When first I start blog a few years ago I even don’t know exactly what I am doing with. I just post about anything I like, post random stuff just like a mad man you can say :))
And then in the year of 2012 I start getting a little better but still worst. To be honest I’am still don’t know how to blog in ‘ethical way’, blind about SEO stuff and just blogging because I like to blog.
At that time, I was still blogging using blogspot platform, buy some cheap domain just for fun and just because it’s look cool. You know, when you still young and stupid you often doing thing just because it’s look cool. During this time I’ve made a few of blog, all of them are failed.
Everything change when I finally found that blogging is become meaningful when you do write valuable content. And get more meaningful if you can help people found information they need trough your blog.
By the spirit of learning by doing, I start to learn how to blog in ethical ways by read eBook, reading from blog related of my niche, learn basic SEO, how to use keywords etc etc.
And the result is this blog “Digimanx” The first blog I begin start to learn how to start a blog in a right way. I think …
Maybe my story make you boring. It’s okay, because I am not gonna tell you all my story, it will took a long time just to write them in single post pages.
In this post I want to share what I’ve learned so far. About things you need to know before starting a blog, Your own blog. Especially if you want to start a new blog with self-hosted WordPress.
And to help you not make the same mistake like I did. This post also can you use as your references too. If you plan to make a blog with another platform beside WordPress.
1. Find Your Niche
This is most important thing before you purchase a domain-name and web-hosting or anything else. Decide! what niche you want to cover in your blog is really important.
Plan to build a blog in a specific niche (micro-niche) that talking about things you really like or passionate about, it will easier for you to write and posting stuff.
For example if you are like anything about art and you are pretty expert on it. Then it will be easy for you to go with the flow rather than build a blog related automotive that you may only know a little about. It will be hard to work on it as may you need to do research and find some of reference before writing and posting stuff.
Why micro-niche?
It’s make easier for you to find ideas for related niche.
Compare with a “multi niche” blog, that’s really hard to manage if you are working on your blog by your self.
For example if your blog are Magazine style-blog, that talking about tech, lifestyle, entrepreneurship and blogging tips etc etc, it will be difficult for you to focus and found ideas for writing post. Unless you have a team to work with and each author handle a specific categories.
However multi niche blog is more great if you serious to work on it. Like this blog, it’s a multi niche blog and I work on it almost by myself.
2. Choose CMS Platform That Suit You
Choose what CMS (Content Management System) that you like to use. Blogger-blogspot, Wix, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress.com or self-hosted WordPress.org etc.
No one of those CMS platform are better than the other. But if you ask me for recommendations, I highly recommended to use self-hosted WordPress.org.
In anyway the most important is about how you craft your content that can make your blog ranked good in Google and other search engine.
You decide your self which platform you like to use 🙂
3. Pick A catchy Blog/Website names and URL
In some belief, a Name can brings luck. Believe it or not that’s true. I am not talking myth here. But consider to find a right name before you decide to purchase a domain-name is wiser.
Just for advice, find a good name that related to your niche. For example if your niche is about guitar search for available domain name e.g myguitarstory.com (this domain name is just for an example only)
Matching combination between niche, blog Names, domain/URL is might not make your site get ranked faster. But is good to make people easily remember your site.
4. Domain Name & Web-hosting
There is a many Domain and Web-hosting companies that you can choose to host your blog. Most of them always have a packet plan for cheapest to premium ones.
It depends on your needs, if you plan to make blog with a lot off stuff like video, audio, images and a bunch of downloadable files, than you may need to buy a packet plan with a big storages capacity.
If your blog mostly about tutorial that only used images. Then maybe you can choose the cheapest plan for starter.
This is my recommendation web-hosting to create your blog. Note! link’s below is contain my affiliate link.
Siteground – Recommended by WordPress.
BOC – This blog, is powered by BOC.
5. Pick The Right Theme
Make people love your blog by the first sight, yeah! in fact people love visiting a blog with a catchy Theme. There is so many beautiful Theme out there whether it’s free or premium ones.
The benefits of using premium theme rather than free ones are, you have a full support by the developer.
Pick the right theme for your blog is a must, most of people visiting a blog/website with their smartphones, so having a mobile friendly and responsive theme are also important nowadays.
You can easily found awesome premium WordPress Theme at Themeforest in Envato market. This is my recommendation if you want to buy Themes start at $13 in price, … it’s contain my affiliate link.
Or if you wanna have premium Theme that really good for SEO and have a great looks like themes that I use for my blog. I really recommended StudioPress Themes for WordPress
6. Target Your Audience
Targeting your audience is also important. It is your blog just for local audience only or global or specific country.
7. Monetizing Your Blog?
Create a non profit or make money from blog it’s all up to you. The truth is make money from blog is not easy as it seem.
For example, if you plan to monetizing your blog using Google Adsense. You have at least fifteen published post, and have enough traffic to make your blog get approved.
So it’s better to focus on create good and valuable content in the first few month before think about monetize your blog is wiser (Based on case study)
Conclusion
However the main purpose of blogging is to helping people by providing valuable information they wanted. You can think how to monetize it later.
It’s not easy to craft a good content, but we can always learning by doing right. Reading is always good for brain storming and can improve your writing skill. Go to library read book, read newspaper, magazine, or read articles from your favorite blog etc.
I am no an expert but I hope this post can help you to make a right decision before starting a blog. And avoid you from waste time money and energy, a mistake like I did in the past. I hope you don’t …
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