You won’t believe, but you really can create a professional-looking blog for less than $30. This is possible with the world’s greatest CMS called WordPress. Even you don’t need to hire a web developer and understand codes with WordPress.
So, if you are excited to start your own blog on a budget, continue reading this step-by-step guide.
Step-1 Pick a Good Blogging Niche (Free)
Before you go ahead and start setting up a blog, get some idea for the same. If you are not sure about the blogging nice, focus on the things that you find most interesting.
Here are some tips to choose a good blogging niche:
- You may try writing blogs on the things that you enjoy. Think of something that you know a lot about. You should be able to portray it just fine.
- You may try blogging on common problems that most people search online to find solutions to them. For example, you may try blogging on health issues, employment, cooking, anxiety, and cooking.
- Look for things people usually afraid of. Blogging on these topics can get you some good traffic.
Other Popular Blog Niches are:
- Online Marketing
- Insurance
- Fashion & Beauty
- Games
- Weight Loss
You must figure this out in advance. I hope the above tips give you some good ideas to start your blogging career.
Step-2 Choose a Hosting Service ( $5 to $10 for a month)
Now when you know your blogging niche, it is time to choose a good hosting partner and domain name registrar.
When it comes to hosting, there are myriad of options available. However, it is advisable to take a look at features, uptime, server speed, terms of service and pricing before settling down on one.
To get an affordable hosting service, you can use the following tips:
- Start your blogging journey with an entry-level hosting service that does not cost much. For example, shared hosting is a good option to set up a WordPress blog. In this type of hosting, multiple users share the same server and, therefore, cost too.
- Buy your domain name and hosting service from the same provider. There are many web hosting companies that offer a free domain name with their hosting plans.
- Wait for special day offers. On days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, you may get discounts up to 90% sometimes. If you don’t believe us, check here. You will be surprised to see that Hostinger is offering 90% off on their Single Shared Hosting plan.
- Buy a hosting service with a longer contract. When you choose a hosting plan for 3 years and more you get more discount on the total purchase.
You should pay at least between $ 5 to $10/mo for a good shared hosting plan.
Step-3 Install WordPress (Free)
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world. It lets you create a professional looking site for absolutely free. Like many CMSs, WordPress is free to download, install and use. Once you have finalized your domain name and hosting service, you will need to Install WordPress. The good thing is you can install WordPress directly from the control panel of your hosting provider. Look for a one-click WordPress installation option. Click on it and then on the Install button. It may take a few minutes to be completely installed.
Step-4 Create a Logo ($0 -$15)
If you are on a tight budget, you can use free tools like LogoMakr, Canva, etc. to create your logo. Canva and LogoMakr are the two popular free photo editing tools that let you create eye-catching logos, images, and banner ads. Even their premium versions will not cost you more than $10.
Here are some tips to create a professional logo:
- Choose a good color scheme. Always go with a color scheme matching with your website’s theme.
- Don’t make your logo complicated. Remember that, most simple logos are the most effective.
Step 5: Choose a WordPress Theme (Free)
After creating a logo, it is time to choose a good WordPress theme matching your requirements perfectly. To choose a free WP theme, you will have to navigate to your WordPress dashboard. Here, click on “Appearance” and then “Themes”. As you can see in the following screenshot. Here you will be able to search for themes by “Featured” and “Popular”. In addition to this, you can type in a keyword and find what themes pop up. If you’re not happy with free WordPress themes, you can go for premium themes that start from $19.
Step-6 Build An Email List (Free)
If you want to see your blog successful, it is important that you enhance your readership. And there is no better way than building an email list to retain your readers. There are numerous paid and free email building tools in the market that can help you share your latest blog post and promote the latest products. MailMunch is a good plugin to collect subscribers on your blog.
Some other email tools that you may consider are:
Final Thoughts
Congratulations! You have come to the end of this guide. In this post, you learned how to start a WordPress blog on a budget. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. We’re happy to assist you.