Last updated on August 3rd, 2018 at 06:34 am
Getting started with WordPress can be a scary thing. Most people think that they’re not techy enough, smart enough or they just don’t have what it takes. If this sounds like you, I’m going to help you get started today.
I know how you feel, you’re psyched and ready to start your own blog.
You’ve read so many success stories, you’re wondering why can’t that be me? That little voice in your head wont stop telling you that you’re not smart enough to start your own self-hosted blog.
If you’ve been wanting to start your own blog, then now is the time to do it. I’m going to help you. When you get done reading this blog post, you’ll know how to get started.
Related: How to Start A Blog On SiteGround
Not only that, but you’ll also have the opportunity to join my course for WordPress beginners. I’m so excited for the possibilities that await you.
[clickToTweet tweet=”WordPress Skills to Manage Your Blog & Make Money #WordPress #FreeTraining @SusanVelez.com” quote=”WordPress Skills to Manage Your Blog & Make Money #WordPress #FreeTraining @SusanVelez.com” theme=”style4″]
Getting Started With WordPress Start Today
Don’t listen to that negative voice in your head. It’s like a bad movie that will keep repeating itself over and over, especially if you listen to it.
If you let it, it will stop you from starting your own blog. I’m here to tell you that you can start a blog, in fact, you don’t have to be tech-savvy.
Sure it’ll help if you understand the basics of WordPress. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with that with my WordPress tutorials for beginners.
What You Need To Start Your Self-Hosted Blog
You’ll need to find a reliable hosting account. You’ll probably be tempted to look for the cheapest hosting account you can find. I don’t recommend going with the cheapest hosting you find. Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean they are good.
My blog is hosted with SiteGround. While they aren’t the cheapest, they’re also not very expensive.
While reliable hosting is just a part of starting a blog. I know what you’re thinking, how much is a self-hosted blog going to cost me?
Getting Serious About Your Blog
Many new bloggers will make the mistake of trying to start on a free blogging platform. They’re scared to spend money. They truly hate the thought of spending money on something that may or may not succeed.
If you’re having these thoughts, it’s okay. Trust me we all have those thoughts whenever we venture into the unknown.
I had those same thoughts when I first started my WordPress freelance business. Now as I venture into building this blog into a full-time business, those thoughts have crept back in.
There’s nothing wrong with having thoughts of uncertainty, it’s how we respond to those thoughts that determine if we’ll succeed.
Are you going to cave and start your blog on a free platform because you’re scared to spend a little bit of money.
Are you going to be one of those bloggers who are always looking for free stuff. If you’re trying to build a business, you’re going to have to spend some money.
There’s just no way around it. It’s going to take money to make money.
The Willingness to Spend Some Money
When I say that it’s going to cost money to get started with WordPress. I am not talking about spending the kind of money it would take to buy a franchise.
Instead, I’m talking about the kind of money you would spend on taking your family to the movies.
The last time we went to movies here, we watched the Star Wars Rogue One in 3D. It cost us $100 for 4 people with popcorn and drinks.
You could easily get your domain and a year of hosting with SiteGround for that amount. So what could you cut out or cut back on to get your self-hosted blog setup?
Imagine if you started today and just decided to give up a night out on the town with family and friends. Sure they may not like it, but they will be happy a year or two from now when you’ve managed to earn some passive income.
While I can’t guarantee you that your blog will make money. The only way you won’t change your life is if you don’t take any action at all.
The Decision To Start
All it takes is the decision to start. Just like anything else in life, the decision is yours and yours alone.
No one can tell you that today is the right time to start a self-hosted blog. I can tell you that I’ll do everything in my power to help you get started.
Most of us know what type of action we need to take to make changes in our lives. Yet, it doesn’t mean that we are willing to take those actions on a consistent basis.
Heck, I’ll even give you access to my 7 day WordPress course, which will teach you everything you need to know to get your blog setup and started. You can sign up for free here.
Be Ready To Work
Installing WordPress is the easy part. The hard part comes when you start trying to grow your blog. As a blogger, there’s always so much to do. If you’re not careful, you might end up suffering from blogger burnout.
I almost did, until I finally came up with weekly blogging duties that have allowed me to create a balance. You’re going to be in a rush to try to grow your blog.
However, take it from me, it’s going to take a lot of patience and consistency. It’s not going to happen overnight, so give yourself a break and take it slowly.
Most of us only hear the success stories of how people are making hundreds or thousands from their blogs.
What we don’t hear is how much work that person put into his/her blog.
Most people have failed with their first, second or third blog. I’ve made several blogging mistakes in the past and have failed with at least 3 blogs.
Blogging is hard work and most people don’t have what it takes. Most of us are conditioned to believe that we deserve microwave success.
Success is yours for the taking, you’re just going to have to work hard at it.
Your First Step
Make the decision today that you’re going to start your self-hosted blog. Then head on over to my page where I’ll help you learn WordPress.
Don’t overwhelm yourself thinking you have to know everything. I didn’t know everything about WordPress when I first got started.
I was just stubborn to believe that I could figure things out as I went along. I’m still stubborn and believe I have what it takes to turn this blog into a full-time income so I can leave my freelance business.
If you need help with a tutorial that I don’t have on my blog, there are several other blogs that can show you how to do something in WordPress. Just go to Google and type in your question.
Final Take Away
Starting a blog is half the battle, growing it is the war. There has never been a better time than now to start your blog.
So many great bloggers will show you the way. Find a blogger that you love and admire. Follow them on social media, their blog and anywhere else. Listen to daily motivational podcasts, I love listening to Pat Flynn’s podcasts.
There are several other podcasts you can listen to, find someone and listen to them.
Listen to that blogger and learn as much as you can. Let them motivate you to take action to start your blog. They can’t do the work for you, but if they can give you the inspiration to get started, maybe that’s the jumpstart you need.
If you’re ready to get started, you can join my free 7 day blogging course, by clicking here.
Articles Hand Picked For You
- Start Your Blog On SiteGround Hosting
- 13 WordPress Experts You Can Turn To
- How Much Does It Cost To Have A Self-Hosted Blog
Have you started your blog? Did you have any issues getting WordPress installed? Let me know what troubles you faced when starting your self-hosted blog.
Hey Susan,
WordPress is an amazing platform and the decision to start working with it is always the best. I have been playing with it for many years and never regretted.
People should decide to spend a little bit of money because a blog needs some investment.
I am glad you brought it up.
Enjoy your day.
~Ravi
Hi Susan,
Good to be over at your blog as well ๐
Informative post for all those who wish to start a WordPress blog! I wish such posts and knowledge imparted in them was there when I started off years back, which was on a bloggers platform. However, one learned from various sources over time and it was within a few months that I switched to WordPress, and there’s been no looking back.
Thanks for sharing. Happy weekend ๐
Hi Harleena,
Welcome to my blog and thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Like you, when I started with WordPress back in the day, I struggled with it. However, I finally managed to learn the ins and outs after playing with it.
Glad to hear that you you’re now comfortable with it and having success.
Hope you have a great weekend as well ๐
Susan
Hey Ravi,
You’re definitely right, WordPress is an amazing platform. Totally agree with you on having to spend a little bit of money.
You can’t always do everything for free.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, have a great day ๐
Susan
Great post! You’re right in that starting with WordPress is not as hard as some make it out to be. However, making a beautiful, professional site does take some time to learn. I browsed through several themes, testing them in the customize settings and it did took me a while and more researching, youtube tutorials, etc to make it look something that I really liked.
Maybe, you should next write a post about using landing pages plugin, such as elementor or beaverbuilder. I used Elementor for f4freelance.com and I really liked how it looked, something that most themes doesn’t let you do.
Hi Andres,
You’re right, it does take time to learn how to customize a site. Glad that you learned through watching YouTube, that’s exactly how I learned.
I’ve never used the Elementor, but I am familiar with Beaver Builder. I’ve used the Beaver Builder page builder for several of my clients sites.
I’ll have to keep that in mind, thanks for the suggestion. Have a great day ๐
Susan
Hello Susan,
WordPress is really so intuitive and easy to manage that you don’t need any special skills. Flexibility of WordPress is what I like most. You can expand your blog at any level with WordPress. I am also agree with you that when we want to get success with our blog than we have to invest on our blog.
You can’t get everything with free of cost. ROI depends on the investment you have made for your business.
Have a great Day ๐
Hi Vishwajeet,
Thanks for sharing your opinion about why you like WordPress, I definitely agree.
Like you, I know that it’s impossible to always do everything for free. We eventually, get to a point where we have to make some investments for our blogs.
Thanks for taking the time to share, have a great day ๐
Susan