Day 1: Getting Started 

Do you want to start a blog but are feeling overwhelmed with where to begin? You shouldn’t be. By the end of today’s challenge, you will have your own website up so you can hit the ground running. Then, over the next seven days, I will show you how to set up and market your blog so you have the best chance of success. I’ll also go over how to write a post, how to make money with your blog, how to set up your email list, and more! Finally, I will show you how I run my entire blog in my spare time, even as a busy single mom. Ok, let’s get started. 

Today is all about taking that big leap of faith and getting your blog set up. It shouldn’t take more than a half-hour to an hour to set up but feel free to take as long as you need. 

[This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a commission.]

Here Is What You Will Need

The secret to starting a blog that you can run in a few hours a week is having the right tools! Here is what I use (and yes, most are free!):

• A domain and website. I recommend Siteground because it offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and it starts at just $2.99 a month! Check it out here.
• An email list. An email list is essential for mom bloggers who don’t want to wait for Google SEO to kick in. You can build an email list in AWeber for free and email your subscribers every time you post. Check it out here.
• Tailwinds. This is a social media scheduling app. As a blogger, I also use Tailwinds because of its Tailwinds Pinterest communities, which allow you to share your pins with other pinners and grow your audience faster. It also has free and paid plans. Check it out here.
• ManyChat. ManyChat is an absolute (and free to get started) game-changer for moms who promote their blogs on social media because it will send people right to your email list sign-up page if they comment on a certain word on your social media posts. Check it out here.

Want to see everything I use as a work-at-home mom? Check out my toolbox here! Ready to get started? Let’s do it.

Step 1: Choose a Topic

If you have been interested in blogging for some time, you may have heard about “niches.” Basically, this is what you are going to talk about as a blogger. It can be as narrow or broad as you want it to be, but you may want to keep it pretty narrow at first. I write about work-at-home jobs for moms, and I tend to focus on work-at-home businesses and freelancing because that is what I am passionate about. 

Some of the Best Niches Include:

• Make money
• Parenting
• Fitness
• Makeup & Beauty
• Books
• Pets
• Travel
• Crafting

Before deciding on a niche, take a few minutes to jot down some ideas for monetizing your blog. This will give you an idea of if your niche is right for you. Any niche can be profitable, but it has to make sense for you. Both affiliate marketing and creating your own product can make you an unlimited amount of money, so it doesn’t matter which you choose. 

Step 2: Choose a Name for Your Blog

Once you have a niche, it’s time to name your blog. This is probably the most important step because once you choose the name for your blog, it will also become your URL. You can either choose your first and last name or a name related to your niche. Just be sure to keep it simple so it’s easy to remember.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Website

Ok, in order to have a blog, you will need a URL and a company to host your website. I recommend using Siteground because it is affordable and allows you to create your blog using WordPress. WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems because its websites load quickly, are easy to navigate, and can be customized to anything you like. For a limited time, you can get your Siteground plan for as little as $2.99 a month using this link! If you are ready to get started, click here to choose your plan and continue reading to find out how to set up your website. 

1-Pick Your Plan

First, you will need to choose a plan. Siteground has several to choose from, but you will probably be fine with the StartUp plan if you are just getting started.

2-Choose Your Domain

Make sure you spell your domain name correctly because you can’t change it once it’s chosen. Unfortunately, the domain name you want might not be available. (Great minds think alike!) If that’s the case, you’ll have to change it a bit. You can try adding a different TLD (that’s like a .com, .org, .net, etc.), but it’s probably better to just tweak the name you plan on using so no one gets confused. 

3-Checkout and Log In

After you choose a URL, all you have to do is checkout. Once you complete the transaction, you’ll get a confirmation screen and be redirected to a sign-in screen where you can create a password. Then, you can log into WordPress and start setting up your website.

Congratulations! You have a website!!!

Now, it’s time to get your website or blog set up. To do that, look for tomorrow’s lesson in your inbox or check it out here! Want to learn even more great reasons to start a blog? Check it out here!