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4 Things to Consider When Starting a Blog

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Michael Deane
4 Things to Consider When Starting a Blog

So, you want to start a blog? Good for you. Blogging is a great way to get exposure and earn money while doing something you love. To make sure you’re off to a good start, we’ve composed a list of things to consider before starting your very own blog.

Identify Your Niche

First, find a niche you really want to write about. It can be whatever you want, political issues, fashion, travel, sports... anything really. Just make sure to choose something you really care about, because you’re gonna need that passion to keep you going in the years to come.

Avoid making a multi-topic blog. If you have several niches you want to write about, make sure to create different websites for each of the topics you want to cover. You may be equally eager to write about cats and contemporary literature, but your audience will appreciate a more focused approach.

Choosing a Name

For some people, choosing a name for a blog is the most difficult part of blogging. Especially with so many eye-catching names already taken. If you are stuck on choosing a name, try thinking about the main topic of your blog, and then find a name that will sum up what your blog is about. If you want to write about travel, make sure to hint that in the blog’s title by using words like nomad, global, traveller, etc.

You can also add your name to the blog to brand it as your own. JaneDoeTravels, for example, is a great way to mix your name and your niche into a one-of-a-kind blog name. Another way to go about choosing the name, is to browse the Internet for ideas. Research blogs similar to yours to get some inspiration, and then think of something similar but still unique.

Selecting a Host

Now that you have your blog’s name all sorted out, it’s time to find a host. You can choose to host your blog on one of many CMS websites like Tumblr, Squarespace or WordPress. The advantage of these websites is that they give you a possibility of a quick start. Just register to the selected site, choose one of several design templates and start blogging almost immediately.

However, free CMS domains have a lot of limitations. For example, you cannot add your own plugins, you have a limited choice of themes, and limited SEO control. Also, these websites will not allow you to sell ad space, which makes earning money from advertising impossible.

That’s why, if you are serious about blogging, you’ll have to purchase your own domain. Nowadays, there are thousands of web hosting providers out there that will host your domain for an affordable price. HostGator, Bluehost, and GoDaddy are among the most popular web hosting companies. We suggest you to carefully read the reviews other users gave to various hosting companies and choose one with favourable reviews.

Make sure you also go for a theme and layout that will appeal to your target audience – and if you really want to make your space unique, turn to a branding agency who can help you establish a unique presence.

Setting Up CMS

When you decide on the host, it’s time to set up your CMS. There are many CMSs to choose from but most popular by far is WordPress that hosts more than 30% of all websites on the Internet. WordPress is highly customisable and lets you set up your site in just a few clicks. Download the current version of WordPress, unzip the downloaded file to your hard drive, create a database for WordPress on your server, and upload it to your web server.

Once WordPress is successfully uploaded, you can begin to work on the design. If you are unsure about how to set up your WordPress site or if you bump into any problems along the way, contact WordPress maintenance experts who will help you set up a blog in no time.

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Michael Deane
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