This post is all about how to start a lifestyle blog for beginners! I’m sharing an easy to follow, step by step guide to creating and launching a successful, profitable blog.
Do you want to learn how to start a lifestyle blog, but have no idea where to start!? Maybe you’ve been tossing the idea around in your head, but you don’t know how to set up or design the website. Or maybe you’ve tried and found it too confusing. If this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place!
I’m going to walk you through, step by step, how to easily set up a self-hosted WordPress website in less than 30 minutes! My goal is to make this guide extremely easy to follow and hopefully answer all of your blogging questions.
By the end of this post, you will have learned how to set up a successful lifestyle blog, the difference between WordPress and WordPress, how to choose a blogging niche, how to choose a domain name, how to set up hosting, how to install free and premium themes on WordPress, how to customize your website and more!
Background on Myself
Before we get into the details on how to start a lifestyle blog, let me give you a little background on myself. I created my blog, Sunday Mimosas, in 2018 with absolutely no technical experience whatsoever in website design. If you want to learn more about how and why I started blogging, you can read my post here!
I set up my entire website myself just by reading articles, watching YouTube videos and reaching out to other bloggers for advice. So trust me, if I can do it, you can too! I want to make setting up your blog super easy for you, so you don’t have to read article after article to figure out what’s the best way to set up your site. I have done all the research for you and will explain it to you in simple terms every step of the way.
Why Start a Blog?
Now you’re probably here because you already know you want to start a blog? Duh! But if you’re someone who is still hesitant and on the fence about actually starting one, let me give you a few reasons why you should definitely go for it!
There are so many different reasons to start a blog. Maybe you want to use it as a personal journal of your life, maybe you want to use it for school purposes, or as a portfolio of all your work if you’re an artist or graphic designer, maybe you want to start a blog as a side hustle as a way to make extra money. Whatever it is, blogging is an awesome way to educate other people and share your knowledge or ideas with the world! And I think you’ll find it to be super rewarding, no matter the reason you decide to start your blog!
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org?
Which one do you go with? This is a very common question that new bloggers have. Should I choose WordPress.com or WordPress.org to start my blog? I want to answer this quickly because I think it’s important for you to know the difference between the two and why I recommend choosing WordPress.org. The main difference between these two is the hosting. WordPress.com is a hosted site, while WordPress.org is a self-hosted site.
To cut to the chase, you want a self-hosted.
With a self-hosted site like WordPress.org, you have full control and can fully customize your site however you like. You have your own domain name, you can monetize your blog or website, place ads on your site, etc. However, you do have to pay for a hosting site. (We will talk about that in a little while).
With WordPress.com, your site is hosted, which means WordPress.com takes care of your hosting for you. This means WordPress is both your Content Management System and Hosting provider. Although it’s a free platform, there are a lot of limitations to choosing WordPress.com.
You will always have the “Wordpress.com” extension at the end of your domain name, you cannot monetize your blog or sell your own products, you can’t install other plugins and themes that aren’t on WordPress already and you can’t remove the WordPress.com ads from your site.
If your end goal is to work with brands and monetize your website, choosing WordPress.com is not the way to go. Plus, having the “Wordpress.com” extension at the end of your domain name, looks very unprofessional.
In this post, I am going to show you how to set up a WordPress.org self-hosted blog.
Overview of the 8 Steps I’m going to cover on How To Start A Lifestyle Blog!
1. Things to Think About Before Starting a Blog
2. Choose a Hosting Provider
3. Launch Your WordPress site
4. Install a Beautiful Theme
5. Customize your blog’s Homepage
6. Launch your Website!
7. How to Promote Your Blog
8. How to Make Money From Your Blog
Now, lets get into the 8 simple steps to starting a successful blog!
1. Things to Think About Before You Start a Blog!
There are a few things you need to ask yourself before you start blogging or designing your physical website.
What Will You Blog About?
The first step is figuring out what you are going to blog about. There are so many different topics and niches that you can choose from, so you’ll want to take some time to brainstorm and write down any ideas you have. You don’t need to have a super specific plan for your blog right away, but make sure you have a general idea of what you want to talk about!
A little tip if you’re struggling with choosing a niche, think about what you’re passionate about.
- What topics could you talk for hours and hours on and not get bored?
- What are your personal interests?
- Who is your target audience and how do you plan to serve them with your blog?
When deciding on a blog topic, it’s always important to think about the audience you’re serving and how they will benefit from the content you’re posting. The most successful bloggers always have their ideal audience in mind!
What is your Blog Name?
The next step is choosing a name for your website! There are a few things you’ll want to think about before settling on a blog name. Ask yourself these questions!
- Does the name reflect your brand and what your blog is about?
- Is it a name that you can have for years?
- Is it easy for other people to remember?
And the most important thing, is it available? You’ll want to make sure the name isn’t taken by somebody else!
2. Choosing a Web Hosting Provider
The very first thing you want to do when creating your WordPress.org site is to choose your Web Hosting Provider. Your Hosting Provider is essential in getting your blog up and running. This is what actually stores your files. So, when someone types in your domain name into their browser, they are taken to your website!
If you’re still a little confused, you can think about it like this. WordPress is the software or Content Management System that allows you to manage your blog and edit content, while your Hosting Provider is what stores all the files of your blog and allows other people to view your content online!
There are many hosting plans and providers out there that you can go with, however, for this post, I am going to be showing you how to host your website with Bluehost. I personally use Bluehost for my personal blog and can’t recommend it enough!
Bluehost offers you a free domain name for the first year, a free SSL Certificate, 1-Click WordPress Install, 24/7 support and a 30 day money back guarantee.
I can’t say enough good things about their customer support. When I was transferring my hosting provider to Bluehost, I must have called or chatted with them online every day for two weeks straight. I didn’t have any previous experience transferring over a website before, so I was beyond thankful for Bluehost’s help and advice.
Now let’s talk PRICE! When I was comparing other hosting providers, I found that Bluehost was the most affordable for me. They offer a special introductory deal where you can sign up for as low as $3.95 per month! Click Get Started below to sign up for hosting and then come back to this post so you can follow along with my step-by-step instructions on how to set it up! i’m going to walk you through all the necessary steps to get your blog up and running in minutes.
I’ll detail the exact steps to purchasing your hosting with Bluehost below.
Step 1: Choose a Hosting Plan
First thing you want to do is choose a hosting plan. I personally went with the Basic plan. If you’re just starting out, the basic option is probably all you’ll need, but feel free to choose whichever plan you think will work best for you!
You will get the cheapest price (3.95/mo) if you sign up for 36 months. The price for hosting increases if you choose a 12 month or 24 month term.
Step 2: Register Your Domain Name
From here, you’ll type in your blog name under “Create a new domain” and click next. Bluehost will tell you if that domain name is available.
Side note – If you already have a domain name, you would enter that name in the second box that says “Use a domain you own.” Only use this option if you have already paid and registered a domain name.
The next screen will let you know if your domain name is available!
Step 3: Account Information and Payment
If your domain name is available, you will be taken to the next page which will allow you to enter your account information and choose the annual payment package you’d like. I recommend choosing 3 years because it’s the most affordable and you’ll save money in the long run!
There will also be an option to add on package extras such as Domain Privacy+Protection, Sitelock Security-Essential and more. You don’t need to purchase any of the extras (I didn’t), but they’re there if you’d like them. If you don’t buy them now, you can always purchase them later!
Next, enter your payment information and click “Submit!”
Congrats! You’ve set up hosting for your blog! There’s a few additional steps you’ll need to complete for Bluehost.
Step 4: Create Your Password and Login
From here you’ll create a password for your Bluehost account. Bluehost will also send you a confirmation email that includes important account information that you’ll want to save. Once you’ve created your password, you’ll click “Go to Login” and type in the password you just created.
Bluehost is going to set up your account now! It may ask you a few questions. You can answer them or click skip.
Step 5: Choose a Basic Theme (you will change this later)
Bluehost is going to recommend a few basic and premium themes for your website. You can choose a free recommended one to begin with and then change it later, which I’ll show you how to do in Section 4!
3. Launch Your WordPress Site
Remember I mentioned Bluehost gives you a 1-click WordPress install? Well, now all you have to do, once you selected your free basic theme, is click the blue “WordPress” button in the upper right hand corner of Bluehost. You will then be taken to your WordPress dashboard where you will write your posts, edit your site and install any plugins.
4. Choose a Theme (layout) for your Website
Here’s the fun part! Actually customizing your website and making it look pretty. You can change the entire layout and design of your blog by changing the “Theme” in WordPress.
To change the WordPress theme, start by logging into your WordPress.org account. You will be taken to your WordPress Dashboard, where you will be able to customize what your blog looks like. Navigate to the menu on the left side of your screen and find the tab “Appearance.” Hover over “Appearance” and click “Themes.” Once you’re on the “Themes” page, click “Add New.”
From here, WordPress lets your choose either a free theme or premium theme. Once you find a theme you like, click “Install.” Now, all you have to do is click “Activate” and you’ll be able to see your new blog layout on your website! To view your site, go up to the top left hand corner of your dashboard and over over the home icon. Underneath it, the link “Visit Site” will appear. Click it and you will be able to see your website!
Although there are a ton of free WordPress themes, you may want something more customized and on-brand. I absolutely love 17th Avenue Designs because they’re themes are so cute and affordable. They look so professional and they’re completely customizable.
You can also buy your theme off Etsy. That’s what I did! My theme for Sunday Mimosas is from SkyandStars Designs and I love it! The Etsy owner, Angel, was so helpful and responsive when I reached out to her with questions. I definitely recommend checking out her themes!
5. Customize Your Blog’s Homepage
Go to your WordPress Dashboard, hover over the “Appearance” tab and click “Customize.” In here, you’ll be able to edit your website’s title and tagline, the header image, the header size, the color of your theme, the menu, widgets, and so much more!
If you’re wondering how to customize your sidebars to include a short bio about yourself, or a search bar, or a box that lists your most recent blog posts, you would add these to your blog by clicking “Widgets.” Choose the widget area that you want to add something to and click “Add a Widget.” A whole list of options will appear and you can choose the type of widget you are looking for!
6. Launch Your Website!
The last step to getting your blog up on the internet is to actually publish your site! All you have to do is click the button “Coming Soon Active” at the top of your WordPress dashboard and then click “Launch Your Site.”
Your website is now live and you can start promoting your blog! If you have any questions or are still confused, feel free to reach out to me via email or on Instagram. I’d be happy to help walk you through any of these steps!
But, now what do you do? You’ve hit publish, your blog is live, so what are the next steps!? Grab my Free Checklist that will walk you through the 15 Things You Need To Do Right After You Launch Your Blog that will set you up for success! These are tasks that you won’t want to forget about doing if you want to create a successful and profitable lifestyle blog!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BLOG LAUNCH CHECKLIST!
7. How to Promote Your Blog
Now that you’ve got your blog up and running. Let’s talk about how you’re going to promote it and drive traffic to your website.
Pinterest!
Pinterest is a great way to drive tons of traffic to your new blog. Personally, it’s my number one traffic driver to my website! You’ll find that it’s a lot easier (and quicker) to rank on Pinterest vs. Google. As a new blogger, I recommend creating about 5-10 fresh Pinterest graphics for every blog post you write.
Facebook Groups
There are so many blogging Facebook groups you can join to share your new blog post. I’m a part of at least ten different FB groups where I interact with and learn from other bloggers, and share my latest blog posts. It’s a great way to reach an entirely new audience and connect with other bloggers in the lifestyle niche!
Social Media Accounts
Do you have an Instagram account, YouTube or Tik Tok account? Utilize all your social media platforms to share and promote your blog posts! This is a great way to tap into the audience that’s already following you on your social media channels and convert them into blog readers.
8. How to Make Money From Your Blog
There are so many different ways you can make money from your blog!
Affiliate Marketing
The easiest way to start making money from your blog is through affiliate marketing. You can add affiliate links throughout your posts and if someone purchases one of the items you share, you make a small commission! I love affiliate marketing because you don’t have to have tons of readers to get started. Check out these affiliate marketing networks that you can join right now to start making money!
- Amazon Associates
- RewardStyle
- ShareASale
- Awin
- ShopStyle Collective
Displaying Advertisements
Displaying ads on your website is a great way to make money while you sleep! As a new blogger, I’d recommend checking out Google Adsense. It’s super easy to set up and you don’t need a ton of viewers to apply. Once you start getting more readers, you can apply for ad networks like Mediavine or AdThrive.
Sponsored Posts
Another popular way to make money from your blog is by partnering with brands. You can work with brands in your niche to create a sponsored post to share on your blog or social media channels! Click here to learn how to find brands to collaborate with.
Selling Digital Products
This is a great way to make passive income! Creating a digital product will take some time in the beginning, but once it’s created, there’s very minimal work you’ll have to do! There are so many digital products you could sell on your blog: printables, e-books, checklists, courses and so much more!
Other Posts You May Like:
How and Why I Started Blogging
How to Find Brands to Work With As a Micro Influencer
7 Life-Changing Productivity Hacks
This post was all about how to start a lifestyle blog for beginners!
