How to Create a Blog

There are lots of reasons to start your own blog:

 

  • to share what you know . . .

  • to establish multiple streams of income . . .

  • to express the writing skill you know you have . . .

 

This page shows you how to start a blog using Bluehost and WordPress.

 

Bluehost is a moneychimp affiliate, and a recommended resource in The 4-Hour Workweek.
They're known for their excellent WordPress integration, and they're really cheap.

 

How to Get Your Blog Online

You can go from zero to blogging in under ten minutes - it's a simple 2-step process.

 

Step 1 - purchase web hosting

Go to Bluehost.com. (The link will open in a new tab or window so you can follow these instructions.)

Click the "get started" arrow. If you don't see it on the screen, then choose "products/shared hosting" from the top menu.

 

   You can purchase web hosting from Bluehost's main menu.

Select a hosting package:

Select hosting package.

 

The most basic package is probably sufficient, especially to start out with. (Note that the price may be an introductory or special offer. For example, you might be required to pre-pay for 36 months to get the price shown.)

 

Specify your domain name.    Next you'll get to the screen where you choose your desired domain name (in this example "mysitename.com"). If your name is available, you're in business: you provide your payment information, and you're the owner of a brand new website.

If the name is not available, you can try a more specific name. (So if dogs.com is taken, you can try adorablerotweilers.com.) You can also consider the alternative names that Bluehost will suggest... but whatever you do, don't settle for an extension that isn't what you want. (That is, don't settle for .info or .co, if you really want .com - people won't find your site, and you'll be unhappy.)

 

Step 2 - install WordPress (free)

WordPress is a web publishing platform that is very popular with bloggers. It's included free in your hosting package; you just need to install it to your account in order to use it.

(Note that you don't have to buy "optimized hosting" for WordPress; the basic "Starter" account is just fine.)

   

 

Main menu inside your Bluehost account.      From inside your Bluehost account, select Hosting/cPanel from the main menu.

 

Click on the WordPress icon...    WordPress icon (same page).

 

... and then click Start to install.

Click Start to begin the WordPress installation.

 

You may get a sales pitch during the installation, which you can refuse. (You don't need to buy any add-ons; your hosting account already includes everything you need.)

 

Blogging Success Stories

"Be a millionaire

 While you travel the world in your underwear..."

 

Bloggers are free spirits. Some of them are rich free spirits. OneStep4Ward describes one such success story, from travel blog to high income online business.

There's a pattern to these stories: you get started with a simple blog, and then proceed incrementally, learning and improving as you go. But first you have to get started.

 

 

 

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