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How To Start A Blog – Tips for a Beginner

Last Updated: March 18, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 186 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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How To Start A Blog - Tips for a Beginner

Today, you will learn all about easily creating a blog on your own. Blogging is what changed my life and allowed me to make thousands of dollars a month, all by doing something that I love. Plus, you can start a money-making blog for just a few dollars a month! Below, I have included discounted pricing that I personally negotiated with Bluehost so that all of you can start a blog for cheap. You will also receive a free blog domain through my link too. Act quick though because I’m not sure how long these low prices will last! 

Blogging has been one of the best things ever for me. As you can tell from my business income reports, I now make over $70,000 a month from my blogging-related services. I earned over $300,000 in 2015 through blogging and I am expecting to double my income in 2016.

I am able to work from home, I can travel whenever I want, I have a flexible schedule and more. I am absolutely loving life and I can’t believe how much my life has improved in just the past few years.

Anyone can make money with a blog, and I was able to make the money back that I paid for blog hosting very quickly. It is well worth it to pay for blog hosting and I’m sure you will be able to make your money back quickly as well.

First, you will need to head on over to Bluehost to do any of this. There are many web hosting companies out there, but Bluehost is honestly one of the best. There is a reason why many bloggers choose Bluehost for their web hosting needs.

If you plan on starting a blog on Bluehost and you are interested in learning how to start a blog on WordPress, continue below. Remember, if you sign up for Bluehost, but you are confused for any reason (such as how to set it up, picking a plan, pricing, etc.), you can always send me an email and I can help you out. That’s what I’m here for so don’t be afraid to send me an email.

Screen Shot 2016-08-19 at 10.56.19 AM

1. Register your domain name.

Click here to start the process.

The very first thing you will need to do when starting a WordPress blog on Bluehost is to think about what you want your domain name to be. This can be tough, and I would give some serious thought to this.

I don’t even remember how I came up with my blog name. It’s a long one though and at times I regret it. Trying to spell out my blog name to people who don’t know about it can get frustrating because they don’t know if I’m saying “cents” or “sense!”

You can get your domain directly through Bluehost and make the whole process very easy. If you do this, you can get a FREE domain for the first year as long as you buy 12 months worth of Bluehost web hosting. This makes it well worth it to sign up for at least 12 months of hosting as you will be saving a good amount of money this way. You also get a cheaper monthly price when you buy at least 12 months of hosting, so the free domain just makes it even better. If you decide to get the free domain, just continue to the next step as you can buy your hosting and get the free domain all in one step.

bluehost-plans

The “Basic” package is most likely all you will need.

bluehost-pricing

2. Buy hosting for your blog.

Setting up a WordPress blog on Bluehost is very easy. First, we will talk about the costs of blogging:

  • To receive the cheapest price to start a blog, then choosing the “Basic” plan is really all you need. It’s only $2.75 per month through my link (due upfront in full) if you sign up for 36 months. If you sign up for a 24 month plan, then the price is $3.95 per month. If you sign up for a 12 month plan, then the price is $4.95 per month. $4.95 is still extremely affordable and it’s a great plan to choose (especially since you get a free domain at this price still!). If you are unsure about blogging, I would sign up for the 12 month plan as this is still a great price and very affordable for one year of blogging. If you purchase a 12 month plan, your total price is only $59 a year, which is still a great price. Plus, you still receive the free domain name when you sign up for 12 months or more which saves you money.
  • The Basic plan is all you really need for now, so skip the Plus and Business Pro plans as they are more expensive. You can always change it later to a different plan if you want to (and just pay the difference), so there is no need to sign up for extra that you do not need.
  • The other item you may want to pay for when it comes to blogging is Domain Privacy Protection, which is only $0.99 per month. This is so that your contact information stays safe.
  • Other than the above, you do not need the other items that Bluehost sells, so I would uncheck any of the extras that are listed.
  • Remember, if you sign up using my link, then you will get your domain for free if you purchase a 12 month or longer blog hosting plan.

I want to reiterate why you should purchase at least a 12 month hosting plan. Month-to-month is less effective, and I highly recommend signing up for a minimum of 12 months for many reasons. By signing up for a minimum of 12 months, you will receive a free domain name, lower pricing, and you won’t have to deal with an expired website after each month. For example, if hosting is not renewed or if the card expires, then your website is down and you risk losing business (visitors/traffic) when you pay on a month-to-month basis. It’s also exceptionally more expensive to pay month-by-month rather than in one lump sum. The more years you sign up for, the less you pay.

Blog hosting will most likely cost you around $59 a year on average, or $99 for 3 years, which is a great deal! If you purchase a 12 month plan, your total price is only $59 a year, which is a great price.

When you are ready to create your blog, follow the steps below to buy hosting for your blog.

  1. Go to Bluehost and click the “Get Started Now” button.
  2. Click on the package you are interested in.
  3. Enter your domain name you registered with earlier, or sign up for a new domain name here.
  4. Enter your personal and payment information.
  5. Next you will be asked to enter a password. Make sure it’s secure as this information is very important.

3. Connect your domain and your hosting.

Note: You can skip this section (Section 3) if you buy your domain directly through Bluehost.

If you buy your domain through Go Daddy, then you will need to connect your domain to your hosting account. Go Daddy has a full support page for setting nameservers for your domain names. Below is a snippet:

“When you register a domain name with us, we set it up on our parked nameservers so a temporary page displays when visitors go to your website. After you determine which hosting provider to use, you can change your domain name’s nameservers to remove the parked page and activate your domain name.

If you registered your domain name with another provider, you can still purchase a hosting account with us, use our Off-site DNS services, or use our CashParking® or Quick Content services. If you do any of those, you must view your nameservers in your account with us, and then set the nameservers with your domain name registrar.”

How to modify your DNS Nameservers when you are using Go Daddy for your domain and Bluehost for your hosting:

  1. Log into the GoDaddy.com Account Manager.
  2. Select Manage Domains from the Domain Names drop-down menu or the Manage Your Account list.
  3. Select the domain name you wish to modify using the checkboxes and then click Set Name Servers.
  4. Enter your updated name server information in the spaces provided under the blue Name Servers heading on the right side of your page and click Save Changes at the bottom. Your entries should look like this: ns1.bluehost.com; ns2.bluehost.com.

You will then need to add the domain you bought (such as through GoDaddy) as an addon domain to your Bluehost web hosting. You can do this by clicking on “Domains” when logged into your Bluehost web hosting account and then clicking on “assign.” Follow the steps and it is very easy!

6 -cPanel

4. Install WordPress.

Okay, this is probably the step that all of you have been waiting for. If you want to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost then continue reading.

This part isn’t hard at all. Bluehost makes it very easy to create a WordPress blog and it is FREE.

  • When you are in your cPanel (you will receive a link to this in your welcome email from Bluehost), find and click on the image that says “One Click Install.”.
  • Then, click on the WordPress icon on the next page located under “Blogs.”
  • Click on the “Start” button. This will begin the installation.
  • Once in the installation process, you will have to decide which domain you will want to install WordPress on. Click the dropdown menu to the domain you plan on using.
  • Now, you will see “Advanced Options.” This is where you choose your username and password for your WordPress website. You should choose something secure. Don’t use “Admin” as your username. For my website, I receive many hackers each and every day and that is the number one username they use to try to hack my website. Instead, create a username that is a combination of different letters, numbers, and anything else you can use. You will want to check “Automatically create a new database for this installation” as well, unless you already have a different database (if you don’t know, then you probably do not).
  • Click “Install Now.”
  • Remember to save your username and password.

WOOHOO! You now have a WordPress blog. You will have to work on the design and producing high-quality content, of course. Good luck!

If you sign up for Bluehost, but you are confused for any reason (such as how to set it up, picking a plan, pricing, etc.), you can always send me an email and I can help you out. That’s what I’m here for so don’t be afraid to send me an email.

 

Some general tips for how to navigate WordPress:

  • To sign into your WordPress account, you will want to save the WordPress login information that you receive in a separate email. You will receive this email after you complete the steps in #4 above. This email will include your WordPress login URL (your URL is separate from everyone else’s and it’s the only way you can access your WordPress account), your username, and your password. You want to keep this email safe.
  • You can add and create new posts by clicking on “Posts” on the left-hand side when you are logged in. If you want to add a page, simply click on “Page.”
  • If you want to add an image, click on “Media” on the left-hand side.
  • You can go to “Appearance,” then “Widgets” in order to add items to your sidebar, footer, and so on.
  • If you are looking for a way to send newsletters or emails to your readers, I recommend AWeber.
  • If you are looking into the actual design of your blog, Genesis seems to always be the most popular. Genesis is used on my blog, and I highly recommend it. Or, there are free themes through WordPress you can use too. Just go to “Appearance” on the left-hand side when you are logged into your WordPress website and click on “Themes,” then activate whichever one you are interested in testing out. By doing this, you can start designing your website easily! Another option would be to buy a premade blog design, such as through Beautiful Dawn Designs. She provides great premade designs for just $39 and this is probably the easiest and quickest design option.
  • EDIT July, 2016: I recommend checking out my online course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I earn over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing and I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger (even if you’re a new blogger!), then you NEED this course.

Here are more blogging-related posts you should take a look at:

  • What is a blog?
  • Why You Should Start a Blog – So Many Positives!
  • Tips For Beginner Bloggers Part 1 – The Basics
  • How To Make Money Blogging
  • How To Become A Successful Staff Writer for Blogs
  • How To Promote Your Blog Through Networking
  • 9 Helpful Blogging Tips For New Bloggers
  • How 17 Bloggers Earned Their First Affiliate Income
  • What To Think About Before You Start A Blog
  • How To Start A Blog – Tips for a Beginner
  • Ways To Make Pennies, Hundreds or Thousands A Month By Blogging
  • How To Know If Freelance Blogging Is Right For You
  • How do I increase my affiliate income? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.
  • Do I need millions of page views a month in order to make money blogging? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.
  • How do you build websites up to sell them? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.
  • Do only celebrities make money through owning websites? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.
  • How much money can a person make blogging? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.
  • Where does blog income come from? – Scroll down to this section when you open this link.

Do you have a blog? Share your blogging mistakes as well! Hope you enjoyed my tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost.

Related Posts

  • How To Monetize A Blog: How I Grew A $5 Million BlogHow To Monetize A Blog: How I Grew A $5 Million Blog
  • 10 Best Reasons To Start A Blog in 2022 – Start Yours Now!10 Best Reasons To Start A Blog in 2022 – Start Yours Now!
  • 15+ Deals For Bloggers And Those Starting A Work From Home Business15+ Deals For Bloggers And Those Starting A Work From Home Business
  • How I’ve Made $80,000 Selling BlogsHow I’ve Made $80,000 Selling Blogs
  • How My Blog Made $59,977 in Affiliate Income In One YearHow My Blog Made $59,977 in Affiliate Income In One Year
  • 10+ Of The Best Free Blogging Resources10+ Of The Best Free Blogging Resources
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186 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Extra Income Tagged With: Blog, Extra Money

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Anna says

    July 27, 2013 at 8:36 am

    So i am trying to just get going with this blog now. However i have not yet thought of à good domain name to enter at blue host. is it possible to just white whatever and after done making the blog, which might take à while, change? Or Will this be difficult or cost money?

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    August 6, 2013 at 3:44 am

    So its me again….
    I’ve now Reached the bluehost step. I wonder how neccesary the add ons like site domain security etc. Are? Should you take all the extas or which ones are neccesary?
    Best regards
    Anna

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      August 6, 2013 at 1:22 pm

      Here are links that are helpful:

      http://www.websitebabble.com/web-hosting/25733-help-confused-about-bluehost-additional-hosting-bonuses.html

      http://www.bluehost-review.com/sitelock.php

      Reply
  3. MistyLee says

    August 14, 2013 at 4:53 am

    I am somewhat disheartened now. I am an expert in a field that people find very interesting. Due to health I had to retire and started teaching. Meantime I went to school studying a completely different field so that I could do consulting work instead of physical work. But sadly my health deteriorated to the point that teaching and consulting or basically any work whatsoever is not possible. When I talk about these subjects, people tell me I should start a blog. They seem to find the subjects and my delivery fascinating. So I would like to start blogging. But my research has me convinced it’s not going to be some cash cow. I don’t expect to be prolific or regular. I just want to know an easy way to get started but every single advice column/article/blog says “self host”. I don’t want to invest any measurable money or time into what will more than likely just be a hobby. But then again: you never know. Is it really so bad to start off using some sort of pre-fab blogging sight? And why? If I choose to do that, which one? Can I move the content in the future to my own web site or would they own it?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      August 14, 2013 at 11:56 am

      It’s not bad to start with a site such as free WordPress of Blogger. That way you can determine if blogging is right for you, with very minimal costs 🙂

      You could make the move later yourself or pay someone. It’s not too expensive to pay someone else.

      Reply
  4. Gary N. Diaz says

    September 12, 2013 at 8:37 am

    This is a great blueprint on how to get started blogging successfully. If they try these tips, they would find blogging to be fun.

    Reply
  5. Dennea Smith says

    October 30, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    You have posted some good information about starting a blog. I am starting a home baking business and would also love to blog. I am excited to know how to make some extra money doing it too. I spend lots of hours on the computer anyway. So I start with WordPress (domain) and Blue host for the website. I need a clear understanding.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 30, 2013 at 8:21 pm

      Thank you Dennea. And you can start with GoDaddy for the domain and BlueHost for the hosting.

      Reply
  6. FinancialTrotter says

    November 15, 2013 at 7:45 am

    Great post! I followed your step-by-step instructions, and wahla! My website is up. Thank you Michelle!

    First post: http://financialtrotter.com/about-me/

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      January 11, 2014 at 8:09 pm

      Welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jason W says

    January 11, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    Hi Michelle,

    I am working on starting a blog for my wife and myself as well. Also to do this as a side hustle. I have a couple of questions? Do you purchase the $25 a year through WordPress while registering through GoDaddy and get the hosting through BlueHost or HostGator? I was reading the blog post you have about How to start a blog for beginners and its very helpful. I’m just curious about those aspects so that I can:
    1. Budget correctly
    2. Know how to set prices for others I may have to do this for
    3. I love business development and this aspect of it!

    Also, could you use a template purchased from etsy.com for wordpress, would you know?

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      January 11, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      Hey Jason!

      I’ve never purchased a template through etsy.com, so I’m not sure how that works. I have seen that done for Bluehost, so I’m sure something similar could be done for WordPress.

      And what $25 per year are you referring to?

      Reply
  8. Ashley says

    January 21, 2014 at 6:08 pm

    Hi, I am very impressed by your website, and your sense of initiative. I

    Reply
  9. Ashley says

    January 21, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Hi, I am very impressed by your website, and your sense of initiative. I want to start my own blog, but I do not know the rules regarding citing fellow writers. If I research a topic, and decide that I would like to quote the author do I need the author’s permission, or can I simply cite the information like I would in a academic research paper?

    Reply
  10. Karel says

    January 26, 2014 at 1:07 am

    Thanks for this post. I recently started my own blog. This can help me.

    Reply
  11. CurareLeEmorroidi says

    February 3, 2014 at 9:56 am

    Great post!

    I wish to add just a think, a lot of web hosting agency add some additional service when you register a domain (for example SiteLock with BlueHost) which are free for the first months (or first year) and are non really necessary!
    If you don’t pay attentione you end up paying more for extra services than for the domain registration (it happened to me with my first site)

    Reply
  12. Michelle Li says

    August 11, 2014 at 9:58 am

    Congrats on the success of your blog and am a fan. Very creative and lots of good stuff!

    Reply
  13. Paul Pastrana says

    August 12, 2014 at 10:35 am

    Great tips, I actually used one of the few method in starting my blog.. But due to financial issues, my blog vanished into thin air. Can’t support for it anymore. Using wordpress back then though.

    Reply
  14. Libny says

    September 22, 2014 at 5:10 am

    Super newbie here! Recently purchased domain. Just wondering if anyone uses weebly.com for hosting. I’m confused about next step. WordPress and blue host?

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      September 22, 2014 at 10:24 am

      Hello Libny. Check out this post I wrote – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2014/08/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog-on-bluehost.html

      🙂

      Reply
  15. Libny says

    November 21, 2014 at 9:48 am

    Just wanted to take a moment to thank you! A few weeks ago I finally followed your steps and started my blog! Lots to learn still. Thanks so much for such detailed instructions 🙂

    Reply
  16. Nakisha Juarez says

    January 30, 2015 at 10:21 pm

    thankyou so much for this post. I’m about a week into blogging and to be honest I’m totally lost. This helped. I went with blue host and have just started trying to dive in. Thanks for the great post

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      January 30, 2015 at 10:26 pm

      Welcome 🙂

      Reply
  17. Thomas @ i need money ASAP! says

    February 6, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    I’ll put in a vote for Bluehost. They seem to get a bad rap sometimes but for the price its a great way to start blogging. While on my shared hosting plan I made over $4,000! I think I paid about $50 in hosting fees during that time. Now I’ve upgraded to a more expensive plan but Bluehost made that very easy as well 🙂

    Reply
  18. Samantha says

    February 12, 2015 at 2:40 am

    Thank you for all this great info, just a little overwhelmed at the moment! I have been wrestling with the whole blog idea for some time and have so many ideas that I have been keeping a blog idea notebook to have when I make the plunge! I currently have a site http://www.samssoothingsensations.com for soaps, lotions, bath salts etc, through godaddy.com for 3 years(that I paid upfront). Regretting such a long name and with a blog I would cover so many other topics, do you have any suggestions on where I can go from here?

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      February 12, 2015 at 10:48 am

      I think your website looks great. If you want to start a separate blog (I think that’s your question), then I highly recommend it! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Ashley says

    March 24, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    I’m currently and blogger but wanting to take my blogging more seriously and I don’t feel like blogger fits into that anymore. I would like to do more customization then blogger offers, I have looked at BlueHost and WordPress but the customization seems limited there too but I’m willing to give it a shot.

    Reply
  20. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says

    April 16, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Great tips! I started on Blogspot too and really wish I hadn’t. I went from Blogspot to self hosted and then changed my domain name, so it was really like a 3 step process. I wish I had started off where I am now, but to cut myself some slack I really had no idea what I wanted to do w my blog. I have GoDaddy now and haven’t had any problems, but I am wondering if I should switch to Bluehost preemptively since everyone has such great things to say about it!

    Reply
  21. Sara says

    April 30, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Hi there. I have never written a blog but I do keep a carepage for my daughter who was diagnosed with cancer last year and many people have told me that I should start a blog because they like my writing. Would you suggest that I just start a wordpress blog and see what happens?
    Thanks for the help!

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      April 30, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Yes, of course! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Lucas says

    May 2, 2015 at 10:33 am

    Hi Michelle, these are some good points. I guess one of the key things is that if one of the reasons someone started on a free platform like blogger, maybe they were in a I’m-going-to-do-this-entirely-for-free mentality, so if you want to go self-hosted, it does require you to switch mental gears and accept that you are going to pay something to get something.

    Also, experience has shown that it’s easy (once you know how) technically to set up a blog (wordpress and self-hosting), but then what? Self-hosting does require more maintenance and your real value-add to the world is in the content you provide — like all the amazing content you provide on this blog Michelle. Even if your blog didn’t look as nice as it did, people would still come for all the great advice and articles. But if this were a great-looking blog with nothing compelling to read, people wouldn’t be spending any time here.

    Anyway, you know what I mean. All I’m saying is, for people who want to set up a blog for the first time, it helps to have a content plan 🙂

    Reply
  23. Rachel says

    May 2, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Thank you so much for such great tips on starting out! I used almost everything when I set up my new blog and I’m not sure I could have done it without you! There was so much to do, and so much that I had no idea what to do, but I was able to use your post as a guide and it saved my life! You are so incredible to help new bloggers like this and I just wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all of your help. Rainbow Girl Rachel wouldn’t exist if you hadn’t shown me the way!

    Reply
  24. Avnish Gautam says

    June 24, 2015 at 7:25 am

    This step by step guide from attaching domain to hosting and finally designing the blog is awesome. Most of the time when i try to make new blog then i choose premium WordPress themes from the most popular themes seller which is user friendly and helpful for increasing conversion rate also.

    Reply
  25. Corine says

    July 7, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Thank you so much for a very informative blog! I’ve been thinking about starting a blog of my own for some time now but didn’t really know where to start. However, with all the posts i’ve been readin I’m almost ready to pull the trigger! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  26. Amanda says

    August 15, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    Thank you for this post! I never would have started a blog if I hadn’t found and read your blog.

    Reply
  27. Mel says

    September 12, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    Hi, after reading much of your posts and weeks of research and deep thinking, I’ve finally decided to dive in and start my own blog, but since I’m so new to it, I want to spend as little as I have to at first until I get things going. I’ve signed up for the starter bluehost package, but now I’m trying to pick a theme that doesn’t cost me a small fortune. I can’t seem to find anything decent looking that doesn’t cost $39+. So I guess my question is, are there cheaper but decent looking options out there to get me started or is it really worth spending the $39 or more to get something nicer looking? Thank you for this post especially, to get me motivated to really do this! 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      September 12, 2015 at 12:11 pm

      Hello!

      Congrats on starting a blog. I recommend checking out Weaver. It’s free!

      Reply
  28. MARIJA says

    October 23, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    Hi there! I just wanted to say thank you, this post was very helpful when I was contemplating starting my blog. I just went live and still need to figure out ways to put the word out, but anyway, thanks a million.

    Marija
    hokuspokuscreativus. com

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      October 24, 2015 at 12:59 pm

      Congrats on starting a blog!

      Reply
  29. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

    January 5, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    Congrats on starting a blog!

    Reply
  30. Emily says

    January 8, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    Hello! What do you think about Wix? Is this an effective format to start a blog with the hopes of making money? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      January 8, 2016 at 9:59 pm

      Sorry, I don’t know anything about Wix. I highly recommend WordPress though.

      Reply
  31. Vivian says

    January 14, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    You say that the domain name is free for 1 year, when it comes time to re-up on Bluehost is there an additional fee to keep the domain name?

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      January 14, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      After one year, you do have to pay for the domain name. I think it’s around $15 for the annual renewal.

      Reply
  32. Ellen says

    February 1, 2016 at 8:11 am

    Thanks for the information. I did two postings on Blog.com and now I can’t get back on to my page. They’re even gone on FB and I don’t have copies. That’s so frustrating. I’m ready for WordPress, but nervous about the process. Your info will help!

    Reply
  33. Kimberly says

    February 1, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    I just wanted to say, that it was reading your blog that encouraged me to start mine! I even used your link 🙂 And, just wanted to stop by and say thank you for being so inspiring and so helpful.

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      February 2, 2016 at 1:46 am

      🙂 Thanks Kimberly!

      Reply
  34. jennifer says

    February 6, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    You have to purchase two years to be able to get the discounted price with your link?

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      February 6, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      It’s 3 years to get the $3.49 price. If you purchase one year, you still get discounted pricing. I recommend starting with one year to see if you like it and then going from there.

      Reply
  35. Charlotte says

    February 25, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    Michelle,
    I just recently decided I wanted to start blogging. I am a very detail oriented person who likes to research it all before starting. After reading this post I feel much more confident and ready to start blogging. Thank you for sharing your experience.

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      February 26, 2016 at 9:28 am

      Welcome! You can always email me if you have any questions as well.

      Reply
      • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

        February 26, 2016 at 10:34 am

        I’ve always heard good things about it 🙂

        Reply
      • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

        February 26, 2016 at 10:35 am

        Can you resend your email? I’m not sure if I received it.

        Reply
        • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

          February 27, 2016 at 11:01 am

          I haven’t received it yet. What email are you sending it to?

          Reply
  36. Jennifer says

    March 10, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    Hi Michelle,

    I followed all the steps to start my own blog and i did it through bluehost and wordpress. I also purchased a blog template and downloaded it but how do i install it to start designing my blog? I am in a tough situation can you help me because i want my baking blog to be successful and as profitable as yours.

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      March 10, 2016 at 6:30 pm

      Hey Jennifer! Where did you purchase the blog template from? Usually they have instructions on how exactly to upload it. Do you know if they have that set of instructions or if you can contact a person at the specific company?

      Reply
  37. Jonathan says

    March 16, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    For a while. I was looking for something like this. I bookmarked your page, and am sure to visit over and over again. Meanwhile, keep rocking.

    Reply
  38. Morgan says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:02 am

    I am interesting in starting a blog and stumbled across this post on Pinterest. I would like to start blogging right away but don’t have the extra cash to spend on Bluehost right now. I thought about starting my blog on wordpress anyway and then once I save the money buy my name on Bluehost – is this something that can be even be done? And easily? Or have I got all of this confused? 🙂 I appreciate your advice on this! Thank you!! 🙂

    Reply
  39. Stephen Walker says

    May 26, 2016 at 9:58 am

    Comment by: Stephen Walker

    Hi Michelle,

    Tips on starting a blog are always welcome. Your obvious bias in favour of Bluehost was a little distracting, but otherwise good.

    Where is, personally, look for help is in choosing a good, reliable, affordable theme. Yes Genesis is good but don’t appear to be the cheapest.

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      May 26, 2016 at 12:12 pm

      Well, this is a tutorial for Bluehost so that is why I talked about it in the post 🙂

      Reply
  40. April says

    September 14, 2016 at 8:59 am

    Hello Michelle,

    Thank you so much for this awesome post! It was very helpful. I followed your suggestions and those of another blogger. I feel pretty motivated to try out blogging after reading these posts! I already started on the website. I am stuck on the theme though. I didn’t go with the Genesis theme. I purchased one through WordPress and I included the installation price. It amounted to $108. It showed in my Paypal account, so I went to find it in my WordPress purchases. I found it, clicked on “install” and a pop up shows telling me the options and prices for installation. I thought it would automatically be installed or something. I sent a message to MOJO marketplace to help me out. But is there anything you can help me with?

    New blogger

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      September 14, 2016 at 10:24 am

      I don’t work for Bluehost or Mojo Marketplace, so I’m not sure if I could be of any help. I’ve never bought a theme through them either so I’m not sure what the next step would be. I would hear what they have to say 🙂

      Reply
      • April says

        September 14, 2016 at 7:36 pm

        Thanks for the fast reply. I got a reply from them too. I think I’m too excited and forgot that these can take some time. Everything is so new!

        Reply
  41. Kiersten Stahl says

    September 18, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    This was incredibly helpful, Michelle!
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
  42. LeAnne says

    December 10, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    Starting out as a new blogger, your posts are always so helpful!

    Reply
  43. Valentina Rahim says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:35 am

    Great post! I am in the process of launching my blog however I have encountered difficulties after I purchased a premium theme. Installing it and making the design looking like the actual theme is very difficult and time consuming. Do you have any tips for that?

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:08 am

      If you have trouble with designing the blog on your own, I recommend either purchasing a remade blog design or hiring someone to do the work for you 🙂

      Reply
  44. Memoona says

    January 5, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    I loved this!!! So many great tips! I do want to start a blogging but I’m not sure what’s stopping me… 8 thi k because I feel like everyone is writing about the same stuff I am so who will read mine… If that makes any sense… But i keep thinking about starting, hopefully soon!

    Reply
  45. Chelsea says

    January 18, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    What exactly is bluehost?

    And will it link with my wordpress that I already have?

    Reply
  46. Lisa Brenner says

    March 25, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    Hey Michelle!
    I started a blog after reading this. Thank you so much for all your advice, it helped so much!
    Do you have any advice for brand new bloggers getting traffic to their blog? I begun with posting my first post to pinterest, but I am not having luck getting people to read yet.

    FYI- I’ve wanted to start a blog just to talk about my life as a Special Education teacher, so I’m doing it for fun, I just wanted to know how you got so many people to read your blog 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      March 26, 2017 at 2:18 am

      I recommend reading this ebook – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/BlogTraffic

      Reply
      • Lisa Brenner says

        March 26, 2017 at 9:04 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
  47. Vicki Pearce says

    March 28, 2017 at 2:33 am

    After 5 months of reading, reading and more reading I am still hesitant to take the first step towards blogging. Every day I find something else to follow up. Affiliates, e books, monetization, image tags, pinterest links, long tails, perma links and auto-mated scheduling are” all listed in my “further research required” box! Today I realised I need a separate business email. Can you really start blogging in “10 easy steps” ?

    Reply
    • Andy says

      November 20, 2017 at 12:40 pm

      It just never end, does it? There’s always more to learn. 😀

      Reply
  48. Pat says

    April 29, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    Ok, here goes. Not sure if all these comments are real.Will try asking a question. I set a blog. Or website this weekend. Money was taken fast. Got a theme down, but stuck now on step by step procedures on twenty sixteen. Trying to add pics? When you press publish, is the blog/site live on internet?

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      April 29, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      Why would you think that the comments aren’t real?

      You can add pictures by pressing the “add media” button or something similar when you are in a blog post.

      In general, yes, when you press publish, the blog post should be live on the internet.

      Reply
  49. Heather Boodhram says

    June 29, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    I am so truly grateful to have found your website. I have recently started happinessinfectious.com thanks to your success. LOL. I feel like I am overthinking the first steps, as that is what I tend to do.

    My dilemma is, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what kind of content I can continually add to keep the theme of my site and still be helpful to people; Hence the “I might be overthinking things” feeling.

    I am planning to purchase your Affiliate Marketing course, we have had a rough couple of years financially, but things have taken a turn for the better, FINALLY! That being said, if you have any advice, I am all ears.

    Again, thank you for everything you do and pouring your heart and soul into your site for all of us to enjoy and learn.

    Reply
  50. Meriem says

    November 17, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    Hi Michelle,

    First things first. Thank you for your inspiring blog. I’ve been subscribed and read most of your stuff more than a year now, You did encouraged me. In fact I used your reference to create my own raisingthreekids.com blog. So Thank you so much for your inspiration.
    I have a question: How did you first advertise when you started your blog? how it kicked off? I have an intimidating start. it’s kind of demotivating. I tried poorly to advertise in Pinterest and Facebook but barely finish a week of advertising since didn’t see much happening. What can I do? What is your advise for me? Hope you will answer me

    Reply
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Hello and welcome!
My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

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