Last updated on August 10th, 2018 at 03:45 pm
Now that the new year is here, so many people will be looking at starting a new blog. One of the first things that will cost their mind is the blogging costs.
No one wants to spend a fortune to start a blog. Especially, since there’s no guarantee that it will earn them money.
Most new bloggers make the mistake of starting their blog on a free platform. If you are serious about wanting to learn how to start a successful blog, there are some costs that you just can’t overlook.
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I Understand
I understand why you don’t want to spend money on your blogging business. It takes a long time to grow a blog. You probably won’t see a return right away.
You can’t think of it like this. When you’re starting a blog, you need to think of it as a long-term strategy. You’re going to work hard in the beginning, but eventually, all that hard work will pay off.
So..
Why are you starting a blog? Are you starting because you want to eventually turn start monetizing it in hopes of earning money?
I started this blog so I could turn it into a full-time income. Yes, I started blogging for the money potential that a blog brings.
I know, I know, everyone says that you shouldn’t start a blog for the money. The truth is that most people wouldn’t work this hard if there wasn’t a potential monetary reason.
I’ve done my best to bring the best content possible for my readers. While I did start this blog for the money, I don’t make money my priority.
This time around, I invested in the Elite Blog Academy to help me turn my blog into a business instead of just hoping to make a little bit of income from it.
See in the past, all I did was focus on the money. Then when I didn’t see it fast enough, I did what most people do, I jumped on the shiny object bandwagon and went looking for the next easiest thing.
I had no clue how to build a business. I didn’t want to make the same mistake again this time around. I now know what it takes to build a successful blog.
So instead of focusing on the money.
I Focus On
Providing the best content that I can for my readers. I’ve shared some awesome WordPress tutorials that will help a new blogger understand how to start their blog.
I also share my blogging experience and journey with you. See, this isn’t my first blog. I’ve started several blogs in the past. I share my personal blogging mistakes with you in hopes that you don’t make the same mistakes that I’ve made.
So while it’s okay to start a blog in hopes of making money. As long as you keep providing the best possible content and help your readers, eventually the money will come.
You Need to Be Ready
When you start a blog, it takes a long time for it to start gaining traction. At first, you will publish a new blog post and keep refreshing your Google Analytics stats.
After a few months of publishing your content and no one visiting your blog. You’ll start to second guess your blogging journey.
You might even consider throwing in the towel and calling it quits. However, you do not want to do that.
Keep blogging and doing your daily blogging tasks. Every blogger at one point or another has these feelings.
It’s those bloggers who are able to overcome those little voices and just keep moving forward that succeed. In the meantime, you need to make sure that you are spending your money on the tools that can help make your learning curve easier.
Related: 7 of My Favorite WordPress Plugins
Blogging Costs A New Blogger Should Not Skimp On
I am not going to tell you that you need to spend money on a bunch of courses or products. The truth is that you probably shouldn’t spend any money on these types of things until you start blogging.
Everyone is different and I realize that there are tons of courses and products that promise you to learn how to blog.
The truth is that you don’t need a course to teach you how to blog. As long as you have an idea of who you’re helping and provide the best content you know how you will be fine.
A course or a mentor will just help you reach your goals faster. But it doesn’t matter which course or product you buy, you’re still going to have to work hard to reach your goals.
This means that you’ll have to wake up every day and work on your blog every day. Even those days that you don’t feel like doing it.
As you continue blogging, your income and blog will improve over time. Instead, the costs that I am referring to will help you get your blog set up on the proper foundation.
Domain
You might already have an idea of what you want to blog about. Well now is the time to head on over to Namecheap and register your own domain.
As you can see, I blog under my own name. You do not have to blog under your name if you do not want to.
However, you do want to make sure that you register a domain that lets people know what you’re about.
If you still haven’t decided on the perfect domain, then here are some great domain name generators.
Once you come up with your domain name, head on over to Knowem to see if you can register your social media sites with your domain name.
My Mistake
When I started my blog, I was completely new to social media. My name had already been taken for all the social media sites.
Instead of using _SusanVelez or something like that, I ended up registering something totally different.
To this day, I wish I had taken the time to do some research on what to do if your name is taken for social media sites. Here is a great article that will help you understand what to do.
Take a look at my friend Tiffany’s Twitter handle.
I wish I had seen that when I registered my social media handles. Instead, I registered my Twitter handle as @SusanWPTutorial
Yes, I know that I can change it, but the truth is that I registered my Facebook and Pinterest handles like that as well.
I don’t really want to go through the hassle of changing things. So I just keep them.
Don’t make the same mistake I made. Make sure that you spend the time finding the right social media handles that you’re happy with.
Hosting
You’re going to need to invest in some reliable hosting so that people can find your blog online.
Choosing the right hosting can be a challenge for so many new bloggers. Especially, if you’ve never paid for hosting.
You’ll hear terms thrown around that say, make sure that the hosting account has great:
- Uptime
- Bandwidth
- Customer Service
- Security
While most reliable hosting accounts do offer these types of services. As a new blogger, the last thing you want to do is overpay for your hosting account.
I recommend starting with shared hosting while you are building up your blog traffic. This gives you the best of both worlds:
- Reliable
- Cheap
Two words that every new blogger wants to hear. I host this blog on SiteGround and I can definitely say that it’s worth it.
When I signed up I paid for the GrowBig Plan for 3 years. I knew that I was going to stick with growing this blog, no matter how long it took.
>> READ MY GUIDE ON HOW TO START A BLOG <<
Pay for More Than One Year
Growing a blog takes a long time. Some of us it takes longer than others. Don’t believe that in one year your blog will be making thousands.
You might be one of the lucky ones, but the truth is that it takes many bloggers years before they start seeing life-changing income results.
Most hosting companies offer their new customers the best deals. When renewal time comes around, you won’t be offered the best deals.
Just like most cell phone companies offer their new customers their best deals. Once you’ve been a paying customer with them for a while, you won’t get any type of incentives anymore.
WordPress Themes
One of the reasons that I love using a self-hosted WordPress.org blog is because you have access to thousands of WordPress themes that you can use. You can even choose from free themes.
You will probably be tempted to start your blog with a free theme. If money is an issue and you can’t afford to spend about $60 – $120 for a theme, then go ahead and start with a free theme.
I’ve personally never used a free theme, but you should be able to find what you’re looking for in the WordPress Theme Directory.
Don’t Make This Mistake
One of the biggest mistakes that most new bloggers make is they spend way too much time trying to find the right theme.
If you’re completely new to WordPress, pick up my eBook:
If you’re not writing content and promoting your blog, no one is going to know about your blog.
People will forgive you for an ugly theme as long as you are providing them content that helps them solve their problems.
If you don’t believe me, read this article about how this blogger gets 6 million views on a $70 dollar blog. It’s nice to know that she is using the Genesis Framework, which is what I use for my blog π
Genesis Tutorials for Beginners
If you do end up using the Genesis Framework, I want you to know that it does come with a learning curve. That’s why I have created someΒ Genesis tutorials to help you learn the basics.
Remember, you do not need to know everything to get started. There is an awesome StudioPress Forum that will help you get your questions answered.
So don’t worry about not knowing everything.
Don’t Pay for A Designer
It amazes me when I see new bloggers in Facebook groups who drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on a designer. You don’t need one.
If you’re using a self-hosted WordPress blog, you will have access to themes that look amazing right out of the box. You don’t need to spend any money on a designer.
Stop spending your money on a customized website. Once your blog is making thousands and you want to invest in the design, then it’s justifiable.
However, at the beginning stages of your blogging journey. The design does not matter. As long as your blog is mobile friendly, clean and easy to navigate, you are good to go.
A pretty blog will not bring your blog traffic.
If you have extra money available when you start your blog, invest it in courses that will teach you about monetization and improve your marketing skills.
WordPress Plugins
I am a firm believer that the right plugins will make your journey a lot easier. I’ve purchased my fair share of plugins both in the past and in the recent years.
In the past, I used to purchase anything that I thought would help me grow my blog. The truth is that no plugin will create a successful blog.
Related: 7 of My Favorite WordPress Plugins
Yes, there are plugins that make your life easier. But don’t believe developers who tell you that this or that plugin will help your blog earn money.
The truth is that I’ve never found a plugin or software that made my blog successful overnight. It’s going to require you to get off your butt and work hard.
As you start getting familiar with your blog, you will realize that you love using certain plugins. Stick with those plugins and stop looking for new ones.
Plugins just make it easier for you to accomplish something on your blog.
Keyword Tool

By now you know that you’re going to need a lot of content for your blog. At first, you’ll be tempted to use the free Google Keyword Planner to help you find keywords to rank your blog.
You might have even heard people talk about SEMRush for your keyword research. The truth is that I don’t use SEMRush because I don’t want to pay $99 per month.
However, I do use the LongTailPro keyword research tool. I use it to help me find low competition keywords that give me the chance to rank on Google.
If your blog is brand new then it doesn’t have a lot of authority in Google’s eyes. This is why it’s important to make sure that you’re taking the time to find keywords that are easy to rank for.
I’ve actually written a Long Tail Pro review on how I find these keywords.
Even if you’re writing articles based on low competition keywords, it is still going to take time to rank your blog.
Keywords Matter
One of the best things that you can do is spend time doing some keyword research. You want to find keywords that people will be typing in to get solutions to their problems.
If you’re not targetting the right keywords that your audience is looking for, it’s going to be hard to build your blog audience.
At first, you’ll probably write some blog posts that are not keyword related. That’s okay, you will learn how to grow a blog and target the right keywords as you keep working on your blog.
It takes time to learn how to do keyword research, especially, if you’ve never written a blog post before in your life.
Final Take Away
It takes time to grow a blog. I wish I could tell you that you can start your blog today and in six months start earning money that will help you walk away from your job.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
What I can tell you is that as long as you stay consistent with it and keep blogging and providing value to your readers. Over time, you’ll look back and see the online empire that you created online.
Hand Picked Articles for You
- Creating A Blog From Scratch How to Begin
- Advice for New Bloggers That Will Help You Keep Blogging
- How A Blog Schedule Can Help You Become Successful
Starting a blog is easy and it’s tempting to start on a free platform. If you’re trying to grow a successful blog that earns money, you need to invest in a self-hosted blog.
Did you start your blog on a free platform? If you were starting from scratch, would you invest in your blog from day one?
Hello Susan,
First of all, I really like the changes you have made on your blog. Another great post from you. You know when my previous blog was hacked, I dump my hosting provider and decided to go with Namecheap. Till now I haven’t faced any issue. Support is Awesome and hosting up-time is also very good. Genesis Framework is great WordPress theme provider and comes with lots of customization option. I also agree with that bloggers must have to invest in self-hosted blogging platforms. Relying on free options does not make any sense. Thanks for sharing these awesome tips here.
Have a Great Day π
Vishwajeet
Hi Vishwajeet,
Thanks, I’ve been meaning to make changes to my blog, but I’ve been lazy. I finally decided to change up my theme and layout this past weekend.
Glad to hear that you’re happy with Namecheap for your hosting. I’ve never used them for hosting, but I always use them for my domains.
A self-hosted blog is the best way to go so you won’t have to worry about anything. You get complete control and can do whatever you want.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Have a great day π
Susan
Thank-you for the tips. I need to go to one of the domains and register a name.
Hi Kim,
Glad that you enjoyed the tips, hopefully, they will help you out.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Have a great day π
Susan
Hey Susan!
I like the new few changes you have made to your blog here. It much simpler and seamless. And that’s exactly what you want. π
You are right, if you want to make blogging a real business, you cannot skip the necessary costs to make it a real business. One of the best pieces of advice I have heard is this; “if you want blogging to pay you like a real business, then you should treat it like one!”.
This is so true.
You have to get the right tools, follow the right steps, invest in the right education, and so on. It is an investment, not just any expense – unless you never persevere and work hard on your goals.
One tip that I would like to add here, and I’m going to address this because I see you are investing in tools to find Long Tail Keywords, is the fact that because of Google RankBrain Technology, long tail keywords are no longer very helpful.
What you actually want to use are LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keyword and Medium Tail Keywords. Long tail keywords are becoming a thing of the past now with SEO evolving at a fast pace. I highly recommend you to do some more research on RankBrain (an AI Google uses for rankings), and you will realize how using long tail keywords no longer makes a difference in your Google Rankings.
Thank you for sharing your tips here!
Keep on rocking and blogging!
Best regards! π
Hi Freddy,
Glad you like the changes, I’ve been meaning to make them but got lazy. You know how it is, once you choose a theme, it’s hard to go back and make changes because it takes a while to set up a new one.
But I finally decided it was time and did it over the weekend.
You’re so right, investing in tools and education is so vital. I neglected to do this when I first got started and that’s why I didn’t have the success I wanted.
This time around, I’m doing things differently. I’ve never heard of RankBrain, but I do make sure that I am using LSI words in my blog posts. I learned about that a while back.
I’ll have to spend the time reading up about RankBrain as I am starting to get traffic from Google. I want to make sure that I am doing my part to keep it coming.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Hope you have a great day π
Susan
Hey Susan,
Every year, so many people start a blog and over the year – many quit too! I like your approach of being open and transparent about it in terms of costs etc. because new bloggers should know clearly about what they are getting into!
Agreed totally about choosing a domain name carefully and registering the social handles immidiately! It is best that you researve your social media ids on as many social sites as possible – it does not costs anything, just a few minutes of your time,
For a blogger or an internet businessman, the more lean your startup – the higher it will go! It is really a total waste of time to worry about how a site looks right at the start – especially when there are so many free options that looks just as good!
If I have to do it all again, will surely start with a custom domain right away!
Thanks,
– Shantanu
Hi Shantanu,
Yeah, I’ve been one of those quitters more than once in the past. It’s so easy to start a blog, and doesn’t cost a lot. But it takes time to learn how to grow your blog. Most people don’t have the patience.
Glad to hear that you’ve found the right tools to get started. You’re right, it doesn’t really matter how your site looks like at the beginning because no one is really going to see it. I believe as long as your content is amazing, an ugly site can be forgiven.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Have a great day π
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thank you for laying out the truth about blogging. People get into it for so many reasons, but it is a business. Like any business, offline or online, it takes time to make a return. This requires a bit of marketing and business knowledge. One doesn’t have to pay thousands for that, but rather read read read.
I believe that when people want to do everything the free way, they don’t succeed. It takes little money to get a domain name and the investment of using a good hosting company is well worth it. Then let the blogging begin.
Putting out the best content we can is imperative. Then sharing with others via social media. As one gets their feet wet, it is important to spend time every day learning something to improve your blog.
Having a master plan of monetization is also a great idea. When I first started I made the mistake of putting that one off for a time. I thought if I had my affiliate product (which I done all wrong BTW) on my sidebar things will eventually happen. It was long before I knew anything about internet marketing and calls to action.
It does take dedication and enjoyment along with that master plan to monetize a blog.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
You’re right, it does take time. This is where most people mess up. They think if they start a blog today, it will be profitable two months down the road. It doesn’t always work that way.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Have a great day π
Susan