When I was a new blogger, I wish I found some type of Blogging Basics course or post to learn more about how to get started. I started off with a blogger account and that worked great for what I wanted at the time, but when it was time to get more serious – I switched over to a self-hosted wordpress site! I wish I had done that from that beginning and things would have been MUCH easier.
These are some of the things you will need before having a self-hosted wordpress site. All of this seemed so foreign to me when I first started, but once you research a little and find out what will work for you, things will fall into place.
Some of the things you will need are:
- Domain Name
- Hosting Site
- Theme
Also, if you are interested in monetizing your blog, here are some ways you can do that:
- Affiliate Links
- Influencer Networks
- Working directly with brands
Now, to get into some detail.
Below are some of your options for all of the necessities listed above. I will provide my favorites first and throw in a few others for you to do your research.
Domain – you will need a site to buy your domain name from and do all of your directing. Most hosting sites will do this too, but as a personal choice, I have kept mine separate.
- Namecheap – you can register your domain name as low as $0.88/year
- Godaddy.com
Hosting
- Bluehost – This is my favorite. They are always been so helpful and I never have any problems with them! They recovered my site when I was switching things up and I lost EVERYTHING.
- Hostgator – I know a lot of other bloggers that use this and love it.
Themes – this is where you get to make your site look pretty.
- Restored316 – her designs are beautiful, she provides tons of support and always has something for every time of blogger. AND her prices include Genesis Parent themes (which you NEED!)
Affiliate Programs
- Amazon – this is where you can earn money from anything on amazon if someone buys through your links
- Rakuten Linkshare – So many wonderful brands work through here like, Honest, Melissa & Doug, and the Container Store –Come Join the #1 Affiliate Network!
- Shareasale – Again, so many wonderful brands work through here! My favorite is tinyprints!
Influencer Networks – Brands can connect with you directly through here and pay you for sponsored posts or campaigns. This is where the big payouts are and you never have to worry about the hassle of contacting brands directly.
These are just the basics and my favorites, but let me know if you have any questions and I can walk you through the process!
Something else that helps me is staying organized! My favorite way of staying organized is by keeping a blogging binder that keeps track of my post schedule, finances, and communication with other bloggers and brands. Below is a free printable for my blogging binder cover! (There will be a post soon on more printables and specifics inside my blogging binder!)
Enjoy my free blogging binder printable!
**This post contains affiliate links – see my disclosure page for more information**
