by Cori-Leigh | 6 Steps to Starting a Blog, Blogging |
Do you have a blog idea brewing but don’t know where to begin?
Your blog doesn’t have to be perfect it just needs to start!
I encourage you to start the blog you have been thinking about creating.
It will be your piece of real-estate on the web! Your blog will grow with you.
Your efforts will produce results.
You can learn as you go.
It gets better over time.
Enjoy the blog starting process!
Later, you will discover that what seems so hard today has become easier.
In this post, I cover 6 steps that will help you accomplish starting your blog.
1. Find your voice. Discover Your Niche Topic.
Some people set up a blog and seem to already know what they are going to talk about. For others, this can be and often is a very difficult part of the starting process.
Truthfully, many bloggers starting out don’t give enough attention to this step.
You might be asking what does finding my voice have to do with starting a blog?
It has a lot to do with it. In fact, it is one of the most important starting points for every blogger.
It is through the discovery of every blogger’s unique voice that the appropriate blog topic is found. Once you discover your voice you will have a blog that sustains not only your interest but your readers as well. If you haven’t done so already, I’d like to encourage you to take a bit of time to explore this part of starting a blog.
2. Choose A Domain Name
Once you know your topic the next step is choosing a domain name for your site. A domain name is the web address or URL of your blog. If you don’t know much about domain names or how to choose one, you are not alone. This is not always an easy task even for the experienced blogger.
The blogging world has grown considerably in the last decade.
Many domain names we first think of are already taken. Deciding on the right one can be difficult. To read more about how to choose a domain name, click the link below; Choosing Your Domain Name
3. Web-hosting
This point is for those using WordPress.org it doesn’t apply to WordPress.com. Not sure what the difference is between the two? See this video tutorial by Greg Narayan explaining What’s the difference between WordPress.com or .org?
If you choose to use WordPress.org you will need a web hosting company. There are many hosting companies available to choose from. However, it is very important to choose a good one.
3. Choose a Blogging Platform
There are many various blogging platforms to choose from. I highly recommend WordPress. I have found it to be the best place to start a blog. I also recommend using self hosted rather than the free .com version of WordPress.
Not sure what the difference is between the two?
See this video tutorial by Greg Narayan explaining the differences plus pros and cons of each.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org Difference, Pros & Cons
If you choose to use WordPress.org you will need a web hosting company. There are many hosting companies available to choose from. However, it is very important to choose a good one.
While I strongly recommend WordPress – If you feel WordPress is not for you there are other popular blogging platforms;
3. Web-hosting
There are many hosting companies available to choose from. However, it is very important to choose a good one.
Popular choices are;
5. Choose a Theme
There are many WordPress free and premium themes available to choose from. It can seem daunting trying decide which one is best for your needs. Often feeling like your shopping in the wilderness among millions of themes to choose from.
This is a step you want to take seriously as it isn’t a great idea to continually change themes once you’ve already gone live with your blog.
Choose a good theme that it is responsive on all devices
This means it shows up nicely responsively on any device.
While I highly recommend premium themes and page builders there are many bloggers who do choose to go with free themes.
This too is okay but the downside is you have less support with the free versions. That said, I have made many websites for clients with their chosen free WordPress themes.
There are great tutorials to help you starting out;
Check out the following You Tube Channels;
Greg Narayan
Darrel Wilson
Ferdy Korpershoek
WPCrafter
6. Customize your theme
You’ve chosen your theme but now don’t know what to do with it. Whether free or premium all themes need to be customized to create the desired look and feel. Now it’s time to create a simple start blog design.
Less is more starting out when it comes to customizing your blog.
It just needs to be easy to navigate, with simple design and customizations with the addition of your content.
A couple of blog posts and a great about page will be an awesome beginning! The most important thing is you started! Now with time you can grow as a blogger and watch your blog grow with you.
As you connect with others and continue to learn all you can about blogging.
Congratulations if you’ve already started your blog!
What challenges have you faced beginning your blog?
Happy blogging as you begin to build your blogging dreams!
by Cori-Leigh | Blogging, Choosing a Domain Name, How To Choose The Best Domain Name |
When I started blogging in 2012, I struggled to settle on the right domain name. I spent way too much time worrying about making a mistake and choosing the wrong one.
It felt like a big decision because my domain name would represent my brand, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I decided to go with my name—but my last name was already taken. Instead, I opted for coriwriter.com, and that choice has worked well for me over the years.
If you’re launching a self-hosted blog, one of the first steps is to choose the right domain name. Your domain name is your online address and plays a significant role in defining your brand.
It should reflect your blog’s message, be easy to remember, and help you stand out in a crowded digital space.
In this post, I’ll guide you through four simple steps to help you discover a domain name that’s both relevant to your blog topic and easy to find.
1. Decide on your Blog Niche
The first and most crucial step in choosing a domain name is determining what your blog will be about. Without a clear direction, selecting a domain name becomes challenging. The topic of your blog should guide your decision.
Know Your Audience: Understanding who you’re writing for can help you choose a domain that resonates with your target audience. Think about the topics you’ll cover and the value you want to provide to your readers.
Using Your Name: One option is using your own name or a variation of it. This gives you more flexibility in the future, as your topics can evolve over time while still keeping your domain relevant. For example, if you start with a personal blog and later shift to a niche topic like parenting or wellness, your domain name can remain consistent.
Narrow Niche Consideration: On the other hand, if you’re focusing on a specific niche, such as vegetarian cooking, using your name might not be the best approach. A more targeted domain name will help convey your focus clearly to potential readers.
2. Keep it short and memorable.
When choosing a domain name, simplicity is key. The ideal domain name is typically short and easy to remember. In an ideal world, you would secure a two-word domain name, but given the sheer number of websites online today, this is a rare find.
Challenges with Short Domain Names: It can be difficult to find a short, memorable domain name that’s still available. However, don’t get discouraged if you can’t snag a two-word domain. Many successful blogs today have three-word domain names. For example, a combination of your niche and a creative twist can still work well.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to get creative with abbreviations or word combinations. As a mentor once advised me, enjoy the process and have fun with it.
Your domain name is the first step in building your blog’s brand,
so make sure it feels right for you.
3. Create a Domain and Working Title Combo
If you’re struggling to come up with the perfect domain name, consider creating a working title that complements your domain. This is exactly what I did when choosing my domain.
Example: I went with “coriwriter.com,” a shortened version of my first name, and paired it with the title “Blogging With Purpose.”
The combination of a simple domain name with a longer, descriptive title worked well for my blog.
Finding the Right Combination for Your Blog Topic:
Let’s say you want to blog about vegetarian cooking. You could have a long, descriptive title like “The Best Vegetarian Cooking Recipes from Around the World.”
While this title is clear, it’s too long for a domain name. Instead, shorten it to something like “Vegetarian Cooking.” If that’s already taken, you can personalize it by adding your first name or another unique twist. For example: “Cori’s Vegetarian Cooking.”
The title could be:
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Title: Cori’s Vegetarian Cooking
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Tagline: The Best Vegetarian Cooking Recipes From Around the World
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Domain Name: corisvegetariancooking.com
This way, you’ve got a unique domain name, a descriptive title, and a tagline that communicates what your blog is all about.
4. Choosing the Right Domain Extension: .com, .org, or .net?
Once you’ve decided on your domain name, it’s time to choose a domain extension, or “top-level domain” (TLD). The most popular TLDs are .com, .net, and .org. Here’s a breakdown of each:
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.com: Originally intended for commercial businesses, this is the most widely used and recognized TLD. It’s still the preferred choice for most bloggers, as it’s familiar and easy to remember.
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.net: This was initially used for networking-related domains but has since become a popular alternative to .com. However, it’s not as universally recognized as .com.
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.org: This was originally intended for nonprofit organizations. While you can certainly use it for your blog, .org isn’t as commonly used for personal blogs.
What’s the Best Choice? In most cases, .com is still the most popular and recognizable choice. If your desired domain name is already taken with a .com extension, you can consider .net or .org, but always prioritize .com when possible.
Join the conversation
What challenges have you faced if any in selecting your domain name? How did you finally choose the right one for you?
by Greg Narayan | Blogging, How to Start a Blog That Grows Itself Someday, Start a Blog |
This is a guest post written by Greg Narayan. He is a blogger, teacher, and web designer.
To make a successful blog with a large number of visitors from scratch is a very difficult thing to do. Sometimes I wonder, “why should XYZ blog gain a huge following?” Is it by chance or by the successful nature of the author? Both? The truth is most blogs do fail but there are certain things we can do – emulating successful blogs before us – – to have an advantage out here.
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