How to Start a Blog

How to Start a Blog on a Budget

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Starting a blog on a budget usually starts as an idea with absolutely no clue where to start. Many people assume you need to hire a web developer, graphic designer or know coding to build a website from scratch. The reality is, you can learn how to start a blog on a budget in 2020 and I am going to tell you how you can create a website for about $14.

The key here is BUDGET. Most people intend to start a blog without putting in a ton of money or hiring someone to build it for them. Hiring someone to build your website can be really expensive and there’s no telling how successful your blog will be. For me, it’s not worth the risk and I’d rather do it myself. Not only to save money, but to design it exactly the way I want.

Maybe you are a college student looking to start a blog as a hobby or side hustle, maybe you want to start a blog for profit or maybe you want to start a blog to be a work from home parent. In any of these cases, this tutorial is perfect for you!

If you are a social media influencer looking to start a website or blog, I am so glad you are here! I feel very strongly about social media influencers needing a cornerstone for their platform – something they own and have control of, unlike Instagram (for example) in which none of us own or have control over it.

There are definitely some things that a blog needs to be seen. Blogs are everywhere these days. Everyone has a blog. So how do you stand out from the rest? This website is meant to provide those insider tips that no one is telling you about.

My husband is a web developer so I have learned most of what I know about creating a website from him. As far as the blogging aspect, I have learned how to blog on my own throughout the years of owning websites. I am always trying to learn and keep up with the algorithms. Once you get the hang of it, it will be like second nature. So who’s ready to start building a blog with me?

Here’s How to Start a Blog on a Budget in 2020:

Choosing a Name

It all starts with your topic (aka niche) and choosing a name for your website or blog. Please do not choose a topic you are not knowledgable or passionate about. You will quickly run out of ideas for writing posts. Be genuine and real because that is what people really love!

I always say the narrower the niche, the better. Instead of a “healthy recipes” blog, narrow the niche by creating a “healthy recipes on a budget” type of blog, for example. Even better would be “healthy instant pot recipes on a budget.” Catch my drift?

Try to pick a topic that hasn’t been covered already or is not too saturated. You can find this by doing your research!

Do Your Research

Once you have chosen a blog niche, research it on the internet. Google your topic and browse related searches. Since I am a huge proponent of Pinterest, I always check Pinterest for topics too. Just like Google, Pinterest is a search engine. (Who knew?) Search your topic on Pinterest and see what you find and what related searches come up in the search bar.

Remember, if your topic or similar keywords come up in your search, this means a lot of people are searching for it. This is good for you, but only if your niche is not too saturated.

If a ten year old blog or a big blogger you have always looked up to is coming up in every search, chances are your new start-up blog will not stand out over theirs. It might in time, but remember they have been doing this for a long time and have years of content, experience and probably already rank high on Google.

Buy a Domain

Buying a domain is what solidifies your name so that you own it. Make sure the name you want is available, or some variation of it is. For example, this website is tabithafrost.com. You could choose tabithafrost.org or tabithafrost.net if the .com version isn’t available. NameCheap (This is an affiliate link, which means I make a small commission on sales generated through such links) shows recommended alternatives if the domain you want isn’t available.

Build Your Website with Namecheap - Get Privacy Protection Free Forever

I love NameCheap for purchasing domains because they are affordable and do not add extra fees like competitor’s sites do. To blog on a budget, buying a domain name for cheap is crucial. This puts you right on track of spending about $10 to buy your website.

Host Your Website

Bluehost (This is an affiliate link, which means I make a small commission on sales generated through such links) is a great hosting company offering hosting for as little as $3.95/month. They are reliable and affordable. With the cost of your domain name and monthly hosting through Bluehost, this brings the start up cost for your blog under $14. Now that’s how to blog on a budget!

Once your hosting account is set up, your screen should take you to what’s called the “back end” of your website. Here is where you can add different applications. Bluehost is very WordPress-friendly and can be easily integrated through Bluehost.

In the backend of your website, be sure to download the WordPress App. I love WordPress for building and customizing my sites. It is really user-friendly and I love the variety of customizable themes and plug-ins they offer.

Google Search Console

Create an account with Google Search Console to make sure your site can be recognized by Google and hopefully rank high in their search engine once your website is complete and doing well.

Cloudflare

Add your website to Cloudflare to prevent hackers from getting into your site or hosting account.

WordPress

Once you merge your website onto the WordPress platform, there are a few essentials to completing your site. Be sure to add a page each for Site Terms, Privacy Policy and FTC Disclaimer. You can find templates online for this.

WordPress.com

Pick a Theme

Browse the themes on WordPress and find one you like. All of the themes are fairly easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. The themes usually have tutorials on their websites to make it easy to set up if you need help.

I am a big fan of BlossomThemes (This is an affiliate link, which means I make a small commission on sales generated through such links) which I use as the theme on All Natural & Good because it is SEO and Pinterest friendly. Their feminine WordPress themes have so many amazing features. I use their plugins on this website as you can see in the right sidebar (on desktop) and below the post content (on mobile).

They have appealing widgets for an Author’s Bio – including a signature, beautiful social media icons and a customizable newsletter subscription box. Here are all of the widgets included in their BlossomThemes Toolkit plugin:

About & Contact

Make sure you create an About page and Contact page so readers will know who you are, what your blog is about and how they can reach you. Don’t forget your privacy policy, site terms and any other disclaimers you might need.

Create Content

Now it is time to publish your first post! Keep in mind that this post explains how to get your website started. I will have more articles to come about monetization and other blogging tips.

Once you start a blog on a budget, you can learn more about Pinterest marketing for beginners and search engine optimization for beginners.

Google wants to see that your website is legitimate, high quality and has both old and new content. Give it about a year before you start to see your posts ranking higher on Google and you are gaining more organic traffic. Start with Pinterest and simple SEO skills to work your way up to becoming a big time blogger.

Start a Blog for About $14

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