How to Start a WordPress Blog in 10 Easy Steps
Are you looking for a quick & easy guide on how to make a blog?
This step-by-step guide will help you create a WordPress blog in 20 minutes, and is written for the beginner blogger. The most complicated part of blogging is getting started, but once your blog is set up, you’ll have tons of fun publishing new and monetization of content to your blog.
This guide has been created for the beginner blogger, and will assume you have little to no experience with WordPress. The time it takes to set up a new blog takes about 20 minutes.
If you need help, feel free to contact me.
Hi,
My name is Molly, and I am going to help you set up your first WordPress blog and get started with content monetization.
Building a blog is a fun and rewarding experience, and takes about 20 minutes to get started. For this step-by-step guide, we will be using WordPress. WordPress is a free open-source content management tool and they have thousands of free & premium themes and widgets to choose from.
When I first started blogging, i made time consuming mistakes. My content was unorganized, and I wasted a lot of hours on keyword phrases that were never searched for. The purpose of this article is to save you the headaches I had to go through with my blogs before I found the right solution. WordPress was quick to learn, and before I knew it, I had worked on dozens of successful blogging projects.
Table of Contents
Create a Blog Business Plan
Creating a blog business plan answers important questions about your vision, mission, and purpose of your blog. Creating a business plan and knowing what you are writing about, who you are writing for, and how to profit from your blog beforehand will save yourself from wasted hours targeting the wrong keywords or target market. Print this PDF, fill it out, and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a blogger, your target audience, vision & mission statements, and how you plan on monetizing your content. Check out my TRELLO page for managing bloggersguild.com
Pick a Niche
Pick a niche – A niche market focuses on a specific topic, product, or service within a broader market.
For example, if you wanted to start a cooking blog, you could find a cooking niche such as “gluten free cooking,” “vegetarian dishes,” or “Fish Fry.”
Pick a Domain Name
Pick a domain name. A domain name is the web address for your blog. For example, the address of this blog is bloggersguild.com . Choose a descriptive name for your blog. .COM, .NET, and .ORG names are considered top tier domains, however you may choose something like .co, .me, .tech etc.
Check here to see if your domain name is available:
Choose your Hosting Plan
Choose your host – Decide on a hosting provider; I recommend BlueHost. They have easy to use control panels and are the top providers for WordPress Hosting. Plus, when you purchase through this link, you can get your first year & a free domain for $60! Get Started today
Check out these WordPress hosting options from Bluehost. Prices listed are based on 1 year of hosting paid up front. Bigger discounts are applied when you purchase 3 years of hosting up front. Contact me if you have any questions, or feel free to ask a question in the comments.
All plans come with free basic email, malware scanner, 24/7 chat & phone support, and more. Visit HostGator for more details.
Get Your Blog Online
Get your blog online. Select a WordPress blog host and install WordPress through your hosting provider’s control panel. For this tutorial, we are using BlueHost and HostGator.
Customize Your Blog
Customize your blog. Choose from thousands of free WordPress themes or you may decide to buy a premium WordPress theme. I am a big fan of Elementor Pro Page Builder because it has an easy drag-and-drop interface that helps you build beautiful page layouts in WordPress in a matter of minutes. Elementor Pro also offers WordPress blog hosting for maximum speed and efficiency. I’d recommend using the Elementor ProHosting package if you’re planning on building your pages with Elementor.
I like Elementor because it comes with hundreds of customizable options. If you are a fan of Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Dreamweaver, you will absolutely love Elementor Pro.
This Blog is Built With Elementor Pro – Elementor is a WordPress plugin that allows you to highly customize your pages. This is a great option if you are an intermediate user and are looking to highly customize your blog with an easy drag-and-drop interface (similar to Cavana).
Write & Publish Your First Post
Write & publish your first post. Your job as a blogger is to educate, entertain, inspire, or persuade your audience and build a fan base. You are blogging to help your reader solve a problem they are having, and you’re happy to do so.
Click here for 30 starter blog posts to help you get started.
Monetize Your Blog Content
Monetize your content with affiliate marketing, digital downloads, subscriptions, ad revenue, and more.
Promote Your Blog
Promote your blog – Promoting your blog is a must-do, if you’re looking to monetize your content. Check out these different ways of promoting your new blog.
Email Marketing – One great way to promote your new blog is by starting an email marketing list.
Starting an email newsletter is a fun and creative way to offer discounts and promotions to your fan base. Write content that will help them solve their problems and give them the solutions they were searching for, and you’ll be driving new sales in no time.
I
highly recommend Aweber for email marketing, as it is highly integrate with WordPress blogs. A great way to get readers to opt-in to your mailing list is by offering a free download, discount, or document. You’ll find putting a newsletter on evergreen launch is one of the smartest moves you can make when it comes to internet marketing and your blog.
Remember to Provide your reader with value, and you’ll gain a lifetime customer.
Search Engine Optimization – Learn how to use keywords and do keyword research BEFORE writing your content. Search Engine Optimization is the key to making the money flow. Remember to add plenty of images with descriptions to help boost your SEO!
Social Media – X.com, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, & tons of other social media sites are great places to share your web link. Develop a cult like following on social media to reach the dream – unlimited passive income.
Print – Get business cards or flyers and pass them out locally to gain momentum. VistaPrint has all of your printing needs, and have great value.
Most importantly, remember to have fun with your new WordPress blog! Happy blogging!
FAQ
What is a blog?
A blog is a type of online publication that is updated regularly. Blogs can be both personal and professional. Think of it like your own personal online magazine; a place where you create the content and establish your reader base. The website you are visiting now is a WordPress blog using the Hello Elementor theme and Elementor Pro Plugin.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a free open-source content management system that is used by nearly 40% of all websites on Earth. It’s free, easy to use, and has a worldwide online community.
How do you make money blogging?
There are several different ways you can make money blogging.
- affiliate marketing
- online courses
- ad revenue
- memberships
- digital downloads
Where can I find somebody to help me with WordPress?
Joining and posting a job to upwork.com is a great place to find qualified canidates. Just tell them how you want your blog set up, and they can build an easy to use template for your blog posts.
You are also more than welcome to contact me.
Do people still use WordPress in 2026?
Yes, it’s estimated somewhere between 41% – 60% of the blogging market uses WordPress. You will find WordPress to have a very active ecosystem, and it has become the go-to for online publishing.
Who are the best WordPress webhosts?
Bluehost has affordable pricing and is everything a webhost should be.