Ready to start a blog but not sure what are must have’s and what can wait? I’ll cover the top three must have’s for new bloggers in this post. This is a long one, so brace yourself.
Top 3 Must Have’s for New Bloggers
Hosting
To run a self-hosted website or blog, you will need hosting through a service provider like Siteground. Hosting is basically a place that stores your website and makes it available for viewing on the interest. Sites are stored on servers by hosting providers, essentially like a storage unit for your website. Since this is quite techy, I’ll leave this to the experts. If you think of this in terms of a neighborhood, this is your lot of land. The land is where you build your house, just like the host is where you build and store your website.
I choose to use Siteground as my hosting provider after one of my blogging friends gave it such praise. Personal recommendations mean so much to me, especially when coming from a blogger I look up to as a blogging boss! Speaking of, go check out Betsy Dirks over at Essential Oils With Betsy! She’s an awesome blogger!
Siteground lives up to their motto, “web hosting crafted with care.” They take customer service and client satisfaction seriously. Besides great customer service, they are constantly improving technology and speed. The fact that Siteground is GDPR compliant makes me extremely happy as a blogger because it is one less thing I need to worry about.
Prior to using Siteground for hosting, I was on another hosting site. Siteground’s 1-click installer and transfer assistance made the transition super easy. Again, let’s remember I’m not a tech expert.
Hosting costs between $4-$50 per month depending on the hosting provider. Sitegound has a special intro offer for new customers, so make sure to check their site when shopping for hosting providers. Without hosting, you cannot really have a site, which is why hosting is at the top of my must have’s for new bloggers.
Domain Name
This is the name of your website or blog, also called the web address. Again, thinking in terms of a neighborhood, the domain name is your home address. Domain names are cheap enough that some people will purchase a domain name with each extension. Extensions are the .com, .net, .org, .info portion of the domain name.
As a new blogger, I suggest focusing on one domain name. If your brand name is not available, you will want to figure out a domain name that is close enough and not confusing to customers, clients, and anyone searching for your business. Think about your niche market and what they might be searching for when creating your domain name.
Thankfully, Siteground also offers domain name registration as well as domain name transfers. Domain names are on my top three list of must have’s for new bloggers because it’s kind of hard to have a blog without a website address. Ha!
Siteground’s new domain registration starts at $15.95/year. This is in addition to your hosting costs.
WordPress Theme
If you want to be taken seriously as a blogger, you want to make sure you have a professional looking website. Think of the WordPress theme as the decorations and paint of your home. You want your website beautifully represent you and your content. Right? Right.
That’s why I highly recommend Bluchic for WordPress themes. Not only do they have themes specific for bloggers, they have ones designed for online shops and businesses. These themes are gorgeous, but there is also a lot of amazing features behind what meets the eye.
Bluchic themes are built with SEO In mind, they are mobile responsive, and customizable. As a new blogger, you may not yet know that SEO is a HUGE player in making your site a success. Since SEO is a part of the coding of Bluchic’s themes, this is going to make your website even better from day one! And mobile responsiveness? That shit is major. I believe the last fact I saw was that 80% of blog readers use their mobile phones and tablets instead of a computer. Having a site that works for the viewer is going to keep them on your site and for longer periods of time.
Of course the customization of Bluchic is my favorite aspect! I love taking the skeleton provided and changing all the things like colors, logos, and fonts to make it my own. Whichever Bluchic theme you select is customizable to whatever your brand is, whatever service or product you offer.
Now, Go Out And Blog!
After reviewing these three must have’s for new bloggers, I hope you are feeling more at ease about starting a blog. If you are wondering how you’ll ever build a blog or website on your own because it’s just too much–feel free to reach out to me! I actually offer WordPress blog set-up. Head over to my Creative Services page to read more.
Are you already a blogger? Tell me what I missed! I’d love to hear your feedback, friend!
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