How to Start a Blog in 2025 (Beginner’s Guide)

Wondering how to start a blog in 2025?

You can do it. Millions of people already have.

Maybe you think it’s too hard, or maybe you worry that no one will want to read your blog.

I started this blog from the same place you’re at right now.

But now, this blog is my main passive income source, and I never expected that just 5 years ago.

Guess what — you’re not alone!

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to start the most popular type of blog — a self-hosted WordPress blog the right way.

Ready? Let’s get started!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are partner links. If you buy something through them, we may earn a small commission, with no extra cost to you.

Disclosure: This post includes partner links. We may earn a commission if you buy.

Introduction to the Way

Starting a blog can be one of the most profitable online businesses you can start, with a low startup cost.

But how can I start a profitable blog? What should I write about, and how can I actually make money from it?

You may have a lot of questions.

Here are some answers to basic questions that every new blogger asks when they start their first blog:

What is a blog?

A blog is a type of frequently updated website that contains posts (articles) about a specific subject and is typically run by an individual or small group.

The purpose of a blog is to inform, educate, and entertain users, so they will come back for more engaging content.

Blogs are a way to share ideas, information, thoughts, insights, and experiences with many people around the world.

Why should you start a blog?

Even if you want to start blogging as a hobby, there is someone on the other end of the internet who might find it helpful.

For example, let’s say someone searches for “easy dinner recipes” or “how to bake bread at home.”

Imagine you’re passionate about cooking and have a lot of unique recipes and cooking tips to share.

Starting a blog lets you share your recipes and cooking tips with a wide audience, create a community around your blog, and even make money from your content.

That means it allows you to spend your time on something worthwhile.

In other words, doing something you love is always better than doing nothing.

I have no technical experience. Can I start blogging?

Put simply, you don’t need coding knowledge to start a blog. However, it’s always helpful to learn a new skill.

I created this blogging guide specifically for beginners.

All the resources and tools here are beginner-friendly, so you can learn how to start a popular type of blog – a WordPress blog – even without any technical experience.

Do I need to be a great writer to start a blog?

You don’t have to be a professional writer to start a blog. Blogging is about sharing your own perspective and connecting with your audience.

Just like when you learned to ride a bicycle, you weren’t perfect at first, but you improved with practice.

The same goes for your writing skills.

Just focus on being clear, genuine, and helpful.

Can I make money with my blog?

Yes, if your blog provides people with what they truly want, it will offer you more chances to earn money through blogging.

The most important thing is to have helpful content on your blog.

To make money from your content, you can do affiliate marketing, write sponsored posts, sell ebooks, sell physical goods, and advertisers will approach you to promote their products through your blog, just like I have been doing for many years here (we’ll discuss this later).

How much does it cost to start a blog?

There are two options: starting a blog for free or starting a blog to make it profitable with a small investment.

The free options have limitations, and even when making money, you may end up with nothing.

However, the type of blog we’re discussing here, a WordPress blog, offers much more.

But since you’re new to blogging, you don’t have to spend a lot of money.

This guide will help you reduce the cost of your blog.

In your first month, you can expect to spend between $15 and $75 (depending on what features you need), which will cover the basic expenses.

Sounds good? Let’s get started!

Step 1: Pick a “Perfect” Blog Topic

If you have a business, company, or organization, your blog topics should be about your product or service so you can promote it.

If you’re an individual, choose a topic you like to discuss, which is called the “Blog Niche.” The blog niche is the specific topic of your blog, like Food, Travel, Tech, or something you enjoy writing about.

Here are two questions you should ask yourself before deciding on a blog topic:

• How much are you passionate about the topic?
• How much are other people (your target audience) passionate about the topic?

In other words, if you have a passion for something and the skills and experience to back it up, you can go for it!

Additionally, knowing your target audience and what they want will help make your blog appealing to them.

For example, if you like cooking and have a lot of experience as a chef or someone who cooks a lot at home, you could start a food blog.

This would allow you to share your favorite recipes and cooking tips.

Knowing what your readers prefer, like easy meals for weekdays or special dishes for weekends, you can create content that keeps them engaged and wanting more.

Here are also some other popular blog topics you might want to think about:

• Beauty and Fashion
• DIY and Crafts
• Health and Fitness
• Home Decor
• Education
• Food
• Travel
• Tech
• Parenting
• Lifestyle
• Finance

Don’t think about it too much. Just choose something you enjoy talking about and learn as you go!

Step 2: Choose a Blogging Platform

When starting a blog, you need a blogging platform, which is similar to a kitchen in a restaurant.

Just as you need to make your kitchen healthier and more reliable to attract more customers, you also need a good blogging platform to write your blog posts.

You have multiple choices for blogging platforms. Some are easy to use, while others have limited customization options and require a significant investment to upgrade.

In the blogging world, WordPress is the most popular platform for blogging. The great thing is that it’s free to use and you have complete control over your blog.

That is the way I built this blog that you’re reading right now.

But can WordPress do everything?

Let’s move on to the next step to clarify this.

Step 3: Get the Best Web Hosting

Just imagine the restaurant once more. It has a kitchen, right?

And what about the dining area?

The restaurant requires a kitchen to prepare food and a dining area to serve it to customers.

Similarly, you need WordPress to handle your blog content and also a web hosting service to deliver it to your readers.

In other words,

The blogging platform (WordPress) will take care of all the content, blog posts, media, and everything on your blog. (like a restaurant’s kitchen.)

The Web host will make your blog live and accessible on the internet by providing a space for it. (like a restaurant’s dining area.)

Now, you have to choose a beginner-friendly web hosting service provider to start building your blog using WordPress!

Step 4: Set Up Your Blog

Thankfully, Bluehost, a web hosting provider that is easy for beginners to use, offers great web hosting packages for starting your WordPress blog without all the confusion.

The best thing is that there are no complicated instructions to follow, and it only takes around 20-30 minutes to set up everything.

→ Click here to head over to Bluehost and hit the big blue “Plans and Pricing” button

Bluehost is also the most recommended host by WordPress and has been around for a long time. It already powers millions of websites, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

From the moment you sign up, Bluehost guides you through an intuitive setup process.

Mainly, they will provide you with the following benefits:

• Free Domain Name for the first year
• Free SSL Certificate included
• One-click WordPress installation
• SSD Web Storage for faster performance
• 24/7 live expert support
• 30-day money-back guarantee

First, choose the web hosting package you like. I suggest going with the starter package since it includes all the essentials for beginners.

If you don’t want to, you can also choose a higher package to start multiple blogs. You can also upgrade your package later if needed.

Then, enter the domain (your blog address) you want to use. It can be your name, company, organization name, or any name you want for your blog domain.

Bluehost gives you a free domain name for the first year and also includes a free SSL certificate. This means you can start your blog without spending any extra money.

You could save around $30.

Make sure to choose a short and easy-to-remember domain name.

If your preferred domain name is not available, you have two options: either try another name or select the “Choose domain later” option to set up a domain after purchasing the hosting package.

However, if you choose to have a domain name now, watch out for pre-ticked domain privacy protection.

As you can see, even though they clearly show what it is, it charges you an extra amount, so it’s up to you to decide if you need it or not, but after all, it’s your privacy.

Now, you need to complete your checkout process.

You have the option to select a pricing plan based on how early you want to pay. You can choose between paying for 1 month, 12 or 36 months in advance.

If you pay for 1 year upfront, your yearly expenses will be only $57.48 (with domain privacy, it will be around $72), and it also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

On the other hand, you can also go monthly, which is $15.99 (but you’re not getting a free domain and SSL from Bluehost), or 3 years, which they advertise as $3.79/month, totaling around $136.

My best recommendation here is to go for a 1-year or even a 3-year plan if you are treating blogging as more than a hobby, and if you are serious about your budget, then go monthly.

That way, you cover your whole first year, get a smoother setup, and also get a free domain and SSL too. (This is what most people do.)

But you can still go for a monthly basis, and it will be $15.99/mo (for Bluehost).

And for the domain, you can register it from somewhere else, like Namecheap (normally billed yearly); the total will be somewhat lower than Bluehost, but it needs some work, which is not okay for most beginners.

So think about it and choose what fits you well.

Lastly, complete your hosting purchase.

Now, you need to enter your contact information, set a password for your Bluehost account, and then provide your billing information.

If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see where to enter your billing information, read through the Bluehost policies and terms, and if everything looks good, click the “Submit Payment” button when it turns blue!

Just wait for a few minutes as they confirm your purchase, and don’t forget to check your inbox for the confirmation, summary, and login details.

If nothing goes wrong, you’ll see WordPress start installing by itself.

(At this time, if you see a setup wizard, simply answer those questions, and it will take you to the WordPress installation.)

Next, log in to your Bluehost account using the password you recently created.

However, if you’re experiencing any problems up to this point, don’t hesitate to reach out to Bluehost support for help.

They also have a knowledge base with a lot of articles, guides, instructions, and answers to common questions.

So, make sure to take advantage of those valuable resources.

Step 5: Get Started With WordPress

You can now start building your WordPress blog the way you want.

Just keep in mind that you’ll need two sets of login information:

• Bluehost login details: These are used to manage your hosting account settings and pay your hosting bill.
• WordPress login details: These are used to access the WordPress admin area, where you can write blog posts and manage your blog.

Again, the welcome email that you got has everything you need to log in to WordPress, so you should double-check it.

But since we spend a lot of time on WordPress, you’ll usually need the WordPress username and password to log in to the WordPress dashboard.

Alrighty then, welcome to the WordPress Dashboard!

This is where you can share content like posts and images on your blog. We can also add WordPress plugins to give your blog extra features.

To access your new WordPress site through Bluehost, after you log in, navigate to “My Sites” and select your WordPress site to manage your content.

Alternatively, you can directly access your WordPress admin dashboard by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and entering your WordPress username and password.

It might seem difficult at first, but it’s actually easier than it seems.

I recommend reading our WordPress beginner’s guide to better understand everything.

Here are some settings you should look at to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

For now, go to Settings > General

• Site title and tagline: Make sure your site title and tagline are correct. If not you can edit them here. Your tagline should be a short phrase that describes your site or mission well. These can be modified whenever needed!
• Site address: Make sure it starts with HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://. (If you need help with this, simply contact Bluehost support to make sure your SSL certificate is valid.)
• Admin email: You can change the administrator email by entering a new one. If you’ve changed it, you have to confirm it. Make sure that your email is active.
• Membership: Do nothing if you are not going to register new members for your blog. Just leave it unchecked.
• Timezone, date: You can change the time zone as you want. But remember, this will be very important if you are going to schedule blog posts.

Next, go to Settings > Permalinks and make sure “Post name” is selected.

This structure is easy for readers to understand and is suitable for your blog.

Remember to click “Save” if you have made any changes there!

Install important plugins. First, I recommend installing the Yoast SEO plugin. It helps you write blog posts that are search engine optimized, so you can attract more readers from search engines like Google and Bing.

To install a WordPress plugin:

• Go to Plugins > Add New.
• Search for “Yoast SEO” in the search bar.
• Click “Install Now” and “Activate” it.

I recommend installing the “WordFence” plugin to secure your blog from attackers and the “Contact Form 7” plugin to add a contact form to your blog.

Most WordPress plugins come with a setup guide, so there’s no need to worry.

Step 6: Customize and Launch it

Let’s customize your blog design. You can change your theme to any theme you like.

To do this, go to Appearance > Themes > Add New.

From there, you can search for and select your preferred theme.

Alternatively, if you have already purchased a premium theme from a third-party developer, you can upload it there.

I really like the Kadence theme.

It’s a powerful theme that works excellently on all devices, including PCs, laptops, mobiles, and tablets. It comes with both free and premium versions, with the free version providing a robust set of features for most users.

If you’re looking for advanced customization options, you can upgrade to Kadence Pro on their website.

The best part is they also have a Lifetime Full Bundle, which is a great thing to look out for if you’re planning to run more blogs in the future.

For those who prefer alternatives, the Astra theme is another excellent option with similar features.

Once you’ve selected and applied your chosen theme, navigate to Appearance > Themes > Customize to fine-tune your blog’s look.

The customizer lets you make real-time adjustments to the layout and design of your site.

You can customize your site’s header by adding a logo or menu items, modifying the blog layout, adding widgets to the sidebar, and changing the footer area without needing to write any code.

I know that it may feel unfamiliar and overwhelming at first. I’ve been in the same situation as you are now.

Take your time to explore, and you’ll find that it’s easy to learn everything.

Now you can start writing your first blog post. If you’re not sure what to write, just start writing something related to your blog topic.

If you’re feeling a bit lost, don’t worry!

Take a moment to read this guide on how to start your first blog post. It’s filled with all the essential details you need as a beginner blogger.

If you’re looking to create a new post, simply head over to the “Posts” section and click on “Add New.”

You can edit your blog posts whenever you want, so there’s no need to worry about making them perfect right away.

Also, make sure to include important pages for your blog.

To create a new page, go to Pages > Add New.

It’s a good idea to have an About Page, Contact Page, Disclaimer Page, Privacy Policy Page, and Terms of Service Page for transparency.

Yes, it can be challenging to create those pages on your own. You can use a website like CookieYes, which generates Privacy Policy pages for you to copy and paste onto your blog.

Well, it seems like you’re all set now!

Let’s get ready to launch your new blog.

However, before we proceed, there’s a small task that needs to be taken care of – removing Bluehost’s “coming soon” page.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Log in to your blog’s WordPress Dashboard (yourblog.com/wp-admin).
• Navigate to Settings > General.
• Scroll down until you find the “Bluehost Coming Soon Page” option and turn it off.
• Don’t forget to click “Save.”

Now, open a new browser window and enter your domain name to see your brand-new blog in all its glory.

That’s it! You’re all done.

Your blog is now ready to be shared with the world.

I’m so happy for you! You did it! Now you have the most popular type of blog — a self-hosted WordPress blog.

What’s Next on Blogging?

The next important step is to focus on writing helpful content and attracting a large audience to your blog.

For beginner bloggers, I suggest writing in a way that feels natural to you and learning as you go.

Try different approaches and see what works and what doesn’t.

Look for other blogs and content in your niche to gain a better understanding of your target audience.

Additionally, start sharing your content on Pinterest, as it is a great platform for driving free traffic to your blog.

If you want to learn more about getting started with Pinterest, you can read my article “Pinterest for Bloggers.”

Most new bloggers often focus on making money right away, but it’s important to prioritize the content of your blog from the start.

When your blog has a valuable audience and does well, you can start making money with platforms like Journey by Mediavine.

The best thing is that getting started with them is so easy, and you can monetize your blog while growing it, meaning even if you’re a beginner blogger, there is a way to monetize it.

However, this doesn’t mean you can monetize your blog and earn thousands of dollars right after launch; consistently creating blog content that helps others is the key to long-term success.

And don’t forget to set up Google Analytics.

This is one of the best tools that Google provides to help website owners and bloggers measure their website performance and traffic.

If you want to set up Analytics on your new WordPress blog, you can do it easily with the help of this guide.

Also, Google Search Console.

This is the place where you can find out how Google sees your blog in its search engine results. If you want to see your blog on Google, you need to set up Google Search Console for your blog first.

It allows you to monitor your site’s performance in Google search results.

You can contact Bluehost via live chat or phone for any further hosting-related support.

You can also use the WordPress support forum to learn more about WordPress and get help with a specific theme or plugin.

Now, it’s your turn! Why not start your blog today?

Happy blogging!