How to Start a Blog

What in the world is a Blog?

The word “blog” is a contraction of Web-Log. In Basic terms, it is a normal website, but presented in the form of a diary, in which the author or publisher can write every day or as frequent as he likes and visitors will see the latest entry first. A blog is written like a diary because it makes reading a snap and finding content is easier than traditional website layouts. So now that you know that a blog is a website, let’s keep going.

How do I Start a Blog?

First of all, you need to know that there are many blog platforms available online to start a blog. A blogging platform is a software that helps the author or writer of the blog, manage the content easily and be able to interact with the visitors by allowing comments on each entry. The most popular platforms are Wordpress and Blogger. These two blogging platforms offer free blogs for the general public and you can start a blog in as little as 3 minutes; But there is a catch! yes, some free blogging platforms do not allow bloggers to use their blogs for commercial purposes, and that includes not being able to monetize your blog with advertisements or affiliate links (check their terms of use for the latest details) plus, your blog address will look something like http://yourblog.blogspot.com which is not as appealing as having your own domain name like http://Yourblog.com which is more attractive and you own the contents of your blog.

A very big mistake people interested in starting a blog often do is register a free blog on either blogger or wordpress. It’s free so why not? did you know blogger is deleting entire blogs randomly? It’s a big rumor and it’s very true (one of my test blogs got deleted without notice), Plus, to actually start a blog you don’t need much money (we will tell you in this tutorial where to go to have a good blog without spending too much)

So… What to do if you want to have your own blog and don’t want anyone else but you to have control of your content and be able to monetize your blog (one of the most important aspects of blogging). Well the answer is to have your own domain name (your own dot com name) and host the Wordpress platform on your own instead of using a free service where your content might get erased instantly. Why Wordpress? simply because it is the best and most trusted blogging platform in the world with numerous features, plugins and add-ons, Wordpress is quickly becoming the world standard in blog content management.

Essential Steps to Start a Wordpress Blog:

STEP #1:

Register your Own Domain Name. This is the MOST important part of the process and the name you choose needs to be related to the content you will be writing. For example, this blog where you are right now (www.Start-a-Blog.info) is a blog on how to start a blog, so if you plan to write about butterflies you need to choose a name related to butterflies. Be as specific as you can and try to keep it short. The process of finding a domain name is NOT easy! most good names are already taken and you will need to be creative when it comes to choosing a domain name. Don’t worry, you probably will need to try 10 times or more to find an available name.

We recommend you buy a domain name at godaddy, We have used goddady for more than 8 years now and NEVER had any problems, plus the prices are very Cheap! Here is a quick form where you can start looking for a domain name: (remember you can use any extension you like: .com, .net , .info , .org, etc.)

STEP #2:

Now that you have your own domain name, you need a Hosting service to run the Wordpress blogging platform (to control the content, files and store your data). All hosting services are paid on a monthly basis or yearly. This fee is unavoidable if you want to have your own blog in a private server rather than having it in a public server where everything can get deleted without your permission.

You are free to use any hosting service you like, but we strongly recommend you use 123Cow.com as they specialize in hosting service for blogs, and they have the easy option of installing the newest Wordpress platform with just one click, instead of having to install it yourself manually, which can get very confusing if you are not very computer savvy. The basic service is only $3.99 per month and also includes many great features like email accounts, video tutorials, website templates and Fantastico one click installations.

STEP #3:

Now that you have your own hosting account, you need to make sure you setup your Name Servers correctly, so that the domain name you purchased, points directly to the hosting service you subscribed to.
The Name Servers usually look something like: NS887.WEBSITEWELCOME.COM and NS888.WEBSITEWELCOME.COM

- Check with your hosting service the EXACT name servers you need to use.