How To Start A Blog (In Under 20 Minutes)

Want to make a living from home? Have you considered learning how to start a blog? It only takes 20 minutes and is a pretty low-risk venture.

So if are you interested in how to start a blog, you'll love this beginner's guide to starting a blog in under 20 minutes.

I'll go through the steps that will take you less than 20 minutes to complete the process. I use a WordPress site on BlueHost and it's really simple to set up even for beginners.

Bluehost

Start your blog with Bluehost and get your domain FREE + receive a 63% discount on monthly hosting fees when using our link.

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If you don't have time right now to set up your blog, you can sign up for my how to start a blog email course. It'll teach you how to start your own blog and make money in 7 days.

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Why You Should Start a Blog (Even If You're Not a Writer)

  • Make money while working from home. I started blogging at the beginning of 2016 and I can tell you first hand it is possible to make money online. So many bloggers do it as their full-time job! So why not give it a shot? I started this blog around 3 years ago and have put in hard work to get my site to where it is at today. I am still learning every day but it's really no risk at all and I enjoy doing it.
  • Get more exposure for your existing business. A blog gives anyone, from individuals, Instagram fitness models, YouTubers, entrepreneurs, startup companies, or even large companies, the ability to reach a large number of people at very little cost. It's really easy to get your message out to a lot of people!
  • Just write. Having to sit down once a day or a week (or at whatever frequency you do it) and write is an important skill. It forces you to learn the difficult lesson that some of the best things in life happen as a result of delayed gratification. Writing is one of those things, but there are others.

Do you see yourself in any of those? Can you see how you would benefit from a blog? Letโ€™s get you up and running.

Preface

The following steps outline exactly how I built my blog. This guide will help you get started with your blog in less than 20 minutes.

When youโ€™re done following these steps, youโ€™ll have your self-hosted WordPress site.

4 Easy Steps:

  1. Purchase hosting
  2. Choose a domain
  3. Install WordPress
  4. Start using WordPress

Discounts

PRO TIP: Get a free domain name with Bluehost โ€“ and the best possible price โ€“ through this promo link: https://www.bluehost.com/track/freesignupbluehost/

If you want to start a blog that makes money you are going to want to start one on Bluehost. Bluehost offers many advantages, including:

  • Extremely Affordable โ€“ by using my link you get hosting for just $2.95 per month, which is less than $36 a year.
  • Extremely Easy WordPress Installation โ€“ Bluehost has a โ€œone-clickโ€ WordPress installation
  • 24/7 Tech Support โ€“ Bluehost tech support is available 24/7 and has been outstanding every time Iโ€™ve used them
  • Attractive to Advertisers โ€“ having a self-hosted blog is attractive to advertisers and will make it easier to make money blogging
  • 30-Day Money Back Guarantee โ€“ if you cancel within 30 days you receive a full refund on your hosting service
  • Extended Money Back Guarantee โ€“ if you cancel after 30 days you receive a prorated refund for the remainder of your hosting term

As you can see there are a ton of benefits of using BlueHost to start your blog. With their money-back guarantee, there is very little risk of starting a blog through BlueHost, and so much potential for making money blogging. It's only $2.95, that's less than a coffee at Starbucks. You can probably forego one Starbucks run to create a profitable blog, right?

How To Start A Blog

So are you ready to create a profitable blog and make money like me?  If youโ€™re ready to take this exciting road and start your own money-making blog, check out the easy steps below.

How To Set Up Your WordPress Blog on Bluehost

how to start a blog

Step 1.  Click here to get:

(1) my special $2.95 pricing,

(2) a free domain name,

(3) free WordPress install,

(4) a 30-day money back guarantee

This is pretty straightforward.

Go to Bluehost and hit โ€˜Get Started now.โ€™

You're going want to get hosting for your blog/website. A host provides the server space for your site so others can find you on the internet.  There are free service hosting sites out there, but I highly recommend you go for self-hosting.  There are just too many issues if and when your site becomes popular with non self-hosted sites.  You should start out with a self-hosted site from the get-go.  You get what you pay for, and ultimately free isnโ€™t always free when it comes to time and aggravation. Youโ€™ll thank me later that you started out on the right platform.

How am I supposed to know any of these things, if Iโ€™m just starting out?

Thatโ€™s what this guide is for. You can leave the browser tab open in the background.

I recommend that you get yourself a free domain through Blue Host when you use my exclusive link. I can personally vouch for them as it is what I currently use to run this site and they have wonderful 24/7 customer service.

 

Start by heading over to BlueHost. So, click the green Get Started Now button.

how to start a blog

Step 2:  Select Your Plan

Choose the plan youโ€™d like to start with; you can upgrade at any time.  If youโ€™re confused as to what might be the best plan for you, give them a call to discuss your options.  When starting a new blog, I recommend the Plus plan because you get more unlimited features.

how to start a blog

Step 3:  Choose A Domain

Next, you need to select a domain name for your site. For example, my domain is https://www.beermoney.co

If you already own a domain name, you can enter it here.  Youโ€™ll have to go through a few extra steps to make sure you get your DNS pointed to Blue Host. If you donโ€™t already have a domain name, you can purchase one from the sign-up process. The best part โ€“ it comes free with your new hosting account when you use my link.

how to start a blog

Here are a few things to consider:

  • Go with a .com whenever possible
  • Make it easy to spell
  • Make it easy to say
  • Donโ€™t include hyphens, numbers, obscure terms or confusing string of words
  • When in doubt, use your name to start
  • Be creative

If youโ€™ve already registered a domain name elsewhere, enter it on the right.  This wonโ€™t mess up anything if youโ€™re using a domain already; this only identifies your account.

Click the blue Next button.

Step 4:  Enter Your Account Information

On the next page, youโ€™ll enter your contact information including your email address.  The email you provide is where information will be sent to you regarding the set up of your account and your login information.

how to start a blog

Step 5:  Choosing A Hosting Package

Choose which hosting package you want. Normal, shared hosting is priced at 12, 24 and 36-month terms. To help save you money, the longer term you purchase, the lower the monthly rate will be. By choosing a 36-month hosting term, you can get the great introductory rate of $3.95/month. Because youโ€™ve chosen to host with Blue Host, if you ever need more than a shared hosting account, Blue Host provides seamless upgrades to VPS or dedicated server hosting accounts from inside your control panel.  You can always call them to discuss your particular website hosting needs.

start a blog

Youโ€™ll see a bunch of options that you can include at your discretion.

Step 6: Enter Your Billing Information

Fill in your billing information, confirm that youโ€™ve read the fine print and then click Next.

how to start a blog

Step 7:  Upgrades โ€“ Don't bother

On the next page, youโ€™ll be asked if you want to add any upgrades. I did not bother with these.  Continue to complete your purchase. After completing your purchase, check your email. Youโ€™ll find a welcome email from Blue Host with your control panel (panel) login info. Keep this information for future reference.

Step 8:  Login To Your cPanel

Go back to Blue Host and click the Login button in the top right corner of your screen, or use the link to your cPanel contained in the welcome email.

how to to start a blog

Enter your cPanel login info from the welcome email.

Step 9:  Install WordPress

Once logged in, click the WordPress icon under Website Builders.

start a blog

Step 10:  Start The WordPress Installation

Next youโ€™ll get a window that looks like this. Click the Start or Install button to begin the WordPress installation process.

Step 11: Choose Where To Install WordPress

Choose your domain from the drop-down menu.

Step 12: Enter Your WordPress User Information

Check the box next to Show Advanced options. Enter your Site Name or Title (My Money Blog, My Fitness Blog, etc.) Choose an Admin Username (do not use โ€œadminโ€ as your username) and password. These will be what you use to login to WordPress once itโ€™s installed. Enter your email address,  read and agree to the terms and click the Install Now button.

start a blog

Step 13: Your WordPress Login Credentials

After WordPress has been installed, you should see the โ€œStatus: successโ€ indication.

This is the information to access your new WordPress site. This information will also be sent to you via email.

If you registered a new domain in Step 2, clicking on the Site URL link will take you to your brand new, live website. Clicking on the Login URL link will take you to the WordPress login page where you can enter your username and password and get into the back-end of your WordPress site.

(If you transferred a domain in Step 2, see Optional Step 14 below.)

All done!

You can now type your domain into a browser, and your WordPress site will appear.

Optional Step 14: If You Used An Existing Domain

Your existing domain will not display your new site until you change your name servers wherever your domain is currently registered. Changing your name servers points your domain to this new site.

IMPORTANT! As soon as you change your name servers, your domain will bring visitors to this new site. Therefore, if you are currently using your domain on another site, do not change your name servers until your new site is set up and ready to go.

This is called migration.  If you donโ€™t know how to migrate your site to Blue Host, they have a program where they can do it for you.  In the meantime, you can still access your new WordPress blog via a temporary URL. You may have received one in your welcome email from Blue Host. If you didnโ€™t, simply call them and let them know you need a temporary URL for your new site.

To change the name servers where your domain is currently registered, first note your new Blue Host name server information:

  • ns1.BlueHost.com
  • ns2.BlueHost.com

Next, go to the registrar where your existing domain is currently registered (GoDaddy, etc.). You will need to enter the above information in the appropriate place. This varies among registrars so give them a call to help you walk through the process.

Summary

Congratulations! You now have your very own self-hosted WordPress website. Next, you can select your theme and start building your blog!

how to start a blog

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian is the founder of BeerMoney.co and has tried every side hustle under the sun. He teaches people just like you how to make money with BeerMoney sites online and has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, Discover and more. He normally shares the latest money-making apps, videos, and topics for those who want to make money online.

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6 COMMENTS

    • Yes, you can make the switch later (however, itโ€™s a bit complicated for someone who is not tech savvy). If you are serious about blogging, I suggest you to go with self-hosted option right away.

  1. Great guide. Will def bookmark for later! I’ve been wanting to start my blog for a while now. Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. This is exactly what I needed! Thank you. Thinking of starting but donโ€™t want to tell peeps just yet, just in case it flops

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