Are you looking to start a lifestyle blog of your own? Starting up a blog is super simple and if you are either an entrepreneur or any sort of a creative, I fully recommend it. Blogging is great whether you want to have your own little place to write about your daily life or really anything you wish to share with others. It’s a great way to express yourself, and you can even turn it into a business.

When I first started blogging a few years back, I never really kept up with it and I started on wordpress.com which was simple. From there I’ve created this entirely new blog and have it on wordpress.org where I can have my own domain, a custom layout, and monetize it. All you need for this is some basic computer knowledge, I’m no computer genius at all.

1. Decide on your Focus and Audience

Lifestyle blogs tend to cover a wide variety of topics. Deciding on a specific niche isn’t required but deciding who you want to read your blog is important to help narrow down your topic choices. Are you a mother who wishes to blog about life with their child(ren) and family as well as what it is like to be a mother. Some of those topics would be, Best Part about Nap-time and Life with Kids. Those are just two suggested topics of many you could write about.

If you are someone who enjoys health and exercise you can create a lifestyle blog that discusses how to stay healthy, eat clean, and some good workouts you can do daily or weekly. You could even create an e-book of sorts as well after growing your blog a bit.

With a lifestyle blog you aren’t stuck to ONLY writing about fashion, food, exercise, budgeting your money. You aren’t limited to just one topic with lifestyle blogging. You can write on a variety of topics which is most likely why you decided  to begin a lifestyle blog.

2. Picking out your Blog Name/Domain

Choosing your domain main is important as you want your domain and blog name to match. Be sure you love your domain and blog name so you can stick with it for a while. Most people seem to use their name for their blog and it has many positives. You can check out this post by Melyssa to read why. On that post you can see why she switched from TheNectarCollective.com to MelyssaGriffin.com.

I have my name as part of my blog but not my full name. I enjoy my blog name and plan to keep it this way for a while. Maybe one day I’ll switch to using my full name but for now, I like it as it is.

3. Blog Platform

There’s different platforms you can use to start your blog. The two more popular choices are WordPress and Blogger. I began mine on wordpress.org  to but you can read up on the differences between the two platforms here. It’s a great blog post that goes over the pros and cons of each option.

Most people begin with either wordpress.com or blogger.com. Both are great choices but also limit your control over the blog and add in either the .wordpress.com or a .blogger.com to the end of your URL. Neither look professional but for beginner it isn’t a huge deal breaker. If you are truly serious about blogging, then choosing your own domain is needed. With your own domain, you look more professional and can eventually monetize your blog.

I use WordPress and love how it makes it simple to optimize your SEO. They also have so many different plugins you can use that are completely free.

Plugins I Suggest:

YOAST SEO: Helps you optimize your SEO within your post so you are more searchable

Jetpack: Quick way to check out your stats in WordPress. Google Analytics is the best way to check out your stats but Jetpack is right there in WordPress

Akismet: Protects your blog from spammers

Easy Google Fonts: Provides you more font options that your template usually does

Instagram Feed: Allows you to integrate your IG feed onto your blog. You can decide where you want it to be.

4.  Picking out a Host

When deciding which host to go with, you’ll want to do some research. I did so much research and ended up going with SiteGround. I absolutely have had nothing but a great experience so far with them. With Siteground you get 24/7 customer service and they are super helpful and respond quickly. I’ve only reached out to them a few times with some basic needs or questions but they’ve always been happy to help.

With every plan you get a FREE domain, email address, and daily backup when you sign up with SiteGround and so much more!

You will want to choose the package that best fits your needs for your blog. Simply click the “Get Started” button and you’ll be able to get your domain name. After your payment you’ll be the proud new owner of your own blog and domain. Another positive to SiteGround is they will transition your blog from wordpress.com to your domain with wordpress.org. That makes it even easier for you.

5. Purchase your Website Template/Design

This can be a difficult decision, especially if you are like me. I have yet to find a template design I truly feel is the proper fit for my lifestyle blog. If I’m going to make the investment, it’s going to be something I adore. I know I have the option of going through a web designer but those can be super pricey.

WordPress has plenty of free templates but if you want one that stands out from the crowd, purchasing one is the way to go. I know that but still have yet to make the big purchase of getting one for $50+. I’ve spent some money on a template and ended up not liking it at all so I’m waiting until the right one comes along before I purchase another one.

Some great places I have found to go to check out lovely template designs are, Creative Market and The Blog Stylist.

Now is the time to start your blog and begin your journey. I’d love to hear about when you started your blog and why you began. I enjoy connecting with fellow bloggers and supporting them along the way.