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Birth of A Mommy Blog
I started this blog originally because I wanted to help people find answers to questions that they have about parenting, budgeting, and daily life. I also wanted to document my parenting and blogging journeys. Over time I’ve gotten many questions on the process I took to create my mommy blog and how it’s become a successful “side-hustle” for me on accident. I’ve begun making some extra spending money from blogging that has helped alleviate some of the financial burden associated with managing a household of four. I am not one of those millionaire bloggers earning five or six figures every month…heck I’m just getting started so who knows what’s in store! But for now, I just earn enough to make a dent in some of our credit card debt and pay for things like Christmas gifts, etc.!
Blogging is a fun outlet for me and it’s kinda cool to be able to earn a few passive income dollars along with it! Though I don’t make a full-time income blogging, there are plenty of people who do. So if you are a new mama who wants a creative way to earn income while staying home with your littles then blogging might be one way to do it. If so, then this little tutorial on how to create a successful mommy blog might be calling your name right now!
Want to Work from Home {Or From Anywhere For That Matter}?
Blogging is PERFECT for stay-at-home moms or any gal that wants to kick the 9-to-5 grind to the curb and enjoy life more! But you can’t get too far beyond the brainstorming phase without setting up your actual blog site, but how do you actually do that? I know, it seemed super complicated, daunting, scary, etc. to me too! However, you will be happy to hear that it really is easy as pie! And this brief tutorial will hold your hand and walk you right through it! This post is not going to tell you every single thing you need to know about a blog. This one is solely the initial setup for people who are asking questions like “where do I even begin?”, “how do I get my own website?”, “isn’t it really expensive to have your own site?”, “do I have to know about computers to have my own blog?”, etc. I will cover strategy, training, and other tips on where you go from here in separate posts. This is just your first stop on this wild blogging ride…step number one!
First of all, I am telling you that you need to just bite the bullet and pay for web hosting {it’s only $3.95/MO} so you can be “self-hosted”. That just means it will be example >> thecoolestblogever. com as opposed to thecoolestblogever.wordpress. com. That’s what I recommend, both for aesthetics and credibility…it’s a real website then! Now I can only recommend Bluehost to host your site and WordPress as a platform because those are the only ones I have experience with and have both been great for me so far. I can also say that just about everyone is on WordPress, there is always a WP plugin for anything you might need down the road, and there are some ad networks that only work with select platforms and WordPress is always at the top of their list. Those are the two things that you really need to make that critical first step. Now make sure that you select your blog name before you get started so you know what domain name you will go with. You can check here to see if the one you want is available:
Don’t psych yourself out because of all the jargon…Bluehost has this whole WordPress integration thing down to a science. It just about completes itself! Ok, are you ready? Let’s do this!
Create and Set Up your Web Hosting Account
Start by clicking here to visit the Bluehost home page and click the bright green button that says “Get Started Now“
Then you need to make your first decision. Which plan to select? I’m sure that by now you realize I am what the French call a “cheapskate”, so I instinctively chose the basic plan for myself. However, the “Plus” plan is a happy medium and is also the most popular. It would probably be the most cost effective in terms of what you get for the money. And if you’re feeling like going crazy up in this web hosting arena then go for the “Pro” if it makes you feel fancy! You can’t really go wrong as you can always upgrade if need be!
Now we’ve reached the really hard part…selecting your domain name. What?!?! Yes, but you can do it! I am hopeful that you have already dreamt up the ideal name for your blog. Hopefully, this can be quickly translated into a concise and easy to remember domain name! I do recommend that you stick with a .com versus a .net or anything else. Bonus: You can select and establish your domain name for free as part of this set-up process. If you are lucky enough to already have a domain name, then you can just transfer it here. Easy peasy!
Once you’ve got the domain name covered, then it is downhill from here! Just fill in your basic personal information and move on…
Time for another decision! Which package will you choose? I vote for the 36 month because, clearly, you are still going to be running your blog in 3 years. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be investing time, energy and money into reading this tutorial for setting up your self-hosted site…right?!?! And if nothing else, it’s a better value because you get more for your money that way! Even better, you can get in on a super introductory rate of $3.95/month if you sign up through this tutorial!
If you’re looking to the future it may interest you to know that Bluehost provides upgrades to VPS or dedicated server hosting accounts from inside your control panel if your needs change down the road! {Don’t ask me what all of that means, but it’s always good to know you have options!}
Note: It would not be a bad idea to add Domain Privacy to keep your personal information safe & secure! Add other options to fit your needs, but pass on that if you are trying to keep your costs to a minimum.
Now you are almost halfway done! Once you’ve filled in your info and chosen your package just click “Next” to complete the purchase. You will then be prompted to create your password, which can be done one of two ways. The lazy way is to use the Password Generator, but I would never remember that password! So I just created my own making sure to include both capital and lowercase letters, a number, and a special character (?!#, etc.) just for security.
YES! You are all signed up and halfway there! At this point, you can log into your account and start on the next step: WordPress!! Remember, we talked about this earlier…it’s easy!
Getting Started With WordPress
Don’t get scared at the prospect of “Installing WordPress”; it’s not as daunting as it sounds…trust me! Bluehost has made this step super simple through the MOJO Marketplace. Just select “One Click Installs” from the cPanel within the MOJO Marketplace which directs you to “Scripts and Platforms.” Just click on the WordPress icon at the top in the blog section to get started!
An installation window will now pop up and you want to click the bright green “Install” button to trigger the installation process. And in a few short steps, you will be the proud owner of a bouncing baby blog!
Step 1: Click the bright green “Check Domain” button to confirm that the domain is assigned and pointing to your account. As long as this is your first blog then don’t be concerned if you see a warning about overwriting files. Just click the box and continue. Please note that if you do have other sites built, you just need to make very sure that you don’t overwrite anything that you still need.
Step 2: In “Show Advanced Options” you will create a username and password, again make sure to make it strong! Double check to confirm that the “Automatically create a new database for this installation” box is checked.
Step 3: Read over the terms and conditions, check the box confirming that and click the bright green “Install Now” button.
Next, you’ll see the progress page so you can view where you are in the installation process, this is a good time to grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine depending on the time of day! Once this has completed processing you will receive your site URL, admin URL, username and password and this will also be sent via email with the exception of the password.
Go ahead and login…don’t be shy! You can do this through your admin URL where you will be prompted to enter your username and password before clicking “Log In.” This brings you to your WordPress dashboard which is where all the magic happens! You can create pages, write posts, customize your appearance, add plugins, etc.!
Don’t forget, if you sign up through my tutorial you will get in on the special shared hosting offer of $3.95/month for 36 months which includes your free domain name for a year! And if you get stuck and need more help you can visit http://bluho.st/sfvBT for more info!
Guess what. You did it! You created your own blog…yay you!! I’m so proud of you…go buy yourself a latte! So that was your task for the day, check it off and feel accomplished! Now go relax with your family, go to sleep, read a good book, watch Netflix, do something relaxing…you deserve it! Oh, who am I kidding? If you’re anything like me you will be up all night feverishly customizing your site to make it look just perfect! Enjoy…its super addictive! Soon you will find additional advice from me on where to go from here, but for now…you have a blog!!! Woo hoo!! Make sure to come back and tell me how your new blog is doing and send me the link so I can check it out! And make sure to stay tuned for fun updates from me! Happy Blogging! If you’re in the mood you can also check out my post on How I Made My First $250 as a Newbie Blogger! And be sure to visit my BLOGGING RESOURCES page for all of the best blogging goodies around! Have fun!!
ATTENTION FELLOW BLOGGERS & ENTREPRENEURS
Drumroll…so I have decided to roll out new Pinterest Account Management services and have a couple spots to fill just in case you know anyone who is looking. I know what a challenge it can be to get up and rolling with it. So I would love to help alleviate the confusion & headache! Check out my list of services HERE and contact me with any questions!
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