Blogs and websites are such a way of life these days- it’s pretty normal for everyone to have their own webpage, and I want you to know you can TOO! I will share a little bit about my start with the technical side of blogging so you get a feel for how easy it really is to set up your next business venture or just a personal blog. But if this all sounds too time consuming or confusing, I would love to set everything up for you- please feel free to reach out to me at newmansnest (at) gmail (dot) com for pricing info!
I have been blogging for over five years now, and I started with Blogger. I wasn’t super impressed with the backend, as it wasn’t as professional as WordPress (I had started using WordPress for my job at the time so had gotten used to it) so I made the move. I had my own domain but had a WordPress hosted site- that is the difference between WordPress.COM (free hosting) and WordPress.ORG (hosting purchased on your own). After a year or so, I wanted to grow my blog and monetize it. On WordPress.com, the options are limited for making money on a blog- so I decided to switch to a self hosted site. Here are the steps to take in order to monetize a blog:
1. Domain and Hosting
2. Install WordPress
3. Install a Theme
1. Domain and Hosting
I bought a domain through GoDaddy when I was still hosting on WordPress.com, but the easiest way to purchase a domain is to bundle it with the hosting. Bluehost is great for bundling domains and hosting- that is who I use for my hosting and in the few years I have used them I haven’t had any issues at all.
2. Install WordPress
If you host with BlueHost, they have an option to download and install WordPress with easy to follow instructions.
3. Installing Themes
-Purchase a theme you like, and then download it to your computer.
-Once in WordPress, you will go to Appearance -> Themes.
-At the top of the page it will have a button that says “Add New”.
-At the top of the next screen it will say “Upload New”.
-Click and upload the theme from wherever you downloaded it to.
-Once it is uploaded, you will click the button to Install it!
As for design, I love the look of Angie Makes themes for a feminine and modern look. For other designs (or maybe some more budget friendly options) I love to look at Creative Market. They also have some Blogger themes, if you aren’t going the self-hosted route. All for very reasonable prices and seriously good design!
Once you are all installed and ready to post, I use VigLink to monetize my posts!
**This page contains affiliate links and I will make a portion of the sales made through the links. I appreciate your support of my blog!**