How to start a profitable blog from scratch in 2023 (ultimate step by step for beginners)
Did you know there are people in these internet streets who make 5 figures, 6 figures and even 7 figures with their blogs?! Blogging is still profitable (yup, even in 2023!), and yup, you can absolutely start a profitable blog from scratch!
I recently started a new blog, and it’s already bringing me in $2000+ a month. HOWEVER, disclaimer: Blogging is not a get-rich, quick scheme. It requires hard work, consistency, patience, and strategy. Today, I’m sharing how you can not only launch a blog but make money with it too!
When you buy through links on my website, I may earn a commission.
But first, I have a confession… blogs don’t make money.
Nope, I didn’t make a typo there. Blogs don’t make money. Businesses do. So if your blog is not a business, it’s going to be pretty freakin’ hard to earn money with it.
Your blog should have a strategy as to how revenue will be earned (will you sell a product? Create a course? Cash in with affiliate links? Make money from display ads?) as well as a business plan (who is your target market?). So as you create this blog, think from a business aspect…. not a hobby aspect.
Hobbies are things we do simply for fun when we feel like it.
A business is something we are dedicated and committed to. We push through even when we don’t feel like it because we earn money with it or plan to in the near future.
A blog that makes money is a business. Hobbies are for fun. Businesses are for funDS.
Before you decide to start a profitable blog, truly commit to it. No half-stepping, lukewarm, sorta-kinda, so-so, maybes allowed.
How to start a blog from scratch in make money!
STEP 1: How to figure out your blog niche
Gone are all the days when you write your blog like a Dear Diary article. Blog posts should answer questions and provide valuable content to readers. If you want to start a profitable blog, then you should know that blog posts shouldn’t be about you; they should be about the reader.
Just like this specific blog post is helping you solve a problem (ie, how to start a profitable blog!), your blog post should do the same (answer a question). So the first step to starting a profitable blog is figuring out what exactly you will blog about.
Blog posts shouldn’t be about you, they should be about the reader.
Pick a niche when it comes to your blog. A niche that solves problems and you know enough about to be able to write about consistently. I personally believe any niche where you solve a problem (and people are willing to pay for a solution) is profitable. So no, your niche doesn’t have to be popular but it should be profitable.
Popular blog niches:
- Beauty
- Travel
- Fitness
- Food
- Finance
- Fashion
- Relationships
- Career
- Gaming
- Politics
- Home Decor
- Entrepreneurship
- Love & Relationships
- Hair
- Family & Home
- Photography
- Diets (Such as Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo)
- Technology
- Investing
- Lifestyle Humor
If you don’t have a lot of experience in a niche, please stay away from it. Don’t start a blog in a niche simply because you’ve witnessed others’ success in it. You have to actually enjoy what you’re talking about.
STEP 2: How to come up with a blog name you won’t regret later
In a beautiful world where the sun is always shining and the sky is never gray, I would say pick out a blog name and then buy a domain, but these days it can feel like all the good domains are taken, especially the first 50 in your head.
So picking a name can be a little tricky.
First, you want to think about what your blog is about, as this can help you when deciding on a name. For example, if your blog is about beauty, then you can incorporate the word “beauty” or “makeup” into the blog name.
Also, look up words in the thesaurus for catchy words that are similar.
I recommend also checking the word safety tool to ensure your words have no unintended meanings.
For example, Therapist Smith in URL form is therapistsmith.com… which can also be confused as ‘The Rapist Smith'” … and I’m sure you definitely don’t want that.
Additionally, word generators such as panabee are great at showing domains that are available with your chosen blog name.
Deciding to use your real name as your blog name
I took the easy way out on this blog and named it after myself since I am a personal brand. My blog does have a niche, but it’s lifestyle-focused with a business twist, so that’s why I decided to just go with my name.
Additionally, going with your name allows you the freedom to change your niche a little easier since my name is not aligned with a product or service.
However, naming it something that is NOT your personal name gives you more leverage if you ever want to sell it or bring on partners. It’s also beneficial if you only plan to go all-in within a specific topic.
For example, my blog, StylishWeekly, shares style and fashion tips every week. It wouldn’t make sense to be named “Plants weekly” if I’m talking about fashion so your blog name has to make sense…. mmmmkay?!
STEP 3: Purchase your domain & hosting (aka website)
Now it’s time to commit!
You know what your profitable blog will be about and what it will be called, so the next step is purchasing your domain and website, so it’s now physical (as in physically on the internet… not physical where you can touch it!)
FYI: A domain and web hosting are different. Your domain is basically your website name. Your hosting is the service that houses your website. Think of it as a phone. Your phone is a domain. Your phone service is your web hosting. You need a domain and hosting for your blog. My recommendation is Bluehost or siteground.
Bluehost
Once you have your blog name, you can go to Bluehost and purchase a domain and hosting for as low as $3.95!
There are a ton of blogging website domains and hosting but the great thing about Bluehost is you a free domain name for a year included (that’s your blog name, such as “www.BreonnaQueen”), it’s affordable compared to other hosts, and it’s great for beginners.
Simply click on get started when you go to Bluehost and decide which plan works best for you!
Siteground
Siteground is what I currently use. I have multiple websites, so I like that siteground allows you to have multiple websites under one account (they have different options). Additionally, they have really great support.
STEP 4: How to design a blog and make it look pretty
I highly recommend choosing WordPress for your blog. Google favors it (meaning you’re more likely to show up in google search results which means MORE traffic to your blog), and options are endless when it comes to choosing a look for your blog!
You want to own your WordPress blog, though, and not a blog hosted on WordPress (for example, if your domain is blahblah.wordpress.com, that means it is WordPress hosted, and you do NOT want that).
When deciding your blog appearance, think about how you want your overall blog to appear, what colors you will use, and what features you want.
How to choose a blog theme
A WordPress theme is a skin that you install on your WordPress blog that allows you to change the way your blog looks and behaves. Some are free, and some are paid.
WordPress offers thousands of themes in its WordPress directory, and some are free… but they’re usually ugly, and ewww, who wants a super ugly blog?
The theme I use for my fashion blog is from 17th avenue; it’s cute and gets the job done!
Creative market offers premium WordPress themes at a great price!
As a fashion blogger, it was important that my theme was chic and modern. For you, it may be important that your blog has two columns.
One feature you will absolutely need when choosing a theme is that it’s responsive and mobile-friendly.
A lot of your traffic may come from mobile phones so it’s extremely important that your website is desktop-friendly, mobile-friendly, and tablet friendly.
For example, if you’re a lifestyle blogger then I recommend looking at WordPress themes that fit the appearance of your vision. Here’s a WordPress theme for lifestyle bloggers that is chic, feminine, and mobile-friendly:
Another option you have is elementor. It allows you to customize your current theme and/or create new pages from scratch that are easy to design yet look professional.
I currently use elementor on top of my premium theme for a custom website that fits all of my needs.
Here’s a quick youtube guide for using elementor as a beginner
Essential Plugins
A plugin is a piece of software that allows you to change either the appearance or function of your WordPress website. There are thousands of plugins to fit your needs, but there are a few I highly recommend you download for your website.
TOP PLUGINS
RankMath is one of the top downloaded plugins for a reason! I use to use Yoast but I prefer RankMath as it helps your blog post be more search engine optimization (SEO) friendly.
Why is this important? Well the better the SEO, the more likely your website is to appear in google searches. You want this as it increases the eyeballs on your content!
I love rank math so much that now I have the premium version of the app!
WP Smush this helps decrease your page speed by compressing your image size and making it load faster
Anti-spam Bee As a blogger, you will face spam comments. A lot of spam comments.
One of the best ways to combat spam comments is with an anti-spam plugin such as an antispam bee.
STEP 5: Create core pages
There are a few pages you want on your website , including:
1. About page where you share a little about yourself and why you created the website
2. Contact page where readers and sponsors can contact you. Make sure to include your email
3. Blog page where you share either blog categories (like I do) or a general link to your overall blog.
4. Terms and conditions page to protect yourself and all legal aspects of your business. If you need help with this page, you can purchase templates written by lawyers.
STEP 6: Write some blog post
When it comes to writing a blog post, I recommend defining the key problem/issue you want to solve for your readers and starting there. If your blog is about fitness for pregnant women then perhaps your first blog can share why you should work out when pregnant.
When it comes to how to start a profitable blog, you want to make sure that the content you are writing aligns with your business strategy.
If you are a personal trainer, writing fitness blog post makes sense if you want to sell your services (or in the future a product that aligns).
Make sure the content you are writing solves your target market problems and fits within your niche.
Plan the content
Plan the type of content you want to ask. What are the common questions you receive? What is something you want to address? What is a common misconception?
When it comes to what to write, I always say start off with common questions you receive or would like to address.
Research the content
Once you have the content you want to write, it’s time to research and ensure you’re using the right search terms.
One way to research your question is by typing it into google and seeing what pops up (and even if it pops up).
What pops up? Are there any blog posts that don’t address what you want? What keywords are being used?
Create a blog post outline
You should have an intro, middle, and end to your blog post. You want to highlight key points to cover in the blog post. Your blog post should solve your reader’s problem. It should answer a question.
Check out my article on how to write a great blog post.
Create a compelling blog title
You want to create a title that makes viewers want to click on your blog post. It should say what the blog is about but in a way that piques your reader’s curiosity.
I also recommend checking your blog title in coschedule. They rate your blog post titles. Aim for scoring at least a 75.
Write content
You know what the blog post will be about, you know the main points you will cover and you have a great blog title.
Now it’s time to write the content! Creating killer content is how to start a profitable blog!
Add visuals
Photos and videos make the content better. I like stock photo websites such as Depositphotos to find great photos for my blog. I usually wait until they have their huge photo sale on Appsumo, such as 50 photos for $49, and buy it!
Another great option is Envato elements which has over 2,200,000 assets, including unlimited photos, videos, and even WordPress themes!
Absolutely, under no condition should you use photos you found on Google. These are copyrighted, and you can get in a wholeeeeee lotta of legal trouble that way!
Proofread with Grammarly
No matter how many times I proofread my articles, there are always a few errors.
I HIGHLY recommend downloading the Grammarly app if you’re a blogger as it will help you with spelling and grammar. They offer a free version that helps with smelling and common grammatical errors.
Schedule your blog post
I highly recommend having a content schedule and setting an exact day that blog post goes live. I recommend it be on the same day and time each week.
For example, my audience knows to look for a new blog post on Sundays, as my blog post goes live every Sunday at noon. By having a set day and time, your readers know when to look forward to your content.
Inside my profitable passion bundle, I supply a FREE content schedule you can use for your blog!
STEP 7: Set-up google analytics
Anyone that takes their time and provides valuable blog content wants it to be viewed and read. Google Analytics is how you find out if people are viewing it, how long they’re viewing it, and even where they found your content.
Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that allows you to see a various number of metrics relating to your blog, including website traffic. This is something you want to set up immediately (or at least before you launch your blog)!
When it comes to how to start a blog from scratch, you also want to make sure that you’re creating a blog that people actually will visit (and you have a way to confirm that!).
If you’re thinking about starting a blog, congratulations you got this! You’re on your way to owning a successful and profitable business that can provide you with income and opportunities for years to come. T
Hopefully, you enjoyed this post, and my tips to help you ensure that your blog is set up for profitability from day one!
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