5 Beginner’s Tips to Building a WordPress Blog

So, you’d like to give blogging a try? You must have realized by now that WordPress may just be the best tool around. After all, around 75,000,000 websites are powered by WordPress. This is a clear sign that WordPress is no doubt the most popular content management system today. And that makes it perfect for your blog.

Not only will you be able to completely own your own content, but you will also have a great platform that allows a lot of customization. Simply put, your WordPress blog will be whatever you want it to be.

This all sounds amazing, right? But, how exactly can you increase your chances of making your blog a success? Are there some strategies that can make it easy for you to create your blog? 

Take a look below and learn what you need to do to successfully start a WordPress blog.

Pick a Memorable Domain Name

Before you do anything else, don’t forget to dedicate some brainstorming time to your domain name.

Your blog’s domain name is your blog’s internet address. And if you fail to select a good one, you could end up getting lost in the vast cyberspace.

But, if you manage to get it right, you could significantly increase your chances of becoming highly visible to people roaming the internet.

So, you should sit down and do some serious research. For a start, here you will see what benefits you can enjoy if you manage to find a strong domain name.

When you start digging into this issue seriously, you will understand everything about the cheapest domain names, the more expensive ones, and how that can affect your website.

But, for now, you need to know that a strong domain name can:

• add professional credibility to your blog and separate you from dozens of websites similar to the one you are running;
• provide good visibility for your blog;
• ensure mobility (domain name stays with you) for your website in case you decide to change the web hosting service, relocate, or shift to using your own server;
• provide your blog with ‘marketability’ around the world or wherever you choose to place your focus (on specific regions).

This should be enough to direct your thoughts toward figuring out the best domain name for your blog and how you should do it.

Purchase a Reliable Hosting plan

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The hosting plan you choose is as important as the domain name. But its role, of course, is different.

Your hosting plan is the engine that powers your website. And, even though you can’t see it, it’s there. Every single website on the Internet has a host that is powering it.

It is possible to purchase both the hosting plan and the name at the same time. But, before you jump to that, carefully examine the providers and plans.

For a start, you should look for an affordable option. Some hosts even start at $5 a month. Then try to see if you can get a free domain name when you sign up. This is only possible if you are buying the name and the host in one package.

Also, check if your host is good for WordPress. Some hosts only require two to three clicks to launch the WordPress software and start building your blog.

Finally, the most important thing is to figure out if the host has enough ‘firepower’ (performance) to get you started. The factors that are important when it comes to this include:

1. number of websites you can run
2. space for your website
3. price of your domain name
4. basic and additional features (encryption methods, SEO boosting tools, etc.)

Select a Functional but Beautiful WP Theme

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You have most likely heard how selecting a bad theme for your website can have detrimental effects.

Many people make the same mistake of installing a pretty but unresponsive theme. This happens when people place too much emphasis on looks.

Don’t do that. Instead, look for a functional theme, a theme that runs smoothly on all devices. But of course, don’t choose an eye-sore of a theme.

Try to be creative, figure out what your style is since it’s your blog we are talking about. The color scheme shouldn’t be too complex. Two to three colors are more than enough and when you accompany them with subtle but beautiful details, you get the winning result.

If you want to use your own images, check whether the resolution is good for a website. You don’t want to add huge pictures that will slow everything down. And, if you decide to post video material, make sure the videos are optimized too.

You know, some forms of content won’t run on mobile devices as they do on desktop computers. Some won’t even run at all.

If you are having trouble figuring out the design gimmicks, don’t hesitate to take a look at other blogs. If you want to figure out more details about the ways other bloggers go on about their writing and how their websites perform, feel free to use a competitors app.

These apps allow you to gain important insights that can help you make better decisions with your own blog. 

Don’t Forget the Importance of Content and Social Sharing Buttons

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The content you push on your blog is the most important factor that will determine whether your blog will succeed or fail.

Therefore, you need to do everything in your power to create valuable content for your audience.

In order to do something like that, you need to be clear when it comes to the topic of your blog. You cannot start writing a blog if you haven’t determined what your articles will be about and who is supposed to read them.

In order to succeed, you have to provide something unique, something that will garner interest, and that is the most difficult part about running a blog.

So, each time before you sit down to write, spend some time doing research. Figure out whether someone else has already covered what you wanted to talk about. Always try to enrich your blog posts and make them better than the ones you see on your rivals’ websites.

Of course, never copy anyone else’s work! Do not plagiarize. First, it is unethical and second, the chances are that your blog will be penalized. Some bloggers even go so far and take legal action when they see that someone blatantly stole their intellectual property.

On top of that, don’t forget to include social sharing buttons. These buttons will help your audience share your content on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

This may not be of the utmost importance in the beginning, but it will prove to be very important later on since you need more eyes on your blog if you want to succeed.

Knowledgebase for Your Articles

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A knowledgebase serves as an online library of information on a certain service, product, or topic. It allows your readers to access information easily, without having to search for it for too long.

Creating a WordPress knowledge base is definitely something you want to do if you plan to grow your blog. The key here is to organize your knowledge base as article collections, where your readers can find the answers to their questions as well as the solutions to their pain points.

Also, with a knowledge base, you will provide great and ample content to your readers, boosting your SEO, and establishing yourself as an authority. And, that is certainly something you want to achieve as a blogger.

Finally, by giving people the opportunity to leave comments, your readers will be able to solve each other’s problems and build a true community on your website.