This may have been the case ten, even twenty, years ago but it’s nothing close to that today. Below, is my step by step guide on how to start a WordPress blog within a ridiculously short amount of time– 15 minutes.
If you want to make sure you don’t skip a few steps when you launch your blog, you can use my Bold Blogger Launch Checklist. I broke down the checklist into steps and let you know how much time is needed for each step. So you can schedule it to your planner and know exactly how much time you need to commit to it. Click the button below to download.
If you have any questions about blogging, I have a Facebook group you can join so we can chat about it. Click here to join!
I hope this video was helpful. Let me know if you’re thinking about starting a WordPress blog.
Why WordPress is the Best Platform to Start a Blog
Before I get started on the tutorial, I first want to clear out a few things about why you should choose WordPress to start a blog (just in case you’re not sure if WordPress is platform you want to go with):
- Its simple layout is easy to use and navigate to create blog posts and pages
- You get to own your domain name (yourblog.com)
- Not only is your domain purely your blog name, but it’s also not mixed with the name of a website builder like Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, etc. (yourblog.blogspot.com)
- It’s shorter and much easier to remember
- It’s professional and builds credibility because you opted to invest in your blog
- You also get your own email like yourname@yourblog.com
- It ranks higher in Google and it’s SEO-friendly (majority of free website builders aren’t SEO-friendly)
- You can be sure to much higher traffic than a free website builder
- Many huge companies use WordPress as well like The New Yorker and Variety
- If these big names trust and use WordPress, you can be sure to trust and use it too
How much does it cost to create a WordPress blog
If you’re wondering how much it costs to create a WordPress blog, it will cost you $3.95/month with a website hosting service like Bluehost. There are many website hosting services to choose from but I’ve used Bluehost for years and highly recommend them. Here’s why–
Why you should choose Bluehost to start a WordPress blog
- Their Basic plan is affordable & perfect for bloggers
- It comes with a free domain for 1 year (usually an additional cost)
- They have a 1-click WordPress installation
- Which is exactly how you can create a WordPress blog in 15 minutes
- They have 24/7 support if you have questions or need handholding to start your website
- I’ve personally had many handholding experiences with their 24/7 support because I was such a newbie!
- There’s nothing to lose– If you’re not happy with it or you change your mind, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee
- But there’s plenty to gain!– A free website won’t cost you money but a WordPress website will make you money. Start your self-hosted WordPress with Bluehost here.
A free website won’t cost you money but a self-hosted website will definitely make you money
Along with the professionalism and credibility of a .com address, most affiliate & ad programs require a self-hosted website before you can use their affiliate links or post their ads. And with getting much more traffic to your blog, you’ll have much further reach to collaborate with brands and get paid. Your blog will basically pay for itself in a few months!
How to Start a WordPress Blog in 15 Minutes or Less
Alright, now that I’ve mentioned a few of those things, let’s get started with the walkthrough!
Step #1 Head over to Bluehost.com and click “Get Started”
On the homepage, Select “Get Started.”
Step #2 Select the Basic Plan
If you feel like the other plans would be a better fit for you by all means, choose any of those plans.
But if you’re a first-timer, beginner or have no idea what the extra stuff means, don’t worry about it– everything you need is in the Basic plan. I use the Basic Plan too.
#3 Under “Create a new domain,” type in the name of your blog.
You can skip this step if you don’t have a name for your blog yet but if you have one, I say register it now on the off-chance someone else takes it.
And if you don’t know how to choose your blog name, read this article I wrote and scroll down to “Come up with a blog name.”
#4 Create your account
#6 complete your registration
How much to pay upfront for each basic plan
From here, you’ll also find other Basic plans depending on how long you want hosting for your blog. In case you need to know, here are the price points for how much you pay upfront depending on which Basic Plan you choose:
- $5.95/month for 12 months = $71.40
- $4.95/month for 24 months = $118.80
- $3.65/month for 36 months = $142.20
It’s obviously cheaper upfront to go with $5.95/month for 12 months but it’s only $71 more to host your WordPress blog for 24 more months. I think it’s amazing that it only costs less than a couple hundred dollars to start your business or if you already have one, to uplevel it.
I recommend you start with the 36-month plan because these are only introductory rates meaning if you decide to renew your blog after 12, 24 or 36 months, you go back to the actual rate of the Basic Plan which is $7.99/month. So you may as well make the most of the introductory rate for as long as you can.
In the long run, you’ll end up saving money if you go with the 36-month plan. And like I mentioned, as long as you put in the work, your blog will pay for itself in a few months.
If you’re wondering how to start a blog and make money right away, I have a 10-Day Successful Blog Guide that will teach you how to do that. It’s a free email course to jumpstart your blog.
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE 10-DAY SUCCESSFUL BLOG GUIDE
A step-by-step guide on how to start a blog and make money. Learn how to create your killer brand, create a beautiful website with no experience, write blog posts people WANT to read and more. It’s an entire blogging system that I simplified down to the most important aspects for you to start your blog minus the overwhelm– for FREE!
#7 Go to “Marketplace” on the left and select “Add Website”
Now that you’ve completed your registration and registered your domain. It’s time to install WordPress to your domain. Select “Add Website” under the “Marketplace” tab on the left.
#8 Write your Site name and Site Tagline
Your Site Name should be the name of your blog and your tagline can be anything. I like to keep it simple by filling it in with the niche of my blog for SEO purposes.
#9 From the drop-down list, select the domain you registered with
#10 You’ve successfully installed WordPress! Select “Login to WordPress” to go to WordPress
Be sure to make note of your username and password under Installation Details. You’ll need that to log in to WordPress. The website you log in at is under Admin.
Congratulations! You’ve just created a WordPress blog and you can now publish blog posts
A brand-spankin’-new WordPress! All done in under 15 minutes. Look at ‘chu. So easy right?
Where to get started on the wordpress dashboard
Here are 3 important tabs to get started when you look at the WordPress Dashboard:
- Posts – this is where you write and publish blog posts
- Pages – this is where you create important pages like an About Me page, Contact Me page, Work with Me page, Privacy Policy, etc.
- Appearance – this is where you upload WordPress themes to customize your blog (you can find great WordPress themes on Themeforest)
Now onto the next steps
I get that you’re starting a new blog and you might be coming across a few other questions like how to write a blog post, how to direct traffic to your blog, how to grow a following and maybe even how to make money blogging.
If that’s you, you might be interested in my free email course where I teach you how to start a successful blog in 10 days. My students have already shown results and launched their blogs right after completing the course! And I know the same can happen for you too. Click here or the button below for more info on my 10-Day Successful Blog Guide!
CONCLUSION
And that’s it! Let me know if this post was helpful to you! Feel free to drop any questions in the comments and I will get right back to you. I would really love it if you shared this post with a friend if you found it helpful.
P.S. I’ve also got a Facebook group for you to join where I’d love to chat with you and answer your questions! Click here to join.
Wow, thanks Jojo for this wonderful tutorial. I have followed it and have been able to setup my blog. Your tutorial was so easy to read and understand, I found it very helpful. Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad to hear that! you’re welcome Karen
Hey Jojo, love your info s on this . By the way, this method of creating a blog is considered wordpress.org right?
Yes! WordPress.com is the free version of WordPress
I quite like reading a post that can make men and women think.
Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
I’ve always wanted to create a blog but I’m to shy and I feel like I’n not capable and my english is not that good. Thank you for inspiring me thru this blog?
Thanks a lot! Your blog is really helping me star my own blog. You rock!!
Thank you Chisom 🙂