Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

Hey Loves! If you’re thinking about creating a blog and have no clue where to start then this post is for you! I’ve covered everything from buying your own domain name to going self-hosted on WordPress. In addition, I’ve covered both WordPress(.com) and Blogger platforms so if you’re interested then keep on reading!

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WORDPRESS

I find creating a website in WordPress.com to be super easy and the user interface to be very user-friendly as well!

Go to: https://www.wordpress.com & click on the button “Get Started”.

A page will appear where you’ll have to enter the name and niche of your website and other information. Depending on how comfortable you are with creating a website on WordPress, you’ll have to answer and fill up extra questions such as the theme and appearance of your website.

The next step is to create a domain which will be the name of your website and you can choose the domain address you like. If you’re going for the free version then your domain will be www. yourblogname .wordpress.com or if you decide to buy your domain then you can choose one of the options shown below.

Make sure your domain name matches your blog’s name or something very close to it (depending on the name of your blog), I’d recommend your top-level domain extension to be either .com or .co.uk (if you live in the UK).

Then you’ll have the option to pick a plan, if you don’t want to pay for a plan yet – you can choose the free plan. Click on the button “Start with Free”.

Another new page will appear where you’ll have to enter your username, email address and password. AND that’s it, you’ve created your blog!! Now you can choose a theme and customise it according to your preferences!

BUY YOUR DOMAIN

If you decide to buy your own domain under WordPress.com, go to your dashboard and click on the option “Plan”. I’d recommend to buy your domain with a plan instead of purchasing the domain on its own (click on the tab “Domains” and you can buy your own domain name).

Buying a plan will give access to other features including your domain name which is considered to be free in the plan (for whichever plan you select). I’d recommend to choose the Personal or Premium plan depending on your blog and budget.

Once you’ve selected the plan or domain, you’ll be taken to another page where you’ll have to enter your payment details. Once you’ve entered all your information, you’ll be taken to another page which will say that the installation was successful!

In general, your domain will work within 48 or 72 hours, roughly 2 to 3 days but normally it works within 24 hours so don’t worry if your domain address doesn’t work immediately.

BLOGGER

Creating a website in Blogger is pretty much very easy as well, you can create a blog within 2 minutes that’s how easy it is!

Go to: https://www.blogger.com & click on the button “CREATE YOUR BLOG”.

A page will appear asking for your email address (Gmail) and password. Sign in to your Gmail account or create an account if you don’t have one.

Then you’ll be taken to another page where you’ll have to enter the name of your blog which will automatically determine your domain adress (www.yourblogname.blogspot.com) since you’re under a hosting platform.

Also, you’ll have to choose a theme for your blog as well, I’d recommend to choose the theme “Simple” which is very easy to edit using HTML and CSS codes after you’ve uploaded a Blogger template of your choice.

BUY YOUR DOMAIN

You’ve the option to buy your domain under your Blogger platform, go to Settings > Basic, and under the option “Publishing” click on the button “Buy a domain”.

Once you’ve selected the domain of your choice, click on the button “Buy” next to it.

A new page will appear where you’ll have to enter your personal and payment information. Once you’ve entered all your information, you’ll be taken to another page which will say that the installation was successful. Woohoo! You bought your own domain name!

WORDPRESS (SELF-HOSTED)

When it comes to creating a self-hosted website, there are two things to keep in mind, the first thing is your domain (www.yourblog.com) and the second your hosting (the website that holds all your blog files). These are the two things you’ll be paying in order to run your blog.

If you’ve already bought your domain using Blogger or WordPress.com, you can still use your current domain – that’s not a problem.

If your blog is under a hosting platform (www.yourblog.wordpress.com or http://www.yourblog.blogspot.com) or you haven’t create a blog yet then you can register a new domain.

HOSTING

There are many hosting services available but the most popular ones that I heard of are Bluehost and Siteground. Do your research and choose the ones that you find the most suitable for you and your blog. In this case, I’m going to select Siteground!

GET STARTED WITH SITEGROUND

When you open their website, click on the button “CHOOSE PLAN” on their home screen.

✘ SELECT A PLAN

Next, you’ll land on this page and you’ll need to pick a plan. Depending on your blog and budget, I’d recommend to choose either the first or second plan (StartUp or GrowBig). Compare their features and check which plan will be the best fit for your blog.

✘ REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN

Once you’ve selected your plan, you’ll need to register your domain (www.yourblog.com). If you already have a domain, click on the second option but remember, if you prefer to change your domain name then this a good opportunity to do so.

Then after you’ve clicked the button “Proceed”, this page will appear where you’ve to fill up all your information.

Double check the hosting and extra services and make sure everything you’ve entered is right.

Afterwards, fill up your payment information and at the bottom of the same page you’ll see the total amount you’ll be paying.

✘ INSTALL WORDPRESS

Now, you’ll have to install WordPress which is your blogging platform. Log in to your Siteground account, go to the tab “My Accounts” and click on the button “Manage Account” next to your domain name. Then click on the button “Go to cPanel” and select the WordPress icon under the option “WORDPRESS TOOLS”.

A new page will appear where you can install the latest version of WordPress, click on the button “Install”. Then, you’ll have to fill up your domain protocol, domain and site settings. Once you’ve completed everything, another new page will appear saying that the installation was successful.

✘ LOG IN TO WORDPRESS

Yayyy! Now that your blog is all set up, you’ll need to log into your account in order to start building your website.

Go to: www.YOURSITENAME.com/wp-admin

Enter the username and password you’ve created for WordPress and click on the button “Log In”. You will be taken to your WordPress dashboard where you can create your posts, pages and change the appearance of your blog.

Hope you found this blog post helpful, if you’ve any other questions please feel free to ask me in the comments section!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

xo N