How To Set Up A Blog Using Wordpress

Want to start a web log to share your thoughts and ideas with the world?

There's never been a improve fourth dimension to create a blog. And thanks to some user-friendly free tools, it'south also never been easier to get started, even if you have no technical knowledge.

Who knows – down the line, you might fifty-fifty exist able to make a side or full income from your blog. That takes time, but in that location's plenty of people proving that it'southward possible.

In this post, we're going to show y'all the best way to make a weblog in 2022 and beyond – using WordPress. Over 39% of all the websites on the Cyberspace utilize WordPress, including well-nigh of the web'south almost successful bloggers.

With under an hr of fourth dimension and less than $50, you tin can join the ranks of those bloggers – nosotros're going to show you how.

Proceed reading for our pace-by-step guide on how to outset a blog in 2022 and beyond.

How to Start a Blog FAQ

Earlier we get started, here are a few FAQs about our tutorial so that you can know what y'all're in for.

What platform will I use to start a blog?

Nosotros're going to have you use self-hosted WordPress, which is the most popular way to make a website. We'll explain why we recommend WordPress in the tutorial.

Practice I need to be a developer to launch a web log?

No! Anyone can follow this guide – you definitely don't need whatsoever technical knowledge. Everything that we show you is code-free.

How long does it take to create a blog?

The initial setup procedure takes less than an hour. Of form, you'll spend more than fourth dimension than that on adding content and tweaking the blueprint. But you can have a working blog within an 60 minutes.

How much does it cost to make a blog?

There are a lot of variable costs, so it's difficult to requite one number. At a bare minimum, you could follow every stride in this tutorial for just $25 to go started plus ~$fifteen per month to maintain your blog.

How to Create a Blog

While at that place are lots of different tools to help you create a blog, WordPress is the virtually popular and best option, which is why we're going to use it for this tutorial. Here's why we similar WordPress:

Information technology's free.
Y'all don't need any special technical knowledge – anyone can use WordPress.
There are tens of thousands of WordPress themes, which permit you command how your blog looks.
There are tens of thousands of WordPress plugins, which allow yous add new features to your blog.
Considering it's and so popular, at that place'southward a huge WordPress community which makes information technology easy to discover help with literally annihilation.

Nonetheless, it's important to note that we're talking virtually self-hosted WordPress, which is different from WordPress.com. If yous desire to learn all the differences, cheque out our full self-hosted WordPress vs WordPress.com comparison…merely the basic idea is just that y'all're not going to use WordPress.com for this tutorial. Instead, yous're going to use cocky-hosted WordPress (available at WordPress.org), which is the free, open-source WordPress software.

If yous want to learn why self-hosted WordPress is a better option for blogging than WordPress.com, you lot can check out the comparison. Otherwise, only trust the states that cocky-hosted WordPress is the best 😃 It's cheaper and gives you more flexibility, which is important for making your weblog a success.

What You Demand to Start a Blog With WordPress

To create a blog with self-hosted WordPress, y'all're going to need a few things – some are free while others will cost a little chip of money:

A domain name – this costs effectually $10 per year.
Web hosting – this costs around $15 per calendar month (merely you can get a discount if you pay for a twelvemonth upfront).
The WordPress software – this is free.
A theme – this controls how your weblog looks. You can find lots of free themes. If you do want a premium theme, they unremarkably cost near $60.
Plugins – these add features to your blog. You can find 55,000+ gratuitous plugins, so it'south possible to pay zero. Nevertheless, yous also might desire some premium plugins, which vary in toll.

Here's how to gear up everything upward!

one. Choose and Purchase a Domain Proper noun

Your domain name is your blog's permanent address on the Cyberspace. For example, ours is wpkube.com.

It plays a key part in your blog'south branding and it's besides how people will navigate to your blog, then it'due south an important determination that you want to get correct.

You have two main options, depending on the direction that you want to go with your blog:

You lot can just use your name. For example, johndoe.com. A lot of popular bloggers utilise this arroyo and it's a good choice if you want to build your own personal brand.
You tin can utilise a make proper name. For example, wpkube.com or pinchofyum.com (a popular food weblog). This is a good approach if y'all want your blog itself to be the make.

The catchy thing is that only one person can own a domain proper name at a fourth dimension. For example, you couldn't get out there and register wpkube.com because we already own that domain proper name. Unfortunately, this means that some of your first choices might already be taken, peculiarly if you're trying to buy a .com (there are also other domain extensions similar .org and .net).

To rapidly run across whether or not a domain name is available, you can use a tool like Instant Domain Search.

Need some assistance with picking your domain proper name? Check out our full guide to how to cull a domain proper noun.

How to Purchase Your Domain Proper noun

Once yous've settled on the perfect proper noun and made sure information technology's yet available, you need to purchase it so that y'all ain the rights to that domain name. To exercise that, you tin can use a service called a domain registrar.

In that location are a lot of unlike domain registrars y'all tin use, but we recommend Namecheap because:

It has excellent prices for most popular extensions. It's much cheaper than alternatives like GoDaddy.
Information technology supports two-gene authentication (important for keeping your domain name secure).
It offers domain privacy for free, which ways other people won't be able to see your contact details when they await up your domain data.

Here'south how to buy your domain name:

Go to Namecheap
Enter your domain in the search box
Add your domain name to your cart (make sure you choose the proper domain extension – e.g. ".com")
Complete the checkout procedure to finalize your purchase.

ii. Create Your Flywheel Hosting Account

Whereas your domain proper name is your blog'due south public address on the Internet, your web hosting is the behind-the-scenes engine that actually powers your web log'southward software and serves up your site'south content to visitors from effectually the world.

To brand your blog successful, you desire to cull a host that will:

Load your site quickly, considering people don't like reading a boring-loading blog.
Load your site reliably, and then that your blog is always available and doesn't experience downtime.

While there are lots of quality WordPress hosts out in that location, we specifically recommend a host named Flywheel for a few reasons:

Prices start at just $15 per calendar month. This is a little more than than the really cheap WordPress hosts, but information technology's really expert value for the features that you get.
You can focus on blogging considering Flywheel handles the technical stuff. Flywheel is what's known as a "managed WordPress host", which basically means that Flywheel handles stuff like maintenance and security for you so that you can simply focus on creating content and growing your blog. This is actually bully for beginners who don't want to deal with server management.
Flywheel has excellent back up. So if y'all hitting whatever snags, all you need to exercise is reach out via live chat and Flywheel volition assistance you lot out.

Again, Flywheel costs $fifteen per month and that plan volition be totally fine when you're just getting started. As your blog grows, yous might need to upgrade to a higher plan, but that'south a adept trouble to have 🙂

To go started, click the push below to go to Flywheel and register for your business relationship. You lot can create your account for free to cheque it out – you lot merely need to pay when you're fix to launch your actual site.

Go to Flywheel

Click the Get Started button in the top-right corner:

First, you'll be prompted to enter your basic account details:

Then, make full out a few boosted details and click Finish:

3. Choose Programme and Install WordPress via the Flywheel Dashboard

Now, you should exist in your Flywheel dashboard, which ways y'all're prepare to install WordPress and get started building your actual website.

Click any of the buttons to Create a New Site – this volition let you install the WordPress software and launch your web log:

Now, you lot'll exist prompted to create a plan, which is where yous really need to pull out your credit card and make your purchase:

Since y'all're just getting started, you should choose the Tiny plan. Yous tin always upgrade afterward as your site grows.:

Now, you'll need to enter your payment details and make your buy. Most of the fields are cocky-explanatory – the only important choice is the Datacenter drop-downwardly. You'll want to cull the location that's closest to your target audience. For case, if your blog focuses on Canadians, cull the Canada information center.

Yous tin can likewise enter our sectional Flywheel coupon code to salve some coin:

One time y'all fix your plan, you can follow the remaining steps to create your WordPress site. In the install wizard, you'll be prompted to enter your WordPress account credentials. These are what you'll use to log in to your actual weblog, then make certain that you call back them.

Once you finish this install process, you should be able to view your site inside the Flywheel interface:

four. Point Your Domain Name to Your Web Hosting and Go Live

Now that you have your web log's hosting and domain name, the side by side step is to link the two together. This is probably the virtually technical part of the unabridged process, but don't worry because it'south still pretty unproblematic!

There are a few steps involved here, only Flywheel already has a really detailed tutorial for Namecheap so I'm not going to reinvent the cycle. Or, if you used a different domain registrar, Flywheel too has tutorials for other popular registrars.

If y'all hit any snags, you tin achieve out to Flywheel'southward support staff and they'll be happy to aid you out.

At this point, you lot'll besides want to disable privacy way in your site's dashboard in Flywheel. Flywheel enables this by default then that your blog is private to start. However, once you add your domain proper noun, you lot're gear up to brand it public:

5. Access Your WordPress Dashboard

Now, you're set to access your WordPress dashboard, which is basically the control panel for your blog.

To access your dashboard, get to yourblog.com/wp-admin and log in using the credentials that you chose in the Flywheel site setup magician (Step #iii). These are non the same as your Flywheel business relationship – these are the credentials you entered when setting up your WordPress install inside the Flywheel dashboard.

For example, if your blog is coolblog.com, you lot'd go to coolblog.com/wp-admin.

A Look At the WordPress Dashboard

Again, the WordPress dashboard is basically the command panel for your blog. This is where y'all tin can manage:

Your web log posts and other content
How your blog looks (via a theme)
What functionality your web log has (via plugins)
Basic configuration settings virtually your blog

How to Write Your First Blog Mail

In the adjacent steps, we'll cover controlling how your web log looks via a theme and adding features via plugins. But before that, why not take a quick detour to exercise something fun – write your first blog mail.

To exercise that, go to Posts → Add together New in your WordPress dashboard. This will launch the block editor, which is what y'all can employ to add your blog content.

To add text, all you exercise is click and type. For other elements, like images, quotes, or buttons, you can click the "plus" icon to add together a new "block". You can also employ blocks to control layout, like calculation columns or spacing:

For more than on how the editor works, you lot tin check out our full guide to the WordPress editor.

6. Install and Customize Your Own Theme

Your blog's theme controls how your site looks to visitors, which makes it an important consideration. Y'all can think of it kind of like your web log's "clothing".

You tin easily alter themes without affecting whatever of your existing content, so don't worry if you've already published a blog post.

Where Can You Detect and Install Costless Themes?

If you don't desire to pay any money for your theme, the best place to search is the official WordPress.org theme directory.

All of the themes listed there are:

100% free
Lawmaking checked by the WordPress Theme Review Team
Tagged for piece of cake searching

Some good free options to get started with are:

Astra
OceanWP
GeneratePress
Neve

All of these themes are multipurpose, which means you can use them for literally any type of weblog. They also include lots of importable demo sites.

One time y'all observe a theme that you like, y'all need to install information technology on your site. Here'due south how to install a WordPress theme (click for a more detailed guide):

Get to Appearance → Themes in your WordPress dashboard
Click on Add together New

On the next screen, search for the name of the theme that you found
Hover over the theme and click Install

Await for the Install button to change to Activate
Click the Activate push button to brand your theme live

That's information technology! Your new WordPress theme is installed and active.

What Tin can You Observe Premium WordPress Themes?

Premium themes ofttimes offer meliorate designs and more features. If y'all can swing the upkeep, they usually offer the all-time experience.

Here are some good places to find premium themes:

StudioPress – StudioPress has been in the game for quite some time at present, and they are famous for one of the most revolutionary frameworks in the business, Genesis Framework. You can also find lots of themes for blogs that are built on the Genesis Framework (which is what we use here at WPKube).
MeridianThemes – MeridianThemes sells 11 different themes, all of which brand a great selection for a web log. You can purchase individual themes for $59 or go admission to all 11 themes for $89.
Elegant Themes – Elegant Themes makes a very popular and flexible theme called Divi. It costs $89 and you can use it for literally any type of site via its visual, drag-and-drop builder. Yous may also desire to read our review of Elegant Themes and apply our exclusive Elegant Themes coupon to become twenty% off.
Pixelgrade – They offer beautiful WordPress themes that are easy to use and customize.
FancyThemes — FancyThemes focuses on building simple blogging themes for bloggers. They currently have 13 free WordPress themes available for download and 1 premium theme.

Nosotros also share lists of niche-focused themes on our blog in the WordPress themes category.

Once you find a premium theme that you lot similar, make sure yous download the Goose egg file of the theme from the site where you lot purchased the theme.

And then, hither's how to install a premium WordPress theme:

Become to Appearance → Themes in your WordPress dashboard
Click on Add New

On the next screen, click Upload Theme

Click Choose File and select the Zilch file of the theme
Then, click Install Now

Wait for WordPress to install the theme
Click Actuate to make the theme alive on your web log

That's information technology! You just installed and activated a premium WordPress theme.

7. Add Functionality to Your Blog With WordPress Plugins

While WordPress themes are mostly just near appearances, WordPress plugins are all about calculation boosted functionality to your weblog.

For case, you might want a contact form and so that your readers can arrive touch with y'all. WordPress plugins are what add functionality like that.

Where Tin can You Find WordPress Plugins?

Nosotros've put together a post with some of the best WordPress plugins for bloggers, but if you'd prefer to forge out on your ain, yous tin browse tens of thousands of both gratis and premium WordPress plugins:

Official WordPress.org plugin directory – a massive drove of over 55,000 costless WordPress plugins that you tin can hands install right from your WordPress dashboard.
Elegant Themes – in addition to themes, they have tons of helpful plugins.
CodeCanyon – a huge 3rd-party market of premium plugins.

We also publish lots of useful plugin lists on our blog in the best WordPress plugins category.

How to Install WordPress Plugins

Once you find a plugin that y'all like, here'southward how to install it:

Go to Plugins → Add together New

If yous found the plugin at WordPress .org:

Search for the proper name of the plugin
Click Install Now
Wait for WordPress to install the plugin, then click Activate

If yous purchased a premium plugin:

Click Upload Plugin and upload the ZIP file

Launch Your Blog Today!

At this betoken, you lot have a fully-operation blog built on WordPress. You've learned how to write your first blog mail service and also how to command your weblog'southward looks with themes and add features with plugins.

Now, all that's left to do is offset writing weblog posts that people dear to read. Across that, you'll probably also want to:

Learn about WordPress SEO and then your weblog ranks college in Google search
Discover tactics to get traffic to your blog
Detect ways to make money from your weblog

We hope you lot constitute this guide helpful, and congratulations on launching your blog!

Still have any questions about how to kickoff a blog? Ask usa in the comments section and we'll attempt to help!