How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost
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Blogging can change your life if you put in the work and remain disciplined. Today, I will show you how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
When I first thought about starting my blog, I was a bit lost. There is so much conflicting information out there on which hosting to use. I finally chose Bluehost for the reasons listed below. I will show you the exact steps to make it easy to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
All my blogs have now been hosted on Bluehost, and I can’t fault them.
Blogging has become a popular medium for expressing ideas, sharing knowledge, and making a living. If you’re looking to start your own blog, one of the best platforms you can choose is WordPress. It’s user-friendly, highly customisable, and offers a range of features to create and manage your content effectively.
To host your blog, one of the leading and recommended hosting providers in Bluehost. In this guide, I will walk you through the step-by-step process of starting a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Bluehost and will receive a commission if you sign up through my referral link at no additional cost to you. If you have trouble setting up your blog, don’t hesitate to contact me, and I will be happy to help!
Click here to start a blog on WordPress, then follow the guide below for easy steps to get your blog up and running.
Why Bluehost?
Before diving into the technical details, it’s important to understand why I recommend Bluehost for WordPress Hosting.
Finding a hosting plan was confusing for me as there are so many hosting companies out there. I did loads of research. It probably took me about a week to decide on a hosting plan! I was trying to find a good balance between price and reliability.
Bluehost has been a trusted name in the web hosting industry for years, offering several advantages for bloggers. I decided to go with Bluehost for the following reasons;
- WordPress Friendly: Bluehost has been officially recommended by WordPress since 2005 as a hosting provider. They are optimised for WordPress, ensuring smooth performance and compatibility.
- One-Click Installation: Bluehost offers a one-click WordPress installation feature, making it incredibly easy to get your blog up and running.
- Reliable Uptime: Bluehost provides a stable and reliable hosting environment with minimal downtime. This ensures your blog is accessible to your readers at all times.
- 24/7 Support: Their customer support is available around the clock, so you can get assistance whenever needed. When setting up my blog initially, I had a few questions within the first few days, and my queries were always answered quickly and professionally.
- Affordable Pricing: Bluehost offers competitive pricing plans, making it a cost-effective choice for beginners. This was a significant benefit to me, and I couldn’t find any other hosting site that compared price-wise.
Now you know why Bluehost is an excellent choice for hosting your WordPress blog, let’s get into the steps to start your blog and the more technical details.
How To Start a WordPress Blog On Bluehost
Click here to start a blog on WordPress, then follow the guide below for easy steps to get your blog up and running.
Blogging has now become a full-time business for me. I can work from home and travel whenever I want.
1. Sign Up For Bluehost
Visit Bluehost
Visit Bluehost.com and select ‘WordPress Hosting’
Choose Your Plan
I would recommend choosing the ‘Basic’ plan if you are starting out in your blogging journey. You can choose the ‘Choice Plus’ option if you want a free domain name as well. I would start with the 12-month option. Click “Select’ once you have chosen your plan.
Register Domain Name
Type the domain name you wish to register in the ‘create a new domain’ box, then click ‘next.’ Use the ‘use a domain you own’ box if you already own a domain name and wish to use that one.
Create Your Account
Fill in your personal details in the ‘account information’ section on the registration page.
Choose Your Hosting Package and Options
Check the details and select the ‘service term.’ I would suggest 12 months at this stage. You can then uncheck all of the extras to keep the cost down. Every Bluehost hosting package comes with everything you need to get started with your blog. You don’t need any extras at this stage unless you feel you need one of them. They can always be added later if needed.
Enter Payment Details
Then, enter your payment details and click the ‘submit’ button.
Create Your Account
Once your payment has been taken, you will be redirected to a new page prompting you to create your account.
2. Install WordPress on Bluehost
This is the exciting step now! Getting WordPress set up on your Bluehost hosting.
Create a Password
After you create your account and have set up your password, you will be guided through the ‘Installation Helper’ steps to create your blog. Just answer the questions Bluehost presents to you to personalise your blog correctly. You can also ‘skip this step’ to go directly to your dashboard.
Install WordPress
You will now install WordPress automatically using the one-click installation. Just one click, and WordPress will be installed for you!
3. Customise Your WordPress Blog
That’s it! You now have your WordPress blog! You can now choose a theme and customise your blog. Then click on ‘Start Building.’
Access Your WordPress Dashboard
You will receive an email with your WordPress login information. Use these credentials to log in to your WordPress dashboard, usually at www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin. If you can’t access your site this way for any reason, then login to your Bluehost dashboard, and you can access your site that way.
Choose a Theme
This is the first step in customising your blog. You will need to choose a theme to create the look and feel of your site. WordPress has a variety of free themes available in the WordPress theme repository. If you prefer a more customised look, you can purchase a premium theme. Astra and Kadence are popular at the moment. Alternatively, you can look at WordPress themes on ThemeForest or Creative Market.
Customise Your Blog
Navigate to the ‘Appearance” section on the left-hand side, then ‘Customize’ to customise your site’s appearance, including layout, colours, and typography (fonts). Under ‘Settings’, you can configure the general settings for your blog, such as the site title and tagline.
Install Essential Plugins
Enhance the functionality of your blog by installing essential plugins. Some popular plugins that I personally use include:
- Yoast SEO: To optimise your blog for search engines
- Akismet: To protect your blog from spam comments
- Jetpack: For your site statistics and security
- W3 Total Cache: To improve site performance
4. Create Content
Now you have your blog set up and customised, it’s time to start creating content. Here’s how to get started with content creation.
Write Your First Blog Post
Navigate to the ‘Posts’ section on the left-hand WordPress menu and click ‘Add New’ to write and publish your first blog post. Use the built-in WordPress editor to format your content, add images, and make your posts stand out.
Create Pages
In addition to blog posts, you will need static pages such as an ‘About’ page, a ‘Contact’ page, or a ‘Terms & Conditions’ page. Go to ‘Pages’ on the left-hand side menu and click ‘Add New’ to get started creating these pages.
Content Strategy
With the basics set up, you can now focus on developing a content strategy to plan your posts. Decide what topics you want to cover, how often you publish posts, and how you” engage with your audience. I prefer to use a Google spreadsheet to keep all of my posts organised and planned out.
Now, the hard work begins, and you must start producing great content!
5. Promote Your Blog
Social Media
Every time you publish a post, share it on your social media platforms to reach a wider audience. I recommend sharing on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.
SEO
Learn the basics of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to improve your blog’s visibility on search engines like Google. Use relevant keywords, headings, meta descriptions, and internal linking to enhance your content.
Guest Posting
Contact other bloggers in your niche and write guest posts for their blogs. This can help you reach a new audience and build credible backlinks to help with your SEO.
Engage With Your Audience
Always respond to any comments or questions you receive on your blog. Engaging with your readers will help to build a community around your blog.
Networking
Network with other bloggers in your niche and outside of it. If you can build relationships with other bloggers, you can open up numerous opportunities and potential collaborations.
Email Marketing
One aspect that often gets overlooked for new bloggers is building an email list. This is essential and ideally should be done when you first launch your blog. This lets you stay connected with your readers by sending newsletters, keeping them updated on new posts, and potentially selling products later.
Final Thoughts
In a later post, I will do an in-depth guide on how to start a blog, including;
- Picking a niche
- Content Creation
- Blog Promotion
- The best WordPress theme to use
- Plugins to make your site run and function better
- And more…..
Starting a WordPress blog on Bluehost is a straightforward process that anyone can follow. Bluehost’s user-friendly platform and one-click WordPress installation make it an ideal choice for beginners.
Once your blog is up and running, focus on creating valuable content and promoting it effectively to build engaged readers. Blogging takes time and effort, but with dedication and consistency, you can create a successful and rewarding online presence. Good luck on your blogging journey!
If you have any questions at all on Bluehost, please do contact me, and I will be happy to help!
Have you started a blog, and do you use Bluehost? Let me know in the comments below.
