How to Start a Blog

I started my blog less than three months ago, but I am already getting questions about how it’s done. There are a lot more experienced bloggers that offer free online courses that can teach you how, so here I am just going to explain my process for starting mine.

Step 1 – Take your time figuring out your niche

First of all, I had some exceptional teachers. I took Heather and Pete Reese’s Start a Money Making Blog 5-Day Crash Course. However, I took much longer than the five days that they recommended. In fact, it took me exactly a year and a half just to complete the first day’s lesson, which was picking a niche. I knew what I was an expert in, but they smartly advise that since blogging involves a lot of time and effort, choose something you are passionate about. I am so thankful I took my time to think about this before diving in. Otherwise this would be a blog giving parents tips to help their children with reading. Creating content about reading strategies is valuable but would not have been something I would look forward to spending hours on each day. Think about what you most like to do in your free time to discover your niche.

For each of the following steps, you will have to always ask yourself, “Which one?”

Which domain name should I pick?

Which theme should I choose?

Which logo design (and even designer) should I go with?

And all three of these individual, isolated decisions have to come together to accurately convey your blog’s topic. It is very difficult. The course I took came with membership in a Facebook group where we could get input. I opted not to utilize the group for this purpose because I did not want to have additional opinions to weigh besides my own. Instead, I prayed for wisdom to help make each decision and trusted that I was being helped. Prayer is very effective and necessary because there are so many unknowns: you will not know what domain names are available; what theme choices you will have; or what your logo options will look like, yet you will have to make them all work together.

Step 2 – Keep an open mind for a domain name

Choosing a domain name can be frustrating. Do not have your heart set on one. I decided exactly what I wanted my blog to be about until the domain name that I wanted was taken. I had to choose something different, and so I had to tweak my blog topic to match. It was a blessing because it broadened the focus of my blog.

Step 3 – Narrow your search for a theme

Deciding on a WordPress theme (or layout) for your blog is overwhelming because there are thousands and thousands to choose from. Narrow down the choices by searching for key words related to your blog’s theme. For example, since my blog is about women, I used terms such as “feminine” and “girly”.

Step 4 – Hire a Designer

Designing a logo was a tedious process. Thankfully, it didn’t matter because I hired a designer, but even that was a challenge because there are so many to choose from. I knew something was up when I could not scroll past mine. After I placed my design order with her, I learned what it was: the designer I chose happened to also be a Christian blogger with a similar theme. What a blessing that turned out to be! I had no idea what my logo should look like, none. Because of our similar backgrounds, she quickly created some designs for me after asking me what my blog would be about. There was a lot of back and forth, narrowing down the choices, and then refining the design. She was able to capture the essence of my blog, even with my flimsy description in about an hour. The next five days was me figuring out which one I liked best and making decisions about all of the little details I wanted included. For this reason, I highly recommend hiring a designer; these professionals really know what they are doing and do not charge much for the amazing work they do.

Step 5 – Prepare for traffic

Developing an audience includes setting up an email management account for creating and sending out your email campaigns and for keeping track of your lists of subscribers. What I wish I knew is that, by law, you need a physical address for your business, which is what a blog is, to send out emails. I recommend taking care of that beforehand. Fortunately, UPS offers Small Business Solutions; I signed up for a Business Mailbox through their Mailbox Services. There are other options, but regardless of which option you choose, you need a physical address before you can begin sending out emails.

Generating traffic also includes developing a social media strategy. One of the first things that I did, well before this step, was set up my creator account on Instagram, and my business accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and (even YouTube, to be on the safe side). I did this right after I purchased my domain name so that my branding would be consistent across all platforms. You will want all of this set up before launching your blog. Another thing I wish I knew to do right away was that I should file a DBA (or Doing Business As) to register my business’ name. I recommend doing that after choosing your domain name and setting up your social media account profile names to guarantee consistency.

Step 6 – Create categories as you go

Creating categories was a lot harder than I thought it would be. They really did not take shape until I began writing posts. Once I had posts written, I had a better understanding of the categories they would fit in. Thankfully, my instructors taught us to publish at least 10 posts before launching, so I was able to adjust category names before my blog went live. My recommendation then is to adjust your categories as needed. If you are not sure what your categories should be, writing some posts can help you get some clarity.

Step 7 – Make it Legal

In addition to the legal requirement of having a physical business address, you will need a privacy policy. I recommend paying to have this done to protect your business from any potential for liability. I had mine generated online by TermsFeed. You can also have a lawyer create one or create your own.

If you plan to monetize your blog, you will also have to have a Disclaimer drawn up. Again, I recommend paying to have that done to be sure you are complying with the Federal Trade Commission’s policies and with the policies of any Affiliate Programs you participate in. You will want this done before you publish any affiliate or sponsored posts. I had my Disclaimer generated by TermsFeed.

Blog Recommendations & Resources

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.  If you click and shop through them, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support this site so I can bring you more content like this post. Thank you for your support. Full disclosure here.

1. Choose a domain name and a host for your website. I use Bluehost. I went with the Choice Plus Web Hosting plan.
2. Use the same name to create your social media accounts.
3. Set up an address for your business and file a DBA to register the name. How to do that will vary by where you live, so Google it.
4. Set up your site and hire a designer. I used WordPress to set up my website; it comes with a Bluehost subscription. I set up an account with Fiverr to find my logo designer.
5. Write your privacy policy (and your disclaimer) or have it drawn up. I had mine done by TermsFeed.
6. Set up an email management account. I decided to go with MailChimp because it is compatible with my WordPress theme, but there are others.
7. Take a course from experienced bloggers. The experienced bloggers who taught me can be found at It’s a Lovely Life.

What do you think? Drop a comment and let me know.

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