Disclaimer: The Bluehost links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from them using them, I will receive a referral fee. 

Ever wondered how to start a blog? When I began blogging, I had no idea where to begin. In fact, I wasn’t even thinking of starting a blog. In the fall of 2012, my son had begun attending Preschool Autism Class (PAC) after years of us wondering about unmet milestones and months and months of appointments, an introduction to speech therapy, and multiple evaluations from our local Early Intervention group and schools. During that confusing and scary time, I consulted Google on a daily basis, trying to figure out whether my son had autism or a speech delay or something in-between.




I found a lot of amazing autism blogs and special needs blogs. I ordered books, and downloaded checklists, filled them out, compared the results with what my husband had filled out, and ended up feeling even more isolated than when some of our infant friends stopped inviting us over for playdates. My son simply wasn’t developing at the same rate that their children were.

I decided to write a memoir, thinking that I’d help other parents who felt that they live in The Middle World, one where unmet milestones are a part of daily life, but an official diagnosis was not. I had about 5,000 words down when I read that a publisher would rather shave a cat than read another memoir submission.

“Oh. I guess I should start a blog instead then,” I thought, and did. I have to say that I got lucky as far as finding a good host because, like I mentioned, I had no clue about blogging or how many options existed out there.

Blogging has been amazing for me. I’ve found a community that lives in The Middle World and in the typical world. I’ve created Our Land, and have found my writing voice. Through blogging, I’ve found a place to write, to be inspired to write more, to connect, and even to make a little bit of money.

Do you want to start a blog?  If so, here’s what I did, along with step-by-step instructions on what you can do right now to begin. Note: the following section “How to start a blog” contains affiliate links. All opinions and words are my own.

How to Start a Blog

1. First, you need to decide on a domain name. I didn’t really do my research with this one, and named this site Finding Ninee because my son called airplanes “ninees” (pronounced 9-ee). I figured that Finding and Ninee sounded good together (both having long “i’s” although many people get that wrong) and it felt symbolic that finding out about where the word ninee came from would help to unlock some of my little boy’s speech and developmental issues.
   I don’t regret the name but you’ll want to search for existing sites that will have the same focus that you will. See what you like, what you don’t, and have a few domain names in mind in case your first choice or two is taken.
   Note: I use WordPress.org for my platform. It provides me the most flexibility and I like being the boss of my own space.
2. Register your new domain name. There are several options for this, but I did it the easy way and recommend that if you’re time-constrained in general. I used Bluehost to register my name and as my website’s host (more on hosting in a moment). Bluehost has given me great customer service, and I’ve experienced almost no down-time with them.
   Some say that once you reach 3,000 page views per day that they become slower, but as a new blogger, it’ll take some time to get there, and on the days when I’ve expected a lot of traffic, I contacted them in advance and have not had problems. They’re easy and their customer service is wonderful. Plus, it’s less than $3.50/month when you pay in advance AND they refund your pre-paid money if you decide to switch later. As in, if you pay for 36 months in advance (the best deal), and switch after 12 months, they’ll refund 24 months of your money. A win-win really.
3. Set up your hosting at Bluehost. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
   1. Click the “Get Started Now” button on this graphic:
      
   2. Since you were so wise to have already chosen a domain name, register it with Bluehost. Simply enter it under the “new domain” box and click “next.”
      
   3. Enter your personal information to create an account:
      
   4. Continue to the Package Information section. Again, it’s cheapest to purchase 36 months in advance, but they have the money-back-guarantee option.
      
   5. Enter your billing information (they’ll send you an email before auto-renewing you, I promise).
      
   6. WHOOT! You’re the proud owner of a Bluehost account! Create your password, and remember to make it a good one. There are freaks all over the planet who make it a Saturday night date to try and hack blogs. Now, you just need to install WordPress. I’ve read that I’d see this dashboard a lot over time but honestly, their service is so great that I’ve rarely had to login:
      
   7. Click “Start” on the next screen you see. 
      
   8. Now, Check your domain, and install WordPress.
      
   9. EEEP almost done! Check the box “Show advanced options.” and Name your site (you can change it later). Create a username and password for the WordPress installation. Check “Automatically create a new database for this installation” and “I have read the terms and conditions of the GPLv2.” Then, click “Install Now.”
      
   10. Congratulations! It’s installing! You’ll now receive an email letting you know further instructions. You’re a blogger! 
       
   11. Write your first blog post. Be sure to write with abandonment, freedom, and as yourself. You’ll gain the most readers quickly by being authentic and true to your individual interests. If you’re a food blogger, share a recipe. If you’re a special needs blogger, write about your journey. You get the idea. As always, email me if you need help!

 

Disclaimer: The Bluehost links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from them using them, I will receive a referral fee.