How to Create a Blog: Complete Guide to do it Successfully

If you came to our site wondering how to create a blog , we invite you to continue reading this practical guide! There are some key steps that will help you to make a blog and earn money or enhance your content. Each of these stages will take time and dedication, but the results will […]

Hand of a woman reaching for the notebook to read how to create a blog.

If you came to our site wondering how to create a blog , we invite you to continue reading this practical guide! There are some key steps that will help you to make a blog and earn money or enhance your content.

Each of these stages will take time and dedication, but the results will surprise you, especially if your goal is to boost sales of your business .

Speaking of internet sales, do you already have an online store to offer your products or services? The online shopping experience is integral when it is done through an e-commerce site. For this reason, we invite you to create a free blog for 30 days . You will discover a platform that is easy to manage and with everything you need to sell.

Creating a blog to drive traffic to your online store will allow you to generate greater brand awareness and increase your conversion.

In this article we share everything with you so that you know how to make an incredible blog and why this resource is an excellent digital marketing tool to communicate with your audience.

In addition to this, we share an exclusive infographic with the main statistics that reaffirm the validity of blogging .

 

A blog is a website where texts on certain topics are published and it is updated periodically. The post you are reading now is a concrete example of an article from our blog.

We know that you are here to learn how to create a personal, commercial or corporate blog , so let’s get down to the most important thing!

How to create a blog step by step

To make a blog from scratch it is not necessary to have knowledge of web development. There are platforms that are designed so that any user on the Internet can handle them intuitively and create their web page .

However, creating a blog from scratch involves a few more points than just settling on a tool:

  1. Choose the theme.
  2. Create your name and buy the domain.
  3. Select a platform and create the blog.
  4. Customize the design.
  5. Post content.
  6. Promote it on other online channels.
  7. Monetize the blog.

Let’s delve into each of them.

1. Choose the theme

For your blog to be an effective acquisition channel, the theme must be relevant to the customer segment you have as a target .

A frequent mistake in company blogs is to talk only about the institutional aspects of the brand , its products and offers. Users hardly share this type of content. Making an occasional post with an offer isn’t bad, but that can’t be the focus of your blog.

It is best to reflect on the interests or difficulties of your customers . For example, if you have a fashion store for young teenagers, you can make publications about the best dresses to go to a party of 15 and what to combine them with or what things you have to avoid when dressing to go to a party.

If, on the other hand, you have an electronics store that focuses on gaming items, you can post about the best devices to play a certain game or the best mouse or keyboard of the year.

Let’s keep learning how to create a blog!

2. Create your name and buy the domain

Like any digital product, in order for it to be recognizable and memorable, it must have a very good name. And what does this mean? To put it briefly, it is a word or phrase that allows the user to associate your brand with the product or service that it promotes .

For this, we invite you to give flight to your creativity with our free name generator . This tool allows you to start from the base of an idea and discover original combinations.

In any case, there are no golden rules in this area. You can invent a word and implement a brand building strategy focused on improving recognition by your audience.

Once you have your brand name, we advise you to check with GoDaddy if the domain is already in use. If you find it available, what follows is to buy the domain and hire a hosting service (web hosting).

You may also like:

12 free domains for web pages: find the best one for you

3. Select a platform and create the blog

We have reached the moment of materializing what we have been planning in this tutorial on how to create a blog. A CMS is a Content Management System, that is, the software with which you are actually going to design, publish and manage the blog .

The two most used for this are WordPress and Blogger .

In the next section of this article, we share a step by step on how to make a blog with each of them. For now, we want to give you valuable information so that you can select a platform based on the characteristics and needs of your business or the type of blog you have in mind.

Characteristics to consider when choosing the platform

to. Cost

There are free and paid solutions . Of course, depending on the price, the benefits and the level of support will vary.

b. Hosting

There are two types of solutions, those that provide hosting included, and those that offer the software but you have to install and maintain it with a hosting provider (known as self-hosted solutions ).

c. In his own domain

Not all platforms allow you to set up your  own . If you want the links to your publications to help position your site, it is essential that you use your own domain. Otherwise, the value of the link will be attributed, for example, to blogspot.com and not to your domain.

d. Design

Regarding the design of your blog, you have the possibility to decide between choosing a free template, buying a template or using a completely custom design .

and. Social sharing buttons

If you want to maximize the reach of your posts, you have to make it easy for your readers to share them. It is important that the buttons to share your publications on the main social networks such as Instagram , Facebook or WhatsApp are visible and accessible.

Boost your sales with an online store!

f. Text editor

There are two types of editors, editors where you see how the text will look as you edit it (called WYSIWYG or What You See Is What You Get ), and HTML and CSS editors .

If you don’t know about HTML and CSS (and you’re not looking to learn it), the WYSIWYG editor is enough. But if you want full control over the visual aspect of your post, then the HTML and CSS editor is the one for you.

g. SEO (search engine optimization)

For your blog to be effective as an acquisition channel, it is essential that it is search engine optimized . The solution you choose must allow you to define friendly URLs and correctly complete the metatags calls .

I know more about this:

What is SEO and how to optimize your store
h. subscriptions

This is a central point of any blog, since they allow you to generate a reader base . There are two types of subscriptions: via RSS or via email. To give your readers more flexibility, we recommend offering both.

To give you a concrete example and, incidentally, invite you to be part of our community of digital entrepreneurs , we invite you to subscribe to our newsletter below!

Find out before anyone else! Subscribe to the our newsletter and receive weekly  exclusive content  on Marketing, Sales, E-commerce Management, Social Networks and much more! Are you going to miss it?

i. Auto post

In company blogs there is often more than one editor. If you want each author to have their own identity within the blog so readers can follow their posts, make sure you choose a platform that supports multiple authors.

j. Analytics

As we always recommend in this blog, each acquisition strategy must be accompanied by a measurement technique that allows analyzing its success.

The platform you choose must offer a measurement system, or better yet, allow you to integrate one of the best-known Analytics solutions into your blog, such as Google Analytics .

k. Medium

As with any service, queries or failures may arise. Each solution offers different levels of service : a help page, a forum or email support. However, each level of service entails a cost, it is important to analyze if you can afford it.

l. Plugins

Some platforms allow you to install plugins or widgets . These are very useful for adding some useful functionality that may be missing from the platform .

4. Customize the design

When creating your blog on Blogger, WordPress or another similar platform, you will be able to choose a template. These are pre-made designs that allow you to start with a base layout and then customize your website.

For example, our 11 templates offer you varied e-commerce site designs so you can create a usable online store in less than an hour. On top of that, you will be able to select the colors of your brand, upload your products and categories, define banners and much more!

WordPress stands out especially for having an innumerable number of themes with which you can define any aspect of your blog : the layout of the menu, the colors, the typography, etc.

5. Publish content

If you started reading with the question of how to create a blog, surely you already know what topics you are going to cover in it. The time has come to nurture your website and start uploading content .

If you are working with WordPress, you are going to go to the side menu on the left, select Posts > Add new . This will take you to the editing panel where you can include the title of your article, the text, links, images and videos, as well as define other paratextual elements .

Some ideas of formats and content that you can publish on your blog are:

  • infographics,
  • videos,
  • E-books
  • interviews with relevant industry figures,
  • interviews with successful clients,
  • technical product descriptions ,
  • own opinions and thoughts.

At this point it is important to mention again the importance of SEO guidelines to favor the positioning of your content in organic searches .

For this we recommend installing the “Yoast SEO” plugin that will allow you to define a keyword for your content, write the meta tags and analyze if you included the best SEO practices.

If you are not sure what any of these concepts are about, we invite you to read our SEO Guide for e-commerce . Although it is oriented to online stores, you will be able to apply everything you learned to any website.

Creating content pages to sell more is a strategy that can work very well: generate brand recognition, help position your website, and retain customers who know you!

6. Promote it on other online channels

Once you’ve published your content, it’s time to start promoting it through other channels to drive traffic to the site .

At this point we recommend you to publish the contents of your blog on platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter. In truth, you will be able to decide in which of your social networks you are going to share the content of your blog when you are clear through which channels your online audience moves.

If you have another type of web page , for example, an online store, it is also crucial that you include a link to your blog to promote visits to it .

💡In your blogger, you can do it as we tell you in this tutorial .

We are almost done with this step by step on how to make a blog! Let’s move on to the last point.

7. Monetize the blog

To close this tutorial, let’s talk about how to create a blog and make money from it . This is one of the most attractive parts of generating this digital content, because it gives you the possibility of receiving an extra income with your texts .

To monetize your personal or business blog, the best strategies are:

  1. Advertise by registering with Google AdSense : you will receive a commission for each time readers click on the banner ad on your site.
  2. Post sponsored articles , for example, recommending products or services.
  3. Implement affiliate marketing . In this scheme, a brand is promoted in exchange for a commission for each sale made. At our site we have an Associates program . We leave you the link so you can learn more!

So far the general step by step to make a blog, whether personal or professional. Now, we are going to tell you how to create a blog with Blogger and WordPress, the two leading platforms in the field . Let’s start with the second, since it is the most used worldwide.

How to make a blog with WordPress

1. Create a WordPress account

Enter https://wordpress.com/es/ and click on “Start creating your web page” . You will see a form that you have to complete with the data of your blog (name, what it will be about, what is its objective).

Then, it’s time to set up your blog address . You can choose a custom domain using WordPress Premium, or continue with the option offered by default in its free version. In the first case, your URL could be mimagnificoblog.com and, in the second, mimagnificoblog.wordpress.com .

What follows is to enter your email, username and password . With these steps, you will already have your own WordPress account. Remember to check your e-mail to validate this profile.

2. Set up your blog

Accessing the administrator panel you will see in the left side menu all the configuration and customization options that WordPress offers : from the site pages, the theme or template to choose or the blog statistics to its comments.

This is the time to install the plugins your website needs and adjust the design to reflect your brand identity.

3. Write and publish your first article

In the Posts section, I chose the “Add new” option . In this text editor you can write your post, or copy and paste your text from a document, in case you have it ready in advance.

The same panel allows  you to include images, videos and gifs in your content by clicking on “Add object” , in addition to defining other important elements such as the category and tags of your post or its featured image.

To upload this first content, click on “Publish” or “Schedule” . You can review it beforehand by tapping the “Preview” button to make sure everything looks just the way you planned.

How to create a blog with Blogger

1. Enter Blogger

Go to https://www.blogger.com/ and click on the button that says “Create your blog” . At this point, the platform will ask you to log in with your Gmail account.

2. Enter the information to create your blog in Blogger

I defined the title of your blog and the domain name that it will have . Similar to WordPress, to create a blog with Blogger you can opt for a domain that contains blogspot.com in the free version, or a fully customized URL with one of the paid plans.

At this point, the tool also makes the templates available for you to establish the pre-design of your website . As we already mentioned, you will be able to adjust all these design details later.

3. Set up and manage the blog

In the menu on the left you will access all the available configuration options . In this sense, the design is quite intuitive, you will be able to configure elements on the pages, the design, the theme, the campaigns, even enter statistics.

4. Write and publish your first article

To start feeding your blog content, go to the Posts section and click the “New Post” button . You will find the text editor where you can write your post and add multimedia elements.

It is also time to define paratextual attributes such as tags or enable comments. When you have everything ready, select the “Publish” or “Schedule” option to make your text available on the web.

Learn more about writing:

Copywriting: how to write texts to captivate more customers

💡Access this platform comparison and choose the best one for your brand.

Why create a blog for your company

Surely you knew that a blog is a simple and effective way to communicate the news of your company, but did you know that it is also a channel for customer acquisition ? This is because blogs are a source of generating traffic to your store .

With this in mind, we can highlight at least 6 reasons why you should start a blog:

1. It allows you to drive quality traffic to your website

Create relevant content for your potential customers and take the opportunity to link those articles to your online store.

If, for example, you have an e-commerce for shoes and you write an article on your blog about a new collection that you are selling, add a link that redirects to that product page.

2. Increase your ranking in search engines (SEO)

Blogs are one of the main sources of power in terms of positioning in search engines like Google. Updated and regular content directly influences the position you will achieve .

If your brand reaches those top positions, you will have greater exposure and, therefore, your store visits and sales will increase .

It is important that you include the keywords of your business in your articles, because in this way you will help Google —and any other search engine— to more easily identify what your page is about.

3. You can monetize it to get extra income

It is a strategy that will give you results, mainly, in the long term. Monetizing your blog will allow you to earn passive income  that can complement your fixed income.

To create a blog and earn money you can display ads with Google AdSense, offer paid subscriptions to exclusive content, sell products or offer professional services through your content, among others.

4. Helps you position yourself as a leading brand in the industry

The information you share on your blog will help you position your brand as an expert and leader in your business area.

Why is this important? Because to achieve a higher volume of sales online it is very important  to generate security and credibility in your customers , and a good technique to achieve this is by demonstrating your wisdom through a blog.

Another good practice is to include references within your articles to specialized sources on certain topics. In this way, you will not only build trust in your potential clients, but you will also constantly teach them something until you become a benchmark on the subject.

5. It is a resource to develop better relationships with your customers

The blog also represents a new way of communication with your customers. In this way, having a blog can help you better understand and meet the needs of your target audience .

Answer frequently asked questions with explanatory articles . Show your potential buyers that you work to satisfy them, that you are an ally and not a customer-finding machine.

 

6. It will encourage people to share your content

An essential aspect of having a blog is to link it with your social networks .

You have to offer your followers the possibility to share the content they like and, thus, spread your brand for free.

A blog is an excellent way to promote yourself without spending money, since you are constantly renewing your articles and offering the possibility for your public to recommend them to their acquaintances.

The importance of blogging

Blogging , the activity of uploading content to your own website, began in the 1990s.

Initially it was used to share people’s thoughts, feelings, opinions or experiences. But over time, this activity came to represent one of the most valuable tools for online marketers .

So much so that blogs began to be used by entrepreneurs as a window to show all their experience in the area of ​​their business quickly and easily.

Today, this activity of blogging is used by companies with the aim of appearing at the top of the results of Google or other search engines and, thus, attract more traffic to their websites, which results in more potential buyers.

Take a look at the infographic that we prepared with the most relevant data on the importance of blogging :

The 5 most common mistakes made by bloggers (and how to avoid them)

To finish this article, we are going to look at some of the most common mistakes among bloggers (both beginners and experienced) and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Encourage “visual pollution”

Creating a harmonious and subtle design for your blog should be one of your priorities. Highly contrasting colors, excessive fonts, and misaligned elements can quickly tire a visitor’s eyes, making them stop reading.

Another factor to take into account is the format of all images and texts, since following a visual standard always suggests professionalism and dedication.

Use the same color scheme and fonts throughout the content, trying to maintain a certain balance: for example, a special typeface to highlight the titles and another for the content of the posts.

2. Neglecting the content

Ideally, the content of your blog is really relevant to whoever reads it and that it conveys true information. Don’t post anything you’re not absolutely certain about, or at least let your audience know when something isn’t 100% confirmed yet (such as an event date or the value of an upcoming product).

Also, avoid direct advertisements , without informative or useful content.

Transparency is essential in all relationships, and that includes the one you are going to build as the blog author with your readers. Making misleading, untrue, or purely promotional claims can seriously undermine your credibility.

Producing quality content is not easy, since it requires research and constant updating , but it is undoubtedly worth it.

3. Do not create institutional pages

Often left in the background, institutional pages can say a lot about your level of engagement with the blog’s content and are an excellent resource for including important information that doesn’t have a place within the posts.

The “About” or “About Us” page , for example, allows the reader to learn a little more about your business and your experience. It is the ideal space to tell your story, present your product proposal and include a link for them to get to know your online store .

Another quite common and relevant page in blogs is the “Contact” page. There you can include a form or simply inform the email address and social networks of your brand.

That way, when a visitor wants to talk to you directly, they will know exactly which is the best channel to do it.

4. Ignore usability

Usability is an important point to be considered in the development of any web page, be it a blog or a site of another type.

Put yourself in the place of your reader and try to evaluate what the browsing experience is like within the blog. What can be improved so that visitors stay longer there?

An element that is often left aside when analyzing the performance of a blog is the comment system . Some platforms like Blogger or WordPress offer a comments section, but is it enough?

Depending on the number of visits and the data you want to obtain from your audience, it may be interesting to try a different service, such as Disqus or Facebook’s own system.

On the other hand, check each of the blog resources to analyze if they are not making the page load slower. Perhaps it is necessary to reduce the number of plugins or publish lower quality videos.

Finally, activate your blog feed . Currently, many people prefer to follow publications through platforms that centralize content, such as Feedly or Bloglovin , grouping news from different pages so that users save time. Check them out and then tell us!

5. Stop replying to comments

The great triumph of blogs is to enable a constant and diversified dialogue between who reads and who writes. After people find your blog and speak up, you’re going to have to continue the engagement, or all the work you put into attracting them will be for nothing.

If you really want to see your blog grow and develop a relationship with the public, spend a few minutes a day or every week to respond to comments by adding new questions to prolong the conversation. It is with this exchange that you will be able to win over loyal readers who are interested in knowing what you have to say.

If you made it this far, we hope that this guide to learning how to create a blog has been useful and clear to you. The time has come to implement this content marketing strategy. Good writings!