Blogging Tips: Eight Steps To Start a Proper Blog Like A Pro
There may be many people out there that really want to start a blog but they give it up because do not know how to start a proper blog. They may already create some crappy blog that surely can not fulfill what they expect and then give it up. I was in that group before I found the way how to start a proper blog – to start a proper blog like a pro exactly. If you read this post, you may one of many peoples out there that want to start a proper blog like a pro. As you may already aware that start a proper blog is kind of tricky task which can become really difficult to do (even almost impossible) if you do not know exactly how to do it – but it is surely a quite easy task if you know how – but surely it is still needed your hard work to maintain the success.
Of course, what hard to start in here is to start proper blog which can lead you to financial success in future – not an average diary blog. As i tell before, i already experience the difficulties before and found the ways how can start a proper blog. I found there are eight steps to start a proper blog like a pro. I will share them in this article. Eight steps blogging tips to start a proper blog like a pro base on my own experience. These tips surely enough to start a proper blog –The tips which is created base on my success and failure experience in blogging – especially my experience in self hosted blogging. Here find the eight steps:
The Eight Steps
Step #1 Choose the Niche
Niche choosing is important part in blogging. It is important from beginning till the end. Niche choosing also looks like a one way choice – no turning back for it – so please choose it right. In case you do not know, Niche is the topic that you will write in your blog. You should carefully choose the niche if you want blogging in long term. Niche choosing even become more important if you want monetize your blog. Here I share the three golden rules to choose the niche:
Choose what you like
This will decide whether your passion to blog will be last forever. It is hard to keep blogging if you do not really like about what you write. Therefore, always choose the niche that you are really interested in it. And also, you will learn faster about stuff that you have passion about. So, the choice also can decide whether you can reach really deep knowledge in it.
Choose what you capable of
This is important choice according your blog reputation in your niche. Your blog reputation depend on it for sure. If readers find that you capable deliver the useful and high quality content in your blog related to your blog niche, your reputation surely will growth to high level. Your blog will be refer by so many person if they have some needs in the niche.
Choose conversion niche
This is important if you want to make decent money trough your blog. Conversion here mean that your traffic can be converted to earning. And the conversion rate usually depend on the niche. Base on my experience, health and business niche seems have great conversion rate these days. Of course, the conversion rate for each niche can change in time. You can use google adwords traffic estimator tools to estimate the conversion rate.
Step #2 Choose the Domain Name
Domain name choosing also is important part for sure. You should choose the domain name that will give more benefit for your blog. Of course, the domain name choosing depend on your whole blogging plan. A plan that tell you what you want your blog become in future. Here I share some considerations in domain name choosing for your references:
Use your name
Yeah – you surely can use your name as your domain name. People usually use their name as domain name if they want to brand their self. They want to be known as their self – which mean their name will be associate with their blog, and vice versa. In my opinion, name using as domain name, more fit to personal blog in which you rumble about your personal things. But – of course there always an exception – name using as domain name also can success in any niche but usually need more effort.
Use your niche keyword
Put your niche keyword in domain name is my first suggestion according to domain name choosing. It always work great in search engine optimization (SEO). Search engine is surely faster to know what your blog about and then drive the targeted traffic perfectly. Keyword in domain name also make the readers easily know what they expect from your blog. As example, bloggingtips surely will directly tell search engine and readers what the content is about. You can compare it with if you use George (your name) as domain name. Search engine and readers surely must read the content to know what is the blog about.
Use short name
Short domain name make the blog will be easier to remember and more catchy. Yeah – It is surely easier to remember short name than long name, right? And do not forget that short name easier to type in readers keyboard. And also, that short domain name looks more professional in my opinion. Four letter domain name surely looks greater than 16 letter domain name – but the name should meaningful of course. The 16 letters meaningful domain name always more worthy than 4 letters meaningless domain name. So, try to have short meaningful domain name if possible. That’s what I try when choose this blog domain name.
Step #3 Purchase The Domain
Now, after you choose the right domain name, the next thing you must do is purchase it in domain name registrar. You should choose the domain name registrar carefully. I suggest to only purchase domain name from a credible and good reputation domain name registrar company so you will not face any issue in future according your domain name. I my self choose to use godaddy as my domain name registrar service in which I have two domain name without any issue so far.
Step #4 Purchase The Web Hosting
The next thing after you already have a domain name in your hand, you must purchase a web hosting service to host your blog. Like in Domain Name purchasing, you should choose the credible and good reputation web hosting provider. Of course, the credible and good reputation web hosting provider will cost you more money – but believe me – that is worthy. And base on my own experience, I suggest you to purchase baby plan web hosting service of HostGator to start your proper blog.
Step #5 Install The WordPress Blog
Okay, Now you can move to next step. You already can install your blog in your own web hosting and use your own domain name for it. You surely can chose any blogging platform that you want to – but I suggest you use WordPress as platform for your blog. You can easily have a WordPress blog by using fantastisco script in your web hosting control panel. And about why must WordPress as your blog platform, just read my others article and you will be find how perfect WordPress as blog platform. In case you are still wonder, I give short word to describe WordPress as blog platform: “WordPress make people – that do not know web programming even a bit – can create perfect site in whole term of web site.”
Step #6 Choose The WordPress Theme
Theme availability is one of many reasons why I suggest to use WordPress as your blog platform (in Step #5). There are many great free theme available that you can choose for your new blog, and there are even more great paid theme for your WordPress blog. You should choose WordPress theme that suit your whole blog perfectly. The theme choosing may depends on what your niche, but one rule golden that you should follow is that the theme should clean and light. I my self suggest to use Atahualpa WordPress theme for free theme, and thesis WordPress theme for paid theme.
Step #7 Install the Needed WordPress Plugin
Plugin is another reason to choose WordPress as your blog platform. Like in theme choosing, there are many free and paid WordPress plugin available in the net. We can install any plugin that fulfill our needs – and also can directly uninstall it if you do not need it anymore. What great about plugin is that you can add so many feature to your blog without need to do some coding for it. You only need to upload, install, and setting it to have great feature of blogging such as SEO, anti spam, an many others. As for your references, I share the must have plugin for new blog:
- Akismet, to guard your blog from nasty spam
- All in One SEO Pack WordPress plugin, to help for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Stat Press WordPress Plugin, to get trusted statistic of the blog.
- Google Sitemap WordPress Plugin, to make GoogleBot Friendly sitemap
The above four WordPress plugins surely already enough for new blog. You can add others WordPress plugin base on your needs after your blog running for several time. I already review some of WordPress plugins in this blog, so just read it in case you want to know others WordPress plugins.
Step #8 Write The Content
This is the least but surely the most important part in whole steps of start a proper blog like a pro. All of preparations that you do before is useless if you do not have any content to fill your blog. And it is not worthy if you only put average content on it, you should put it with high quality blog content. You must write as your whole blog destiny depend on each time writing. I believe this will make you will able produce many quality article for your blog.
Final Words
It is difficult (even almost impossible) to start a proper blog if we do not know how to do it. Therefore, I share my experience about how to start a proper blog here. I share them in eight steps so can easily follow by each people — even the beginner — who want to start a proper blog like a pro. I hope this article can become worthy resource to each people whom want to start a blog.
That’s all update this time, wait for next update!
The Must Be Read:
- Theme and Designs in Start A Proper Blog Like A Pro
- 3 Newest Improvement for This Blogging Tips Blog
- Blogging Tips Blog’s 101 Blog Posts
- This Blogging Tips Blog is Officially in Atahualpa 3.5.1 Now
- How To Uninstall WordPress Blog Manually
- 4 Complete Steps How To Choose The Right Domain Name for A Blog
- Blogging Tips Blog Accept Guest Blogger Now
- The Simple Blogging Tips: Be Personal, Be Unique, Be Different, Be Success
- 6 Steps How I Prepare My Blog as Guest Blogging Host
- 5 Quality Web Hosting Service For Your Blog







good tips, very nicely presented. I like the emphasis that you put on niche and domain, both of these are one time work and there is no turning back.
I would suggest that a blogger should write at least 10 articles beforehand on the niche that he wants to start a blog on, that way it will become clear that the selected niche is good for him or not
Great addition, ten article surely can tell the reality.
Nice list here. Giving newbies a clear, concise set of rules to follow is most helpful.
Thanks you like it Alison. Yeah — i found that concise set of rules is helpful for me, so i think it will be helpful to others too.
That is good list for newbies but I do not think choosing domain as personal name is a good idea as it can not be sold later if you do not want to continue your blog. I saw many bloggers who tried to sell their blogs but they could not as domain names were their names. I do not want to buy a blog that is someone’s name
Yeah, you are right that use name as domain name will become unbenefit if you try to sell it.
Hi Dana, nice personal points here.
(still getting to use with this new theme of yours, smile)
Thanks noel (hope you will be getting use of it soon).
[...] Blogging Tips To Start A Proper Blog Like A Pro [...]
This is a superb post Dana. I’m very impressed with the amount of detail you have added. Anyone wanting to start a blog shoudl definitely come and visit your suggestions.
This is a great resource! Thanks for participating in our weekly word challenge at blog engage we appreciate it.
Glad you like it brian. And thank to blogengage word challenge for it from which i get the idea.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by bbrian017, dana lingga. dana lingga said: Read This: Blogging Tips To Start A Proper Blog Like A Pro – Blogging Tips: Eight Steps To Start a Proper Blog Like… http://ow.ly/16rwAJ [...]
Hey yet another good post and very much detailed! Loved reading it!
Thanks saksham for like it.
Thanks Dana,
This is good amount information for the new blogger. This is a must read for every new blogger.
Hope it can help many new bloggers.
Great primer for us new bloggers. The more I read, the more I know what I don’t know.
Glad if this article is useful for you.
Great tips on how to get a blog started. I really like how you broke down the process of selecting a domain. I didn’t think enough about what I wanted to name my blog before I registered it and now I regret it a little.
I think you might want to add one more tip though:
step 9: promote using social media
Yeah — we can put promote using social media but i think it is in next step after we start a blog. In promotional step.
Yeah, I think these are the right steps that every newbie blogger should follow when starting their blog and blogging career.
Thanks Shirley. I hope it can help for newbie.
[...] you want to start a blog i suggest you to read how to start a proper blog like a pro first, and then continue to read this article for additional knowledge so your blog really start in [...]
Getting started is really a hard working job.
The biggest work as blogger indeed.