If you want to set up your own website to share your adventures or niche, it isn’t that difficult – hey, I did it!  I will say however, you will need to dedicate a few hours to get everything set up correctly.  You also need to be dedicated to updating and maintaining your site – regularly.  This is not a “set it and forget it” adventure. I made that mistake. I thought, “if I write it, they will come.” Nope. It doesn’t work that way.

Disclosure: For me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, and testimonial to products or services. This post contains affiliate links from Amazon. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Why blog, and what do I write about?

More and more people are utilizing online resources, so the digital landscape continues to evolve. You can find so many people on YouTube who claim to make upwards of 6 to 7 figures, just by blogging. Some will say you have to begin by defining your niche, brand, and target audience. While that is sort of true, it’s not an exact way of starting or maintaining an online business – and yes, a blog is technically an online business. If you know of a subject you are passionate about and possess expertise in, you could easily establish yourself as a credible source in that niche. However, no matter how much you know about a subject, you should still conduct thorough research to understand the current trends and demands within that subject. This will help to ensure that your content resonates with your audience’s interests. One thing to remember is, you can have multiple niches and interests. It’s OK to explore multiple topics. Just don’t go crazy.  I almost did and all it did was to confuse me, so I’m sure my readers were confused trying to figure out what my site was about.  I now have limited my writings to travel/food, gardening/food preservation, and e-commerce.

Where do I start?

Once you’ve decided on your niche(s), you need to choose a user-friendly and visually appealing blogging platform. First, you’ll need a good web hosting application if you want to be found in internet searches.  I (and many others) use Bluehost.  It’s inexpensive and it’s one of the largest WordPress hosting companies.  These platforms are not free so when looking at them, you need to understand they list the cost as “per month”. However, billing is annual so you will need to pay for the entire year up front.  Most offer a lot of options, but if you’re just getting started, go with the basic plan – you can always upgrade later. Currently, the most highly used platform for blogging is WordPress. It has easy-to-use interfaces and customizable templates that don’t require a lot of technical expertise. Luckily, when using Bluehost, WordPress is included in your annual fee. 

You will receive emails from Bluehost with your account and WordPress information. If you can’t find them, make sure to check your spam folder.  I set up my website (business) email before I got to this point so it would not be mixed in with my personal email.

You’ll also want to use social media platforms to promote your blog, building a community around your content. Most social media platforms are easily integrated within WordPress.

Domain name:

Since your domain name is included in the price of you subscription, you have a couple of choices.  You can enter a new domain name or use an existing one you already have.  If you are setting up a new domain name, have several in mind in case your first choice is not available.

Payment:

Next is the payment.  Once you have made your payment (remember it’s in full for a year), you will be prompted by Bluehost to create a password for your account.  Once you create your password (make sure to remember it) WordPress will then begin installing on your computer. If it doesn’t automatically begin installing, you can always manually install it.

Theme:

Select a theme to start designing your new blog. You can either select one now or skip this step to do it later.  There are a lot of free ones, so pick one that will work for what you need but looks good too. You don’t want boring, but you also don’t want it to distract from your message or products. The themes are easy to customize to fit your needs.

Monetization:

Finally, don’t forget to monetize your site.  An easy way is to join an associate or affiliate program.  By the way, they’re free too.  Most of the links on my site are for affiliate programs.  If you use my Bluehost link to sign up, we both win. Using affiliate links does not increase the price for you or your customers. In fact, many give a discount for the first billing cycle.

If you are interested in selling products online, like print on demand (POD), you can easily add a WordPress plug in to do that. I chose WooCommerce. It integrates with Printify so I can create my POD designs, customize the products in Printify, and then “publish” them to my store. I only have a few things to do once the product is in my store.

When someone purchases an item in my online store, it automatically is sent to Printify. There, it is either sent directly to the print provider I have chosen or, for personalized items, held for me to add the personalization. Then I approve and send it to the production partner. Within a few hours of being received by the production partner, they start producing the item and once finished, ship it directly to the customer. I have no inventory to maintain.  I just design; they make and ship it. Best of all, Printify can be started for free, and you have no upfront costs.  You only pay after the customer has ordered and paid. Just make sure your pricing will make you a profit.  I will do a short post on that in a few days.

Printify integrates with many marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. They even have their own pop-up store. A perk for using Printify is you can have many connected stores, and each can be integrated to a different platform – like Etsy, eBay, TikTok US, WooCommerce, and more. I have a Printify Pop-up store and my website store with WooCommerce.

There are several design platforms you can use. Each has a free version, and you can design a lot of things without paying upfront. However, just like everything else, you get more when you get a paid subscription. I primarily use three platforms: Kittl, Creative Fabrica, and Canva.

  • Kittl:  I really like this site. They offer so many templates you can customize for just about anything you want to design. They also have a ton of fonts, and you can upload fonts from other sites if they don’t have them. One of my recent favorite uses in Kittl is their AI generator.  It is so easy to use and the graphics I have created are amazing! Want to see an example? Check out my St. Patrick’s Day shirts I created using KittleAI.
  • Creative Fabrica: The designs in this site are created by designers (like you and me) so anything you use, helps others.  Many of the items are free but some designers charge a small amount, especially if they are intricate designs. Each design has the licensing information so you will know what you can legally use and how. Most, but not all, allow full commercial or POD use.  There is a small annual fee, but you can find anything you want, for the most part, without additional cost. Creative Fabrica also has an AI generator. It’s not as good as others but you can make some pretty cool stuff with it.
  • Canva: I currently don’t have an affiliate association with Canva, I use them regularly and like what they offer. Like others, they have a free and a premium version. They also have templates, a ton of fonts, and even an AI generator. 

One thing you need to remember, you should never just copy the templates or designs found on these design platforms and use as your own. Someone else created them and claiming it as yours is not only wrong, but also unethical. You can, however, customize a template by changing fonts, graphics, sayings, and/or colors to make it different from the original.  Then, it is yours. You should also never, and I cannot stress this enough, never use copyrighted or trademarked material. You can get into a lot of legal trouble that way. Yes, you will see Disney or Taylor Swift stuff on Etsy or other marketplaces, but those shops could easily be shut down and owners sued for copyright infringement if caught.  I use a trademark checker for all my sayings to prevent issues.  You can use a free service at tmsearch.uspto.gov. In fact I have the site bookmarked so I can easily  and quickly access it.

Another great affiliate program is Amazon. You can provide a link to products that are associated with your post, but the great thing is the customer can purchase anything. Even if they decide to search other items, that purchase is linked to your affiliate ID. On the downside, not all items qualify and you nor your family can use your links to make purchases. You also only have 180 days to have 2 qualified purchases using your link. If none have been made they will deactivate your ID. Luckily, you can reapply to get a new one and the 180 days starts over. The problem with that is, all your previously posted link IDs are no longer active. So, while anyone clicking on those links will be taken to Amazon, you won’t get credit for purchases made. So, if your ID gets deactivated, remember to update all previously posted links with your new ID.

Optimizing searches:

Search engine optimization (SEO) enhances a website’s visibility and drives traffic from search engines to your posts, website, and even your online store. By incorporating targeted keywords into blog posts or product titles, relevant tags, and headers, you can increase the chances of ranking higher in search engine results. You need to make sure your site ranks as high in the search engine results as possible. Most people doing searches rarely scroll to additional search page results after viewing the first or second page. So, it makes sense to try and rank high enough to be on the first page.

To help with this, WordPress has several plug-ins, and most are very user friendly. Many of them have a free version included in your Bluehost subscription. Of course, they also have premium versions for a subscription cost.  Also, regularly updating content so it remains relevant, and leveraging social media can further boost a site’s SEO, ultimately increasing its SEO ranking and attracting a larger audience. Remember, it doesn’t matter how many great blog posts or products you have if no one can find them.

Conclusion:

No matter what you decide, consistency is key. So, establish a content calendar to maintain a regular posting schedule and keep your audience engaged. Look at your SEO rankings so your site can be found (yes, there’s a plug in for that, too). Additionally, explore monetization options such as affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or selling digital or online products to turn your passion into a sustainable business.  With dedication, strategic planning, and a genuine connection with your audience, your blog can flourish in the dynamic online landscape of 2024 and beyond.

Enjoy your journey and remember – live life and have fun!

The information contained in my posts are not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional or medical advice; information is provided for informational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use the information.