How to Start a Blog
To learn how to start a blog, follow our detailed step-by-step instructions at theminimalists.com/wordpress For additional blogging recommendations and tips, read our post, "How to Start a Successful Blog Today": theminimalists.com/blog Trying to figure out how to start a blog? Well, starting a blog is easier than you think. After much experimenting, we discovered the best way to set up our blog, TheMinimalists.com, which now has more than 4 million readers and has been featured in dozens of major media publications (New York Times, TIME magazine, TODAY show, and many others). These are the exact steps we took when we created our blog. If you follow this sequence, you will set up a beautiful blog in less than an hour. 7-STEP SUMMARY: STEP 1. TIME: Set aside one hour to create your blog. STEP 2. DOMAIN & HOSTING: Sign up for hosting and get a free domain with Bluehost: theminimalists.com/bluehost STEP 3. INSTALL WORDPRESS: While there are free blogging platforms out there like Blogspot and Tumblr, nearly every serious blogger uses a self-hosted WordPress site because of its creative freedom and flexibility. Don’t let the word “install” intimidate you. Bluehost walks you through every single step. Besides, in this context, “install” just means “make a few clicks.” So, really, you’re just a few clicks away from WordPress installation. Screenshots: theminimalists.com/wordpress STEP 4. SELECT A THEME: A theme allows you to control the specific look and feel of your blog without the need for coding expertise or design knowledge. In other words, a good theme helps you to design your blog exactly how you want it to look. If you’re not a coder (we certainly aren’t), then a theme makes the design work a million times easier. There are two halves to your theme: the framework (the bones) and the child theme (the beauty). We use Genesis for our framework (theminimalists.com/genesis) and BYLT for our child theme (theminimalists.com/bylt). STEP 5. INSTALL THEME: Remember how easy it was in install WordPress? Well, installing your theme is even easier. Details at theminimalists.com/wordpress STEP 6. INSTALL PLUGINS: Plugins are third-party appendages that add additional functionality to your blog. It’s best to keep your number of plugins to a minimum and install only the best plugins. (Too many plugins, as well as unreliable plugins, can slow down your site.) We use only a few plugins at The Minimalists. Details at theminimalists.com/wordpress STEP 7. MODIFY UNTIL YOU’RE HAPPY. You’re done! You've learned how to start a blog. Congrats! And this is actually where the fun begins. Now that you have your own blog, you get to make it yours; you get to turn your vision into a reality. So tinker away. Plenty of suggestions and tips at theminimalists.com/wordpress
