Want to just get started? Click here to sign up for BlueHost and start your blog today.
If you want to learn how to start a blog that generates traffic,leads and sales you’re definitely in the right place!
Blogging is one of the best ways to grow a business.
Blogging works for affiliate marketers,people who sell information products,e-com stores,SAAS companies and even brick and mortar.
Blogging can be challenging,fun,exciting and make you a lot of money if you know what you’re doing.
ATTENTION:Set up your blog today with 1 click, and learn how to blog from a 7-Figure Blogger!
Here is what you’ll learn in this blog post:
-How to choose a domain name and webhosting
-How to install WordPress on your server
-How to install your WordPress theme
-What WordPress plugins to use to supercharge your blog!
-How to generate free organic traffic from Google
-How to generate leads with your blog
-The power of listbuilding
-7 ways to make money with your blog
-What to write about to keep your readers hanging on to your every word
Your first order of business should be to pick out a domain name.
There are a few things to keep in mind when picking out a domain name,including:
==>Get a .com extension (rather than a .net,.org,etc). The .com is the most popular extension plus it’s for businesses that use websites for commercial use.
Using a .biz extension is another option to consider.
==>The domain name should be descriptive. People should get a sense of what your blog is about by looking at your domain name.
==>Use keywords. Say you’re in the golf niche. You won’t rank on the 1st page of Google just because you put the keyword “golf” in your domain name but it’s still a good idea (golfsecrets.com for example).
==>Use a well known domain registrar. I like using NameCheap plus they don’t try to upsell you to death like GoDaddy!
Your next step is to buy hosting (to host your domain).
Most online business owners use BlueHost so just go with them. They have great customer support plus their service flat out rocks.
Click here to see their hosting plans.
If you’re just getting started out go with their “Plus” plan. With this plan you can host an unlimited number of domains.
As of this writing the “Plus Plan” costs $5.45/month if you pay for 12 months up front ($65.40).
12 months of reliable hosting for under $100 is a pretty good deal!
So you’ve bought a domain name and hosting plan. Now it’s time to point your domain name to BlueHost.
The domain name you bought from NameCheap is parked on their server,you don’t want that.
Since you are hosting your domain with BlueHost you need to point your NameCheap domain to BlueHost’s servers.
Login to your NameCheap account. Select domain list on the left and click the manage button next to your domain.
Find the Name Servers section and click on Custome DNS.
Point your domain name to the name servers below:
Name Server 1 – ns1.bluehost.com
Name Server 2 – ns2.bluehost.com
You can also learn how to change your NameCheap name servers right here.
The next step is to install WordPress on your server.
WordPress is blogging software used by over 40 million people worldwide.
I love blogging on WordPress because the software is easy to use and you don’t need to learn HTML,PHP or any of the other programming languages.
You can install WordPress with a few simple clicks of your mouse!
You’ll be installing WordPress using the MOJO Marketplace.
Here are the steps you need to take:
-Log in to your Bluehost cPanel account.
-Find the Website section and select Install WordPress.
-Click the Install button.
-Choose the domain name to install it to.
-Choose an admin username,admin password,admin email,first & last name and site title
-Click the “Install Now” button.
You’re finished,you now have your own WordPress blog.
It should take an hour or so to see WordPress installed on your server since it takes some time for it to propagate through the system.
Be patient. 🙂
Once you have WordPress installed you need to pick out a WordPress theme for your blog.
A theme is basically a template you add to your WordPress powered website.
It determines the overall look and feel of your website and how your website functions.
Most WordPress themes are free but if you really want to up your game spend some money and go with a paid one.
There are over 7,000+ WordPress themes to choose from inside the WordPress theme directory.
Here is a great article on 9 things you should consider when picking out the perfect WordPress theme.
Once you have your theme installed you need to add a few WordPress plugins.
A WordPress plugin is basically a piece of software you add to your WordPress website to extend it’s functionality and add new features.
Some plugins are free and some cost money.
So you got your theme and a few plugins installed on your WordPress blog.
Now you need to optimize your WordPress blog for SEO.
SEO is everything you do to get your content to rank high on Google.
This includes creating killer content that solves people’s problems,building backlinks,performing keyword research & providing a great experience for people who visit your blog.
To learn how to optimize your WordPress blog for SEO check out this awesome article right here.
Lets talk about building an email list…
Most of the people who visit your blog will be strangers who aren’t ready to buy right away (cold traffic).
So what you want to do is offer your visitors a lead magnet to get them on your email list.
OptinMonster is a great tool for creating lead magnets.
A lead magnet is a free gift you give someone in exchange for their email.
Here are some great ideas for lead magnets:
-A report in PDF format
-Cheat Sheet
-Software
-Case Study
Email marketing is the best way to build an audience and sell your products and services.
People do business through email and I don’t see that changing any time soon!
I use AWeber to capture leads and email my list.
A blog is great for building an email list but you should be building other kinds of lists as well.
You should be building a push notification list so you can let your readers know there are updates to your blog.
Push notifications are a great way for bloggers to communicate with their readers without having to use email.
You’re probably familiar with the image below. You land on a website and within seconds they’re asking you for permission to “Show Notifications”
I use an app called Subscribers to build my push notification list.
So you have your WordPress blog built and ready to go,you’re driving traffic and building an email list.
Now you need to learn a few ways to make money with your blog.
Having only one way to make money with your blog isn’t smart business. You need to diversify your income streams.
Here are 7 great ways to generate income from a blog.
If you want to generate traffic,leads and sales with a blog you need to create valuable content that solves problems.
Here are a few content ideas so you know what to blog about:
-Answer commonly asked questions in your niche This guide will show you how
-Product Reviews
-Answer Objections to a product your selling
-Tutorials & How To’s
-Video Tutorials
-Resources (a tools page for example)
-Content Curation (Yahoo News is good at this)
-Guest Posts
-Origin Story (why you got started in business)
-Listicles (101 SEO Tools You Should Be Using in Your Business Right Now!)
-Industry News
-Current Events
-Case Studies
-Inspirational Stories
-Interviews
-Rants
-Glossary Post
-Ultimate Guide Covering an Entire Topic (Check out a few of Neil Patel’s ultimate guides for inspiration)
To learn how to write the perfect blog post check out this awesome article right here
That pretty much wraps up this tutorial.
Blogging can be one of the best ways to generate traffic,leads & income for your online business.
But you must create valuable content on a consistent basis.
And most importantly don’t be boring.
Being boring is the #1 sin in marketing!
Have any questions about how to start a blog? Let me know in the comments!
