How to Start a Blog Using WordPress The Right way- (Step by Step Guide)

What is a blog?. A blog is a platform that allows users to share knowledge and discuss different topics with people in the form of an online journal. Many wordpress bloggers have discussed this topic widely, but still you don’t understand but I will break it down for you to accumulate.

First thing to know before starting a wordpress blog

Before you start a blog I want you to sit down and discuss within you what is your goal and what are you knowledgeable about to share to the public that will impact people so that they will visit your blog all time.
Think of blog topics to write about like Technology ( blogging, web design, SEO many more), Web hosting, Fashion, E commerce, Insurance, Food, Health, Business, Entertainment. These are great topics to write about I will discuss how to start and build a blog below.
The process is easy to follow whether you are old or young. However if you need help, i will help you setup your blog for free.

What do you need to start a WordPress blog?

There are two things you need to start a WordPress blog:

1. A domain name idea (this will be the name of your blog i.e Loudtips.com)
2. A web hosting account (this is where your website live on the internet)

What you will learn in this guide.

• How to Register a Domain Name
• How to Choose the Best Web Hosting
• How to Install WordPress
• How to install Your Theme
• How to install wordpress plugin
• How to publish your first article

So lets begin!

How to Start a Blog in WordPress

You can start a blog from the beginning in less than 45 minutes, and i will walk you through the whole guide, step by step on how to start a blog in wordpress.

Step 1: Get a domain name and hosting

Your domain name will be the name by which you will be known online, no matter what niche you choose. It’s the unique address of your blog on the net. e.g Myname.com. Your domain will be yours for free as long as you purchase hosting from Bluehost. if you have not yet decide on what domain name you want to use don’t worry this guide by Neil Patel will teach you.
Web hosting is the service providing space on the internet for websites. When you create a blog or website and you what people to see it, you will need to publish it with a web hosting service. Bluehost gives out cheap web hosting service in cheap rate with free domain registration.

Why you should choose Bluehost

Bluehost is recommended by top bloggers and also, They’re offering Unlimited Space, Unlimited Bandwidth, Free Domain Name included and 24/7 Live Chat Support to assist you.
In simple words, Bluehost is a leading U.S based web hosting service provider. They’re ultimately hosting over 2 million websites on their servers. And they’re offering a great service for competitive prices ($3.95/mo).
To make people to see your blog live, you need a host. Bluehost is one of the best and recommended wordpress hosting so I recommend hosting from Bluehost.

How to buy web hosting from Bluehost

buy hosting from bluehost wont take 10 minuets, it is easy and fast. Just follow this step by step guide and get it done the right way.

First step> Go to Bluehost.

Firstly, head to www.Bluehost.com “Discount added in the link” and click “Get Started Now” button.

Second step> choose your web hosting plan

you are suppose to choose any web hosting plan of your choice. BlueHost offers 3 plans here

• Basic: (host one domain)
• Plus: (host multiple domains)
• Pro: (host multiple domains + Over $180/yr in extras)

For starters,  if you’re intending to host one domain only, then “select the basic plan”. It offers a very good value. And as a starter, You won’t need the plus or pro packages until your site start getting millions of visitors.

Third step> Please enter your domain name

Now that you’ve selected your web hosting plan, you will be asked you to choose your choice of domain name. There are two options listed which are:

• New Domain: register a new domain name for free
• I have a Domain Name: use your current domain name you have.

Don’t have a domain name? No worries, Bluehost offers a “FREE domain name registration” (Included with the web hosting plan). Just make sure to enter your desired domain in “New Domain“.
Have a domain name already and want to use it? Sure thing. Make sure to enter your current domain name in “I have a Domain Name“. Then, Bluehost will put it as your account’s primary domain name.

Enter your new domain and click next.

Fourth step> Enter your account information

To create your bluehost account, you will be ask to put in your information like Name, Address, Phone Number, Email Address, etc. Please, make sure you submit your correct information.

Fifth step>  Select the right package

In the Account plan you will see different monthly options like 12 month, 24 month or 36 month but choose any of your choice and Make sure you deselect the options “uncheck Domain Privacy Protection, Site Backup Pro, and Site Lock Security, your hosting package will be given to you with a free Domain Name

Sixth step> Enter your billing information

in this page you will be asked to put in your payment information to finalize your order. If you prefer to pay using PayPal, click on “More payment options“.

Seventh step> create your password

Now you need to create a strong password for your account.
Then, Login to your account and to install wordpress through your cPanel (you can login at https://my.domain.com).
Now the process of buying web hosting for your blog is 98% complete.
Read also: how to buy a domain and hosting from Namecheap

Eight step> Log into your web hosting cPanel

you have to check you mail box to find the confirmation email and the login details
Go to bluehost and click login and put your login details. your user name will be your domain addres and put your password.

Congratulations! dear You have just purchased your web hosting package and domain name. now its time to install wordpress

Ninth step> Install wordpress

After purchasing free domain and hosting from Bluehost you will be given a control panel. in this control panel, you will be installing wordpress. You can install WordPress in a few clicks.

Next step  you have to scroll down and click  continue

Next step put your domain name and tick any premium plugin. make sure you make the directory empty

Next step is to put your Admin information

Next step above you will see wordpress is installing. you have to wait for it to install

when its up to 100% above click where you see view your credentials and when you have view your credentials, Now you have to go to your wordpress admin dashboard login to view your wordpress dashboard and install some necessary stuffs. your admin dashboard login your should be like the http://www.mydomian.com/wp-admin.

Tenth step> is to login your wordpress dashboard

You can now go ahead and log into your WordPress Dashboard to start working on your website. your dashboard URL will look like this: http//yourdomain.com/wp-admin. then it will open a login box where you will text in your username and password.

Read also: 24 important things to do after installing WordPress

Eleventh step> Choose your blog layout

Choose your theme after the installation of wordpress and customize it or if you can design a professional WP theme then upload it to your wordpress dashboard and make it look professional.
Admiring a theme of a wordpress website and don’t know the name of that theme don’t worry, visit this site whatwpthemeisthat just text in the admire wordpress site and it will display theme name and plugins used. There are free and premium wordpress themes out there.
Red also: free vs premium wordpress theme ( pros and cons )
I suggest you make use of this premium theme below i will give you reasons to purchase this theme. i strongly recommend this template. This theme is called sahifa popular premium wordpress theme. Here below is a short review of sahifa template.

Sahifa

Sahifa is a popular premium 5 start rating magazine-style theme designed to use for news sites, digital magazines, and general blogs. It has many flexible design options, allowing you to create a unique look for your site.
Developed by TieLabs, creators of several WordPress themes and plugins. A few of their premium plugins are packaged in with the Sahifa theme for free. Sold for 69$ online but if you get it through this link there will be price reduction.

 How to install free and premium WordPress theme

Guide on how to install free wordpress theme!
You can change your theme by going to your WordPress dashboard and clicking on Appearance » Themes.

Once you are on the themes page, click on the Add New button at the top

After installing the free theme you want, click Activate.
Guide on how to install Premium wordpress theme!
Go to Appearance> themes> upload

You will be ask to choose the zip file of your premium theme you downloaded. Select the file and click Install Now.

Once your theme is installed, you will see a success message along with the link to activate and preview the theme.

Step 4: Install WordPress plugins

after installing your free or premium wordpress theme, Installing WordPress plugins is one thing that every self hosted WordPress blogger should know how to do. Plugins allow you to add new features to WordPress such as add a gallery, slideshow, etc. There are thousands of free and paid plugins available for WordPress. In this step by step guide, i will show you how to install a WordPress plugin.
First thing you need to do is go to plugins and click Add New, find your choice of plugins and activate. below this plugin installation image there is a  link of an article i discussed about recommended wordpress plugin you must have. go check it out

Read also: Recommended WordPress plugin for all bloggers

Step 5: Publish your first article

After installing you WordPress plugins, the next important thing to is to publish your first article.
To text and publish your first article, click on the Posts » Add New menu in your WordPress dashboard.
You will see an editor area where you can write your first article and click publish.


Read also: 2 best wordpress plugins to publish post automatically to social media

Conclusion

This is the end of this guide. make sure you follow my step by step guide on  how to start a blog in wordpress. After starting your own blog i know you will be looking for  way to start making money with it, don’t worry there is an article that will guide you on how to start a money making blog  by ebenezereboy he gave us tips on how you can monetize your blog and make a living from it
I hope that you find this guide on how to start a WordPress blog to be helpful. You may also want to check out this article on how to get traffic to your blog.
Proven SEO techniques that is working for me
Have any question comment below or contact me on how to start a blog in wordpress platform.