How to start a blog that earns you money (Lessons learned)

The only guide you’ll need to set up and manage a profitable blog over the coming months.

Do you want to start with a simple setup? Click here to sign-up to BlueHost and begin your website now.

In fact, the blog you’re reading right now earns millions of dollars every month.

A second fact is that millions of readers visit this blog every month.

Third fact It’s possible to do it as well.

Utilizing a couple of proven methods, Quicksprout grew from a tiny website with just the occasional article to an income-generating powerhouse.

Now, we’d like to reveal our secrets to you.

Guide to starting a blog

Already have a blog’s name and a concept and are you looking to start?

Visit BlueHost and join a Basic Plan for only $2.75 monthly. It is the ideal web host for novices and is the most efficient method to get your blog online.

The price is for a 3 year plan, however it’s the best value. There is nothing better than that.

Create your account. When asked what you’d like to include select domain privacy and security (trust us we’ll make it well worth the effort).

To construct the remainder of the site, you’ll need to:

1. Install WordPress. It’s an easy install using Bluehost and is the place where you’ll be posting your content.
2. Select the theme. These themes will define how your site will appear.
3. Begin your blog. Let your ideas flow through a regular timetable for writing.

If you’re trying to earn money The steps to make money are easy from here: Locate your first client, then your second client, then your third client, and finally your… well, I think you’ve got the picture.

Of course, there are numerous ways to earn money. We’ll get into that in the future.

Let’s take a look at the blogging process in all its detail.

Step 1: Search for the blog topic you want to write about.

This is perhaps the most important thing you can do to take for your blog.

The topic you choose for your blog (or subject matter) will affect the rest of the site’s future. This is the subject you’re likely to write about, and hopefully — earning money from.

The good news is that there’s practically a market for just about every subject you’re interested in.

But there are some subjects which outperform other topics. It is important to choose a one that is appealing to a large audience and is pleasing to you.

To determine the ideal blog topic, you’ll have be able to address two issues:

1. What are I interested in?

What are the topics you enjoy? What topics are you obsessed with?

This is what will determine your blog’s subject matter. In the end, if you don’t like the subject you’re unlikely to desire to blog about it day after day.

To to answer this question I would suggest looking at various areas:

• The Talents. Is there something that you’re naturally gifted in? Maybe it’s a sport, game or instrument.
• Know-how. What skills and know-how have you acquired through the years? Perhaps there’s something that you studied in school which you could write about today. You can think of academic subjects or abilities such as car repairs and languages.
• Work. Your current career could be an excellent topic for you to blog about. For example, if , for instance, you’re an engineer for startup companies, you could start writing about front-end development or even the technology industry.
• Hobbies and interests. Is there a subject you are passionate about? Take a look at the things you do during your spare time. Perhaps it’s reading books or writing your dream novel, or fixing up the old car you have that you keep in the garage. These are great ideas to discuss on your blog.

Action Step: Write down 10 to 15 subjects you’re interested in. Pick up an Word document or a sheet of paper, and then note these down. This will help focus your thoughts. You can also return to it when you’re making your final choice.

2. What else are people interested in?

This is a little more difficult.

It is essential to discover the other topics that readers are interested in. If you don’t, you may discover yourself with blogs that don’t draw many people.

For instance, you may think that writing a blog about how great your dog is intriguing, but does it be a draw for lots of people?

On the other the other hand, a website that discusses how to care for and train dogs will appeal to a wider range of people.

It is important to consider your own interest and figure out an avenue to make it accessible to everyone. Reminisce about your first encounter with interest in the subject. How did you gain knowledge on the subject?

Consider all the confusions and questions that you encountered when you first started out, and then think of the things that did you do to gain experience.

To assist you, here are some well-known categories that have always performed very well:

• Personal finances
• Fitness
• Online business
• Investment
• Productivity
• Real estate
• Careers
• Test preparation
• Freelancing

Pro tip use the Google Keyword Planner tool to see the amount of times people search for certain categories or niches. It will reveal the topics that people are looking for in.

Action Step: Take a look at your list of choices from before. Are any of them in the categories listed above? If not, don’t worry! There’s likely to be an audience for one of your subjects.

Now, I’d like you to select a subject from your list of topics that you’d like to make into a blog. After that you’ll have to make it more specific and narrow it down.

For instance, you may decide to create an online personal finance site. Then, you develop a personal financial website for young people earning $100,000 annually. For those who are in their 30s and want to retire earlier. Or for whatever else.

Step 2: Choose the ideal domain name

Now comes the fun part: picking the name for your blog. To help you with this, I have positive and negative news.

• The bad news is that the majority of the “best” domains have already been registered. The Internet is centuries old. It makes sense.
• It’s a good thing that it isn’t a problem because we’ll to locate the most suitable one for you.

Here are a few great guidelines to follow when choosing a name that is memorable:

• Keep it simple. Don’t force potential users to type many words to access your site. We suggest no greater than fourteen characters.
• Select one of .com, .org, or .net. These are the most straightforward ones to remember for people.
• Simple for you to say and spell. You don’t want to repeat it constantly for others when you talk about the domain of your blog.
• Beware of hyphens and numbers. It’s not just unprofessional in the URL, it’s not easy to type after adding hyphens.
• You can use the name you want to use. It’s pretty likely that your name is already registered as an internet domain. This makes it the ideal choice for a personal website. I’ll discuss this more in the future.

If you find an appealing domain then head over towards BlueHost to check if the domain is available through the domain tools they offer. If it is, then great! In the event that it isn’t, have two choices:

1. Find an open website. I highly recommend to do this until you locate the right domain. If you’re planning to write a blog, improve your skills in synonyms by searching for additional words and phrases that could be in the market. Don’t be fooled by me. For a writer who is working it is a vital talent.
2. Buy a domain. While it is possible to purchase the domain from someone already having it, this is a more sophisticated option that could become expensive quickly. Domains that are of poor quality typically sell for around a thousand dollars. High-quality domains that contain just two words could easily sell for between $10,000 and $50,000. I’ve been in discussions about purchasing domains for more than $100,000. The really popular ones can go for seven figures. And that’s not even counting the headaches that come with finding the owner of the domain, and negotiating to them with the intention of finally transferring the domain should you agree to it.

The best option is to keep trying until you locate the domain you want and purchase it straight from an online domain registration service approximately $10.

We go into a lot of details about which domain registrar you should make use of here. But I highly recommend you purchase a web hosting service which allows you to register a domain for no cost. This means you should go with BlueHost.

Your personal name is used as the domain

In the event that this is your very first blog, and you’re not entirely sure of what you want to write about, I would suggest you go with your own name.

The reason is because changing your domain in the future could mean you need to start with a new domain. There are many mistakes that bloggers make that can be fixed later, but having the incorrect domain isn’t among them.

Let’s say you pick a domain like fitnessfordoctors.com. After 6 months you realize that you’d prefer doing personal finance blogs for doctors. You’ll need to purchase the domain name again and begin with a new domain.

Personal domains are a lot more flexible . It’s simply a name after all. Therefore, if you change categories after a couple of months this isn’t a huge issue. Get rid of any content that isn’t relevant to your new direction, and then begin making new content, and you’ll be all set to go.

Personal domains come with two main drawbacks:

1. Scalability. It’s much more difficult to attract others to write for your blog beyond the personal space of your own in the future.
2. The ability to earn money. Personal blogs, even if they’re making substantial cash, are more difficult to sell. Potential buyers are looking for a website that doesn’t rely on one person.

But, they are complicated issues to be faced with. If you’re writing your very first time blogging, then the advantages of using your name for your domain will far outweigh the costs that may be incurred later on.

STEP 1: Pick a domain name and go using it.

While it is important to choose an appropriate, brand-able domain , the main aspect to take during this process is to decide and move on. You don’t want to get stuck in the terrifying condition of “paralysis in the investigation.” It’s better to select one that is that is based on the above system and go for it.

Explore more: Want to learn more about this subject? Take a look at the article we wrote on how to purchase the perfect domain.

Step 3: Sign-up to be a member of BlueHost

A web hosting service provides servers that can house your site. It is the place where your website “lives.”

Visitors to your site are doing so via this server. It’s among the most vital aspects of your site.

We sifted through the entirety of the major hosts for WordPress websites (by all means the best tool to blog) and then put together our top recommendations on this site..

The choice really is a simple one: BlueHost

When you start your first blog you’ll need a hosting service that is well-known, trusted and user-friendly, cost-effective, and affordable. You don’t need anything extravagant.

BlueHost is a perfect fit for this. The most appealing aspect is that its plans begin at $2.75/month (when you sign up using our discount coupon). It’s a bargain when you consider the amount of good reviews it receives.

For the majority of people who start blogs, BlueHost is going to be the best option to host their blog.

Action Step: Sign up for BlueHost

If you’re just beginning your journey and want a low-cost and secure web hosting services, BlueHost is perfect.

Step 4: Install WordPress

Your website should have an automated content management program (CMS). This will allow you to make as well as manage your blog’s posts.

There’s only one choice to consider: WordPress.

Seriously, just use WordPress.

This is because it’s certainly considered to be one of the more powerful, simple to operate, as well as flexible CMSs on the market.

WordPress can power 30 percent of ALL websites. It’s how popular it is.

Make use of WordPress to host your blog, and that’s the end of the story.

Because of the huge popularity WordPress is, the majority of web hosts provide a one-click installation for WordPress. It’s a breeze.

Of course, you may prefer the specific blogging site such as Medium or LinkedIn. There are some excellent reasons to use the blogging platform. However, I’d recommend using your own blog platform. You will have more influence over the type of target audience is as well as what you choose to write about.

Action Step Set up WordPress on your hosting.

Here are the steps needed on how to set up WordPress on BlueHost in only a couple of clicks:

1. Log in to the account you have created with your Bluehost account.
2. Click Open My Websites in the menu on the left.
3. Click to to Create Site.
4. Enter the name of your blog and tagline. Next, click the next button.
5. Select the domain you wish for WordPress to be installed WordPress on.
6. Choose the directory that you would like to install it to. Select the next button.

 

Step 5: Choose an attractive WordPress theme

It’s extremely easy to modify your site’s appearance and style using WordPress.

The best part? No need for coding expertise.

It’s because WordPress makes use of “themes.” They’re tiny programs that are able to be swapped between and out. If you alter the theme of your blog, your site will also change , however the content on your blog remains the same.

This makes it easy to improve your website in the future without the need to build your entire website entirely from the ground up.

At this point, you’ll need to select your very first WordPress theme.

The sheer amount of themes there is overwhelming. It’s… lots.

If I am choosing a theme for any of my blogs I immediately go onto StudioPress. The themes are more expensive, at $130. (Most themes cost between $20 and $50.) However, it’s well worth it.

StudioPress was acquired through WP Engine and WP Engine has now included all StudioPress themes in its hosting service. It’s a great deal If you’re already considering hosting your website using WP Engine.

If you’re looking for a greater choice of WordPress themes for sale at a reasonable price, Themeforest is the most well-known WordPress site marketplace for theme. There’s almost everything you’d like in the range.

Step 1: Buy an HTML0 theme and incorporate it to your site.

Once you have purchased the theme, sign in to your WordPress blog, then go into The theme section, which is located found under Appearance on the WordPress sidebar menu. Follow the directions to add the theme.

Then, you’ll need to upload the theme’s file to WordPress and then enable the theme in WordPress. The upload option in themes > New and clicking the button at the top. There’s an possibility to add:

You’ll have the ability to manage the themes you’ve added on your WordPress blog via the Themes section of your blog:

Step 6: Install WordPress plugins

One of the great things concerning WordPress is that it’s completely customizable. Because it’s open source it is able to be modified to suit your needs.

The most efficient way to change your WordPress is using plugins. Plugins are small packages of software that you add to WordPress to gain additional features. This is how you can include a variety of additional features to your website without writing code by yourself.

But be cautious and make sure you don’t overdo it.

Many bloggers will install hundreds, if not thousands of plugins to their blogs. This can lead to a lot of problems later.

In addition to causing unanticipated conflicts between them and become security risks because it’s unlikely that each owner of a plugin will be able to maintain the plugin in the long run. They also create a massive hassle to deal with.

If you’re using a lot of plugins, it’s difficult to know what plugin is the one causing an issue.

I prefer to limit my plugins to 5-10 awesome plugins.

ACTION STEP: Download helpful plugins

Here are some of my favorite:

• Akismet is a must for each blog, it blocks a huge amount of spam comments, which is an issue for all bloggers. It is among the few plugins I am willing to pay for upgrades.
• Yoast SEO – The top suggested SEO-related plugin. It handles many SEO-related tasks for you automatically. It helps with the SEO tasks on your website more simple.
• Contact Form 7 – The most widely used contact form available. Create a contact page on your website, and utilize this plugin to build the contact form. It will notify you whenever people fill out the form. It’s very simple.
• TinyMCE Advanced – A variety of enhancements for the WordPress editor, which makes writing in WordPress much easier. In the present, I typically avoid this feature. I compose all my blog posts within Google Docs and then format them in WordPress using the standard HTML editor.
• The WP Super Cache A great plugin to speed up the performance of your website.
• EmailChimp with WordPress Read more about this in the following. It’s the most straightforward method to connect your WordPress website to an MailChimp account, then create an email sign-up form, and begin collecting email addresses.
• WordPress popular posts It is the easiest method to include your most popular blog posts to your blog’s sidebar. The list will be updated automatically.

Step 7: Install Google Analytics

Google Analytics can be described as a no-cost tool for analyzing websites from Google. It lets you do things like:

• Check how many visitors visit your site
• Discover the demographics of your customers
• Check out what blog posts and web pages get the most traffic.

However, it can become very complicatedvery quickly.

That’s why we’ll ignore the bulk of the data available within Google Analytics for now.

All you have to do is to create an Google Analytics account and install it on your blog.

While there are a myriad of reasons to use Google Analytics, there are two main ones I’d refer to:

First, Google Analytics stores your data over time. When you’re ready deeper you’ll be glad for the fact that you’ve collected information since the beginning.

It’s also thrilling watching people come to your website at the beginning. I can remember my first experience when Google Analytics recorded a visitor on my blog for the first time. I was convinced that it was an error. “Someone has visited my website? Really? What is the reason they would do this? They are who they are? Did they enjoy it?”

When you first see those first visitors come into your site will provide you with a massive motivational boost. Even if you just go through Google Analytics to see your total traffic, it’s worth the effort to create.

It’s also relatively simple to set up. This is a step-by-step tutorial to assist:

Step 1: Log in to Google Analytics

It’s easy. Visit Google Analytics and click Begin Measuring.

If you don’t have an Google account, it will ask you to log in onto Google. Log in to your Google account. If you already have one, log in. If not, make one and log in using that.

Step 2: Make the Google Analytics Account. Google Analytics Account

In this page, it will require you to enter your account’s name. You can use an account name that is associated with your site or blog to do this.

Do not be concerned about the boxes that have checkmarks at the moment. You can always alter the checkmarks later.

After this, click the Next button at the end of the page.

step3: Select the type of measurement you’d like to use

The screen you see asks you to select whether you are looking to evaluate a site or an app, or a mixture of both.

Select the web as you’re creating blogs.

Click the next button..

Step 4: Input the details of the property

You’ll be asked to enter some information regarding your site, including the name of your website, its URL, your industry’s category, as well as your timezone.

After that, click the Create button at the end.

Step 5: Cut and paste your tracking code on your website

After your account has been created after which you’ll be given an individual JavaScript tracking code that you can use for your site. If you paste this little bit of code into your website, Google Analytics will start collecting data on your behalf.

Voila! It’s that simple. You’re now following Google Analytics for your website.

Step 8: Establish your email list

Every marketing tool I’ve created for businesses relies on email at its heart.

There’s a valid reason to do so: Email lists are the most effective marketing tool. It’s true.

Consider your list of email addresses as huge laser beam you can concentrate on any deal you’d like. Are you selling consulting? Offer your services for the readers.

Are you planning to publish a new blog post? Put your ideas in the end in the post.

A podcast just interviewed you? Make your pitch to the listeners of the podcast.

Of all the channels for marketing that have been introduced and discarded throughout the years, none is as effective as an excellent email lists.

If you’re not certain what to email your subscribers, it’s fine. It’s important to begin to gather a list of your subscribers and establish the foundation before you start.

Action Step Make the email address of your list.

Utilizing Constant Contact or any other marketing tools for email to collect emails, begin accumulating them on your website so that your list is prepared for you when you require. The process takes time make an adequate list, and so the future you will be extremely thankful for setting it up today.

A simple opt-in in your blog’s sidebar enough to start.

Don’t worry about sending emails at this point unless you’d like to. The most important thing is that you’re collecting email addresses at the very beginning. Email lists can turn into an excellent gold mine when you’ve got around a thousand subscribers. The cash starts to flow once you’ve reached 10,000 subscribers or more than.

Step 9: Pick a blogging cadence

Blog posts aren’t like a sprint It’s the equivalent of a marathon. It’s actually more like the experience of a backpacking trip that lasts for several days.

The best writers settle into the same writing speed they’re able to sustain for a couple of years. Yes, years.

Here are some posting time guidelines:

• At a minimum, try to publish a post every week. It must be a lengthy post also that is a minimum of 2,000 words. I would suggest starting with this.
• Bloggers who are serious will blog every week, at least.
• Larger websites can quickly reach 7 to 8 posts per week. This is why you need several writers.
• The big hitters pushing things to the limits will post between 25-50 times every week. It’s not a joke, this is for big companies that use Content Marketing as their principal acquisition channel. HubSpot is an excellent illustration of this.

Take a look at this graph of the frequency of blog posts taken from Orbit Media’s study of more than 1000 bloggers. What do you think you can learn from this chart?

Some conclusions One thing to remember is that A quarter of all bloggers publish regularly. Let’s face it that a monthly schedule isn’t consistent enough for readers to expect the arrival of a new blog post by you.

If you’re posting weekly then you’re posting more often than 37 percent of other blogsThis provides you with a significant advantage.

Action Step Make sure you post at least once per week.

I’m aware that writing isn’t easy. After blogging full-time over the course of three months I’m sure I’ll think of throwing my MacBook off the table. It’s exhausting for everyone. This is why I suggest posting one article every week.

It still gives you most of the time to concentrate in other aspects related to your website and also gives you time to write blog posts on a regular basis.

A good article will take two days to finish. The first day will be spent doing research and outline the post, as well as any writing work you are able to write. The second day is dedicated to finalizing the writing as well as proofreading and publishing your post on WordPress.

Additionally, push for quality as much as you can. The best way to create an online presence and increasing traffic over time is to create articles that are more valuable than those that others have already written in your field.

Step 10: Build an audience

There’s an extremely famous piece in the blogging world: 1,000 True Fans.

In essence, having 1,000 genuine supporters means that you are able to completely be able to fully. You are able to take a break from the job you have been working at, and work from anywhere you want, and remain totally in charge over your own life. You can do all this by achieving a realistic goal of 1,000 genuine fans.

Through blogging, you’ll grow your community of true followers slowly and continuously.

If you continue to work working hard, you’ll be there. In general, it will take a couple of years.

STEP TO ACTION Use this method to create 1,000 real fans.

Here’s the key things to concentrate on to make it happen faster:

• Make sure to post at least once a week. Never skip a week.
• Start posting 2-3 times per week if you can.
• Every time you write a post, work the quality to the max. Research the topic, and check out what other writers have written about before asking yourself what you could do to make your post that is even better.
• Create something that isn’t written down to death. Find a fresh angle or perspective on your subjects that no one else has done.
• Make sure you have a voice that is your own and show authenticity so that people will be able to get to know you. This will help you connect to your target audience more quickly. One quick trick is to imagine that you’re writing your post to an intimate friend.
• Let your readers leave comments. Disqus has an abundance of users and lets readers comment, give praise to your blog, or even leave critiques for it. If you’re interested in engaging your first readers take advantage of this to build an effective connection with them.
• To make it even more difficult be active in various online forums. Join Facebook groups, subreddits, Twitter and do podcast interviews, and get speaking engagements as often as you can. Anything and all. Try to be as helpful as you can in these communities.
• In all your content, you should always be asking yourself “How do I make it as valuable as I can?

As your blog’s audience grows, you’ll want to modify your traffic strategies as you expand.

Step 11: Make money from your blog

Three ways blog sites earn money.

Three! Yes, just three. They are:

• infoproducts. Online courses, webinars, e-books, etc.
• Programs for affiliates. You partner with a brand to market their product and receive a percentage of sales.
• Freelancing and consultancy. You can use your blog as a way to connect with customers and clients to your own products and services.

Here’s a brief introduction to how they function:

How do Infoproducts Function

There is a possibility of writing a whole book on this. We’ll be keeping it simple. Here’s the template:

1. Invite people to come to your site.
2. On your website, provide your visitors a reason to sign up for your mailing list.
3. When they’ve become an email subscriber and you’ve got them signed up, go through a funnel to launch. These are funnels for email specifically made to promote information products. They are usually programs that consist of a number of videos.
4. Based on the volume you’re offering and your the market you’re targeting, you’ll convert approximately 0.5 percent up to 1 percent of the new subscribers to customers with a cost between $500 and $2,000 for your program. In the case of volume, this adds quickly.

It sounds like it’s too good to be true. Although there are a few fish caught, it’s generally true. What are the catch?

The first step is to be extremely skilled in direct response copy.

It is also helpful to have the right mindset. People are drawn to status, money and connections.

How Affiliate Programs work?

It’s as simple as that The process is to create as wide of an audience as you can. And, as you write your content you provide products that can benefit the audience.

If your reader clicks the link in the recommendation, they will receive a unique tracking code. If they purchase your product, you receive a percentage of the sales.

The most significant issue lies in the tiny proportion of visitors will click through , and a less proportion of them will buy. Therefore, it is essential to have a large volume of visitors for you to make revenue through your website.

How does freelancing and consulting work?

Although affiliates and infoproducts are the primary methods to earn serious cash however, you need to have a lot of traffic to get them to work. For starters, if you want they to perform well enough to bring in six figures a year…

This is why I believe that freelancing and consulting is the most effective method for novices to begin earning money quickly blogging.

If you want to earn money fast It’s the best choice. It’s also the easiest thing to accomplish.

While I was as a teacher at I Will Teach You To Be Rich Our freelancing classes taught hundreds of individuals how to begin with freelancing. The thing that always amazed me was how transformative those initial freelancing gigs were.

I’ve gone through the exact same change. A few years ago, I began my own blog larslofgren.com and got several freelancers to do it. I’ll never forget the first $100 in cash that I received through PayPal. It sounds like a small amount today, but the true effect was that I had personally generated the money myself.

How many visitors does this personal blog I run? A few thousand visits per month, distributed across around twenty posts on my blog.

Anyone can make an online blog of this is large enough and use it for freelance lead generation. It’s enough to create an audience that will pay you anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 per month. This is enough to leave your job. This is life-changing.

It’s also a simpler target to achieve than a fully-ramped affiliate informationproduct marketing machine. You can always choose to add that feature at a later date.

What about the other ways to monetize your business?

A majority of them are unnecessary waste of time. Their impact on revenue is small and it’s a complete distraction. Certain aspects are worthwhile for branding and marketing. The rest are best left out completely. Here’s a list of things that bloggers will always attempt at some time:

• Books – Great for marketing. It adds credibility to your business. However, you won’t notice the effect on your revenues in any way.
• Events I hate events with all my being. The risk is all front loaded and all contracts are locked in advance They’re also a nightmare to market and you don’t be sure if you’ll actually make profits until the day of the event. If you do earn profit but the margins aren’t great. I find these to be total distractions and an immense chance cost to the company.
• Banner advertisements (Google Ads, formally Adsense for instance) The last time they made an adequate amount of money was around 2003. In the present, I’m sure if you can earn banner ads that will cover the cost of hosting. I’m just kidding.
• Speaking If done properly occasionally speaking is an excellent way to build your brand. It’s a great idea to be paid $20,000 for a speaking engagement, it’s not quite as exciting once you realize that most speakers don’t be paid. It takes months of effort to produce a speech which is worthy of this cost, and you’ll need to be a New York Times Bestseller in order to be able to charge fees and you’ll become so tired of hotel rooms within the first year you’ll never travel ever again. Offer speaking engagements only when opportunities arise, but Don’t base your business on the basis of them.

Don’t let this deter you however. The most important thing is to get started with creating your blog and then writing. Be consistent and adhere to the plan and you’ll notice success faster than you imagine.

This brings us to the final move…

The final step is to keep growing! Learn from articles on how to create and expand your blog into a success

We’ve written about blogging and ways to make money from blogging with Quick Sprout for years. Go through Everything You Need to Know About Blogging for a comprehensive guide to what you need to be reading next.