Blogs are more than just written words on a screen with photos and videos in between. For personal blogs, each site is a venue for blog owners to share information about themselves and advice based on their own experiences.
For eCommerce sellers, blogs are opportunities to write informative content about their products so that potential buyers doing their research can know more about them. Blogs are also great opportunities to insert a Call To Action (CTA) to buy, subscribe, share, and comment!
Put WordPress on top of the sites to build your blog on if you want to have your own space on the web. Data shows that there are 60 million WordPress blogs in 2021, more than enough to say that it is trusted by users worldwide.
Interested in creating your own website on WordPress? This article will discuss the eight easy steps to creating a WordPress blog and how to monetize it.
The Eight Easy Steps to Create Your Blog
Step 1: What is your online identity?
Your domain name and tagline are introductions to your online identity, so use them as such.
Domain name: To locate where you are, you’ll need an address. In the World Wide Web, that is the domain name. For example, domainname.com. Make it remarkable by ensuring the following:
- Keep it short yet appealing
- Make sure it gives viewers an idea about your blog
- Check if it’s readable and easy to spell
- Refrain from using numbers (unless it’s in your brand’s name)
- Make it original and unique
Usually, for brand awareness purposes, the brand name will also be the domain name. Remember that WordPress allows a tagline to make the site more memorable and catchy to viewers.
Tagline: Exert as much effort on your tagline brainstorming. You can learn from companies who have successfully established their taglines that anyone who hears it automatically thinks of the brand name. For example, “Just do it!” by Nike, “Open happiness” by Coca Cola, and “Finger-lickin’ good!” by KFC.
Make it a goal to have an appealing domain name that gives a preview of your blog, and to have a tagline that sticks to your visitors’ minds.
Step 2: Choose a hosting service that fits your needs
What is a web hosting service? Web hosting is quite a technical process. On WordPress, your primary concern is to find a web hosting you can partner with to handle all the technical stuff for you.
Here are some things to consider:
- Price
In choosing the best web hosting provider, keep in mind that they all come at a cost. If you see a provider offering their services for free, research the product more thoroughly. Legitimate providers charge as low as USD 2 up to USD 270 depending on the offerings.
- Services Offered
In web hosting, some providers, such as Bluehost, are suitable for beginners. Some offer cheaper plans for those on a tight budget (e.g., Hostinger and Dreamhost).
If customer service is your primary concern, SiteGround is known for it. Different providers also offer specific hosting plans, so check the type of web hosting you will need and which provider offers it as their forte.
Together with the domain name, web hosting is essential as these hosts ensure your site appears to viewers.
Step 3: Install helpful plugins
Did you know that there are 50,000 plugins spanning multiple niches available on WordPress, such as WordPress search plugins and SEO plugins? While this variety means you can definitely find the plugin you need, it will take a while if you want to check them all.
To speed up the research process, here are the specific plugins every beginning blogger should have:
- WPForms
The top plugin you should have is WPForms. This plugin allows you to create different forms for email subscriptions, orders, feedback, inquiries, payment, and other blogger-to-reader exchanges.
- MonsterInsights
Data and numbers should always be the primary basis in all of your decisions. MonsterInsights allows your website to be under the wings of Google Analytics. Google Analytics will then provide you data on how your website, content, or even sales are performing.
- SeedProd
Suppose you want to have a plugin that allows you to customize and build your page conveniently. In that case, SeedProd is the plugin for you! You can create appealing pages in a few clicks, as you can choose from pre-designed templates.
Aside from these three, there are thousands more plugins. Just check what you need on your site and there should be applicable plugins to satisfy your needs.
Step 4: Plan your content
After establishing your domain name, getting a hosting provider, and choosing your plugins, it’s time for the most exciting task—content creation!
Theme: To inspire you, begin with picking your blog’s theme. WordPress themes for bloggers are abundant. You can find free and paid themes of different designs, just filter them and find the best one for your site. Click “install” once you have picked the theme.
Blog Topics: Create a list of all the blog content you want to include on your site. Keep in mind your interests and the demands of your target customers to create the best write-ups, photos, and videos. You can also add tags and categories to help you and your visitors find content related to one another.
Aim for a visually pleasing blog. Keep it organized and fill it with quality content. These characteristics will keep visitors coming.
Step 5: Start creating content
The plugins and other online tools can help you decide what content to create, but what you have to ensure is that all of your blog posts are optimized for search engines.
If you are familiar with Amazon SEO tips, know that Google SEO works in the same way when it comes to keywords. Keywords define whether you will appear in the first pages of the search results or not at all. Include keywords in your photos and meta descriptions too.
Don’t neglect your posts. Always have something new to share. Create high quality content that provides value to your visitors, and prepare yourself for subscribers.
Step 6: Maximize social media for content promotions
Mostly everyone has some form of social media, so take advantage of this fact and share your content on social media platforms. More than that, remember to create social media accounts for your blogs. Make these accounts venues for more visitor interaction. Having an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other sites where your target audiences hang out is an excellent game plan to increase engagement.
Step 7: Discover ways to earn
Now that you have the presence and the traffic experience, your hard work can pay off by making your blog a source of your extra or even primary income. Here are the top ways to do this:
- Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you create links in your blog that lead to product pages of sellers on different eCommerce platforms. You can pick a few affiliate marketing websites or create links for all. The more links you have, the higher the chances of earning. Different sites have different terms and conditions for payment, but generally you will be paid per lead, per click, and per sale.
- Google AdSense
With AdSense, Google determines which ads appear on your website, and these ads are matched with your content. The ads will appear on ad spaces on your website. No payment is needed, nor do you need to register to participate. You need to wait for clicks, impressions, and sales from the ads, and Google AdSense will pay you.
- Paid Promotions
Another way you can earn is to create advertisements or content providing information about specific products. Your income may be a one-time royalty fee, but still, you earn that by doing what you are already doing without reimbursement—blogging.
- Promoting your own business
Did you build your blog solely for blogging and are thinking about having your own business? Or do you have an existing business which your blog will be an extension for? The bottom line is that you can use your blog to promote your business and gain more customers through exposure.
Step 8: Keep your content fresh and strive for regular visitors
Last but not least, keep your content fresh by publishing content consistently. Turn your trend radar on, so your content will be relevant to what your target audience is talking about. Generic content is okay, but trending ones will get more traffic.
Make it a goal to turn your one-time visitors into your patrons and subscribers. You can do this by providing quality content every time and offering content that matters to your readers.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to create a blog on WordPress takes only a few easy steps, but if you already have the opportunity to share your content with the world, why not make the most of it?
Create your WordPress blog, get excited with all of your brainstorming sessions for your content, and don’t close your door to having a blog that brings in money too.
If you create quality content, opportunities to earn will come at you without trying. In the end, you will have a blog that does not only bring you joy because you are pursuing your passion of content creation, but you will also have a blog that is financially rewarding at the same time.