How to Start a Successful Blog for Absolute Beginners?

So you’ve been passionate about starting a blog? If so, then you’re in the optimal place. I will not only show you how to start a successful blog but also I will walk you through the same exact strategy I followed to optimize my blog and make it profitable.

This blog post is 3,467 words with detailed information and screenshots to help you getting started right today.

I make hundreds of dollars each month out of this blog. And I seriously want to help you out making even thousands just from home.

Yeah!

I know you’ve heard things like making money online is not real, it’s a complete scam. And some other things like the 9-5 office job is how to make money.

Start a Blog and Make Money:

I feel you. Although you’ve been hearing such words, you’ve been so passionate about blogging and knew deep inside how true it is. It’s your chance to prove them wrong and learn how to start a successful blog.

Although those people may be parents, friends, and family members with great life experiences, I’m sorry to shock you with the fact that we’re in 2016. And here, I believe we’re better experienced than them.

I will not sell you out and say it’s completely passive, and you can make money right after starting a blog without even moving a toe. No! I will be so honest with you. Although the blogging business is so real and has a huge upside potential for profits, It still requires hard work and time to see satisfying results.

This detailed guide is not only about how to start a successful blog. I will show how to get started along with step-by-step tips for starting any blog in any niche and making it profitable.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up. Thanks for your support.

How to Start a Successful Blog?

Okay, I promised you, to be honest. And here I want to shock you with the fact that there are around 200,000 blogs being started each day. This is a vast number and you may struggle to a find a room for yourself.

It’s the same case about starting a fashion, travel, music, or sports blogs. All the niches are actually filled up with tons of blogs and websites covering the same topics you may think about. The competition is very high, and it’s hard to get noticed.

Bad news, I know! But the great news is that 95% of those blogs are just crappy and really suck. If you’re serious about blogging and committed to it for a nice period of time, you will see amazing results in return. This is how to start a successful blog that makes real difference!

This is your chance to make something amazing, awesome, and so special. You’ve no choices but to be a smart, collaborative, and a hard worker. If you’re not ready to do so, then this guide is not for you and you may stop reading here.

This guide is exactly for you if you’ve been so passionate about how to start a successful blog that could turn into a full-time profitable career one day. Let’s nail it down:

How to Start Blogging?

So, you decide to continue reading?

I’m so happy for you because this means that you’re fighting your comfort zone and beating it. Now here, we’re getting our hands dirty into how to start a successful blog.

Remember, although the headline is centered on how to start a successful blog, this guide will work for your blog in any niche. The lifestyle blogging is just an example, and the steps here are so applicable on any other niche as well.

1. Get Web Host and Domain Name:

This is the very first step you need on how to start a successful blog.

Web Host is the space where you’re going to host your blog files, images, and database.

Domain Name is the web address via which people can reach your website (eg; myname.com).

Please do not go for WordPress.com, Tumblr, Blogger, Wix, SquareSpace or any of those pre-built platforms. If you’re serious about growing a profitable blogging career, then you need a premium web host and a domain name.

Let me give you a couple of reasons why such platforms are not the best bet for you:

1. You don’t own your blog files and you don’t have access to them.
2. You can’t extensively customize your blog look the way you want.
3. Brands will see you as a hobby blogger & most likely won’t prefer to work with you.
4. You’re limited by the platform policies about things like affiliates and ads.
5. You’re restricted by the platform features & may not be able to add epic ideas.
6. In a way or another, you’ll make the switch one day.

I talked in a previous post about how important it is to look as legit as possible. And getting yourself a web host and a domain name is a huge part of the process to build your brand and be legit. Brands will trust you and will love to work with you.

2. Find out how you’ll be different:

I told you how competitive the market is. I gave you a little feel of how noisy and crowded it is. You will struggle to be noticed. Here it’s very important to think and figure out how you’ll be different before starting your blog.

You don’t want to just start a blog, being so passionate about for a week or two, then ignore and abandon for months or weeks.We’re here after how to start a successful blog only!

I passed by a similar situation with this blog. I started it, and have been so productive and passionate about for a few weeks. I thought like I will make millions right from my couch. I didn’t make millions, so I simply abandoned the blog for a year or so.

Recently, I reconsidered my blogging opportunities and restarted to focus on this blog once more. Let me surprise you that it worked from day one, and I made my first dollar from this blog in my very first month of a serious blogging.

Invite yourself for a cup of coffee, load up the music, and think seriously about how you will stand out among the crowd. It’s very important to consider before going any further. You need to decide what you will be writing about, and how you will be different.

3. Don’t type in five minutes & hit publish:

Let’s assume your blog is up and running at that point. Please, Please, Please do not just type a quick post in a few minutes then hit publish. This is not considered a serious blogging. Because this way, you’re just building up another crappy blog which won’t ever be successful.

Blogging is a hard business. Make sure you’re not just writing up but willing to deliver a passion to your readers. Try as hard as you can to come up with a brilliant idea for your upcoming post. I may spend a whole day or two writing up and publishing a new post.

Forget about the quantity here, it’s not at all about how many published posts you got on your blog. It’s about the quality of your posts and how genuine they’re. I would say one quality detailed post is way better than 50 short quick crappy posts. This is exactly how to start a successful blog.

4. Promote, and Promote:

Yes. My advice here for you is if you’re going to spend 20% of your time writing content, then spend 80% of your time promoting your content.

I would say start with publishing like 4 quality detailed blog posts that you’re seriously proud of. Then spend a month just promoting those posts and nothing else.

In order to grow your blog and turn it into a profitable business, you need to network and promote your content extensively.

You need to reach a new segment of readers every single day. Networking with other successful bloggers and influencers may dramatically increase your readers and blog subscribers.

You may consider being active on social media channels such as Pinterest, Facebook, and Google+. I myself found these platforms to be a huge mine for traffic. Digg them carefully, and I’m sure you will get well noticed in a short period of time.

WordPress.com, Tumblr,
Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly.
They look awesome, Why not to use them?

I mentioned above six reasons why it’s very unprofessional to start your blog on such platforms especially if you’re serious about your blogging career. Furthermore, I will walk with you step by step on how to start a successful blog that doesn’t look cheap or unprofessional.

I see what you see. WordPress.com, Tumblr, and Blogger are free platforms and very easy to use. Some others like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly are even paid and more professional.

Why should I pay for a self-hosted blog and get soaked into technical details I don’t understand about? I need to start a free blog first.

How to Start a Free Blog?

You’re totally right, and I agree with you.

This works great if you’re up to starting a personal hobby blog which you’re not serious about or looking forward to committing with.  But if you’re up to starting a successful blog which will eventually turn into a profitable business, then sorry these platforms won’t work.

Do not expect much from such platforms. They will help you to get a good web presence but with limited features and less potential for growth. Exactly like real estate, your self-hosted blog is considered to be your ultimate asset.

Your blog is the place where you will publish posts about your projects. It will be your microphone to tell the world about your experiences. In addition, it will be your own little corner on the internet via which people and brands will get to know about you.

Your Blog = Your Asset:

See? This is a damn important growing asset.

Why to just throw it away on other’s hands with some other company’s name in it? Eventually, when you scale up your blog and grow, your blog will weigh your personal net worth.

Although I’m all the way with budgeting and encouraging you to do so too, getting a web host and a domain name for your blog is very necessary or let me tell you a fundamental.

I told you that I will be so honest here. And as a part of this honesty, I want to share a secret tip with you. Most of those who started onto such blogging platforms figured this tip out one day. The tip is that even if you decided to go with one of these blogging platforms, you will make the switch one day in the future.

And since we agreed that you’ll be smart about it, do it right from the beginning. Believe me; it’s a real headache to go over a painful migration to your self-hosted blog later in the future. Make up a nice starting point that works for you up for a long-term forward.

Hmm, I’m convinced.
But a self-hosted blog is complicated, Isn’t it?

Nope! It’s very easy and you can accomplish it up over the next few minutes. Let me guide you along the way and help you out on how to start a successful blog

Self-hosted? Then BlueHost is your ultimate web hosting choice. They’re into business for a quite long time and empowering millions of other websites and blogs on the internet. They offer a high-quality service for the price of your Starbucks cup of coffee per month.

Yup! It’s that cheap and comes up with a free domain name of your choice (worth $15). BlueHost gave our readers a very special discount rate $3.45 per month instead of $7.99. Make sure to use our link here as the 40% discount coupon is added in the link.

Before showing you how it works and how to get your web host and domain name, let me give you a couple of more reasons on why I strongly recommend BlueHost to get started with:

1. They provide a FREE domain name (worth $15/year).
2. Their price is very competitive – $3.45 per month.
3. They’re always available 24/7 to help you out.
4. Over $150 USD advertising credit on Google, Yahoo, Bing.
5. It is the host I initially used when I started up my blogging career 6 years ago.
6. It has been the most prescribed web hosting provider for nearly 10 years.

Now that you got to know why BlueHost and ready to start your blog? Let me show you how it works:

How to Create a Blog on BlueHost?

The first thing to do now is to go over to BlueHost website here and click “Get Started Now”.

Then, it will then ask you to choose your web hosting package.

I would recommend that you select the basic plan. It offers a very good value, and as a newbie blogger, You won’t need the plus or pro packages until you grow your blog and get more regular readers.

Now you’ve selected your plan, you’ll be then asked to choose your new domain name. Here is the most interesting part of the process.

I would recommend that you play up with names and find out what’s available. If you’re up to building a personal brand, then you may go with your first and last name as the domain name ( ex; JohnChris.com ).

Once you find an interesting domain name you’re satisfied with, click “Next” button.

Here, It will ask you to put in your information like Name, Address, Email to create your account.

Then it will ask you to choose your package information and add-ons. If you’re just starting up and worried about the investment, I would strongly recommend that you go with the Basic 12 month at the beginning. If you’re okay with the pre-investment, then it’s better to go with Basic 36 month to get a better discount rate.

IMPORTANT TIP HERE: Also, I see that you don’t need any of Domain Privacy Protection, Site Backup Pro, or SiteLock Security at the beginning. I suggest that you start your blog as it is and upgrade your package as you grow your blog on the way.

So if you choose the Basic 12 month, and uncheck Domain Privacy Protection, Site Backup Pro, and SiteLock Security, your package will be for $65.45 with a free domain name. 

After that scroll down. It will ask you to put in your payment information to finalize your order.

At this point, You will receive a confirmation email from BlueHost along with all the necessary login information for your web hosting account and domain name.

You’re all set up and ready to install and configure your WordPress blog. Woohoo! 

Now, you’ve logged into your BlueHost account (login at https://my.bluehost.com) and see this screen:

Scroll down to the ‘Website Builders’ tab and click on ‘Install WordPress’. See the snapshot below:

You’ll be referred to the next page where it asks you to confirm installing WordPress. Click the green ‘Install’ button to start installing WordPress onto your site.

Afterward Choose your domain name you want to install it onto. Then, click on ‘Advanced Options’ to choose and customize a username and a password for your WordPress blog. After you finish, Click ‘Install’ and you’re done!

Congratulations,
You now do have an online presence!

To login to your WordPress admin dashboard, you’ll need to go to the following URL in the browser:

http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin

It will then ask you for your username and password to log in. Once logged in, it will take you to your website admin panel where you’ll be able to manage your website pages and look.

I just started my blog, Now what?

Congratulations! You’ve just started up your brand new baby blog. I feel what you feel now. You’re so excited, powerful, with a huge energy to start blogging. You can’t wait to publish your first blog post and tell the world hey, I’m right here.

Recommended Reading: 13 Important Things To Do After Installing WordPress

That’s totally healthy and shows you’ve got the passion for it. Remember what I told you a few minutes ago? It’s not about blogging, it’s all about you. Make sure you’re building something that’s so different than many other crappy blogs. Make sure it’s you.

Now, let me tell you how to start a successful blog that is totally different than many of other online blogs:

1. Your Face:

I find it really boring reading a post written by an unknown person. It’s not healthy if you’re serious about building a blogging career and accordingly a personal brand. Make sure you put your picture up there and tell the world here I’m.

2. Your Story:

You’re the main person behind your blog. You’re the main actor. Thus, write about yourself, your story, and why you’ve just started a blog. It’s crucial to write a detailed informational “About” page highlighting your background, your story, and what you’re doing over there.

If I liked a blog post or a writing up on any website, the first thing I tend to do right away is to head over the “About” page. I want to see who is the writer, what’s his story, and how he his delving deeper into the world.

You too need to feature yourself like this. It’s your own place, so make it stunning!

3. Your Contacts:

Many newbie bloggers just miss this part out. They may think it’s not important due to a strong belief of who is going to contact me while I’m just a beginner. This is wrong.

Right from the beginning, you need to make a “Contact” page and give your readers a couple of different ways to be able to contact you. A simple contact form linked with your email address will be a perfect add-on.

4. See Competitors:

Here is a big part of the process. Once you define your niche and find out what you’ll be blogging about, you need to make a list of competitors. Keep a closer eye on what they’re doing on their blogs. You need to keep track in order to come up with different ideas.

So since you just started up your lifestyle blog, Make sure to spend an hour or so digging the internet and listing up a couple of competitors. This way you will be always focused, inspired, and energized about your baby blog.

Furthermore, you will be doing your best to come up with better ideas, and write up darn great blog posts. It’s very okay to copy them and then be better, unique, and different. This way you will get to learn a lot in a short period of time.

5. Professional Photos:

It will make a huge difference on your blog. I’m one of those who may just leave the site right away if images are poor and of low-quality. This is another way to stand out from the crowd. Make sure to use professional photos, and do not every compromise on quality.

6. Evergreen Content:

Another tip I got to learn from the blogging masters out there. Make sure to focus on the evergreen content. Evergreen means the content which stays active not only for a week or two but forever. It will work for you all the time.

For example, a blog post about this week’s music festival event is not considered to be an evergreen content; however, another blog post about how to start a music blog and make it famous is an ultimate evergreen content. It will forever work for you regardless how many years have been passed after publishing it for the first time.

And here you get to know a little about how blogging passive income works. It’s all about publishing a long detailed article that works for you years and years after.

Conclusion:

This post has been 3,467 words till right here. I made sure to be so honest and walking you through every single detail you need to know about how to start a successful blog. I also went over why it’s strictly recommended to go self-hosted with a web host and a domain name.

I helped you to figure things out and get to know how it overall works. Assuming you followed the above steps and just started your blog, I need you now to spend some time with yourself drawing and painting a roadmap for the upcoming six months.

Put in goals, and define targets for each of the next few months. Blogging is a great way to maintain and grow a self-discipline. Make sure to keep being on track by road-mapping your way to success.

Another idea, If you feel okay about it, you may think about writing up a monthly income and traffic report on your blog (check mine here).

Not only will it make you committed to your blog and willing to do more and more for it, but also it will bring you a good amount of traffic as people would love to hear how you’re turning your blog into a business.

It was a long read, so thank you so much for sticking to it till here.

Oh, and I would really appreciate if you share this post with your friends who may find it useful on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. Thanks for your support!