There are a lot of guides on the internet that talk about how to start a blog using WordPress, most of them inject affiliate links or are paid by various companies to mention them. This is because WordPress powers over 40% of non-HTML websites on the internet, making it extremely valuable. At WP Wise we do not use affiliate links nor do we accept payment to be included in any of our guides.
In this guide we want to give you the best advice on how to get started with your new WordPress blog. We will weigh pros and cons of various options and help you make the right decision for your goals.
Why start a WordPress Blog?
Starting a WordPress blog is a great way to publish your thoughts to the world or to make money. The best part about WordPress is that it is an open source CMS that allows anyone to make themes, plugins, and edit the code. That means by starting a WordPress blog you are often giving yourself an amazing headstart on the future of whatever you create and you are less likely to be subject to a platform going offline or being censored.
Can You Really Make Money With a Blog?
Yes. There are several ways to make money with a WordPress blog, making it an extremely versatile option. You can make money by placing ads on your website and in your blog posts, by selling ‘native advertising’ (i.e. sponsored articles), by accepting donations from your readers, by charging a subscription fee to read your content, by generating leads and selling them, by selling products through an ecommerce store, by being an affiliate that sells products or services for other businesses, and by selling your own services.
Step by Step Guide to Starting a WordPress Blog
Step 1: Purchase a domain name
Selecting a name for your blog and purchasing a domain name are the very first steps you should take in starting your blog. Unless you go with a subdomain on a blog posting platform like WordPress.com (see Step 2) in order to save a few dollars, you will need a domain name for users to find your blog.
There are a lot of domain vendors (known as ‘domain registrars’ or ‘domain registration companies’) on the internet including well known brands like GoDaddy. You can also purchase a domain name from most webhosting companies, though we recommend keeping these separate for better control over your online pressence.
Determining who to purchase your domain from can be confusing, especialy your first time. There are a lot of things to consider and there are thousands of online lists telling you which place is the best. What you’re looking for is a stable domain registrar with competitive pricing on both the first purchase of your domain AND the yearly renewal fee. Companies like GoDaddy often have a low fee to purchsae your domain for the first year, but in the second year have one of the higest renewal fees in the industry.
You may have heard something like “.COM is king” when it comes to domains, and this is largely true. However, today you can safely start a blog with a different extension and not scare away possible readers or consumers.
Domains don’t have to be purchased from a domain registrar. You can also purchase them from a Domain Auction site or from a “Premium Domain Vendor” a term that attempts to separate domain sellers from cybersquatters / trademark squatters. These are almost always more expensive than purchasing a domain from a registrar.
Step 2: Determine if you want to use WordPress.com or WordPress.org
WordPress comes in 2 flavors: .ORG and .COM. The version you are like most accustomed to hearing about is the .ORG. Knowing which version you want to use is critical in moving forward.
WordPress.org Pros:
– Host wherever you want, control your hosting environment and costs
– Use over 50,000 plugins from the WordPress directory
– Use private plugins
– Edit any part of the code you want
– Fully optimizable
– Use any theme or make your own
WordPress.org Cons:
– More difficult to maintain
– More options can create bugs or issues if used incorrectly
WordPress.com Pros:
– Hosted and Maintained by Auttomatic, a company founded by WordPress’ creators and staffed with developers who write WordPress core code.
– Start with a Free account and upgrade from there
WordPress.com Cons:
– Limited options for growth
– Limited options for optimization
– Limited options for themes
If you selected WordPress.com, the rest of this guide won’t apply to you. While they are similar the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com are enough that you should read a guide specific to WordPress.com
Step 3: Choose a Hosting Provider
Selecting a hosting provider is pivotal in building a blog that loads fast for your users and can grow with you.
While a cloud hosting solution would be great, it likely isn’t necessary for your blog starting off and depending on how big you get you may not need a cloud solution at all or for quite a while.
For an optimal start what you are looking for is a hosting solution that uses SSD drives, has a good reputation, and that doesn’t use shared hosting setup.