Jessica Cooper It’s hard to think that it’s been 2 years since I started crochetitcreations.com. It’s even harder to think about how much I have learned in that time! And let me tell you, it’s a WHOLE LOT! But now I’m telling you it all – how I started my blog and how you can start a blog too!
I have been a crocheter my whole life. For a few years I sold finished goods, but I knew I wanted to design and publish crochet patterns. I really wanted a resource destination for crocheters and craft lovers. I didn’t just want to sell, but wanted to teach. So, starting a blog was the perfect place for me to do that.
When you have a blog, you have your own little space on the internet. It’s a space for you to teach and speak to others who can be anywhere in the world. And that can be amazing!
Start a blog now, no experience needed!
Let me start by saying, I have no background in web design, graphic design, blogging, marketing, etc. NONE! I went to cosmetology school, then nursing school. My education consists of a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. I am not a blogging expert, but I have been able to run this blog for 2 years now with information I have found on the internet. And I am sharing my experience to help you!
Running a blog can have expenses and can be very time consuming. I knew that I wanted to monetize my site. So, I needed full control over what I could do.
Hosted vs Self-Hosted
See, there are many ways to start a blog. You first need to decide if you want it to be fully hosted by a platform or if you want it to be self hosted.
What does that even mean?
Hosted
A fully hosted blog means that a company is hosting your blog and you have limited control of what you can do. If you use wordpress.com this option is free. There are several upgrades available and is a great way to start. Keep in mind that those added features and upgrades do cost money and can defeat the purpose of letting WordPress.com host for you.
Fully hosted blogs are perfect for a hobbyist
Self-Hosted
A self-hosted site is one where you have full control over lay out and design. You can run ads and monetize your blog. You can install plug-ins (features) to make your blog more specific to you. I chose to go with WordPress.org and Blue Host to host my blog.
If you are new to the blogging world, I’m sure this is all foreign to you as it was for me. I suggest you read as much as you can before making a choice. I am a huge fan of WordPress though and think you will be in great hands whether you go with wordpress.com to let them host it for you or wordpress.org to find your own host.
To start a blog choose a platform and a host
So, we have already talked about fully hosted vs self-hosted. Like I said, my site is self-hosted with WordPress.org and BlueHost. WordPress is the software that I use to create my blog. Where I add all my content, pretty photos, and brand specific design. BlueHost is the host that connects my blog to the internet, keeps it secure, and updated.
There are many other companies that you can chose for your platform and hosting. I did my research and started with WordPress.org and BlueHost. I have continued to use these platforms, as they have served my blog and business well.
How to set up your blog
Now that you have chosen to go with WordPress.org and BlueHost to host your blog, I’ll go over how to set it up like I did mine. Go to BlueHost.com and click on the Get Started Button.
Next, choose the plan you want to start with. I started with the Plus Plan. I did end up upgrading shortly after signing up and that is because I was running in to issues where my site would go down for updating.
With having a crochet blog, my site needed to be accessible all the time. There are some who were working a pattern of mine off the internet. And when my site went down, I would get messages about them not being able to continue with their crochet project. So, keep in mind that if you need your site accessible 24/7, you may need a different plan.
Keep reading and you’ll hear about the obstacles that I faced.
Choose a domain name
A domain is your web address. It is the name that is shown in the url bar and link to your site. I already had a Facebook page named Crochet It Creations, so I knew that I wanted my domain to be crochetitcreations.com.
I did not have my domain name registered before starting my blog so I had to add it as a new domain and cross my fingers that it wasn’t already taken. So, if you have a name you want to use in the future to start a blog, I suggest you register it as soon as possible.
Set up your Blue Host account
After you have entered your domain name, set up your Blue Host account. Complete the information needed like the form below.
Choose your plan
We are already talked about the plans that are available, now it’s time to make a choice. Note that Blue Host doesn’t offer month to month payments, but pay for 1, 2, 3, or 5 years up front. Hosts that do offer monthly payments for hosting will charge more. Also, if you are offered a discount by Blue Host for signing up and only chose the 12 month plan, your rate will go up when you renew (totally didn’t realize that when I started mine).
Choose a plan that is appropriate for your blog and within your budget. I had very little money to spend on my blog up front, so I only chose a 12 month plan.
Enter your payment information and submit. Create a password for your account.
Create your blog’s theme
A theme is the layout of your blog. And unless you are a web coder, I suggest you choose one of your liking.
Choosing a theme was a big lesson learned for me. I outsourced my first theme and paid for one that I thought was pretty. I don’t even remember where I saw the theme from, but it was somewhere online and not in WordPress.
But, I shortly after learned that there was major flaws with that theme. It caused my site to run slow and even caused problems with plug-ins that I used. I even started getting complaints that some were viewing the text as cursive writing. While I was seeing print. It just depended on the browser they were viewing with. So, I ended up going with a free theme on WordPress and customizing to my liking. This has worked very well for me.
You don’t have to chose a theme right away. You can search themes and add to your site later.
Customize your site
Now you are ready to customize your site. You do this in WordPress. You can change the colors, the fonts, add photos, and most importantly add your content.
This is how your WordPress site will look. This is the back end of the blog and all of your navigation for customizing your blog are along the left side.
And the possibilities are endless! I knew that crochet was going to be my niche. That is where my passion is. I suggest you find your passion and stick to that with writing your content. Your blog will be the perfect place for your audience to get to know you and you can share with others.
Customizing your site can be overwhelming. I suggest to start with a contact page and introducing your self. Then move on to creating your first blog post!
Other Blogging Tips
Costs
- Keep your costs low. You do not need a fancy camera, computer or any other equipment. All you need is a computer and access to the internet to start a blog. If you have the funds and feel that it would be helpful, then by all means purchase them. But it isn’t necessary and shouldn’t be something that holds you back from starting a blog today. (I started my blog with an iPhone and a $100 Chrome Book that I bought on sale on Black Friday!)
Be willing to fail and learn
- You will not know everything up front and it is perfectly okay to learn as you go. AND it’s okay to mess up! Google and YouTube have great resources for building your blog.
Track what is and what isn’t working
- Once you get your blog all up and running, set up Google Analytics. Google Analytics allows you to see your site’s visitors. You can see where they are being referred from (whether it’s Facebook, email, search engines, etc). This gives you a deeper dive into your audience and things that you can improve on. You can also see which posts get the most views.
Upgrade when needed
- I started out with the Plus Plan, which has free SSL certificate. SSL certificate is what connects your blog to the server and keeps your site secure. It protects your visitors information. With the Basic and Plus plans, the SSL updates every 3 months. Which meant my site would be unavailable for about a day to update this. I upgraded to Blue Host Business Pro after about 6 months of starting my blog. While it is more expensive, it was necessary. (I’m not an expert on this and may have not explained it appropriately. I am just going off my experience and I know I needed my site to be up and running 100% of the time!)
Stay true to you
- Most importantly stay true to yourself and build your own unique space on the internet.
Go to BlueHost now by clicking HERE to get start a blog today!
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