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)!
 

Setting Up An Online Business - Tips, Tools and Techniques

This is a guest post submitted by cashback.co.uk. Initially their director, Neil Durrant, approached me and asked if I would include a link back to their site from mine - a good technique for off-page search engine optimisation (SEO). I agreed on the basis that it formed part of an article which would be useful to Online Business Consultant readers. That article follows below - at the end I've added a few SEO notes and tips for you too...

Today, as many people are looking to set up their own business, going online has a number of advantages:

• Your market is everyone with an internet connection.
• You can get going cheaply and quickly since you will not need expensive premises
• Your costs and prices will be cheaper

But the key to profitability is thorough preparation.

Here are 10 useful tips to help get your business going and profitable:

1. Write a business plan. Who are you trying to sell to, will they buy online, where are they based, can your product be sold and distributed online, are delivery costs low? If your idea stands up to scrutiny, you might be in business.
   
   [For more information about scrutinising your ideas, see the Business Ideas Litmus Test]
   
   
2. Find the right ISP provider to host your website. There are hundreds of businesses ISPs. Look at issues such as speed, customer service availability, back up services as well as cost and ability to switch.
   
   
3. Register your domain name. Before you establish your company name, do a search to make sure your chosen URL is available and make it memorable. Your ISP may be able to help register your domain name.
   
   [Tip: when choosing a domain name, try to ensure it is strongly related to your brand or contains keywords relevant to your market - which is good for organic SEO]
   
   
4. Set up your own website. You can find DIY site builder solutions on the net. These sites may not be as distinctive as you might like. Otherwise use a web designer but ask for samples first. They will advise on content, customer engagement tools and on navigation to make it for customers to buy from you.
   
   [WordPress is becoming increasingly popular for general website building as well as blogs. You might want to look at the Thesis theme (and why it is considered to be the best available) or have your site set up for you.]
   
   
5. Display the following information:
   
   - Contact details
   - VAT registration if applicable
   - Privacy policy
   - Terms and conditions of sale
   - Exchange/refund policy
   - Up to date prices and stock availability
   
   
6. Set up a virtual shopping cart to allow customers to select items for payment later through the check out page. Again your ISP may have an integrated shopping cart or you can buy specialist shopping cart software.
   
   
7. Set up an account with a provider like PayPal to collect payments. Charges are usually a percentage of each transaction.
   
   
8. Promote your website. Use your URL everywhere... business cards, brochures, letter heads, e-mail signatures, adverts. And make sure you capture customer e-mail addresses to let them know about new products and latest offers and promotions.
   
   
9. Market yourself on search engines. Either by paying for an ad linked to your site on a pay per click basis so you are only paying for visitors or by working with a specialist to optimise your content so that you appear high on search engine rankings against selected key words. Both approaches should be used in the early days.
   
   
10. Finally, test your site just before you go live and regularly. Do all the features work? Is the end to end process slick and straightforward?
    
    [Make sure you site is tested by your intended customer with no instruction from you. Even if everything works, if they don't 'get it' and end up buying from you, all your time, effort and money will go to waste!]
    

You are now well on way to having your online business up and running and giving you the ability to earn money. As with most things in life, you will rapidly learn 80% in the early days and spend the remainder of the life of the business learning the finer points. But it is a rewarding journey.

...

So I promised you a few SEO tips and already mentioned that the reason Neil approached me was not only to promote his site, but also to improve his site's rankings in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). You see, the fact is, that no matter how well you do your on-page optimisation (those things on your site within your control), inbound links to your site have a much greater impact on your ranking position. However, it's not quite a simple as that...

The quality of inbound links matters greatly. You can actually be penalised by Google for trying to cheat the system with 'black hat' techniques (and your pages will go down the ranks or even disappear from the indexes altogether). The good news is that you get bonus points for:

• Links that appear on relevant sites -
  I.e. if the topic of the page the link appears on is the same as the topic of the page it links to, this is good.
  
  
• Good use of anchor text -
  Anchor text being the words you click on to follow the link. A terrible example of anchor text would be 'click here' - it means nothing. Notice how Neil's researchers used 'earn money' for their anchor text above. It tells Google that the page being linked to is about earning money, i.e. it contains keywords they're trying to rank for. Also, it is much better for the anchor text to appear in context within a paragraph (ideally high up a page) than in a bullet list.
  
  
• Variety -
  It's the spice of life, and Google knows this. If all of your inbound links go to the same page and have the same anchor text, Google will get suspicious - it's all a bit too convenient. Google wants to see things happening naturally. For example, Google doesn't want to think that Neil approached me to try and get cashback.co.uk in the number 1 spot. Google wants the most popular relevant site to appear in the number 1 spot, and that is the site that people are talking about on their blogs and linking to because they want to. Everyone is different, so everyone would have different anchor text. Google rewards these patterns of behaviour. On that note, it's also worth mentioning that providing facilities to make it easy for visitors to promote and link to your site is therefore very wise indeed!
  

Here are a few links to articles and videos on the subject that you may ind useful. I posted all of these on my Twitter account, so you may like to follow theOBC on Twitter.

• Link building guide
• Link building stimulus plan
• How to get awesome links (video)
• Why you shouldn't create a link farm (video)
• More about off-page over optimisation (video)

P.S. I changed the link I was originally given to the cashback.co.uk site when I noticed that they had an affiliate program. If I'm going to include a link to their site, why not a link that I get paid for - this article is all about making money online afterall! I hope you found it useful.