Top 3 Essentials for Starting a Blog

I don't know the reason for it, but there has definitely been a huge surge in interest in online publishing, or 'blogging' as it is known in geek parlance. Whether it is individuals wanting to express and share their creativity or small businesses recognising the value of publishing regular and useful articles for new and existing clients, more and more people are asking me where to start. This guide is for you.

As you'd expect, there are a million things you can do with your blog - that's why it is so exciting. What you do and how far you take it all depends what you want to achieve. The one thing all blogs have in common is that they must start somewhere. Get the foundations right and you can go on to build a cosy home or a business skyscraper. With that in mind, I scratched my head and came up with the top 3 essentials for starting your blog. That's the good news. The better news is that everything here is easy, it's all stuff you can do yourself if you wish. Of course, if you want to hire me for for advice or assistance, that'd be great - but it's really not necessary at this stage. I've purposely kept things simple so that you can begin right away. So, without further ado...

1. Register a domain name

Whoa there, don't freak out... I'm going to keep this non-technical. A domain is simply the bit (the name) before the .com .co.uk or .org - it's a way to distinguish yourself and something to become known by. My domain is www.OnlineBusinessConsultant.co.uk - and you'll use domains all the time without even thinking about it. I'm sure you're familiar with Google.com, Yahoo.com, Amazon.com - you see, nothing scary here.

You never 'own' a domain as such, you just register it in your name, which means it is yours alone to use, typically for a year or two. At the end of your registration period, you have first dibs to continue registering it in your name. Domain registration starts cheap, typically just a few £s or $s - though you can pay a lot more if you want to. The only hard part is deciding what name to register - this is how you'll become known on the internet. Of course, if you already have a website/domain name then you can skip this part - your blog will just reside at YourDomainName.com/blog.

Some general guidance on choosing a domain name... If your business is already established and you have (or want to build) a brand, then that's the name you want to register. Google and Yahoo don't mean anything, they're brands. If brand is less important to you, then choosing a domain which describes what you do/offer has many benefits. It's what I did with Online Business Consultant - it immediately communicates what the blog (or website) is about and it can help you appear nearer the top of search results when people look for that 'thing' (try a Google search for Online Business Consultant). There's a bit more to it than that, but it won't do you any harm and will probably help quite a bit in future. If you can, stick with .com .org .info or your country domain if appropriate (for example .co.uk in the United Kingdom).

Oh, a quick note before we move on... It is true that some blogging platforms offer free domains, but they're actually sub-domains e.g. YourBlog.BloggingCompany.com - which is no good for you or your brand. It doesn't look professional and one day you'll want your own fancy, independent domain, and the process of moving it over will be a costly nightmare. Domain names are so inexpensive, it is best to start as you mean to go on.

You're probably now thinking, 'how do I register a domain name?'. Don't worry about the 'hows' just yet, we'll come to that soon.

2. Choose a web host

A web what? Basically your website or blog (which is really just a series of computer files, like Word documents or images) has to live somewhere that is always available online so that anyone can access it at any time. In theory, you could host your website on your own computer, but you really wouldn't want to do that. Any time you turn your computer off, your site/blog would disappear from the web. And what would happen when you become popular and hundreds of people try to access it daily? Your computer would die a slow and painful death, and your visitors would have a horrible experience and leave. No, no - that can all be avoided by using a professional web hosting company. Web hosting can be free, but to host a decent blog you should expect to pay a few £s or $s each month.

In terms of cost, that's about it - whilst you can do it all for free, I'm recommending that you spend a total of less than $10 per month over the course of a year (including domain name registration). Whether it is a hobby or a business, that's very affordable for most people - and a must if you've ever going to do anything other than just publish your holiday photos for friends and family.

Once again, don't worry about which web host to use just yet, we'll come to that shortly.

3. Decide which blogging software to use

There are many options out there, but in terms of future-proofing your decision I'm going to recommend WordPress (specifically WordPress.org - which is the version you with a dedicated web host rather than have WordPress provide you with a free sub-domain and hosting... that is WordPress.com).

If you've never used any blogging software before, then you'll need to learn - but it is so, so easy. I'd say that if you can use a word processor to write a letter and you managed to find this article on the internet, then you'll be able to use the basic features of WordPress within minutes. If you so desire, you can then spend months learning all manner of fancy trickery - but there's no need to touch that when you're getting started (or indeed ever, unless you have a particular requirement).

Now for some great news...

You can pretty much do all three things (register a domain, get hosting and install WordPress on your site) in one fell swoop.

I'm going to recommend that you use JustHost. When you've finished reading this article, click the link to head over there and you'll receive:

• A free domain name (or 3 if you go for their Premium Plan).
  
• Web hosting starting from £2.95 or $3.45 per month (choose your country at the top right).
• Free (and easy) WordPress installation.

The link to JustHost is an affiliate link - which means I earn commission if you sign up with them. If you're not 100% comfortable with that, then you can visit their site directly or use an alternative web host. I'd always recommend using the service which you feel is best for your needs - and that might not necessarily be the one I recommend in an article written for general consumption.

Now I was intending to write a follow up to this that went into all the technical bits and pieces so that you can do everything recommended here by following a simple step-by-step guide. However, I stumbled across one which I happen to think is very good and it is already freely available as an article you can read online and also as a PDF download. So, if you're a DIY blogging kind of person, head over to read Diggy's free tutorial, How To Create Your Own Blog.

If you're not the DIY blogger type, whether that's is because you don't have the time right now or you prefer to concentrate purely on the writing rather than the technical stuff, then you can always hire me to assist. Even if it is just some advice you're after to ensure you're making the right decisions before starting out, I'd be happy to help out with that too... I do more than just hands-on tech. You can hire me by the hour or contact me about your requirements.

However you decide to proceed, I wish you all the best - it can be a lot of fun.

One final note - if you're reading this before December 15th 2010, then I'm raising money for SOS Children's Charity. You can really help by simply spreading the word on Twitter, Facebook or email. Make a donation or read more here (thank you)...


 

Set Up An Online Business - A 'How To' Course

I've been following Johnny B Truant now for some time, and he's quickly established himself as the guy who 'makes technology simple'. On July 15th he's launching a new course named 'Make the Internet Your Bitch'. If the title puts you off, then his course probably isn't for you - he tells it straight, and uses plenty of swearing in the process! If you're not sure, then click on the links below to watch his videos so you can decide if his style is right for you.

How to kick technology's ass in just one week...

Again, his words not mine! The course is primarily made up of videos and is broken down over 7 days. During that week you will learn everything you need to get started in order to set up an online business. This is very much a 'technology how-to' course, you won't learn how to make money online! Here is a brief outline of what will be covered (mainly in Johnny's words with a little explanation from me):

• Day 1 - Launch your website.
  This covers buying a domain, hosting and setting up a blog.
  
  
• Day 2 - Fancying up your boring site.
  Choosing a theme, adding plugins and widgets as well as adding video content.
  
  
• Day 3 - Email and some boring stuff.
  How to set up your email accounts and very importantly - how to back up your site.
  
  
• Day 4 - Start your email machine.
  Creating email lists and managing subscribers.
  
  
• Day 5 - Start selling your wares.
  Different options for setting up online shopping carts.
  
  
• Day 6 - Make $$$ (money) off the back of others.
  Becoming an affiliate and setting up your own affiliate program.
  
  
• Day 7 - Keep learning.
  A few extras such as Search Engines and Social Media.
  

In his intro video, Johnny explains that he's set this up in the style of a blog and that it will be quasi interactive. By that he means that if you have questions about the content, then you can post the questions within the course and he'll be able to respond so that everyone can see (and benefit from) the answer.

If you are thinking of setting up an online business and wanted to learn how to get the essentials done within a week, this may be the best course out there.

Check out the 'how to set up an online business course' for yourself (hint: that was the link, click it and take a look).

As always, I pride myself on conducting my business openly and honestly. The above link is an affiliate link - which means that if you sign up, I get paid. For this reason, I'd never recommend anything that I don't believe to be of good value as it would be the fastest way to lose your trust and destroy my own business (which I'm working very hard to build up)!
 

Website or Blog Setup for just $39

Ever fancied owning your own domain (e.g. mydomain.com) and having your very own website or blog, but weren't sure where to start? Well, Johnny can get you started in no time at all - and best of all, he'll do all the complicated set-up work for just $39 (approx £25), leaving you to get on with the fun stuff - writing great articles and web pages.

Wondering who Johnny is or why you should trust him with your website or blog? Don't worry, I'll explain all that shortly.

If you want your website and blog set up at a really low cost right now, just click the link (then click the 'buy now' button) - or read on to find how it all works.

Here's the deal...

First of all, this offer is aimed at those of you who don't yet have a domain, website or blog (for this venture at least). The reason for this is that you'll separately be purchasing the domain name and deluxe hosting* from GoDaddy.com - this costs approximately $80-$90 for the first year. Just to be clear, the $39 you're paying Johnny is for him to do all the hard work in setting up your blog.

*Deluxe hosting allows you to have unlimited websites on the one plan, so you can add more sites at a later date for no extra cost.

Please note that you cannot use any GoDaddy promo codes with this offer. So 'all in', you'll be paying around $130 to have a whole, professional-looking, fully-functional website that you can administrate on your own for a full year. That’s pretty cheap.

If you want to know how a Wordpress blog can be just like a website, click to read what Johnny has to say on the subject.

What Johnny will do for you...

1. Install Wordpress software on your site, so that you have a blog.
   
2. Tell you how to get into the place where you can write posts and tweak it.
   
3. Upload the theme you chose and make it active so that your blog looks all pretty.
   
4. Upload some basic plug-ins and activate them. They are:
   
• wp-spamfree to fight blog comment spam
  
• all-in-one-SEO pack to get you started with search engines
  
• Google sitemap generator, also to help you with the engines
  
• Subscribe to comments, which in Johnny's opinion is essential to encouraging conversation on your blog
  

What Johnny will not be doing for you...

1. Move your posts or database over from Blogger or whatever old hosted blog you have, if you have one.
   
2. Personal blog tutoring.
   
3. Pretty much everything else.
   

Don’t worry, it won’t overwhelm you. It’s fairly intuitive, and you need to learn it anyway. Johnny will do everything that is essential. All you’ll really need to do is to write posts, and anything else you figure out how to do is just easy.

How it works...

1. You follow an insanely easy 10-step process Johnny has written up to buy your hosting and domain name.
   
2. You pick a theme - your blog’s “look” as described at the end of the 10-step process.
   
3. You email Johnny the information he needs - GoDaddy login info, theme choice, and more. Don’t worry, he can’t get at your credit card info or anything with that login info. You should probably log in yourself and poke around to assure yourself of this.
   
4. Within a few days, He’ll install your blog, your new theme, and some blog plug-ins.
   
5. Johnny will then tell you how to get to the new blog and its control panel, which is where you’ll write posts and all of the fun stuff. Then you change your passwords so Johnny can't get back into your stuff.
   

Get your website and blog now...

That's it - nice and simple. If you want Johnny to set up your website and blog, just click the button (it'll take you through to Johnny's site - then all you have to do it click 'buy now')...


Who is Johnny and why should you trust him?

Johnny B. Truant is a website developer with over a decade of experience. He has his own blog called The Economy Isn't Happening - and if you click on that link, you can read what he has to say about himself. More recently Johnny has been working with Naomi from IttyBiz (again, click the link to read one of their articles). Naomi is a bit of a guru, and I learned a lot about of what I do by starting with her ebook, SEO School. They're well established in the online world - and successful too. A word of warning though - their language can be a little 'blue' at times! Other than that, they're both straight-talking nice folk.

Still not sure? Read all the good things people are saying about Johnny...

Get your self-hosted Wordpress blog or website installed for only $39!

FULL DISCLOSURE: The links to the $39 offer in this article are affiliate links. This means that if you take Johnny up on his offer, I receive a percentage. Does this mean I'm trying to make money? Well, yes - but I have my reputation to consider, which is why I'll only ever promote anything I'd be happy to spend my own money on. It's also why I've taken the time to explain why you can trust Johnny to do a great job creating your website and blog at such a great price.