How To Start A WordPress Blog In 2024

Did you decide to start a blog but aren’t sure where to begin? Or maybe owning a blog seems way too complicated?

Well, it’s not. And before you close this page, just hear us out: it’s really not so complicated to build a blog from scratch, and that’s even without being too tech-savvy.

Just to prove our point, to start a blog, you need only 3 things: a domain name, a web hosting account and 30 minutes to actually build up your blog.

Of course, you also need to decide on a content management system (CMS), and as WordPress is the most popular one out there for creating blogs (and websites), and as we also use it, we built this next step-by-step guide around creating and managing a WordPress blog.

So, read on if you want to know what are the benefits of using WordPress for a blog, how to start a blog, or how you can secure your blog, among other interesting facts.

The benefits of using WordPress for your blog

There’s a reason why around 810 million websites use WordPress, which is 43% of all websites. In other words, WordPress is the number one website platform used by all top blogs, and that’s including our own.

In case you want more reasons as to why WordPress is the preferred platform for building a blog, here are some of them.

Easy to use

Of course one of the main reasons is that WordPress is easy to use and doesn’t require lots of coding or technical skills. Yes, you would need to have a bit of experience in creating a website or blog, but all in all, you can create and manage your blog using WordPress’s simple and user-friendly interface. And if you don’t have any experience with WordPress you can also choose a managed hosting plan to help you set it up correctly right from the start. But more about that below.

It’s free

Let’s say it’s almost free to sign in for a WordPress account and open a blog. That’s because this is an open-source platform and that means it is 100% free to use. Of course, for some plugins, such as for SEO or security, or themes for customizing your blog design, you have to pay. Again, with the right hosting provider, you can have all these included in the same plan, which means you won’t have to go through the struggle to find the right plugins for your blog.

Easy to customize

Yes, WordPress does offer thousands of themes and plugins for you to customize the design and functionality of your blog. As with any other platform, you have the option to choose from free or premium themes and plugins that fit your blog needs and brand preferences.

It’s SEO-friendly

Organic traffic is the most important, and WordPress is built with SEO in mind. This means you can find lots of plugins with features that can help you optimize your blog for search engines. We recommend using the free plugins built especially for WordPress, like Yoast SEO, to improve your on-page SEO and increase your search engine rankings.

It’s mobile-responsive

We live in a mobile-first world, which means that you need your blog to look good on any mobile device, whether it’s a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. Luckily enough, there are many WordPress themes that are mobile-responsive, so make sure you choose one of these.

It’s easy to integrate with your social media accounts

You should always make it easy for your readers to share your blog and articles on social media. And WordPress makes this whole process easy with special plugins that you can use and integrate your blog with Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For example, you can use plugins like Social Warfare to add social sharing buttons to your blog posts and pages.

It’s scalable

If you use the right hosting plan, it’s even easier to have your WordPress blog grow with your business. So, even if you start with a simple blog, your hosting plan can make it easier for you to add more features and functionality as your blog grows and evolves.

Has great community support

This means that for every question or issue you encounter, you will find a huge active community of users and developers who offer support and resources to help you build and manage your blog. For example, if you struggle with designing your blog or website, it’s easy to find a developer or graphic designer to help you with this.

So, overall, WordPress can be a powerful and flexible platform for creating and managing a blog. It’s a great choice for both beginners and experienced bloggers, as it offers the tools and resources needed to create a successful blog that attracts and engages your audience.

The steps to follow to start a WordPress blog in 2024

Now that we’ve established why WordPress is the preferred platform for all types of bloggers and companies, we will go through the steps to follow.

Of course, at this point, you or your company already know why you want to open a blog. Maybe it’s because you want to educate your customers or you found out there’s a great niche out there for a new blog. Either way, you need to have some objectives and expert knowledge about the topics you want to write about.

So, now that you have decided on all the above and which platform you want to open your blog on, here are the steps to follow to start a WordPress blog.

Choose a domain name

The moment you know what topics you will write about, you also need to pick a name for your blog. If that blog is an extension of your business, then it will probably have the same name as your main website.

If you want to go creative and also don’t want to have the same name as your business, make sure you choose a name for your blog that reflects your blog’s content and is easy to remember.

We recommend choosing a few ideas for a name, and then you can check which one has a free domain name. As many domain names are taken, it will be difficult to find a .com domain name, which we recommend if you want to reach an international audience.

A new domain name typically costs around $10.99/year.

Choose a hosting provider

All blogs need web hosting, as that is where your blog will live, let’s say that this is your blog’s home. So, in other words, your hosting provider makes it possible for you to store your blog’s files on the server and also makes your blog accessible on the internet.

The most important things that a great hosting provider offers are good performance and uptime. If you go for a managed hosting service specially optimized for a WordPress blog, then you should make sure the plan you choose includes auto-updates, 24×7 support, cache optimization, DDoS protection and a user-friendly control panel.

Managed web hosting plans normally start from $20/month.

Install WordPress

Once you have a domain name and choose a hosting plan, you can start to install WordPress, in case this is your first time on WordPress.

But most hosting providers also automatically install WordPress to help non-techy users start their blog, which means that they will do the installation of WordPress for you, and you can start building your blog right away.

Of course, you can also choose to install WordPress by yourself and then log in by going to yoursite.com/wp-admin/ directly from your browser.

If you are choosing to use a managed WordPress blog hosting solution, for example, one that uses cPanel like our plans use, then you can check this comprehensive guide on how to install WordPress for step-by-step instructions for each provider.

When WordPress is setup, you can simply login to your account, and get started on creating your blog pages and posts, choosing a theme and designing your blog, and, of course, starting to post articles.

Choose a theme

As said above, now you can start to design your blog and you can do that by first choosing a WordPress theme. A theme is what gives your blog a specific design and layout. So, make sure you choose a theme that reflects your blog’s topics and is user-friendly too.

For many, this is the favorite part, as most of the ones who setup blogs are in marketing or advertising. So, of course, they will like to customize the way their blog will look and feel.

You can choose from thousands of WordPress themes. Some are free, but the best are paid premium themes. So, we recommend choosing one of the premium themes as they will have lots of built-in widgets and customization options.

Choose a simple and clean WordPress theme, don’t overcomplicate your blog, and think about how you can give your readers a great experience rather than make it hard for them to find what they are looking for.

Install plugins

Now that you have decided on how your homepage and blog posts will look, you need to add other important elements to your website, such as a contact page, galleries, sliders, email list, forums, etc. You will also need to add SEO, security, and social media sharing functionalities to your blog.

To add all these additional features, you will need to install different types of plugins – apps or pieces of software that add functionality to your blog.

For example, if you want to create a custom header, footer, sidebar, and more without writing any HTML code, you can add other plugins.

With over 60,000 WordPress plugins available for free, you can have a plugin for almost every feature you want to add to your blog.

Start creating content

Before you even start to write or make a content plan, you first need to do extensive keyword research. By doing keyword research you understand what your audience is searching and then build up your blog around those keywords. You also make sure that you rank high on search engines, like Google.

Make a list of short-tail and long-tail keywords (short-tail are much more general search queries made of one or two words, and long-tail keywords have around three to five words) and build your content plan and topics around these. Here’s a great guide on how to do keyword research for SEO.

Once you have done this you can also make a list of your competition and check from time to time what they are writing about.

Now, you can start creating engaging and informative content for your blog, one that will attract and retain your readers.

Promote your blog

So, you have now written a few blog posts or articles, and are ready to let the world know about your blog. Here’s what you first need to do even before starting to advertise your blog:

Optimize your blog for SEO (or search engine optimization)

This helps users find your blog in search engines. If you want more traffic, then it’s crucial that you optimize your blog for SEO right from the beginning. Make sure you’ve also done keyword research and optimized your online store for Google as this type of organic traffic is often the most frequent way people get to your blog. Try optimizing your online store for keywords that are important for your audience but also go for the ones that are not so competitive and difficult to rank for, such as long-tail keywords.

Setup Google Analytics

This free platform from Google helps you see how many people are visiting your blog, where they are coming from, and what are they doing on your website; it is best to install Google Analytics when starting your blog, so you can see how much your blog has grown over time.

Setup social media account

Choose 2-3 social media platforms where your customers are and open accounts there. For example, if your business and blog is in the retail market, then the best social media channels can be Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

After you do all this, you can start to promote your blog on your social media and other online channels, like Google Ads. And once you have gained some audience, make sure you engage with your readers and build a community around your blog.

In the end, it really depends on the niche and type of business you own and the marketing approach you want to have.

So, as you can see, starting a WordPress blog takes some time and effort, but it’s definitely a great way to share your ideas, services or products and knowledge with the world.

With the right tools and strategies, you can build a successful blog that attracts a loyal following and helps you achieve your goals.

How can I make my WordPress blog more secure?

WordPress is great to create blogs and websites, but as with every popular platform out there, it’s also under constant threat from hackers and cyber criminals.

These are some ways you can make your WordPress blog more secure.

Always use strong passwords

This applies to almost everything you do online, as you must always use unique passwords for all your accounts, including your WordPress login and your hosting account. Don’t use common passwords or use the same password for multiple accounts.

Keep your WordPress and plugins updated

Make sure your WordPress installation and plugins are updated, so that you always have the latest security patches and bug fixes. When you choose a hosting provider, check if they also offer auto-updates on their hosting plans.

Install security plugins

If you install security plugins, such as Cloudfence, these can help you detect and prevent malicious activity on your blog.

Use two-factor authentication

Again, we recommend using two-factor authentication for all your most important accounts. So, to add an extra layer of security to your WordPress login, you require a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password.

Limit login attempts

Add a limit to the number of login attempts allowed on your WordPress blog admin dashboard and you can prevent brute force attacks.

Use HTTPS

Use HTTPS to encrypt data transmitted between your blog and your visitors’ browsers. This will protect sensitive information such as login credentials and personal information.

Use a web application firewall (WAF)

This type of firewall can protect your site from common web attacks, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

Backup your site regularly

As you will do to your business website, you should also regularly backup your WordPress blog and ensure that you have a copy of your data in case of a security breach or any other natural disaster.

Of course, all these technical tips can be done by your hosting provider if you choose a managed hosting plan. So, if you do decide that, make sure your provider has these functionalities included in their plans. This is how you can make sure your WordPress blog stays secure and can reduce the risk of a security breach.

How do I know what’s the right hosting plan for my blog?

Hosting is probably one of the most important steps if not the most in your blog journey. So, before making any final decision on which hosting provider and plan to choose, here are our general recommendations on what types of hosting plans are out there.

Shared hosting

As the name also implies, with shared hosting, you share server resources with other websites, which keeps costs down. This is the most affordable and easy-to-use hosting on the market. So, if you’re just starting and this is your first blog, shared hosting can be a good option.

WordPress hosting

WordPress hosting is the preferred hosting plan for professional bloggers and SMBs that look to open a blog. Is a type of hosting that is specialized and optimized for WordPress websites and blogs. It can provide faster load times, better security, and more reliable performance for your blog.

VPS hosting

A step up from shared hosting, VPS is for professional bloggers and large organizations as it can provide more resources and better performance. With VPS hosting, you have your own virtual server, so your blog will be completely separated from other users.

Moreover, when choosing a hosting plan, the most important factors to consider are performance, security, support, and scalability.

In the end, the best hosting plan for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. But, regardless of the market you’re in or the size of your business, look for hosting providers that offer good uptime, fast load times, and reliable performance, and that have a great customer support service. Read more about these factors in the next chapter.

How can a hosting plan help my blog?

Well, a great hosting plan can actually make or break your blog. Next are some of the essential factors that a good hosting plan needs to have for your blog to grow.

Performance

This means that your blog’s performance can be improved by faster load times, better uptime, and more reliable performance. So, a good hosting plan has to ensure that your blog stays always online and is able to handle high traffic volumes without the pages loading slowly.

Security

With features like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewalls, and malware scanning, a hosting plan can help improve the security of your blog. This means that your blog will be protected from cyber attacks and your data and content is kept safe.

Support

If you choose a managed hosting plan, then you will also have access to 24/7 technical support and resources. Having by your side a team of specialists can help you solve problems and troubleshoot issues with your blog quickly and easily. This is especially helpful if you are not technically savvy or if you encounter issues with your blog that you can’t solve on your own.

Scalability

The best hosting plans make it easier for you to scale your blog as your traffic grows. This means that you can easily upgrade your hosting plan to keep up with more traffic, making sure that your blog stays online and performs well.

Backup and recovery

Some great hosting plans (like ours) will also offer you automated backup and recovery features. These can help you quickly recover your blog if it is lost or compromised due to a security breach or other issues, such as natural disasters.

Overall, a great hosting plan can provide you with the resources and support you need to build and grow a successful blog.

Ready to start your blog?

Then choosing the right hosting service for your WordPress blog or website is one important first step you need to make.

Our Haar WordPress Hosting solutions will help you avoid the technical aspects of WordPress installations and updates, providing auto-updates, 24×7 support, cache optimization and a user friendly control panel.

Choose now one of our Web Hosting plans optimized for WordPress.

Tags: hosting wordpress