As we embark on a new year, we have decided to take on a fun side project: starting a blog. While we initially thought it would be a simple process (after watching many different “How to Start a Blog in 2023” YouTube videos), we quickly learned that there are a lot of setups involved before we could publish our first post. In this article, we will detail the challenges we faced and provide insight for those considering starting their own blog. Despite the difficulties, we are determined to make this project a success and are hopeful that our subscription and domain investment will pay off in the long run.
Step 1: Choose a Hosting Platform
It can be overwhelming to choose a hosting platform for your blog, as there are many options available with various costs and features. There are also a lot of “optional” packages like SEO optimization, blog security, and protection from a malicious threat which you do need in the long run, so I wouldn’t call it optional. After researching different platforms, we decided to host our blog through Blue Host’s WordPress plan. Because this was our side hobby, we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the hosting fees which meant that our options were limited. We settled for the most basic plan without any of the optional packages and ended up with a $4.95 a month cost (which rounds up to about $178 for 36 months). I am sure we will have to add the optional feature as our blog grows, but I think we are set for now. While it may seem like starting a blog is relatively cheap, the costs can add up quickly and you definitely have to invest a bit of money initially. After securing our hosting platform, we moved on to selecting a domain for our blog.
Step 2: Buy a Domain for your Blog
With the Blue Host’s plan, the domain is free of cost for the first year ($12 a year after the first year) so we just went with it. The process of choosing a domain name for your blog can be a bit of work, as you want something that is personal, creative, and unique. After consulting various name generators and articles on the best domain names, we came up with “Robynio“, which was meaningful to us and also creative. However, we had to go through multiple iterations of our domain name as many options were already taken. With our hosting platform and domain name secured, we were ready to move on to selecting a theme and setting up the basic layout for our blog.
Step 3: Choose a Theme for your Blog
When choosing a theme for our blog, we wanted a simple, minimal look and selected a free option from the many themes offered by WordPress. However, we soon discovered that we would need to pay for the pro version to get the blog to look like the theme that was advertised. While there were some cheaper options available for $15, they did not come with all the necessary features. So, either you pay no less than $60 for a completely customizable theme or try to figure out how to make the basic one work for your purposes. To keep costs as low as possible, we decided to try to make the free version work and quickly encountered difficulties. The navigation menu provided by Blue Host was cluttered and confusing, making it difficult to edit the theme, add a menu, and perform basic tasks. We spent several hours watching YouTube videos to learn how to make the necessary edits, which led to frustration when things did not work as expected. Eventually, we were able to create the different menu options, add a logo, title, and banners, and work on publishing our first blog post.
Step 4: Create Your First Post
After encountering numerous challenges, we were finally able to create our first blog post. We were relieved to have reached this point and quickly began brainstorming ideas for future posts. For our very first blog, we decided to write about our experience setting up the blog and share the lessons we learned. We wanted to help others who may be considering starting their own blog to understand that there is a significant amount of work involved in the setup process, and it may not be as easy as some online sources suggest. Being aware of these challenges beforehand may help to reduce the frustration that we personally experienced.
I encourage you not to let this article discourage you from creating your own blog. While the setup process can be challenging, it is worth it in the end. We initially hesitated to start our own blog because we thought our experiences were too mundane and boring to share, but we were wrong. Through the process of creating and researching topics for the blog, we discovered that there are many others who can relate to our experiences. It is possible to build your own niche and find an audience that enjoys your perspective, so don’t let the fear of your blog going unheard prevent you from sharing your experiences. Your stories are worth sharing, no matter how small or mundane they may seem. If you have your own blog, feel free to share it in the comments below. Please refrain from spamming and be kind, respectful, and sensitive to everyone’s thoughts and ideas.
Here are some Suggestions to Streamline the Blog Setup Process
- Research and compare different hosting platforms to find one that fits your budget and needs.
- Choose a domain name that is personal, creative, and unique, but also available.
- Consider purchasing a pro version of your chosen theme to save time and frustration with customizing the basic version. You can check out this video to learn how to choose a theme that fits your needs.
- Take advantage of tutorials, videos, and other resources to learn how to navigate the website builder and make the necessary edits.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help or seek assistance from online communities or forums.
- Remember that the setup process can be challenging, but it is worth it in the end. Stay patient and persistent, and you will eventually get your blog up and running.