Lori Ballen is a member of the Amazon Associates Program and earns money from qualifying purchases. Posts contain affiliate links that benefit Lori as well.
If you are learning how to start a blog, you are in the right place. Here, you’ll learn how to start a blog, how to grow the blog, and how to build a tribe that follows your blog and supports your brand and business. We will cover blogging platforms, SEO, how to generate traffic, and so much more.
Free Ebook
Be sure to grab your FREE EBOOK here as well.
Successful Blogging
Blogging has been a huge part of my business for decades. In the beginning, it was all to rank on the search engines in an effort to sell services.
Over time, it turned into courses, coaching, affiliate income, and then ads.
Last year, I made $134,000 promoting 43 products throughout my blogs and webinars. This year, I closed off all other distractions and made content marketing my 1 thing.
While you won’t learn it all in one article, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned here on this website and on my Youtube Channel. No results are typical nor is there any estimated amount you can earn as a blogger.
The world is your oyster if you are willing to do the work!
Below, you’ll find the steps to getting started.
You can also find Affiliate programs on another website I own called The7thStream.com.
- Determine Your Niche. Check out Lifestyle Blog Ideas
- Install WordPress. You might like WPEngine
- Choose a Theme. Check out Studiopress
- Set Up Your Theme
- Add Your Plugins
- Install Google Analytics
- Set up Google Search Console
- Add any additional analytics Software. Consider clicky.
- Add your privacy and cookies plugin
- Sign up for Canva for featured images, pins, and more. Set up your Brand Kit.
- Activate Gutenberg if your theme still shows classic blocks.
- Select a ghostwriter for hire if you need one.
- Create your Pinterest for Business Account.
- Create your Social Channels: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
- Set up your lead magnet software [such as optinmonster or convert kit] and email autoresponders such as getresponse, Aweber, or KEAP”by Infusionsoft.
Step by Step
Here, you’ll find the steps for each part of the process in setting up your blog. There are many places in which to start blogging, and you might enjoy a more “show me” approach.
Enjoy!
Need Help? Call my brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands 702-917-0755.
Niche Blog Ideas
I used some amazing SEO tools like my favorite keyword research tool: SEMrush to list some great niche blog ideas. Before you dive into any of these, you’ll want to carefully consider how much passion you have for the topic.
I know, because I’ve started many blogs that I never put much time into. I kept coming back to the ones I was passionate about.
Now, if you are picking a blog niche to make money, and you don’t care about the topic specifically, you’ll need a plan in action where you hire blog writers to write the articles for you. These are called ghostwriters.
You’ll also need to have your blog posts optimized with some on-page SEO as well as graphics for social media such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.
You could hire someone from Fiverr to do your graphics, someone from Crowd Content or Hire Write to write your blogs, and you could do the on-page SEO.
In any case, you will need really great, in-depth articles written around that blog niche.
If you choose a niche that is too popular, and heavily saturated such as fashion, beauty, weight loss, finance, etc. you are going to have a major uphill battle.
Yet, if you can be clever about it, and find the “niche within the niche”, you could have a winner.
[su_divider top=”yes” text=”Go to top” style=”default” divider_color=”#ae9d78″ link_color=”#ae9d78″ size=”1″ margin=”16″]
How to Install WordPress
You can Install WordPress through a variety of managed WordPress hosting websites such as WP Engine. Here, you’ll find step by step instructions to set up and install WordPress in 5 simple steps.
WordPress Websites
We Build Them, You Own Them
Click here to download The Genesis Guide for Absolute Beginners (PDF – 1.4 MB)
Click on Sites and find your site listed. When you first start, you’ll only see one link there. You might notice the word PROD in front of your website. Click that link.
If you are not migrating your website from another host, dismiss that message. Next, register the domain name you want for your website.
This is the address people will type into the browser to find your website or the address you will promote. These were once all .com addresses and now we see many other extensions such as .ly, .gov, .net and so forth.
Register your BLOG Domain Name
GoDaddy is a popular choice for domain names.
Here, you will register your domain name and set up the DNS servers for your host. It sounds complicated, but as long as you follow step by step instructions, it’s not for you to figure out.
Do not add on the hosting when you register the domain.
You don’t need the SSL certificate either. You’ll get that with wp engine.
Once you have registered your domain, click on ENTER DOMAIN on your wp engine Site and you’ll be provided with instructions to change your CNAME record to point your domain to WPENGINE.
Here is a Video Tutorial on changing the DNS servers in GoDaddy to correctly set up your domain with WP Engine.
You can also access these helpful files:
Add domain to the User Portal
Update WordPress URL Settings
Setup DNS
Web Hosting
In this section, we will use wp engine to set up Web Hosting.
wp engine managed WordPress Hosting plus Genesis Framework and Studiopress Themes. You need a web host that will provide the server that your website goes live with.
Your server is what gets your website on the web and keeps it live.
Your web host that has this server is responsible for making sure your website is live when your visitors want to access it.
Overloaded servers can cause your website to crash or have poor “up-time”. Who you choose here matters. Your WordPress Website will have a “theme” that creates the design and functionality of your website.
Many people who build on WordPress choose Genesis Framework with Studiopress themes for design. wp engine offers a one-stop-shop and you can change your theme when you get bored or want to see different designs. [http://bit.ly/wpenginestudio].
On the start-up page, you’ll see a list of wp engine hosting plans.
You can pay monthly or save by buying an annual plan. If you are just beginning and have only one website, the start-up plan might be a good way to go.
It includes up to 25,000 visitors, 10 GB of Local Storage (your website is a database) and 50 GB of Bandwith. This is a great start-up website and you could stay on this plan for quite a while, some could stay here forever.
That being said, we hope the WordPress website beyond that.
If you know you are building more than one website quickly, it’s a good idea to choose the growth plan or above. You’ll save more that way. In addition, the growth plan offers 24/7 phone support and Imported SSL certificates.
As you grow, you have add-on options such as WordPress Multisite, GeoTarget, Global Edge Security, additional Sites, Smart Plugin Manager.
Once you choose your plan, you’ll be prompted for add-ons and billing. Don’t panic. If you don’t know what something is, skip it for now.
To start, you will have everything you need (even if you don’t know what they mean) including Genesis Framework, 35+ Studiopress Themes, 24/7 chat support, Dev/Stage/Prod Environments, Transferable Sites, PHP 7.3 ready, LargeFS, Global CDN, Page Performance, Automated SSL certificates, SSH Gateway.
Add Your Billing info and Create your Site.
Your home page will show you how much bandwidth and storage you are using.
Set up the ssl certificate
Your wp engine hosting plan includes your SSL Certificate. SSL/TLS certificates allow visitors on your website to connect via HTTPS. This is a secure protocol for passing information on the web. You have to set up the SSL certificate.
An SSL certificate will include secure encryption on your website so that all information your users submit will be encrypted.
Video Tutorial [https://youtu.be/ZDcp0PHlwL8 ]
From sites, click your website and then SSL. Choose ADD CERTIFICATES and follow the prompts. Once your SSL certificate is properly installed, you’ll receive an email. It’s usually available within a few minutes but can take up to 24-hours. It renews annually.
Install your wordpress theme
Your theme creates your design, fonts, colors, side columns, footers, headers and so forth. With your wp engine Website, you have access to a large library of Studiopress themes which include the genesis framework.
It’s important to note that themes require set up to look like the sample. Each Studiopress theme includes step by step set up instructions. Follow them and you’ll get the job done.
WordPress Themes
Click here to view more WordPress Themes.
Click APPEARANCE, then THEMES, then ADD NEW. Choose your theme and click INSTALL. Next, activate your theme and customize it.
Shown below is the NICHE PRO theme from Studiopress
How to Add Clicky
1. Go to clicky and click Add a Site.
2. Add your URL
3. Copy the tracking code
4. Enter the code in a header or footer script area. This is found in Appearance -> Customize -> Theme Settings -> Header Footer Script. You can also add a plugin for the header and footer scripts.
FAQS
How Do I Add clicky Analytics to my blog? Are there install instructions for the embed code?
1. Go to clicky and click Add a Site.
2. Add your URL
3. Copy the tracking code
4. Enter the code in a header or footer script area. This is found in Appearance -> Customize -> Theme Settings -> Header Footer Script. You can also add a plugin for the header and footer scripts.
How To Blog
- The Best of Ballen Blogger
Enjoy the best of lists on Ballen Blogger. Best software, best affiliate programs, best software and more - Mrs. Meyer’s Affiliate Program
Mrs. Meyer’s Affiliate Program is offered at the ShareASale Network. It’s under the ePantry company that houses many all-natural home cleaning products. You can earn $5 per sale, $25 off your 1st ePantry order, as well as a free Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap! - 5 Ways to Make Money Blogging.
If you are blogging on a regular basis, you might want to know how to make money with your blog. Many bloggers have figured out ways to monetize their blog as a supplemental income or as a full-time income. This article will give you ideas on how to make money with your blog. - Passive Voice & SEO: Why You Should Pass on This Indirect Writing Style
Are you guilty of using passive voice when writing articles, blog posts or other text content for your website? While high-quality content can lead to more traffic and higher search results, you should be conscious of your writing style. - Get Paid to Blog (9 Websites that Pay Writers)
Blogging is a great way to supplement your income and, in some cases, make a full-time living. However, with so many websites on the market, it can seem a daunting proposition.
