How to Start a Blog That Actually Makes “You” Money

Are you ready to enter the world of blogging?

You are in the right place.

We decided to start a “blogging” section in this publication because we get so many emails and messages every day asking me H-O-W we turned this publication into a six-figure business. 

This post is a step-by-step guide on how to start a blog that will “actually” make YOU money.  These are the most immediate steps you must take to start a blog in 2024.

1-Choose a Niche 

A niche is a specific subject or a focus that you will be writing about on your blog.

I highly recommend that you choose a “specific” topic when starting a blog so you make things easier for yourself.

Blogging about “very broad” topics will not help you get traffic to your website. It is always better to focus on “one” thing at a time and expand as you grow.

When choosing a niche, this is the main thing you need to consider:

• Area of expertise 

You most likely will be writing the content for your blog when you first start it so you have to actually have “expertise” on the topics you want to write about.

Believe it or not, it is one of the “main” factors to rank on google. Google will “NOT” reward you with traffic unless you are “qualified” to write about a topic.

Trust me… This is a very important factor that not many bloggers talk about but it is the FIRST thing you need to be aware of when you start blogging.

What are you talking about Cielo?

Example: If you want to start a website about credit card consolidation, you must have some sort of financial experience to be credible in the eyes of Google. Otherwise, it will be hard for you to get organic traffic from Google.

Google rewards expertise.

Bottom Line: If you are just starting blogging, only focus on producing content about topics that you can actually rank on google such as lifestyle, traveling, etc.)

2-Choose What Blogging Platform You Will Be Using 

There are many different blogging platforms out there. The most popular ones are WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace.

I personally recommend people ONLY to use WordPress. It will make your life easier, especially if you do not have coding skills. It will save you a lot of stress.

Either way, below you can see the pros and cons of these blogging platforms so you can compare and contrast. Make sure to take your time to evaluate your choices. Choose wisely.

3-Pick a Hosting Site

Once you have chosen your blogging platform, the next step is to choose your hosting. There are so many hosting options out there, but I only recommend using Bluehost.

Why you may ask?

Because it is the cheapest option out there that is “both reliable and easy to use.”

I also love their top-notch customer service. They are great.

I started BLENDtw on Bluehost when I first launched the website and I worked with them for almost two years until we reached 100,000 unique readers per month and I had to get a bigger hosting site to meet our growing needs.

The best option out there when you first start!

Do you want to know how to set up your website with Bluehost, check out this step-by-step guide! 

4-Find Your Domain

This is where the fun begins!  You need to brainstorm and come up with the best name for your website.

A couple of things to consider when choosing a domain.

• Please keep it simple! You want people to remember your website so just use a simple, catchy name that is easy to remember and use.
• Make a list of the top five names for your website and do research to see if the domain is available. Then, narrow down your list to three top choices and share them with your friends and family or followers on social media.
• Tell them to help you choose the “winner.” This is a great way to advertise your upcoming website so make sure to enroll your network and have fun!

• One of the great things about using BLUEHOST is that they will give you a FREE domain for one year so they can take advantage of that. One piece of advice is to make sure that your domain name ends with a “.com”

5-Choose Your Website Theme 

The theme of your website has a lot to do with your niche. A lifestyle blog will look very different from a website on the financial niche focused on consolidating loans.

I have three pieces of advice when it comes to choosing a website template:

• Do not use a free theme. There are multiple free themes out there, but I highly recommend that you invest in a “professional” website theme. Why you may ask?

Because the majority of free themes are not SEO friendly. If you are serious about blogging, you have to make sure to invest in a theme that is user-friendly and responsive.

Otherwise, readers will exit your website fast. That is the last thing you want when you are just starting. 

• Look at your competitors that are “killing” it in your niche. Create a list and write down which features of those websites you like and which ones you don’t. It will give you an idea of what type of theme you are interested in and what you want for your website.

• Use your instinct! I personally believe that your website theme should be an extension of your brand!

BONUS TIP- I highly recommend that you use Themeforest to search for themes.

This website has millions of themes for all types of niches. Look around, I am convinced that you will find one perfect for you.

Within Themeforest, I have TWO TOP recommendations.

If you are starting a lifestyle blog, I highly recommend you this one.

If you are starting a publication, then I highly recommend my theme. Honestly, I have had this theme for four years and it is perfect for our needs.

6-Launch Your Website 

After you purchase and install your website theme, you should be good to go LIVE.

If you are NOT good at web development ( I am terrible!) and need someone to help you install your theme, I highly recommend this Fiverr gig.

I have worked with this guy for over three years, and he is one of the BEST web developers on Fiverr.

He has saved me a lot of stress and he charges VERY little for all he does to your website. It is honestly a no-brainer.

Happy Launching!

One last thought!

If you want your blog to actually make $$$, you have to treat it as a business.

These are the TWO most important factors to focus on if you want to build a six-figure blog:  

• Establish an effective workflow to create and publish content on a weekly basis
• Create an SEO strategy (This is a MUST). Without a proper SEO content strategy in place, your blog will never be successful.

Serious about learning all about SEO to take your business to the next level, then you can book a consultation with me here.

THAT’S A WRAP! THIS ARTICLE WAS ALL ABOUT HOW TO START A BLOG.

PIN FOR LATER!

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