You’ve got an idea for a blog, but everything seems to cost money, at least at first glance. You have to worry about site builders, domain names, and even hosting. All that seems to cost some money, but it doesn’t have to be an obstacle. The truth is that you can start your blog without money, and that’s something most people don’t know. The only thing you have to worry about is figuring out the steps to start your blog for free.
Heading to WordPress
The first thing you want to do is head to WordPress if you want to learn how to start a blog. This is one of the best platforms, and they offer a free option. The reason many people love this particular platform is because it’s pretty powerful.
It contains all sorts of features that a budding blogger will need. The platform is user friendly, so it should be easy to understand everything. There is a paid version of this platform that comes with more complex features. This could be helpful to you, but that can wait until you’re ready to spend some money on your blog site.
You need to create this blog on WordPress.com. You can scroll down to the bottom of the page until you find something that says, “Start a Blog.” You’ll want to click that option that shows up at the bottom to get started.
If this is your first time doing something like this, be sure to read the entire page before you click on that option. The more you read, the more you’ll understand the setup process. Once you’ve read everything, you can move on to the actual setup. Don’t feel intimidated; WordPress does its best to make sure everything is user friendly. The setup shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes.
Selecting the Theme
There are a lot of platforms out there to start your blog, but WordPress offers many perks, like the fact that you can set one up for free, but that’s not all. This platform also offers many free themes.
Each blog needs to have a specific personality that helps set it apart. This special thing will make it feel like you. This is the reason many themes are created by WordPress. Now, there are more themes than the free ones you’ll see, but you can worry about those later. You could also have a web designer do one for you, but that’s going to cost some money, which isn’t something you want to worry about right now.
You’re going to see a lot of options when you look through the themes available. It’s important to stay away from anything too elaborate. While you can certainly choose anything you want, the reality is the most successful sites opt for a clean look.
You’ll want to look for themes that look as simple as possible. It may seem boring, but online readers prefer simpler themes. These sorts of themes are easier on the eye. They look more modern and are easy to load, which means loading should be faster. This improves user experience. Simpler designs also make it easier to see your blog on different devices.
Choosing the Domain Name
The next step to take deals with the domain name. This is a big decision; it’s the name people are going to use to find your blog site. People will remember this name, so it has to be pretty special. You want to take your time with this.
The name has to be perfect. It has to clearly define your blog site, and it also has to be something simple that folks could easily remember. Maybe you should test out some of your ideas with friends and family members. Come up with a few potential names, and take surveys amongst your close family members and friends. This is vital, especially if you’re trying to start an eCommerce blog site.
Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions until you find the name that most people like and can remember. Take as many surveys as you can. Ideally, you’d pay a service to help you find survey takers, but that costs money, so just stick to this idea.
Your site is going to look like this when you’re done: http://yourblogname.wordpress.com. You can’t drop the WordPress part of the site. It’s there to stay unless you pay so that your site just ends with the .com. You could do that later on when you feel comfortable spending money on your blog site.
Getting Your Plan
Once you’re done with everything just mentioned, you’re going to be asked to choose a plan. You’re going to see the following options:
- The free plan
- The premium plan
- The business plan
Of course, you can choose any plan you want, but the fact is that if you want free, you’re going to have to stick to the free plan. This is going to lead you to your free blog site.
With the free site, you’ll be able to build a following, post anything you want, and create your brand. Choosing this plan doesn’t mean you have to stick to it.
The truth is that you can upgrade your plan whenever you feel like upgrading it. You’ll get more features when you upgrade, but you’ll get more than enough features with the free version.
Setting Up the Account
Another thing you’re going to be asked to do is to create your account. This is going to require your email address. You’ll need to think of a good username that you’ll remember along with a password. You could write this information down somewhere, but be sure you keep it safe.
After you do all that, you’re going to be taken to your new WordPress site. Here’s where you can start to customize your new blog site. Now, you know how to create your blog site for free.