Worry no more! In this article, I will walk you through 3 easy steps on how to build for
yourself a beautiful and functional blog in just 30 minutes.
yourself a beautiful and functional blog in just 30 minutes.
I am pretty much sure you have come across tons and tons of information on the web on how
to start a blog. Everyone is telling you so many different things and the information is just too
much and may sound confusing at some point because you don’t know who to listen to or
where to start from. At some point, I am sure you ever feel like dropping the whole blogging
idea. Don’t!
to start a blog. Everyone is telling you so many different things and the information is just too
much and may sound confusing at some point because you don’t know who to listen to or
where to start from. At some point, I am sure you ever feel like dropping the whole blogging
idea. Don’t!
Wooo… I know that feeling because I have been there too. I equally used to fear or don’t know
where to start.
where to start.
When I started my blog, I bet you I didn’t know how to start but I wasn’t also all that dumb.
There's a whole lot I knew about blogging, thanks to this awesome lady, one of my mentors,
Tanyi Melvis Bechemnyo from blogtoolscorner.com. I use to write articles for her blog and
many other things. That made me learn and is still learning a lot from her and all I needed
was starting my own blog.
There's a whole lot I knew about blogging, thanks to this awesome lady, one of my mentors,
Tanyi Melvis Bechemnyo from blogtoolscorner.com. I use to write articles for her blog and
many other things. That made me learn and is still learning a lot from her and all I needed
was starting my own blog.
I am not saying I am a blogging Guru but at least I can say I know the basics and you can
learn from me too.
learn from me too.
Enough about me, Let’s move on.
I promise to make it very simple and understanding.
Why Do You Wish To Join The Blogging Community?
So many people out there blog for so many different reasons. I mean there are millions upon
millions of blogs and bloggers out there, but hey! Don’t be scared, there’s still room for you
and for many more.
millions of blogs and bloggers out there, but hey! Don’t be scared, there’s still room for you
and for many more.
I will not only talk about how you should start your own blog but I am going to be telling you
some of the reasons why you might want to consider starting your own blog.
some of the reasons why you might want to consider starting your own blog.
You may already know the why and if you already do, just please spare yourself the stress and
continue. But you could also go ahead and remind yourself, right? There’s nothing to lose.
continue. But you could also go ahead and remind yourself, right? There’s nothing to lose.
Below are a few of the many reasons why you might want to join the blogging community…
- Blogging has literally become an outlet for expression and also one of the fastest and
easiest ways to share and spread information and ideas. - Anyone of any age can start a profitable blog
- A great way to build relationships with other people.
- Blogging helps you to become a better writer. I am an example.
- You can make money through blogging. This is the best of it all.
Mind you, if you are starting a blog with the sole purpose of making money, I would like to
stop right there. It is very realistic and true you can make money blogging but if you are only
doing so because you want to make money, truth be told, you will fail. You will obviously be
asking yourself why so. I will tell you!
stop right there. It is very realistic and true you can make money blogging but if you are only
doing so because you want to make money, truth be told, you will fail. You will obviously be
asking yourself why so. I will tell you!
Blogging has to do with something you love doing and will do it anytime anywhere anyhow
even if you ain’t getting a dime. That is, you have to be driven by the desire to help other
people. That way, you will be successful and making money from your blog will come
naturally.
even if you ain’t getting a dime. That is, you have to be driven by the desire to help other
people. That way, you will be successful and making money from your blog will come
naturally.
Again, before you start a blog, I will like you to take 30 minutes to one hour of your time and
ask yourself this question.
ask yourself this question.
What problem am I trying or would be solving if I start blogging today?
This is a very important question to answer before you even hit publish, because when people
visit a blog, usually they are looking for a solution to a problem they are having. They need
help one way or the other. So your blog needs to be able to help them solve it.
visit a blog, usually they are looking for a solution to a problem they are having. They need
help one way or the other. So your blog needs to be able to help them solve it.
I would also like you to know who your targeted audience is. When starting a new blog,
knowing who (ideal readers) you are going to be writing to is very important. This way you
will be able to craft and give them the exact content they want and need.
knowing who (ideal readers) you are going to be writing to is very important. This way you
will be able to craft and give them the exact content they want and need.
With that in mind, let’s get into the real deal. When you hear about starting a blog, don’t
tremble, it’s not a very big deal. You can do that in just 15 - 30 minutes. It does not necessarily
mean you have to start from scratch like codding. No, you will be touching very little or no
code depending on you.
tremble, it’s not a very big deal. You can do that in just 15 - 30 minutes. It does not necessarily
mean you have to start from scratch like codding. No, you will be touching very little or no
code depending on you.
There are several ways of starting a blog but I am going to walk you through what I personally
did or do. Why? I tried it and it worked for me and so I feel very comfortable recommending
it to you.
did or do. Why? I tried it and it worked for me and so I feel very comfortable recommending
it to you.
- Pick your blog niche
- Choose a blog name
- Choose your preferred blogging platform
Step1 - Pick a niche (Topic)
Before you even think of putting up a block, one of the first things you want to do is
pick a block name.
pick a block name.
Some people find it very easy picking a blog name while others find it challenging.
Well, that is not a problem. If you are not too sure of what to blog about, I will
show you a few ways you can quickly be inspired.
Well, that is not a problem. If you are not too sure of what to blog about, I will
show you a few ways you can quickly be inspired.
- Some people go by passion and hobbies. Carefully think about those
things you enjoy doing or that you are interested in and passionate about.
For example; traveling, fashion, sports, education, just to name a few. You can
start up a blog with one of that plus blogging goes more easily and smoothly with something you enjoy doing.
You don’t want to pick up a niche that will bore you, right? I guess not. - A personal blog. Just as the name goes, “Personal blog” it is a blog that will
be all about you. It often comprises of so many random topics, including your
daily activities, thoughts, hobbies and many more. A personal blog is a great
way to share your story and creative ideas with the world. - Life Experiences. You could start a blog that will talk about the things
you have experienced in life. There are so many people out there who could
be going through the same or similar situation as you have and sharing
your own experiences will help them great a great way you can never
imagine. Examples of such blogs could be; A broke girl with expensive taste,
being a stay at home mom and many more depending on your life experiences.
Step2 - Choose your blog name
Once you have picked a niche that you like or that will work for you, the next
thing you want to think of or want to do now is choosing the name you called your
blog. How will you call your blog? Do you want to call it by your name or some other
thing?
thing you want to think of or want to do now is choosing the name you called your
blog. How will you call your blog? Do you want to call it by your name or some other
thing?
Well, deciding how you will call your blog is totally up to you but I will show you
some tips that will make it easier for you.
some tips that will make it easier for you.
Note: A good blog name should be descriptive. That is, people should be able to know
what your blog is all about just from your blog name.
what your blog is all about just from your blog name.
- Make sure the name doesn’t reflect something else
You want to make sure your blog name matches your blog content. You don’t want
your name to tell people else while your content talks about something else either.
That will make you look inexperienced and unprofessional and no one will take you
seriously.
your name to tell people else while your content talks about something else either.
That will make you look inexperienced and unprofessional and no one will take you
seriously.
If your blog is about a specific topic, you want to look for a way to include that in
your blog name. For example a blog about teaching people how to make money
online. A good blog name could be “Make money online” or something more.
your blog name. For example a blog about teaching people how to make money
online. A good blog name could be “Make money online” or something more.
If you want to start a personal blog, then I will advise you to use your name. That
way people can easily tell this is a personal blog that talks about a variety of topics.
For example, I could create a personal blog about myself and I will want to call it
“WanbanEdilette blog”. I could use my first or middle name or anything that works
for me but descriptive.
way people can easily tell this is a personal blog that talks about a variety of topics.
For example, I could create a personal blog about myself and I will want to call it
“WanbanEdilette blog”. I could use my first or middle name or anything that works
for me but descriptive.
- Keep it simple
Having a good blog name but keeping it simple makes it easier for readers to
remember it.
remember it.
- Keep it short. Choosing a blog name and keeping it short makes it easier for
people to remember it and also easier for you to get social media accounts for
your blog. - Keep it professional. You intend to make this a business and you probably
wouldn’t want people not to take you seriously. So you want to pick a
professional name for your blog. - And last but not the least, make sure the name you’ve chosen is available. You
can always check that here. namecheck.com
Step3 - Choose your preferred blogging platform
When I say platform, I basically mean the framework on which your blog is going
to be built on.
to be built on.
I would say this is actually going to be your most easy step. It was for me.
There are a whole lot of blogging platforms out there. Some of these are; Wordpress
(most renounced), blogger, Wix, Squarespace, just to name a few.
(most renounced), blogger, Wix, Squarespace, just to name a few.
But in this article, I’m going to talk about the two best and most renowned blogging
platforms.
platforms.
Wordpress
Wordpress is known for the biggest and most widely used blogging platform and
Content Management System (CMS) used by an estimate of 82 million active users
and more. That’s a whole lot of people. Right?
Content Management System (CMS) used by an estimate of 82 million active users
and more. That’s a whole lot of people. Right?
Wordpress is an application that can be extended through the use of its rich resources
and functionalities
and functionalities
There are actually two versions of Wordpress. The self-hosted at Wordpress.org Wordpress and the commercial Wordpress at Wordpress.com
Pros and Cons of Wordpress
Why is Wordpress so recognized as the best and biggest blogging platform from the
others? I will tell you why.
others? I will tell you why.
Wordpress Pros
- Wordpress is massive and has countless plugins to make blogging easier.
- It is the platform to use if you want full control and ownership of your blog.
- It is free to use and easy to set up.
- It has tons of free themes and layouts you can choose from and create yourself
a good looking blog site without the need for design skills. - Wordpress also gives you the ability to import and export content to and from
Wordpress. - You can monetize your blog in any way you deem feet. This includes Google
AdSense, Affiliates and more. - You will experience the rapid loading of your pages.
- There’s also a fully operational support system to get you going when you are
stuck. And much more.
Wordpress Cons
- You are responsible to manage the security, backups and running of your blog.
- To have a Wordpress blog also means you will need a domain name and a
server to host your blog on which will cost you about $3 per month
(not bad though). - Too many plugins and generic codes for better functionality can and/or will
render your blog heavy and thereby making it very slow to load up. - You will need to frequently update your site and too many updates may
render some functionalities not functional again. For instance, a plugin that
was working before update may stop functional and will require you to replace
old plugins with new ones.
BLOGGER
Blogger enjoys the fame of being one of the most popular blogging platforms
especially for newbies in the blogging industry.
especially for newbies in the blogging industry.
Google has made it popular because it is free and offers anyone the ability to
manage their sites without the burden and technicalities of hosting.
manage their sites without the burden and technicalities of hosting.
I know a lot of people who are on Wordpress today but they began their
blogging journey on Blogger before moving to Wordpress.
blogging journey on Blogger before moving to Wordpress.
Well, while Wordpress and Blogger have their heads up in the sky for being
the most popular and accessible blogging platforms for many, here are some
good insights regarding the advantages and disadvantages of choosing
Blogger in particular as the platform for your blog.
the most popular and accessible blogging platforms for many, here are some
good insights regarding the advantages and disadvantages of choosing
Blogger in particular as the platform for your blog.
Pros
- Blogger is a nice place for you to start your blogging adventure on. It
is very straightforward and easy to use. I would say it is a great place
to start building your experience in managing a blog here as it requires
no special skills to get going. Highly recommended for newbies. - One of the exciting things about Blogger is that it is free and popular.
You won’t have problems with exposure because Google personally
supports sites from Blogger. - Your default URL will be yourname.blogspot.com. There’s no money
involved in choosing a domain name and a server to host your blog. The
system automatically checks if your domain is available and prompts
you to choose another if it already exists. You also have the possibility
to transfer your domain to another platform if need be. - Integration with Google Adsense makes it very easy to monetize
your blog. - No plugins but a good number of simple gadgets that you can utilize
to improve your site’s view. - Not only that, but Google has also made it easy to integrate Analytics
and search console to help monitor your blog. - Another appealing feature of Blogger is that it allows you to manage
multiple sites or blogs on a single dashboard. The platform is highly
customized in its themes and flexible giving you the ability to change
features like background color, fonts and so on.
Cons
Despite its good insights, Blogger also comes with a few shortcomings.
- Ownership.You don’t have full control over your blog as Google the kind
of ads you are allowed to run on your blog. Also, your blog ain’t safe as
Google can decide to bring down your site without a warning. That’s why if
you are using blogger, I would advise you always back so you don’t get to lose
your years of hard work in just one day. - Unlike Wordpress, Blogger doesn’t have plugins to make work easier.
Though experience bloggers with design skills can work their way through,
they don’t have full control to customize their blogs. - It also has a problem of limited templates to make your blog look beautiful
and unique.
Final Words
Yasssssssss!!! You made it to the end. Now you have an idea, if not all you need
to start a blog with a snap of a finger and also which platform you could use.
Unfortunately, I can’t choose for you but what I can say is, if you just want
somewhere that you can share your ideas without any intention of making money
from it, then I would say you use Blogger. Without this, I would highly
recommend you use Wordpress instead.
to start a blog with a snap of a finger and also which platform you could use.
Unfortunately, I can’t choose for you but what I can say is, if you just want
somewhere that you can share your ideas without any intention of making money
from it, then I would say you use Blogger. Without this, I would highly
recommend you use Wordpress instead.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you find my content helpful to you
and your blog for it is my biggest priority. If you get stuck or need help or want
to ask a question, feel free to contact me here or leave a comment below and I
will be right here to anwer you.
and your blog for it is my biggest priority. If you get stuck or need help or want
to ask a question, feel free to contact me here or leave a comment below and I
will be right here to anwer you.
