How to Start a Blog (and Make Money): Easy Guide to Start Blogging Today

Hello,

I used to think building a website was something only tech geniuses could do. But things are different now. If you can post a picture on social media, you can build a website too. 

The secret is that you need a simple plan, the right tools and resources. I started my own blog, and I'm going to show you exactly how to make a website from scratch in this tutorial.

There are 12 clear and easy steps that anyone can follow. Trust me, there is no confusing jargon or stressful setups. Let's get started! 

1. Set The Website’s Main Goal

When I built my first website, I jumped right into choosing colors and layouts.

Big mistake.

I didn't realize until much later that I should have begun by asking myself one simple question: What do I actually want this site to do?

Determine The Goal of Your Website

First of all, clearly define the goal of your website. Is it for product sales? Share your ideas? Display your work?  Or provide a service?  Each goal requires a different setup later. 

When I created a website for freelance writing, I knew it wasn't a place for selling. Instead, it is where I showcase my work and make it easy for clients to get in touch with me.

Everything, from my blog to my homepage, was influenced by that.  

Pro tip: Knowing your audience is the secret. Who would you like to visit your site? What problems are your audience having you can help with?

Take note of all the details, including their age, occupation, interests, and possible search terms they may google when visiting your website. 

Establish Measurable Goals

The next step is to consider how you can measure your goals. Don't set a general one like “I want more people to visit my site”. You can't know if you get it or not without specific numbers.

Instead, you can set simple and clear goals by answering the questions like:

“How many visitors do I want each month?”

“How long do people spend on my site?”

“How many people sign up for my newsletter or make a purchase?”

Start with a small and realistic number so that you can achieve and stay motivated. My advice is to set up Google Analytics right away.

It's free to use and is a super useful tool to help you track your traffic, conversions, clicks, and other related metrics.

Identify Your Value Proposition

Visitors would not stay on your website if it didn't stand out. So, try to figure out “what sets your site apart” from the others.

Is the service faster?  Better prices? Or perhaps a practical guidance that people can truly use?

Whatever it is, your value proposition should be front and center so that visitors can see it right away. Make it clear, bold, and compelling. 

Analyze Your Competitors

Why should you analyze your competitors? You can learn what they are doing right and take advantage of what they miss. The gaps are exactly what you can do better.

Spend time researching your competitors' websites and find out their strengths, weaknesses, content strategy, and how they interact with the audience.

I suggest you use SEMrush and Ahrefs tools to see their keywords and traffic sources. To learn how your competitors handle social media, I suggest Hootsuite. Trust me, knowing your competitors is the best way to outshine them.

2. Choose & Register A Domain Name

Picking the right domain name is just like naming a newborn. Both exciting and stressful. And here all my secrets to help you select the best domain.

Pro Tips To Pick A Great Domain Name 

Here’s what worked for me:

• Short & Simple & Catchy: Yep – Your domain name should be easy to remember and type – No complicated spelling for sure
• Use Your Keywords: This helps to enhance SEO & make it easier for people to identify you.
• Match Your Brand Style: It should speak your brand's language in some way.
• Skip Numbers & Hyphens: Those sound messy when you say them out loud and are hard to remember. 

Choose A Extension & Check Availability

I always go straight to a domain search engine after selecting a few name suggestions to see whether they are available.

Most people will choose .com because it's simple to remember and seems authentic.

Don't panic.

Depending on the purpose of your website, you can choose another domain extension like .net, or .co, or a niche option like .blog or .store.

Pro tip: One small piece of advice I've learned is to get a couple of variations too. This helps protect your brand and keep copycats away.

Register Your Domain Name 

I usually use Hostinger because it makes the whole process super simple. Simply enter your name into their search engine, check what comes up, and take it before someone else does.

Everything is easy to manage after that. Everything is conveniently located on a single, tidy dashboard, including DNS settings and renewals.

And here’s a little money-saving move I always do — bundle your domain with a hosting plan. You won't have to deal with renewals on 2 distinct systems, and it's less expensive and simpler to administer.

3. Select A Website-building Platform

Choosing the right platform was a huge decision, and to be honest, it may make or ruin your entire website experience.

WordPress

WordPress offers tons of beautiful and professional themes (including paid & free). It's also super easy to use and versatile, even if you’ve never built a site before. 

Want something even easier? AI Website Builder of Hostinger for WordPress will be your hero. Hostinger’s WordPress hosting plans make the setup process smooth as butter.

And don’t forget about plugins! I always set up Yoast SEO to improve my pages' Google ranking and WooCommerce for online sales.

Website Builders

Website builders were the answer to my first need for something quick and easy for beginners. In my experience, the Hostinger Website Builder helped me to make the entire process without being stressful. 

It is packed with useful features and starts at just $2.99/month.

You can click, move, and resize anything on your page with the drag-and-drop, no-code editor. You can see how your site is looking right away because everything you do is updated in real-time.

What do I love most?

The built-in AI tools. Just answer a few questions about your site’s vibe and purpose, and it’ll suggest a clean, personalized layout for you. The AI Writer even helps you draft page content — perfect when you hit a creative block.

Tips To Pick A Good Platform

You need a good platform to build your website. Here are some things you should consider carefully before making the decision:

• Easy to Use: If you’re a beginner in creating a site, pick something simple. Drag-and-drop builders are a lifesaver if you don't know anything about coding. 
• Needs for Customization: Think about how much control you want. Website builders are simpler but have some limitations, while WordPress offers a great deal of flexibility.
• Your Budget: Remember to count for extras like plugins, domain registration, and hosting. Compare a few options to find the best one.
• Scalability: Make sure your platform can grow with you. You might start small, but as your website gains popularity, you'll want to have space to expand.
• Resources & Support: Good help is important. I looked for platforms with 24/7 support and easy tutorials to follow when I got stuck.

4. Purchase A Hosting plan

Now, it's time to find a place to “park” your website. Think of hosting as renting land for a house you’re about to build. Let’s break down the different types of hosting you’ll come across.

Different Types of Hosting

Shared Hosting

This is where most beginners start. You will share server resources (like bandwidth, RAM, and CPU) with others. Hostinger provides shared hosting plans starting at just $1.99/month – super affordable prices for anyone to use.

Shared hosting is great for personal sites or small blogs. One issue is that your site may slow down if there is a sudden increase in traffic on your server's neighbors.

VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server)

VPS is an improvement. You gain more authority and control over a private portion of the server. It's ideal if your website is expanding quickly and requires better security and speed. Although VPS hosting is a little more expensive (starting at $4.99/month) and requires some tech know-how to use, I enjoyed the flexibility it provided.

Clouding Hosting

The key here is reliability. Because it distributes your website across several servers, you may stay up even if one of them has problems. It’s perfect for larger commercial sites or online retailers since it can withstand massive increases in traffic. And of course, cloud hosting comes with higher costs, beginning at $7.99/month at Hostinger.

Dedicated Hosting

No sharing – you get a whole server for your website with dedicated hosting.  No sharing. It is designed for massive sites with high traffic volumes and strict security requirements. Honestly, it is pretty expensive and not suitable for beginners.

Managed WordPress Hosting

If you’re using WordPress, this is a lifesaver. It helps you to handle updates, security, and site performance effortlessly. I love how stress-free it makes managing a site. Hostinger’s Managed WordPress hosting plans start at $2.99/month and are recommended by WordPress.org.

Tips To Choose A Great Hosting Plan

When I built my first website, choosing a hosting plan felt a little overwhelming. Too many options, and too many features. And here’s what I’d recommend you focus on after some of my trial and error:

• Bandwidth: Make sure your chosen plan has enough bandwidth to handle the expected traffic of the site. 
• Storage: Think about how much space you’ll need for images, videos, and files. A simple blog won’t need much, but an online store or portfolio might.
• CDN integration: A CDN (Content Delivery Network) helps your site load quickly by delivering content from servers around the world.
• SSL Certificates: By doing this, your website is secured, and users see the small padlock icon in their browser. It's a must-have, particularly if you're gathering any private data.
• Server Location: Choose a hosting company whose servers are located near your target audience. It speeds up the loading of your website.
• Automatic Backups: Believe me, mistakes can happen. Select a package that includes automatic backups so that you can quickly restore your website in case of an emergency.
• Customer Support: Seek out live chat, email, or phone support around the clock. When you need immediate assistance, it can save your life.

5. Map Out The Site’s Structure

Mapping out the structure of your website before beginning construction. A well-organized website lets your visitors find what they need quickly and allows search engines to understand your content too.

Create A Sitemap

A sitemap is just like a blueprint of a website. It helps you arrange your information logically and demonstrates how all of your pages relate to one another.  It provides a clear plan for creating and expanding the rest of your website.

Here’s how I created mine:

• List Out All Your Pages: Home, About, Services, Blog, and Contact were the first things I looked at. Then, I included any subpages beneath those primary ones, like blog categories or specific service pages.
• Give A Clear Structure: Organize the pages in a hierarchy by grouping related pages together. Main pages are at the top, while child pages sit underneath.
• Simple & Clear Labels: It helps both your visitors and search engines to understand the content of your site better.
• Visualize It: I use GlooMaps (super easy!) to map everything out visually. Another option is to use Lucidchart or even draw it on paper. 

Design The Site Navigation 

I need to do this if you want your visitors to stick around longer. Here are a few tips for you:

• Clear Labels: Use simple and descriptive words (such as Home, About Me, or Blog). In this way, people can instantly know what to expect when they click.
• Breadcrumbs: These little links make it simple for users to navigate back to higher-level pages and show where they are on the site.
• Consistent Menu Placement: I recommend using a sticky menu and the top main navigation menu. It helps visitors jump to other sections anytime when scrolling. 
• Search Functionality: Especially if your website has a lot of content, adding a search bar is a lifesaver.

Highlight Important Content

Make sure to spotlight the most important content right on the homepage. You should use eye-catching graphics and clean layouts to draw the attention of visitors.

Don't forget the CTA (calls-to-action). It is a simple yet effective way to guide people toward what you want them to do, like registering or making a purchase. 

Secret? Make the content flow naturally while navigating well so that people won't get lost while moving from one page to another.

Room For Growth

When your website grows, you will need to add more new content and features. That's why you have to plan a flexible structure from the start.

It should be easy to fit extra pages and sections without messing up the flow.

6. Design The Website's Layout

A good layout will make a website easy to explore and keep the audience engaged.

And again, Hostinger Website Builder is my favorite tool! It is super easy to manage for even beginners. Here’s where to start:

Pick A Theme or Template

Let's explore Hostinger’s template library with over 150 fantastic choices. You can browse by category or check out the most popular designs. And below are a few useful tips to pick the right one:

• Fits Your Brand Identity & Sitemap: That's all about brand colors, fonts, and overall vibe – everything needs to feel consistent.
• Match Your Site's Goal: For example, if you’re building a store, pick a template with built-in product pages and a shopping cart.
• Mobile-friendly: Make sure your template looks great and works well on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Customize The Website

After picking your template, it’s time to make it yours. Choose the color palette, fonts, logo, tagline, icons, images, videos, and anything related that supports your message and reflects your brand's style. 

And thanks to Hostinger Website Builder, you can tweak layouts with a breeze. The drag-and-drop tools and real-time editing let you watch your site come to life instantly.

Focus On User Experience

Don't forget to think about your visitors' experience when designing your website. Make the site navigation easy to understand and follow.

My tip is to use whitespace smartly to create a clean and airy layout. Last but not least, remember to put clear and powerful CTAs to encourage people to buy, subscribe, or contact you.

Test Your Layout 

When everything is ready, test your layout to make sure it works as expected. Run A/B testing to compare different website designs and know which one is better.   

You can also gather feedback from users and track their behavior with analysis tools to spot and improve things.

7. Add Essential Pages

Which pages do you need? It depends on your requirements, but generally, these pages are important and you can find them on nearly any site you land on. Let's start with the Homepage!

Homepage

As the face of your website, your homepage should make a strong first impression. What to include is as follows:

• A clear introduction outlining the goal of your website and the benefits you provide.
• Stunning graphics, like a high-quality hero banner, capture the spirit of your brand.
• Simple navigation functions, such as a search bar, a menu, and contact information.
• Compelling calls to action (CTAs) that encourage visitors to take desired actions.

Products or Services Page

This page is where you turn curious visitors into customers and show them exactly what you want to offer.

Keep clear, simple yet informative descriptions, eye-catching images or videos, and clear prices.

Some inviting CTA buttons like “Buy Now” or “Contact Us” are always useful.

About Page

The About Page is your chance to let visitors get to know the real people behind the website. What you can share are:

• About yourself, your team & your business – how it began & what inspired you, for example.
• Highlight what makes you different & unique
• Talk about your missions & values
• Share a few personal stories or moments that shaped your journey

Blog

A blog gives you a space to share useful, entertaining, or problem-solving content related to your niche. Remember to make it social. Add sharing buttons so readers can easily share your content and stay active in the comments.

Contact Page

Your Contact Page is where visitors go when they need help or want to connect.

So it should be clear, welcoming, and easy to use. Start with a simple contact form that only asks for essential details. 

What you should include are:

Email, phone number & social media accounts. If you have a storefront or office, be sure to insert your address and Google Maps.

Additional Pages

Aside from the essential pages, you might consider adding a few extras to enhance your site’s utility and trustworthiness.

• FAQ page: Give answers to frequently asked questions by your visitors.
• Reviews & Testimonials: Showcase positive feedback to build trust.
• Case studies/Portfolios: Highlight your work and successful projects.
• Terms & Privacy Policy: About data use and site rules.

8. Add Additional Functionality

The next step is to add more useful functionality to your site. This will make the website look more professional and enhance the user experience.

I used Hostinger Website Builder since they offer many features with no complicated setups. Custom code, contact forms, analytics tools, & App integrations are some popular ones you will want to add. 

9. Fill The Site With Content

It’s time for the most important part — adding content! Here's where you establish a true connection with your audience and show your value.

Produce High-quality Content

I always try my best to create content that brings value to my readers. The content can inform, entertain, or solve problems for my audience. It’s important to speak their language and use a friendly, relatable tone that feels natural.

Get stuck in ideas? My secret is Hostinger’s AI Writer. It saves me time, and effort, and creates a consistent voice across every page on my site.

Use Text, Images, & Videos

Do not just use texts for your content. You know, pictures talk best.

So, you must use high-quality images to make your pages look more engaging, professional, and inviting. Of course, I always optimize them so my pages load fast and stay sharp.

And nothing captures attention like video. It's best to show your products, explain tricky concepts, and welcome visitors.

Mix texts, images, and videos to keep your website dynamic and enjoyable to explore.

10. Optimize Your Site For SEO

SEO is a must if you want people to find your website. It helps boost your visibility on search engines and attracts more visitors. I’ll show you how to handle basic SEO the easy way.

• Find and use keywords people are searching for.
• Write catchy meta titles and descriptions for every page.
• Link related pages together to help both visitors and Google navigate.
• All photos should have clear, informative alt text.
• Compress images to help your site run fast while not losing quality.
• Boost site speed by optimizing images and server response time.
• Make sure your site looks great and mobile-friendly
• Add SSL security to boost the rankings & protect your visitors.

You can do all of these tasks much more easily what the help of Hostinger Website Builder. It will run a full SEO check and suggest great tips to improve.

11. Test Everything & Go Live

Test everything before hitting that publish button. Let me show you how to check for a smooth and error-free website:

• Use the BrowserStack tool to test how the website works on various browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
• Test it on PCs, tablets, and phones to make sure it functions properly and looks excellent everywhere.
• Click on each button, link, form, and search box to ensure everything works perfectly.
• Carefully edit my writing to remove errors and maintain a consistent tone.
• Double-check all links, statistics, and facts again; no inaccurate or outdated information there.

Once it’s flawless, I’ll officially launch my site. Finally, I’ll submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools so search engines can start indexing it right away.

12. Promote & Maintain The Website 

Congratulations! Your website is live now. But it is not the end. You need to keep it fresh and spread it to the world.

Develop A Marketing Plan

Social media is a must. Post your content on sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn and engage with followers to create a friendly and active community. 

Email marketing also works well. Send regular updates and offers to your subscribers to keep them engaged and coming back.

After that, I'll concentrate on SEO. Update the content frequently to have higher ranks on search engines.

Plus, you should produce engaging and helpful blog posts, movies, or images that people want to share.

Good content is the easiest way to keep visitors around and attract new ones.

Use Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a fast and effective way to get your website noticed, especially when you've just started.

The most common way is to run search engine ads with Google Ads.

Social media ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are also cool choices.

Update The Website Regularly

This is very important to keep your site updated frequently.

You need to post new blog articles, update old content, run promotions, fix errors, and announce events – yep, and there are many other things you should do to make a website active and fresh.

It is a useful way to let your customers know always there is always something new and enjoyable waiting for them. 

Bottom Line

Building a website isn’t just trying to put all pages together. It's about creating a living space that grows with you and engages your audience. 

The good news? You don’t need to be good at coding or a technology expert to make a website. With the right tools, Hostinger Website Builder, you can launch a professional and catchy website effortlessly. 

What're you waiting for, then?  Begin building and allow the world to hear your tale through your website.

FAQs

How Much Does It Cost To Make A Website?

The cost of making a website can be very different, based on the hosting service, the domain name, and the platform you choose. It can be a few dollars, but also thousands of dollars.

With only $2.99/month, you can create a complete website with Hostinger Website Builder.

Why Should I Need A Website For My Business?

Having a website helps to connect with a wider audience, build trust, showcase your products and services, as well as improve your brand's credibility.

How Long Does It Take To Make A Website From Scratch?

It depends on how complex the website that you’d like to build. It can take a few hours, but it can also take a few weeks to even months.