Today, I’ll show you exactly how to create a blog with WordPress on Bluehost. Blogging has been such an amazing hobby-turned-business for me. I started my blog in the hope of sharing financial advice to others looking to find out how money works. But now my blog has become an income source for me! For only the cost of a cup of coffee a month ($3.95/mo), you too can create a blog either for recreation or as a side hustle. All in all, I can’t recommend starting a blog enough!
Below is my affiliate link where you can sign up for your own Bluehost account and create a blog of your own! You will also receive a free domain name when you use my link. What you are about to learn in this tutorial is exactly how I have my blog set up–a WordPress blog hosted with Bluehost!
Click here to start your WordPress blog with Bluehost. Then continue with this tutorial below to create a blog.
Why Should You Be Hosting Your Blog With Bluehost?
A question I asked myself early on in blogging…
Make Money Blogging
Like I’ve said before, I started my blog as a hobby. So I used the free version of WordPress to write my blog on (I am a personal finance blogger and love everything frugal, of course). I loved writing my blog, but I began to want to grow it to something more. I wanted to make money blogging!
If you want to make money off your blog (and you totally can make money blogging), then paying for hosting through Bluehost is a must! Here’s the deal: you can’t make money off a free blog that you don’t own. And if you aren’t hosting and own your domain, then you can’t place ads and make a blogging income.
Bluehost makes it easy to create a profitable blog. You can place ads on your site and use your site to generate an income through all different kinds of blogging income streams.
Own Your Site
When you use a free blogging company, you don’t actually own your site. That means that the company you are using has the authority to shut down your site at any time. How scary! All that hard work and your site can be shut down just like that.
When you create a blog with Bluehost, you fully own your site. You get to put exactly what you want on your blog without ever having to worry about it being taken down. Hosting your blog with a paid hosting provider also enables your site to have greater optimization: meaning that you have a greater chance of reaching more people on search engines like Google.
Do I Recommend Paying For Hosting As A New Blogger?
As a personal finance blogger, you know how conscious I am about spending money. And like I said before, I used the free version of WordPress for over a year until I signed up with Bluehost. And I honestly wish I would have started paying for hosting sooner! It wasn’t until I signed up with BlueHost that I actually saw good growth in my blog.
Hosting enabled me to run a more professional site. You get so many more options for your blog when you host a WordPress blog with Bluehost. Think of it like this: You are paying only $3.95 a month to do something you’re passionate about. When you think of it in these terms, it’s a no-brainer. One less Starbucks run a month and the cost of your blog is covered.
So yes, I highly recommend hosting with Bluehost even as a new blogger. It’s such a small cost and totally worth it if you ever desire to turn your blog into a business. You will be able to run a professional site in no time with Bluehost’s user-friendly interface. Take it from me: My biggest mistake in blogging was not taking it seriously earlier. Learn from my mistakes and start your blog off in a professional manner by hosting with Bluehost.
I also can’t recommend WordPress enough. WordPress is the best blogging platform that you can use. It is extremely powerful and customizable. You can make it as simple or complex as needed.
How To Create A Blog With WordPress On Bluehost
1. Select Your Plan
The first step in creating your WordPress blog on Bluehost is to select your plan! If you’re just starting out, I recommend just selecting the most basic plan. You can start a blog for only a few dollars a month!
Once you choose your plan type, you get to choose your length of subscription. The longer your subscription, the lesser cost per month! I chose the 36 month package because it was the best value. You also get a FREE domain when you pay for at least a 12 month subscription!
Yes, I am a personal finance blogger and value a good deal. But please know that I fully believe in the value of Bluehost. If you want to run a professional site, then you definitely have to put some money into it. And thankfully, Bluehost is only a few dollars a month and you get to operate a full professional site! P.S. I made more in my first month of actually trying with my blog than the cost of my three-year Bluehost subscription!
2. Pick Your Domain Name
Once you’ve chosen your Bluehost package, it’s time to set up your FREE domain! On this step, you can choose to create your own new domain, or use an existing domain that you already own (this applies to you if you have previously bought a domain from a place like Go Daddy).
When choosing a domain, pick something that is catchy and fits with the message that you’d trying to get across. For example, my site is called “The Budgeting Wife” and I like to share content on personal finance and how to incorporate it into the home. My site name fully expresses who I am and the content that I am sharing with my readers. Another awesome site name that I love is Millennial Money Man. You can tell just from those three words that he is a millennial who shares about money! Easy.
So take some time to think through exactly what domain name you want to choose. I also suggest making it something catchy. You want people to easily remember your site name so they can get there quickly. This is all about creating your brand.
3. Install WordPress
Here is the part you’ve all been waiting for! Now it’s time to install WordPress on your Bluehost site. Bluehost makes this part very simple.
After you finish setting up your account with your password, Bluehost will walk you through the full process of setting up your WordPress blog. There you will select your WordPress theme. After you pick your theme, select “start building” and click through the screens to let Bluehost help you set up your blog! And just like that, your WordPress blog is up and running.
BONUS – Blogging Extras!
Here are a few things that I have found valuable in my blogging career and would highly recommend!
- The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Class has helped me learn how to make a real income on my blog. I made more in my first month after taking the class than the entire cost of the class! Michelle teaches the class and she makes over $50,000 a month in affiliate income from her blog!
- Plug Ins I Use (all FREE versions)
- Pretty Links – to help keep all my affiliate links in a professional way
- Yoast SEO – to help when I’m writing my posts for a better readability and search engine ranking
- Instagram Feed – to include my social media following at the bottom of my blog!
- Ad Inserter – to include ads on my site
- Affiliate Disclosure – to add my affiliate disclosure automatically to all my posts
I hope that you’ve found this helpful when you create a blog! Blogging has been such a fun hobby for me that in turn has become an income-generating business! And blogging can do that for you too. Good luck with your blog, and please feel free to reach out to me if you ever have any questions. Happy blogging!
Here are some blogging-related posts if you are interested in learning more!