best… OMG yes it is alot! Thanks for your patient and informative explanations! Namaste!
Lena Gott says
I’m glad you liked it! It hurts my brain to read through all of this, even though I understand it now! It’s so confusing, but hopefully this helps some people out. 🙂
heather baugh says
hi, i am ready to take the plunge and will be following your steps. curious though, how do i make money off my blog? will that happen automatically once i start the website or is there something extra i need to do for that? thanks!
Lena Gott says
Hi Heather – There is a lot to making money from your blog. I suggest getting it started, figuring out exactly what you would like to write about and diving right in to writing your first posts. First you must get comfortable with that before you start to monetize your site. The easiest place to start placing ads is Google AdSense, then from there other ad networks, affiliate offers, sponsored content. There’s a lot to it, but I can answer any questions you have along the way! Make sure you sign up for my Blogging Tips newsletter at the bottom of this post: https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blog-traffic-tip-3-lists-posts-seven-different-ways/
And you may also be interested in my ebook about how I grew my blog to over 350,000 monthly visitors (traffic that is key to helping me make money from my blog!) – https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blog-traffic-ebook/
Kayla C says
My only question is how do you actually get paid for it? I understand the blogging part, but how do you “get hired” for blogging??
Lena Gott says
Hi Kayla – Blogging is really a business of your own, so no one truly “hires” you. You start a blog, get traffic to your content and the you can monetize in many different ways. You can place ads on your blog, you can write sponsored posts for companies (write about their products or services), sell your own ebooks or products, etc. I haven’t written about this from a beginner perspective just yet, but I do have a post called “Blogging Resources for Busy Moms Who Blog” that explains some of the best ways to make money from your established blog. Let me know what specific questions you have once you start your blog, and I’ll do my best to answer them!
stacey says
Ok, I have my hosting etc etc. How do I make my posts show up in search engines?
Lena Gott says
Hi Stacey – Wow, that’s a big question! Your first task will be to start posting and sharing your posts across social media, especially Google+. Google will index your site as it discovers it, and the quickest way to make that happen is by alerting it to your blog via Google+. There are old school ways of getting your content found like submitting your posts directly to search engines, but I don’t really think that is necessary these days. Learn everything you can about search engine optimization and start by installing the Yoast SEO plugin and entering in all the main fields every time you post. Feel free to email me via my contact page if you have any questions. Down the line I will hopefully have time to put together a proper tutorial on search engines, etc.
Carissa says
I just recently started my own blog, and I’ve been working through it all. Wasn’t wanting to shell out the money to drop the wordpress tag from my name yet, which might be a HUGE mistake, but my big question is this: How do you generate views on your blog at first? I’ve been pinning some of my images, getting a few views that way, posting on Facebook, getting some views that way, but I can’t figure out how to spread the word better.
Lena Gott says
Hi Carissa,
There are many ways to get page views to your blog. You are starting off with 2 great platforms for traffic – Facebook and Pinterest. The best (IMO) way to get consistent traffic to your site is through organic traffic. You do that by writing with an eye for search engine optimization – Hubspot has a great SEO primer for beginners. I highly recommend everyone get to know that guide in and out. Traffic generation takes time and is a whole long blog post in itself. You need good photos for sharing, catchy/interesting headlines, to encourage social sharing on your site (with plugins), promote on social media, network with other bloggers to get mentions and the list goes on! Why don’t you contact me with questions as you go along? I am happy to help, but it is hard for me to give broad general advice in a comment. Looking forward to talking to you!
Kelly McElroy says
Thank you for this great post!! I have written my notes and can’t wait to get started.
Lena Gott says
Wonderful, Kelly! Feel free to comment below anytime with questions! And make sure to share your new blog with me when it’s up. I would love to follow along!
Angela says
I’ve had this blog for years, but it’s using blogger instead of wordpress. Is it worth it to switch and how would I even go about that? I’ll read your post about best blogging resources too because I would love to make money using my blog but I have no clue how to. Thanks!
Lena Gott says
Hi Angela,
I know there are big blogs on Blogger, but I’ve never had a Blogger blog myself, so I couldn’t say how easy it is to monetize. I know there are tutorials online that help you migrate from Blogger to WordPress.org. You could also find a technical person to help you, I’m guessing for less than $200 total. My tutorial will definitely help you get a WP blog up and running. If you make this transfer, I’d love to hear how you made it all happen! I’m sure others have the same question.
Rachel says
Thank you so much for all of this great information! I am looking into this as I have been thinking of starting my own blog for quite some time now. I doubted myself too much to believe that I could be successful with this, but now I have decided that it’s time to just go ahead and jump in…cause you never know until you try! This is all a little confusing to me as I have no experience at all. I think I am following it all pretty well, but I have one question (for now…lol): Once I purchase a child’s theme, do I own it as long as I want to use it? Maybe better asked this way: Is there a recurring charge for the child’s theme, or do I only pay once and it’s done? I guess the same question for the Genesis framework: Is that a one time payment, or a recurring payment? Thanks!!!
Rachel says
I already thought of another question! If I start my blog with one child theme can I switch to another and keep all of my content? For example, let’s say I start a blog that I just want to be a blog. But later on I start selling products (like maybe digital download stuff) so I need my blog to have a shopping cart and checkout process. Can I switch from the ‘blog’ theme to a ‘blog/store’ theme without messing up or losing any of my previous posts and/or personal information, etc.?
Lena Gott says
Hi Rachel,
Funny you should ask – I didn’t actually know the answer to this myself until last month when I had a blog redesign. I thought it was going to be wayyyy complicated with moving over posts, etc, but literally all it was was a click of a button to switch the theme out! 🙂 I did have to spend time reorganizing categories and moving widgets around to fit the new theme’s sizes (all areas are wider on my new template), but all the posts, pictures, content, moved right on over. The best way I can explain it is it’s about the equivalent of changing a preformatted design option on a large Word template (like when you make a brochure or something). You’re just changing the colors and the layout a bit, but nothing else changes. Let me know if you have any more questions! And make sure to sign up for my blogging tips newsletter so you can received all my future udpates.
Lena Gott says
Hi Rachel!
I say go for it! I’m always here if you want to come back with questions. As for your questions…you only have to pay ONCE for a theme and ONE for Genesis. The only thing recurring related to your blog template is the webhosting. 🙂
Lauren C. says
Hi There,
Thank you for the information on how to start a blog. It was very helpful, as I’m trying to figure out how to do one, because I enjoy writing. Your blog is fantastic!
A question I have for you is, I have a free wordpress blog, can I use that in my blog as you mentioned that it is installed, or is it better to go through the premium wordpress blog?
Thank you!
Lena Gott says
Hi Lauren!
I’m glad you found this helpful! If I understand your question correctly, you’re asking if you can use a free blog template with WordPress on a self-hosted site (like through Bluehost or Dreamhost), right? If so, then yes, you can use a free template. It would have to be a WordPress template, though, and not one you previously created on blogspot or wix. There are tons of free template options to get you started. I personally started my blogs using premium StudioPress themes or the like because they already look nice right out of the “box” so to speak and they come with help forum advice when you get stuck. You can always start with a free theme, then switch later with the click of a button, so no worried on shelling out so much money at first if you’d like to just get to know all about blogging before committing to another $75 or so for a premium template. Hope this helps!
Javane' says
This may be a silly question, but is a Blog a thought of a topic that you just write your research/opinions on?
Lena Gott says
Yes, a blog can be on just about any topic you can think of!
Jamey says
Hi! I’m trying to upload Genesis to WordPress and can not seem to find a .zip file. to upload. I can get to file, but i don’r have a .zip version
Lena Gott says
Hi Jamey,
This used to happen to me. I think this happens when you tell it to unzip it somewhere in the download process. Try downloading it again and make sure not to check a box for that. Also, check your Downloads file…sometimes you can get to the .zip file that way.
Jessica says
This is so great! I found your blog via pinterest, and have been poking around for a bit.
I have started 5 or so blogs that I never kept up with because I could never decide on their purpose, or on a consistent theme to write about. Mostly I wrote about my kids. I would very much like to make money blogging because I love writing, and i love staying home with my 3 littles. Your website is inspiring me to begin again.
I thought of one question: I know “Pin-able” images are important for blogs–where does one find images to use, if they are not our own?
Lena Gott says
Hi Jessica! There are lots of websites where you can get free images or low cost images. My favorites right now are Pixabay (free) and DollarPhotoClub ($1 each). You can also buy images directly within the photo editing website, Canva, which is kinda handy.
Do you still have any of your blogs or are you starting from scratch?
jessica says
Thanks for the photo tips! I found more useful info in other posts of yours too–so thanks for that, as well!
I am starting from scratch this time. My other blogs were all over the place in content, as I had no idea what to write about other than my kiddos–but not in any useful way. I am determined to make this a source of income now–I have to!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lena Gott says
I’m here anytime you have questions, Jessica! I also have a Blogging Tips section, so make sure to check that out. There are definitely ways to write your titles to make people want to read them. The same post named two different ways can have drastically different results. For instance, “what we ate for dinner” isn’t appealing, but “A 15-Minute Chicken Dinner All the Kids Loved” is! 🙂
Hannah says
You said you had a great blog idea after three days of reading and research… What did you read?
What resources would you recommend someone read if they are a newbie?
Lena Gott says
Hi Hannah,
I meant I started my blog and learned the ins and outs of WordPress all within 2-3 days time. I already had the idea. I have a link to cool blog topics above, but other than that, I would recommend doing a lot of research on Pinterest and Google. Think about what you like to read about and start looking around at blogs that have that kind of content to see which direction you want to go. Coming up with a solid blog name and angle is one of the most important steps, so I would take your time with that.
Amanda says
Hey Lena~
Got all set up on DreamHost and installed wordpress to my domain name. Totally on a kick of spontaneity but am so excited too. Now what?!
Lena Gott says
Omigosh so exciting! I do all kinds of things like this on a whim. 🙂 Your first thing to do is install a theme and make it look how you want (choose colors, layout on homepage, install widgets in the sidebar, set up your bio, etc). Go down through the left hand side of the wordpress dashboard and start filling out everything you can until you fill it all out. Then check back in here! 🙂
Lena Gott says
What’s the name of your blog so I can follow along and help?
Lauren says
Thank you for the valuable information. How exactly do you make money writing a blog?
Thank you.
Lena Gott says
Hi Lauren – There are lots of different ways (I need to write a post on this!), but in general a few major ways are ads, sponsored posts, selling your own products, and promoting affiliate offers. Here’s an example income report for my blog for the month of July so you can see what’s possible – https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blogging-tips/income-reports/
Jean Ann Poore says
Hi Lena – Thanks for your blog and post on this. One question, how do you handle the money made from your blog with taxes? Are you considered self-employed or do the advertisers have you sign W2 forms?
Lena Gott says
Hi Jean Ann – I’m considered self-employed and submit quarterly tax estimates.
Morgan Ales says
Is there anyway to contact you personally? Like through email? If so, I would be BEYOND glad to chat about being a mommy a blogger. I’m completely new to this and I feel so lost!
Lena Gott says
Hi Morgan – Feel free to email me using my Contact form – it’s in a link at the top of the page! 🙂
Taylor says
Are these instructions only for creating blogs about mom related things, or can we write about any topic?
Lena Gott says
Taylor – I originally wrote this to help other moms like myself, but really this is the same way you set up ANY blog. So once you set it up, you just write about the topics that interest you. Let me know if you have any questions as you go along the process!
Meagan says
I was wondering if you had any tips on picking a “theme” to write about!! I know its kind of a silly question, but I’m not a parent so I have no fun kids activities, I’m not a student so I can’t speak on the struggles of and how to make it as a college student, and my only hobbies, other than reading books, basically revolve around reading about other peoples hobbies (hence how I found my way here through Pinterest.) I’ve been getting into furniture flips and upcycling old pieces, and I’ve thought blogging about that with another website to sell my stuff on, but I’m not sure if that’s a sure thing yet (it’s kind of expensive to get started with all the suplies needed and the pieces themselves.)
I guess my question is (after this very long paragraph,) how do you start blogging after you’ve created your blog? Where do you start?
Thanks for taking the time to read this ridiculously long question!
-Meagan
Lena Gott says
Hi Meagan! I don’t think it’s a ridiculous question at all! Actually, there are quite a few bloggers who specialize in flipping old pieces of furniture. I think it’s a great idea because not only do you get to profit from selling the item when it’s done, you can put the tutorial on your blog and make money down the road from partnerships (like for instance, a spray paint brand might sponsor you) and ads. You sound like you might have a variety of interests, so I might title your blog something general so it can logically hold all things you’re interested in. Even something like “Meagan’s Creative Corner” or “In My Life” or anything like that would work. I don’t think people get too caught up in your name as long as you stay true to yourself. I mean, my blog is called WhatMommyDoes, but it’s heavy on financial advice, which isn’t necessarily a “mom” topic. You can literally blog about anything you want and make money doing it if you spend enough time building up your blog over the years. I hope this somewhat answers your questions. Please let me know if you have any others! (BTW – your question prompted me to start a post about all kinds of blog topic ideas. I hope to publish it in the next few months…I’m kinda backlogged LOL)
Roni says
I started a blog a year ago or more. I can’t seem to figure out how to make a dime! I use blogger. I am a SAHM of 9 and reeeaaally need to figure out how to make an income off my blog. Any advice?
Lena Gott says
Hi Roni – I visited your site and love the look and content! I noticed that you don’t have any ads on your page except for your Etsy shop advertisement. That’s the first thing I would do – make sure you are advertising. You can start with banner & block ads then branch out into affiliate products. I would also focus on 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. First is my Recommended Blogging Resources page that walks you through some of my favorite ad/post networks: https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blogging-resources-i-recommend-for-busy-moms-who-blog/ and next is my ebook on blog traffic that talks about some of the methods I used to increase my blog traffic to over 400K per month in 2015.
https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blog-traffic-ebook/ Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions!
Virginia Meyer says
Hello Lena!
I am currently in a financial crisis and HAVE to find a way to bring in some more money. I am a single mom of 2 semi-grown children. (I say semi because they are both over the age of 18, yet still at home. Which I really don’t mind.) I have been seeing posts on Pinterest about blogging as a way to make a little more money, but I am skeptical. What is blogging exactly? Does blogging really work? Everyone makes it sound so EASY to make more money, but I don’t know anyone personally that blogs. If it’s so EASY then why aren’t there more people doing it? Is this something new that is just starting to take hold now because of the “computer age” we now find ourselves in? I’m sorry to be asking so many questions, and I have a lot more, believe me! LOL I’m just looking for some good advice.
Lena Gott says
Hi Virginia – It is rather new in the sense that people haven’t been making a lot of money blogging for that many years. I’d say 2008 was a turning point for blogging, and if you blogged before that you were a real pioneer and one of few. These days, it is easier than ever to make a living blogging. I attend 2 conferences each year that are JUST FOR BLOGGERS. It’s amazing actually. You have to be in the industry to see it, but once you get into blogging, the door will be open to you. It’s kind of like becoming a parent…not something you can exactly understand until you do it. Bloggers do a lot of networking on Facebook in private groups, so you wouldn’t see them talking about it unless you know a blogger personally. And even then, they’d have to tell you about it for you to know.
I would say blogging is a viable extra income idea for anyone who is technically savvy (at least enough to use a Word processor) and able to work a laptop. It’s a lot of hours upfront, but once you get established you can really make of it what you want. It’s not a quick way to make money, so I wouldn’t use this as a solution to a financial crisis. But if you want something substantial over the long term then I think blogging is a great way to go! I hope that answers your questions. If you have any more, please let me know!
Virginia Meyer says
Thank you Lena for your great advice. I will look into this further, before completely deciding. I am looking for something new and challenging. And I would like something that I can sink my teeth into. Blogging looks like a way to do that, as I am in my 40’s and feel like I’m out of the loop. It looks like blogging is the new era, and instead of being scared of technology, I would love to embrace it. It looks exciting, but yet, it will be educational, for me at least. lol
Lena Gott says
I think your 40s is a great time to start a blog. You probably have a little more free time than someone in their 20s and 30s and you could really hit the ground running! good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
Kathryn Covington says
How do feel about Wix? I’m interested in starting a blog or 2 and even though I’m scared that I don’t have enough technical knowledge – I’m ready to take the leap!! Trouble is, I’m on a shoestring budget. Wix seems like an affordable solution. Thoughts?
Lena Gott says
Hi Kathryn – It really depends on your goals. I know people who have wix websites and they seem easy to create. But if you want to make money from a blog, I would recommend a self-hosted WordPress blog. You can control what you put on it and you own it. On Wix, they tehnically own your blog. It’s the equivalent of storing your items in someone else’s home. Sure, its yours if you agreed to that, but if they decide to move or lock the door, you are out of luck! I wouldn’t recommend starting two blogs. I’ve had multiple blogs before, and it was just way stressful, to be honest. I would stick with one until you figure out what you’re doing.
Kathryn Covington says
Thanks Lena
Danielle says
I’ve performed steps 1 and 2, however I’m unsure about step 3. Do I absolutely have to purchase Genesis or can I use any of the templates offered on WordPress without having to pay more up front and then eventually switch over if/when I feel like it?
Lena Gott says
Hi Danielle – You can definitely do that. As long as you have a WordPress website, you will be able to start with one theme and then switch with the click of a button when you’re ready. I just recommend Genesis right off the bat because that’s exactly what I would do and it does help you with the basics and always looks good out of the box. I’m excited for you! Please share your blog with me in the comments when it’s live!
Lisa S says
WOW! I think I’m really going to do this! It’s something I’ve considered for a while, just didn’t know where to start. Thank you for all of the information, let’s see where it goes!!!
Lena Gott says
Yay, Lisa!!!! I love it when new bloggers check in with me. I see you went with the Lifestyle Pro theme – good choice! It’s what my first site was built on. You will be able to customize it nicely with help from the StudioPress forums.
Tara Boyer says
I really want to start blogging but am totally clueless please help…
Lena Gott says
Hi Tara,
What questions do you have for me?
Kate says
Your tutorial makes it so straightforward, thanks! I have done steps 1 and 2, but I’m having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around step 3. I think I understand why I should purchase a theme (rather than use free), but I read somewhere else that I need an understanding of coding to use a child theme on the Genesis framework. Is that true? I have zero coding skills – literally, zero. And when I looked at buying a theme from WordPress, there’s a $50 option to have it installed. What the hey? Is it difficult to install a theme? I thought you just upload it. Any advice?
Lena Gott says
Hi Katie,
No, you don’t need to know coding if you go with Genesis. To get a theme onto your WordPress blog, you just upload it in the dashboard. There’s nothing crazy involved. Just going to the Appearance tab, then clicking on Themes. The only reason you’d need coding skills is if you wanted to change something major with your theme, but I’ve never had to do that. I tried and broke my site, so I fixed it back and never tried again. LOL There are plugins (like apps for your blog) that do different things for you so you don’t have to know code. I hope this answers your questions! I can’t wait to see your blog!
Sarah Louise says
I love reading these types of posts! It makes me want to keep trying that much harder. I just started blogging a little over 2 months ago and so far it’s been such a rewarding experience. I’m doing it as a hobby and something I love but definitely setting up to be able to be monetized.
Sarah
http://www.sugarmaplenotes.com
Lena Gott says
Thank you, Sarah! I did my blog as a hobby for over 3.5 years before I decided to monetize it seriously. Nothing wrong with that! 🙂
karen says
I have felt God leading me to start a blog, but honestly I had no idea where to start or what to write about. right now in life my husband needs me to make some sort of income from home since we are having our third child in Aug and buying a house here in the next 3 months. i suppose writing about all the life changes and how we handle them could potential be interesting but what else is there? any advice Lena?
Lena Gott says
Hi Karen – You can really write about any topic you’d like on a blog. I love having a blog about parenting, kids, finances, fitness, and everything in between. It’s called a lifestyle blog. The key thing to remember no matter what you specialize in is that in order to make money, you need to write in a way that helps others and isn’t simply a chronicle for yourself.
B. Jahmal says
Hi Lena,
Great article! I am new to your site but I can already tell it is full of useful information. You may cover this in another post but once your site is up and running how do you go about creating content?
Lena Gott says
Hi Jamal – Once you have a blog setup, your first order of business will be to get familiar with the wordpress dashboard. Once you do, you’ll see that there is a way to add posts by clicking on Posts => Add New. You’ll draft your post in that editor, choose a category for it to go into (you’ll need to create these) and then click publish. It takes little while to get the hang of it, but it’s not difficult to do – it’s kind of like using Microsoft Word because you have all the editing buttons. I like to draft my posts in Word and then paste them into WordPress so I always have an original copy.
B. Jahmal says
Thanks Lena! What I meant was how do you decide what to write about? Should I write about specific topics or whatever comes to mind?
Barbara says
I love your starting a blog, very straight to the point. I wanted to also learn how to make money blogging. Can you blog about that in detail please?
Lena Gott says
Hi Barbara – Yes I can! I am actually putting together a separate site right now that will only talk about blogging. For now you can access my income reports (look under “Blogging Tips” above) where I discuss the different ways you can make money blogging. If you see my reply, make sure to let me know some specifics on what you’re looking for. I’m taking requests! 🙂
Kate Whipple says
My most basic question is this: what to blog about! I have a myriad, long list of interests (cooking, embroidering, smocking, sewing, knitting, budgeting, etc, etc) and strong opinions about many things after years of “wisdom-gathering” (child rearing, household managing, finance, writing/ grammar usage, etc, etc!)!
Any thoughts/advice? I would love some input!
Thank you!
Kate Whipple
PS: Only interested in money-generating blog!
Lena Gott says
Hi Kate – I’m learning more and more that it’s not so much WHAT you talk about on your blog, but rather that you’re passionate about it and can go deep into a topic. Whatever topic you choose, you want to make sure your readers see you as an expert on the subject, so if you write about child rearing, then a ton of your posts should be centered on that topic. But ify ou write about knitting, then you need to feature lots of projects and materials. I would put some thought into what you could really talk about every day, day in and day out, and choose that for your topic. OR you can create a lifestyle blog like I have and write about a bunch of things as long as they kind of tie in together. But the bottom line is – for a money-making blog, you’ll need a lot of content around your topics. It’s a long tail game, but sooooo worth it! 🙂
Lena Gott says
Oh, and you might want to check out this post for some unique ideas! 🙂 https://www.whatmommydoes.com/blog-5-unique-blog-ideas/
Petrina Harris says
Hello! Thank you so much for writing this article. I am very close to getting my blog online, but have been spending countless hours making sure I start with a good foundation. I have already came across a few hurdles such as my domain name being so close to someone who already blogs on the same type of content. I also am trying to make a brand for it now before I start. And the template install has been kind of a bear. So I just want to thank you again for the advice and ask how long it took for you start to get a good following?
Lena Gott says
Hi Petrina,
That’s a tough question to answer because I wrote over 200 posts before I really figured out what I was doing and changed course (what I talk about in my blogging ebook “how I grew my blog to over 350K monthly visitors….” I think it depends on how intentional you are about writing what people want to read / solving problems for your readers and making sure you have great images appropriate for every platform. If you focus on learning the art of blogging every day, it won’t take you nearly as long as it took me. Please let me know if you have questions along the way! Commenting on my blog is the fastest way to reach me – I get hundreds of emails a day, but only a handful of comments! 🙂
Candice says
Hi. I love this blog that I found via Pinterest. I’m a 8-5 working mom of three girls that I would love to stay a home with. I’m thinking really hard about starting a blog as I know I will have time to dedicate to it while their asleep at night. Anyways, I had a quick question. You advertise that if I buy bluehost under your link that you had a free book and I’m just trying to figure out is this a current or old deal?
Lena Gott says
It is a current deal! Until I give out 100 copies! 😀
Gina Gould says
Hi Lena,
Thank you so much for sharing this information. I had considered starting a blog for quite some time now, and I have to say that because of this post I finally bit the bullet and made it happen! Thank you for the helpful instructions. And by the way I just love you blog, so many fun and useful things on here!
Lena Gott says
Thank you, Gina!! Glad to have you here! 😀
Susie Wickman says
Lena, you’ve got me very excited about getting my own blog going. I made the decision to go ahead before I found you, so that’s great. O saw your last post was that your deal was good through July. Now it’s August. Where do we stand?
Also, you’ve mentioned plug-ins more than once. Can you talk about that a little? How do you find what’s available and what they do? Do they cost? You know, all the newbie questions. Thanks so much. This is great.
Lena Gott says
Hi Susie – I misspoke in my earlier comment – the deal is now good until I give out 100 copies! I’m around the 83 remaining mark now, so you’re good to go!
Great question about plugins – I have a post drafted about this. There are plugins you need to have to run a blog properly and then ones you find along the way to do different things based on your preferences (like my author bio at the bottom of every post is placed there with a plugin and my social media share bar is operated by a plugin). Some are paid and some are free. I went 2 years before paying for a plugin, so you definitely do this on the cheap until your blog starts making money.
I will send out this info to my Start a Blog Newsletter so make sure you join that on the Start a Blog link at the top of this page. Once you start a blog, you can request access to my Blog Growth mailing list (just for my subscribers who start a blog with me!) and then I’ll start teaching you as much as possible along the way!
Ria says
Hi Lena! Can I just say that I LOVE your blog! I’m so glad I found you! I stumbled upon your blog when I was looking for tutorial on how to make your own printables. And I found more than I was hoping for! You are amazing! I can’t wait to go through your posts and read them. There are so much to learn from here! Thank you for all your hard work!
Anyway, I’m a new blogger and looking to learn more about how to get it going. I am interested in the e-book you are giving away if we use the link to start a blog but I already have a blog running right now. What I don’t have are more information on what to do after the blog is set up. Is it possible to purchase the e-book?
Lena Gott says
Hi Ria – Thank you so much for the kind words! The free ebook is only for people who start a blog on Bluehost using my links in this post. If you already have a blog, then you can purchase it directly from Suzi here: http://www.startamomblog.com/blogbynumber/ Good luck with your blogging adventures!
Angela Michels says
Hi Lena! I had a blog years ago but I didn’t go very far with it and ended up addicted to entering giveaways instead! lol I’m ready to try again but am struggling with what type of blog I want. It will primarily be flower gardening but I would also like to include DIY stuff and recipes. I live in the country, am incredibly frugal (cheap) and I have a passion for doing woodworking crafts, making yard decor, and repurposing/recycling things. I can’t seem to make all these topics fit together and make sense. Also followed you on FB and I noticed your Facebook name is What Mommy Does. I thought FB changed it where you have to use a real persons name. Do you have a business page or just a regular one? Thanks so much for this post!! Can’t wait to read your other tips!
Lena Gott says
Hi Angela!
Yes, you have to have a real name for your personal account, but blogs are allowed to create pages of their own. 😀
I think you can totally combine all those interests into one blog as a representation of yourself. It’s almost a country living/back to basics lifestyle type blog. I think the key will be your name. I would choose something that embodies those qualities but doesn’t pigeon hole you into one corner. If you think you’ll lean toward one topic or another, you could make it more apparent. So if you’re gonna focus on frugality, then maybe something that incorporates “frugal” and “country” or go way generic like I did. “MyFrontPorch” or something like that. Hope that helps! Blog names are so personal, it’s hard for me to give relevant suggestions, but I think you get the idea!
Angela Michels says
Thank you Lena! I am going to go for it! I think I just needed a pro to give me that little push! ?
Kimmy says
Hi there! I signed up!!
Are you still giving out the Blog by Number book?
Hope so!! I have so many questions, I cant wait to sit down and stalk your posts!!
Lena Gott says
Yes I am! Did you email me! I can check later today! 😀
Elissa L Yassine says
WHow do you pick a blog topic? How do you not pick one that’s flooded with other blogs? Do you need to have experience in writing?
Lena Gott says
Hi Elissa – The blog topic you choose is VERY personal. I have a couple of posts on this topic – just search “blog name” in the tab at the top of my blog and you’ll see them. And make sure to join my mailing list for starting a blog…we talk a lot about that topic there. I wouldn’t worry too much about choosing a blog in a saturated niche. Bloggers are going in and out of blogging all the time/ changing strategies so you’re not really “competing” for everything with everyone if that makes sense. You don’t need to have experience writing, but you must LIKE writing and teaching others. 😀 Hope that helps!
Amanda says
Hi Lena! I took the plunge and signed up through your link. The $2.95 for 36-month didn’t apply through the link. I was only offered that price for the 12-month. Just an FYI for you. Anyway, I sent you an email already but I’m hoping the ebook offer is still available? If so I’d love to take advantage of that. Also, I am torn between two themes. I really like the FoodiePro theme at Studiopress but I am also partial to the Tasteful theme at Restored316. What is your take on them? Any insight or opinion would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for inspiring me to take the leap!
Lena Gott says
That’s too weird! I’m hoping it was a glitch because the price should definitely be lower for a longer hosting term. At either rate, $2.95 per month is a steal as you learn the ropes. 😀
Yes I have books available! I’ll send you an email. Re: themes – I know a lot of people who have FoodiePro but it’s never been my favorite because (clearly) I don’t prefer a minimilast look. It just depends on what you prefer. I am familiar with Tasteful – I think it’s very lovely! I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with either one.
Kaitlin L Patterson says
Hi,
I cannot figure out where I put the Google Adsense on my wordpress site. Do you know where I can find a how to for this?
Lena Gott says
Hi Kaitlin – I use a plugin called Ad Inserter for this. It has an ugly black interface, but it’s really easy to use. I hope to publish a tutorial for this before the end of the summer on my new school for bloggers, Adventures in Blogging. http://adventures-in-blogging.thinkific.com/
Virginia says
Great list! It is hard to understand all that actually goes into blogging. I absolutely agree with you when you say, “Start with a premium or paid theme.” I’ve been told that if you use a fee theme and you sell something your site can be hacked. I also use Lifestyle Pro, by studio press, but you’d never know it. That’s the beauty of themes, you can design them any way you want.
Lena Gott says
Thank you! I love the Lifestyle theme. My first blog used that. 🙂