Today, you will learn all about easily creating a blog on your own and how to start a WordPress blog. 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!
Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Bluehost, and will receive a commission if you sign up through my referral link. This is at no additional cost to you, and you will get great pricing and a free domain name through my link.
Click here to start a blog on WordPress, then use the tutorial below for the easy directions.
If you’re looking to start a WordPress blog for cheap, then choosing Bluehost for your hosting needs may be your answer. Bluehost is a great web host and I personally have had a great experience with them.
Blogging has been one of the best things ever for me. As you can tell from my business income reports, I now make over $100,000 a month from my blogging-related services. I earned over $979,000 in 2016 through blogging, over $1,500,000 in 2017, and over $1,600,000 in 2018.
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.
Bluehost is one of the top web hosting companies in 2021 and you can start your own blog with them for as low as $2.75 a month (this low price is through my link only)! Also, if you sign up using my link, then you will get your domain for free if you purchase a 12 month or longer hosting plan (a $15 value). I highly recommend signing up for the 12 month hosting plan through Bluehost. It’s affordable and you can save a lot of money by signing up for at least 12 months. If you want a better deal, the best value would be purchasing a 36 month plan, as your monthly rate is much lower over the long run.
You may be thinking, “Well I can just start on Blogger for a little cheaper and learn how to make a blog that way” NOOOOO… Don’t do that. There are so many reasons for why a Blogger/Blogspot blog is a really bad idea, and why you should instead setup a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
If you are interested in ever making money off your blog, freelancing or turning it into a business, then paying for your hosting, such as through Bluehost, is a MUST. It’s extremely cheap as well to go through Bluehost AND you get a free domain (for the first year). You can run any of your own advertisements, affiliate links, direct advertising, etc. with a blog ran on Bluehost. Making money on Blogger or any other free blogging platform is very difficult, and in many cases never happens. Most advertisers and companies tend to run away from Blogger websites because they don’t view them as professional as self-hosted WordPress blogs, so that’s another big reason to use Bluehost.
Also, if you take a look at my past income reports, you can tell that my income through blogging didn’t take off until right at the exact moment I switched to WordPress. That’s a lot of proof right there that being self-hosted on WordPress is the way to go!
Read more about why you should pay for blog hosting here.
There are many reasons for why you may want to choose Bluehost for your WordPress blog and I honestly believe they are one of the best web hosting providers. These reasons include:
- It’s easy to use. Yes, ANYONE can create a WordPress blog easily with my tutorial below. Bluehost makes it very easy to create a WordPress blog.
- Bluehost web hosting offers technical support.
- Bluehost is extremely affordable and they offer cheap web hosting. You can have a blog of your own and the only real expense you need to pay is the cheap blog hosting which starts at just $2.75 per month.
- You get a FREE blog domain.
- WordPress through Bluehost is FREE.
- Bluehost offers a guarantee in case you determine that it is not for you. 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.
- You will be self-hosted. If you want to monetize your blog, then you will want to be self-hosted.
- You will appear much more professional to readers, companies, and so on if you are self-hosted on Bluehost than being on Blogspot.
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.
Click here to start the process.
How to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost
1. Register your domain name.
You can click here to purchase a domain name and create a blog, then continue to follow the easy steps below.
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 want an even better deal, the best value would be purchasing a 36 month plan, as your monthly rate is much lower over the long run. 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.
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, which is a great price. 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 best value would be purchasing a 36 month plan, as your monthly rate is much lower over the long run.
- 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. The best value would be purchasing a 36 month plan, as your monthly rate is much lower over the long run.
When you are ready to create your blog, follow the steps below to buy hosting for your blog.
- Go to Bluehost and click the “Get Started Now” button.
- Click on the package you are interested in.
- Enter your domain name you registered with earlier, or sign up for a new domain name here.
- Enter your personal and payment information.
- Next you will be asked to enter a password. Make sure it’s secure as this information is very important.
If you have any problems, please send me an email at [email protected] I have a great person at Bluehost who can help solve any of your issues quickly and easily!
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:
- Log into the GoDaddy.com Account Manager.
- Select Manage Domains from the Domain Names drop-down menu or the Manage Your Account list.
- Select the domain name you wish to modify using the checkboxes and then click Set Name Servers.
- 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!
4. Install WordPress on Bluehost.
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.
- After you create your password, Bluehost guides you through exactly what you need to do in order to start a blog.
- First, Bluehost will ask you to pick a theme. You can just pick a random one here or find one that you actually like. You can change it later so it’s not a big deal or just scroll to the bottom and skip this step. Remember, there are many free ones too!
- Click on “Start Building”
- On the next screen, you can choose “Business” or “Personal” – it’s up to you. Or, you can click the “I don’t need help.”
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 at [email protected]
Some general tips for how to navigate WordPress:
- 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 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 Convertkit.
- 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 $45 and this is probably the easiest and quickest design option.
- 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 after you learn how to start a WordPress blog:
- How To Earn Money Blogging: Your Top Questions Answered
- Should I Start A Blog? Here Are The Top Reasons You Will Love Blogging
- The Free Blogging Planner Workbook
- How 17 Bloggers Earned Their First Affiliate Income
- The Daily, Weekly and Monthly Habits for Building a $100,000 Blog
Do you have a blog? Do you use Bluehost for blogging? Share your blogging mistakes as well! Hope you enjoyed my tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
Related Posts
How I Made $979,321 In 2016 – My December Online Income Report and Annual Wrap Up- 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
- Should I Start A Blog? Here Are The Top Reasons You Will Love Blogging
- The Free Blogging Planner Workbook
- 8 Reasons Why I Absolutely Love Affiliate Marketing For Bloggers
- How To Earn Money Blogging: Your Top Questions Answered
Hi Michelle,
I want to start an anonymous blog about some personal things. I think I goofed when I started a blog through Word Press last night. It is connected to my email and when I “preview” my post, it has my whole name at the top as the author. Since I purchased the domain name and set it up with Word Press, can I still move hosting over to Bluehost and do you have any suggestions to help me with anonymously blogging?
thank you!
Anonymous 😉
Hello!
You should be able to change it in the “User” settings. Can you try that?
Hi Michelle upon using your link to begin my bluhost purchase you say it starts at $2 something but the lowest price it offers thru following you link is $4 something am I doing something wrong? Plz help
Thanking you kindly
Can you send me an email at [email protected] with a screenshot of the pricing you are seeing?
HI, making sense, I want to create blog but how to pay money for you or there?
I recommend reading this to learn more – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/04/how-to-earn-money-blogging.html
Hi Michelle, getting ready to get started with my blog and noticed in the package extras on the Bluehost site now it has Sitelock Security instead of the previous Domain Site Protection. That’s basically the same thing right?
Actually now that I look again Sitelock Security was there before but now it appears that Domain Site Protection is gone.
Now on my computer at work it’s there again lol, so nevermind.
Hi Michelle. I have a few questions?The first question is what is the difference when you say business or personal? Do you have to have a business set up if you choose business? Also, are there tax benefits for bloggers? Last but not least, can you blog on an iPad or do you need a laptop? Thank you in advance for answering these questions. Jen
Hi Michelle!
Do you have a checklist that you recommend for daily blogging to dos?
I don’t have a checklist but you may find this helpful – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/06/how-to-start-a-successful-blog.html
By using your directions is it installing (from) WordPress.org or WordPress.com?
It should be .org. I don’t believe you need separate hosting with WordPress.com.
Hi there.. tx so much for the info. I also subscribed to your course.
I am a designer so Word press is easy for me.. I just need to know how to make money from blogging etc.. just want to ask, I do have a reliable company I do all my hosting from. Do I need to do it on Bluehost?
I recommend reading this – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/04/how-to-earn-money-blogging.html
Hi Michelle
This information has really be of help to me.
please I want to know if there’s any possibility for me to navigate from blogspot to blue host since I already started on blogspot. com few days back?? thank u so very much and I anticipate your reply
Hi Michelle
I really want to start a blog but a little bit afraid of not writing like a pro and what about if I run out of ideas. I been thinking about a making a blog for over a year. How do you come up with everyday ideas.
Thanks
I recommend reading this – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/04/how-to-earn-money-blogging.html 🙂
I thank you for letting me know that am capable of doing what I purpose to do
Hi there,
I really appreciate your post. Thanks for all the info.
I do have a question- is there a separate payment for wordpress?
I paid the 36 months for Bluehost and now its prompting me to add on wordpress for 60$ a year. Is that right?
WordPress is free. Are you sure it’s asking you to pay for WordPress?
Hi Michelle…
I also want to star an blog.
But I have an question,
This is really earning side?
I really want to know.
Thanks
Can you clarify your question?
Michelle, is it possible to incorporate a blog on eCommerce websites as well as run an affiliate program on it. The reason am asking is that am just setting up an online store on beauty niche. Please i will gladly appreciate your response. Thank you.
what blog plugins you suggest?
Hello Michelle thanks to you I have decided to open my very own blog. I hope that it ends up growing.
Have fun blogging!
I have used your link for bluehost, but now it wants me to pay for a domain…..
Can you send me an email? The domain is free.
Thanks for all the info.
I do have a question- is there a separate payment for wordpress
WordPress is free if you buy self hosting.
Thanks for sharing. I have to say I have always used wordpress and have built several websites on it. Blue Host is also an excellent hosting provider. I have always hired in a wordpress developer to assist me as I’m not great at coding. It saves a lot of time.
Hello Michelle, I have Bluehost through you, and bought Genesis through you. I have no idea how to merge the two so that the theme of Genesis is uploaded to my site.
It’s tuningmindandbody.com
is there a source I should go to to help me with this? I don’t have any idea where to begin with the technical stuff.
Thanks for all you do!
Never Mind… all figured out. If you could mention my new blog in the future. That would be wonderful 🙂 Thanks Michelle!
Glad you figured it out.
Have fun blogging!
Hi Michelle,
I started a blog in the outdoors niche. I have 50 total articles so far, but I’m starting to wonder if I should have focused on a sub-section of the outdoors such as fishing. Do you think that I would have better success by doing this, or is it okay to go broad?
Hello!
I just wanted to stop by and say, “THANK YOU!!” I have been wanting to start a blog for years now, but I have never known where to even begin. So many people give so many different recommendations, and guides are never thorough enough for me, someone who knows practically nothing about computers, but with your help, I finally took the plunge! This made getting started easy and stress-free. And, I very much appreciate the discounted hosting!
Keep doing what you’re doing, and thanks again!
Aww thanks! 🙂
I recently started a blog with my wife and we follow your instructions to the T. Your site is our blogger bible and we wouldn’t have even started if I didn’t stumble upon your blog. Thanks for the inspiration and information!
diyourselfonabudget.com
Is our site where we will share all our tips on staying healthy, improving our marriage, buying and updating a lake house, raising kids, and all the projects we do on ONE SALARY.
Thanks again Michelle!
Congrats on starting a blog!
Hi Michelle
Thank you for writing such a great tutorial. I just started a blog myself literally a couple weeks ago after pondering over the idea for several years. I hope to learn from professional bloggers like you.
Hi Michelle,
I have been reading many of your articles and you encouraged me to start a blog, and i made it,
thanks so much for your informative posts.
Be blessed.
Have fun blogging!
Michelle !
Please help me out on this one …… .Does domain (.cf) sound unprofessional?? Does it have to be (.com) and nothing else to sound professional?
Waiting for your answer for any further move
I recommend .com
Hi, I already have a domain in GoDaddy and already purchased a space to host my website. I upload my weekly work there. Is it not a good idea? How can I make money from that? What is your opinion, is it imp to use Bluehost for services?
Thank you so much for your help! I was able to launch my new blog, mikesmoneyhelp.com within a week.
I started working on my blog mid last year, and I lost focus along the way. By then I had only written like 13 blog posts. By the end of march this year I came across this blog and I got the needed motivation to keep moving.
I started looking for materials to read more about blogging and other related aspects. Right now I am motivated, and I think I am moving in the right direction since I know what I am doing now.
I came to realize it is more about passion; finding that niche that you like, and you are comfortable providing information.
As from mid April, I started putting in the work. I made my first conversion this week. It feels so good. I am looking forward to the journey ahead as a blogger.
Hi Michelle,
I have a question about starting a new blog. I am in the process of opening an ecommerce store, and I want to start a blog with it. Can I incorporate your system for affiliate blogging with this set up??? Please advise & Thank you!
~Suz
Your story inspired me to start my own blog. JustHustling.com
I frequently provide advice to others and blogging helps me reach a wider audience.
Thanks Michelle!
Hi Michelle,
I’ll start by saying thank you for always putting out great content, I’ve been reading your blog since 2018 and it’s one of the reasons I decided to start my very own blog. I always keep coming back to learn something new and hopefully one of this days I’ll share my success story with you 🙂
Anyways, thanks again and God bless!
Dearest Michelle,
A few weeks ago I was inspired to start blogging after much thought. I even purchased one of your courses which has been amazing! A treasure of great information. However, I’m simultaneously, creating my blog site and the technical side has been very challenging for me. All the information as to how to start a blog and where to go and downloading a theme, etc., has been great, but again the small details is what’s holding me back from starting to write my blog. I spent three days just trying to create a contact page! LOL!!! Any chance you might know or can recommend a crash course on WordPress? Maybe a course that walks you through the creation of a website/blog from start to finish…? I’m feeling a bit over my head. Thanks!
Hey Julia!
One course I recommend is mentioned here – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2018/05/how-we-went-from-0-10000-month-blogging-in-less-than-a-year.html. I don’t think it’ll teach you how to design your blog, but if that’s what you’re wondering about then I would recommend either hiring a designer or purchasing a premade design.
Hi!
I do not have a laptop or pc, how can i make a blog using android phone?
Hello Michelle.
I want to direct my blog to a certain age group. I’ve never bloged before. Do you have any suggestions on how to do that?
Thank you so much in advance.
Years ago I purchased a domain (currently parked) and hosting through Go Daddy, but have not been happy with how difficult it has been to design my website. What do I have to do to change everything over to Bluehost and WordPress?
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for this post. This has finally given me the strength and confidence I needed to start my own blog. I have always thought that I can’t do it because I am not a natural writer. But I really want to share my experiences with others so that they can benefit from my mistakes and my achievements. I admire you and hope to meet you one day! Thank you!
Hello Michelle, I recently signed up for your email list and I was wondering if you had an article that covered the legal side of your blog? For example, did you register a business license with your county or state? Are you considered a sole proprietor or did you create an LLC? Did you open a business bank account to keep all of your business transactions separate from your personal account? You may have already covered this somewhere but I wasn’t able to find it. Thank You,
Shawn
Hey Shawn!
These two may be helpful:
1) https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2018/10/tax-questions-for-bloggers-and-digital-nomads.html
2) https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/07/3-super-common-legal-mistakes-bloggers-make-and-how-to-fix-them.html
Dear Michelle,
I stumbled through and finally got a blog up and running (bluehost domain and WordPress blog). However, wrote a bunch of stuff AND published the posts, but, the visitors can’t like my posts. Is it true that all visitors need to be registered users of WordPress to hit the “like” button? How does on then generate traffic
I don’t think you need that feature. I don’t know of any blogs who use this.
Hello Michelle,
I finally took the plunge and started a blog. Do you ever review new blogs and provide advice/helpful hints, etc? I feel that I’ve already messed up and I’m not sure how to move forward.
Thank you,
Helen
Hey Helen!
Can you send me an email at [email protected]?
Hello Michelle, what’s the difference is getting a free blog through Wix vs paying for one through Bluehost?
Hello,
I recommend reading this – Should my blog be self-hosted? https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/04/how-to-earn-money-blogging.html
I do not recommend Wix at all. WordPress is much, much better.
Michelle,
I just want to say thank you for being so generous with your knowledge, experience and expertise! I have been following you for over a year, been on your mailing list, purchased a course, etc.
There were many times when I wanted to quit during the early stages of launching my blog, but your advice and encouraging content kept me from giving up! Thanks again!
(Angie from createwithcodedragon.com)
PS
will soon be purchasing your Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course and can’t wait
I’ve tried subscribing to your course with my email a few times, but haven’t received anything! Is the blogging course still active?
Hello!
I looked at your email address in the system and it says you first signed up for the course in 2016 and read all the emails from that. Due to that, the email platform won’t send the same emails twice due to spam reasons.
If you’d like, you can sign up under a different email address, or send me an email at [email protected] and I can send you the email manually.