Kickstarting Your WordPress Blog with Bluehost: A Comprehensive Guide
Get ready to plunge into the world of blogging, where you’ll learn how to set up a WordPress blog seamlessly. Blogging has transformed my life, bringing in thousands of dollars every month and giving me the freedom to do what I love. Starting a profitable blog has never been more affordable. By utilizing the special discount I’ve arranged with Bluehost, you can set up your blog without breaking the bank. Through this link, you’ll also get a complimentary blog domain. However, grab this opportunity quickly, as I cannot guarantee how long the discounted prices will remain.
Full Disclosure: I have an affiliate relationship with Bluehost and will receive a commission if you choose to sign up via my referral link. This won’t add any extra cost on your part, but you will benefit from an excellent deal and a free domain name via my link.
Start your blog on WordPress by clicking here and follow the easy-to-use guide below.
If you’re planning to start a WordPress blog without spending a fortune, then Bluehost can serve your hosting needs efficiently. My personal experience with Bluehost has been nothing short of stellar.
This journey has allowed me to work from home, travel as I please, and maintain a flexible schedule. Life has become significantly better in just a few years.
Blogging is a money-making opportunity for anyone. It didn’t take me long to earn back what I invested in blog hosting. Blog hosting is worth every penny, and I’m confident you’ll recover your investment quickly too.
Bluehost, one of the leading web hosting companies, enables you to start a blog for as little as $2.75 a month (exclusive low price through my link). If you sign up via my link, you’ll receive a free domain with a 12-month or longer hosting plan, saving you $15. I highly recommend opting for the 12-month hosting plan with Bluehost. It’s affordable, and a long-term commitment can save you substantial money.
You might be considering starting with Blogger to save money, but let me warn you—it’s not a wise choice. There are numerous reasons why a Blogger/Blogspot blog falls short compared to a self-hosted WordPress blog on Bluehost.
If your goal is to monetize your blog or turn it into a business, paid hosting like Bluehost is non-negotiable. It’s incredibly affordable and comes with a free domain for the first year. With a Bluehost-hosted blog, you can run advertisements, affiliate links, and direct advertising. Earning money from Blogger or other free blogging platforms is extremely challenging and often unsuccessful. Advertisers and companies typically shy away from Blogger sites, viewing them as less professional than self-hosted WordPress blogs—another reason to prefer Bluehost.
My income from blogging saw a significant boost when I switched to WordPress, which is a testament to the power of being self-hosted on WordPress.
Read more about the benefits of paid blog hosting here.
There are numerous reasons to choose Bluehost for your WordPress blog, and I genuinely believe they are among the top web hosting providers. The reasons include:
- User-friendly interface: ANYONE can set up a WordPress blog with my step-by-step guide. Bluehost makes creating a WordPress blog a breeze.
- Excellent technical support from Bluehost.
- Incredible affordability: Their hosting services start at a mere $2.75 per month.
- Free blog domain.
- Free WordPress through Bluehost.
- Full-refund guarantee if you decide that Bluehost isn’t right for you.
- You’ll be self-hosted, which is essential if you aim to monetize your blog.
- A self-hosted Bluehost blog will appear more professional to readers and potential partners compared to a Blogspot blog.
To start, head over to Bluehost. Though there are numerous web hosting companies, Bluehost stands out as one of the best. There’s a reason why many bloggers trust Bluehost with their hosting needs.
If you’re interested in starting a blog on Bluehost and learning how to set up a blog on WordPress, continue below. Should you have any doubts or queries (like how to set it up, choosing a plan, pricing, etc.), feel free to send me an email. I’m here to help you out.
Click here to begin your blogging journey.
Starting Your WordPress Blog on Bluehost: A Detailed Guide
Select and Register Your Domain Name
Your journey to creating a WordPress blog on Bluehost begins with brainstorming an appropriate domain name. This process requires careful thought, as your domain name represents your brand’s digital identity. It might be a bit tricky, as I can personally attest from my own experience of choosing a lengthy blog name that often led to confusion.
To streamline this step, you can purchase your domain directly from Bluehost, which offers a free domain for the first year if you subscribe to their web hosting for at least 12 months. This is a cost-effective strategy since you not only save on the domain cost but also enjoy a reduced monthly hosting fee.
Purchase Your Blog Hosting
Setting up a WordPress blog on Bluehost is straightforward. Let’s discuss the costs involved:
For beginners, the “Basic” plan should suffice. This is available at a discounted rate of $2.75 per month (to be paid annually) via my link. If you’re uncertain about the blogging landscape, a 12-month subscription would be ideal, as it is economically priced at $33 per year. Furthermore, this plan includes a free domain name, making it an even more attractive package.
The “Plus” and “Business Pro” plans can be overlooked initially due to their higher prices. Upgrading to these plans in the future is always an option, with the difference in cost being the only additional expenditure.
Consider opting for Domain Privacy Protection (at $0.99 per month) to safeguard your contact information. Other additional services offered by Bluehost can generally be unchecked.
By subscribing to a 12-month or longer hosting plan through my link, you are entitled to a free domain. Paying annually is more economical than a monthly subscription, as it saves you from potential website downtime due to missed renewals or expired cards. On average, blog hosting may cost around $50 per year.
When you’re ready to proceed, follow these steps: Visit Bluehost and select “Get Started Now”. Choose your preferred package. Enter your previously registered domain name or register a new one. Provide your personal and payment details. Create a secure password.
Connect Your Domain and Hosting
Please note, if you have purchased your domain through Bluehost, this step can be skipped.
However, if your domain is purchased via GoDaddy, it will need to be linked with your Bluehost hosting account. GoDaddy provides a comprehensive guide on setting nameservers for your domain names.
Instructions on how to change your DNS Nameservers when using GoDaddy for your domain and Bluehost for hosting are as follows:
- Login to your GoDaddy.com account.
- From the Domain Names dropdown menu or the Manage Your Account list, select Manage Domains.
- Select the domain name you want to modify and then click Set Name Servers.
- Enter your updated name server information and click Save Changes at the bottom. Your entries should be: ns1.bluehost.com; ns2.bluehost.com.
You will then have to add the domain you bought (e.g., from GoDaddy) as an add-on domain to your Bluehost hosting account. You can do this via the “Domains” tab in your Bluehost account.
Install WordPress on Bluehost
Now comes the much-anticipated step – installing WordPress on Bluehost, which is a user-friendly and free process.
Bluehost will guide you through each step, beginning with choosing a theme. Don’t worry about this too much at this stage, as you can change it later.
Click on “Start Building” and select either “Business” or “Personal” on the following screen. You now officially have a WordPress blog! Now, the focus should be on designing your blog and crafting quality content.
Here are some quick tips to navigate WordPress:
- To create new posts, click on “Posts”.
- To add an image, click on “Media”.
- For customizing widgets, go to “Appearance”, then “Widgets”.
For sending newsletters or emails, consider Convertkit. For blog design, popular options include Kadence, Astra, or free themes via WordPress.
Pre-designed blog templates are also available on Etsy, Google, or Bluchic, which offer user-friendly, professional templates.
For in-depth strategies and tips on affiliate marketing, consider enrolling in my online course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
