Whether or not you consider yourself a good writer or not it is not something to worry about when starting a blog. At least not right away. If you have ideas that you want to share with others or you are passionate about something then you will want to find a way to do just that. The content on your blog can be polished as you go.
Years ago I had my own website which focused on Health & Wellness. I had the website for a little over a year but then I started a full-time job working with my husband and quickly felt I did not have the time to keep up with it. Today I regret having let that website go. I had some good informative articles and followers. Several months ago I decided that I wanted to start blogging again. I started researching how to start a new blog. In fact, while doing a search a few nights ago regarding something I wanted to write about I actually found some of my old posts. I could not access them or the website links but the posts are still floating around out there in cyberspace. Because it has been several years since I had the previous website I had to start all over. My question was “how to start a new blog?” Below is some of the research I found. To start a blog you need to do the following:
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Find a Reputable Website Host
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Choose a Platform
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Choose a Domain
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Choose Your Topics of Interest
Find a Reputable Website Host
To start your new blog you need to find a good hosting plan. There are thousands of hosting plans on the internet. In fact, as of September 24, 2017, Quota.com estimated there were over 10,000 hosting plans in the world. I’m sure there are many, many more today. You want to find a good hosting plan that is reputable.
Make sure to do your research and read a few reviews. Compare the prices and find something that you are comfortable with. Hosting plans run somewhere between $1.00 to $9.99 per month. There may be hosting plans that are more but these are prices I found in my research from just a few hosts.
There are many free hosting sites out there but just remember the old adage “you get what you pay for.” If you choose a free hosting plan just make sure to read the Terms of Service. Some plans allow only a trial period or a data limit. If you choose a free hosting plan just make sure you know what you are getting into.
My research included in-depth study because I knew that I wanted to do more with my blogging and marketing. I had researched Affiliate Marketing for the last couple of years and I was trying to learn how to get started. I wanted to have a blog and to help people but I also wanted to be able to make a little money on the side if I could.
I researched and looked at many different programs. In my research, I ran across one that I felt would fit my needs. I knew I didn’t want a free website or blog so I searched for the best hosting plan I could find.
I chose Wealthy Affiliate as my host because it offered a tutorial program to help me set up my website and get started. I could purchase my domain names, I could learn more about affiliate marketing and it offered a ton of support. I have used HostGator and BlueHost in the past and I think they are great companies but this time I chose Wealthy Affiliate. I couldn’t be happier.
Choose a Platform 
Before you make a decision on the hosting plan make sure you know what platform that company uses. WordPress, in my opinion, is the best. It is very user-friendly, easy to learn, easy to edit, easy to add images or links to your blog, and has hundreds of plugins. There are other platforms that I have used in the past but I didn’t find them to be as easy to use.
Choose a Domain Name
The next thing you want to do is choose a domain name for your blog or website. You want to choose a domain name that fits your interests or the niche you would like to get into. I have learned a wealth of information on Wealthy Affiliate about choosing the right name, how to purchase the domain, and how to build my website. In fact, a year and a half later I am still learning new things and I go back and revise and make changes to my websites to try and make them better.
Choose Your Topics of Interest
By now, if you have decided that blogging is something you really want to do you’ve chosen the platform and hosting plan you are comfortable with and you’ve purchased and chosen your domain name.
You are now ready to start blogging!
Get a notebook and pen and start brainstorming about your interests and the things you’d like to start writing about. Write bullet points and use those as your topic headlines. Have fun and get creative. There’s a huge world out there! I started blogging about one thing and it morphed into other things as I learned more and began to find my interest was stronger in one area more than it was in my original plan.
Conclusion
I have given you a little insight on how to start a new blog and how I got started. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more. I hope that some of the information I have provided helps you to determine if you want to start blogging and if so how to get started. Decide if it’s something that you would like to invest your time in and just get started. And if you do, let us all know what you are interested in and the name of your website and we’ll stop over and visit you.
If you are ready to move ahead in your blogging journey, read the next post – “How to Develop a Blog.”
Happy Blogging!
Pamela
Note: See my review: “Wealthy Affiliate Review – Is is Overrated?”