Blogging

How to Start a Lifestyle Blog

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The following content uses affiliate/referral links. Read my disclosure policy for more info.

Last updated: October 16, 2019.

How to Start a Lifestyle Blog

Do you know that when I started my very first blog, we had a dial-up internet connection? Ugh, I feel so old! The connection was so slow, I swear I sometimes sat in front of my huge computer screen, with a ruler in my hand, making sure that the “connecting” bar, was actually moving. I started writing my first blog when I was 14. Back then, blogs were online journals. Every day after school, I’d come home and blog about my day. Only a handful of people read my blog and it was my little secret. When I created TT, my plans for it were a little different. Or… a lot different.

As many of you know this blog originally started as a beauty blog. I never thought that after a couple of years of running TT, I’ll be sharing things like photography or blogging tips. Back in 2011, I knew nothing about photography, building a blog audience or creating content. As it turns out, both Photography and Blogging have become the most popular categories on this blog and I get questions about blogging from you guys on a regular basis. One of the most popular questions I get is how to start a blog.

That is why I decided to write this post on How to Start a Lifestyle Blog, which was HIGHLY requested. I’ll tell you how to start a lifestyle blog from scratch, register your own domain, set up hosting and install WordPress. If you’ve ever wondered how to start a lifestyle blog, you’re in the right place; I’m going to walk you through it.

HOW TO START A LIFESTYLE BLOG

How-to-start-a-lifestyle-blog-in-2018

HOW TO START A LIFESTYLE BLOG: BEFORE YOU START

It’s a good idea to know what you want to blog about. Just because you want to learn how to start a lifestyle blog though, doesn’t mean that you have to write about the same things other lifestyle bloggers write about. To start, you don’t have to have gorgeous photos, your Instagram feed doesn’t have to be “perfect” and you don’t need to share anything too personal about yourself if you don’t want to. There are so many niches and topics you can choose, but the best advice I can give you is to make sure that when you do start your blog, you write about and focus on topics you’re very passionate about. Otherwise, you will get bored very quickly. Focus on something you’re good at, something you’re really interested in, maybe something you want to learn more about.

If you’re a bit nervous, don’t think that you have to know everything there is to know about blogging. One of the reasons why I love blogging so much is that I get to learn new things pretty much on a daily basis. You can also read all about more reasons to start a blog in this post.

WORDPRESS

There are a few blogging platforms, but I will focus on WordPress.org since it’s the platform I use. This is a self-hosted WordPress platform, which means that you will have to own your domain and sign up for hosting (which I will explain in more detail). With WordPress, you own your content. WordPress.org offers a lot of features and freedom with customizing your blog/website, whereas other platforms might have their limitations. If you’re thinking of really committing to having a blog, long-term, eventually starting a business, making an income or selling a product, maybe opening a blog shop, then I highly recommend you go with WordPress.org as it’s also very easy to set up. After four years of working on WordPress, I cannot imagine working on any different platform.

If you want to blog just for fun or for yourself or you don’t want to worry about setting up hosting and want to sign up for a free blog, you can go with platforms like Blogger or WordPress.com.

WordPress.org is actually a free service, but in order to use it, you will need to own a domain and set up hosting for your blog.

So here’s how it works: in order to start your own self-hosted blog, you need three things:

  1. A domain- which will be your blog address.
  2. Hosting- which is a paid service that hosts your site.
  3. WordPress- which is a platform that you will blog on.

In other words, a domain is your address, your host provider is your landlord, and WordPress is your home.

Why a self-hosted blog and not a free one, like Blogger or WordPress.COM?

Well, the answer is simple: if you ever plan on monetizing your blog, self-hosted is the way to go! You have COMPLETE control over your blog and what happens to it; you can install plugins (think of them as apps that provide additional features for your site), you can even add an online store or an exclusive membership to your blog. Having a self-hosted blog also means that you OWN your blog and your content, and it cannot be deleted for any reason (which can happen with many free platforms).

REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN + SETUP HOSTING 

When I decided to start this blog, I was a bit intimidated as it was my first self-hosted blog (I worked on WordPress.com prior to launching Thirteen Thoughts, but once I decided to monetize my blog, I switched to a self-hosted WordPress.org platform). In reality, though, setting up a self-hosted blog is easy. To start, visit SiteGround and choose your plan.

Why SiteGround?

Well, because no one likes a slow-loading website. SiteGround is fast, they will keep your site safe and provide great support. Siteground also provides a free SSL certificate which is a must. As of October 2017, Google is prioritizing HTTPS websites. This means that if your blog doesn’t have the SSL Certificate (in other words if your blog address starts with HTTP, not HTTPS), you’re risking your blog being marked as “Not Secure” by Google. If you’re just starting out, you can host your blog for as little as $3.95 a month and I recommend you start with the StartUp plan- when you’re just starting your, it’s all you need.

In order for your blog to be successful, you need reliable hosting. I cannot stress this enough! In the beginning, when you’re just starting out, it might not matter too much, but once your blog starts to grow and you get more and more traffic, this will be very important. I’m saying this from my own experience- I was with a different host than I am right now, years ago, when my blog suddenly had a huge spike in traffic after being featured on Yahoo. Despite my immediately contacting hosting support and switching to a larger plan, my blog was still down FOR THREE DAYS! All that time, I was missing out on that precious traffic that could have been converted to new subscribers. Even after changing my plan, my blog would randomly crash and let me tell you, it’s one of the most stressful things to deal with when you’re running a blog. Especially if you rely on it for income. Trust me, you DO NOT want this to happen to you.

After you choose your plan, you can either buy your domain or use one you already own (if, for instance, you’re moving from Blogger). I definitely recommend you buy your domain from the same place you’re planning to host, as it makes things much easier down the road. I actually bought my domain from a service separate from my hosting, and when TT outgrew cheap hosting and I had to upgrade servers, it made the whole process a bit more complicated.

When choosing a domain name you obviously have to choose one that no one else is using, so you might have to get a little creative. If you are registering a new domain, you’ll first need to check if it’s available.

IF you are not happy with your current hosting provider and want to switch to SiteGround, then you will choose the “I already have a domain” option. SiteGround offers FREE  website migration and they’ll do all the work for you.

Following, you pick your billing cycle, where there are a few options. Your price will differ depending on your billing cycle- usually, you get a much better deal when billed annually. You will also have an option of picking additional services (like domain privacy, which I highly recommend, otherwise all the information you used to register your domain becomes public, like your name, email, address, etc.). You will then create a username and enter your billing information and add any additional services you want to add and you’re ready to check out. Now all you have to do is wait until everything is set up.

start a lifestyle blog

INSTALL WORDPRESS

This is where your blog comes together. Just because you have a domain and hosting, doesn’t mean that your blog is ready. If you go to your “domainname.com” you will see a blank page, which is why you need to install WordPress. WordPress is where you’ll be doing all your blogging, while SiteGround (your host) is a service that will keep your blog running, store all your files, run all the processes, etc. So, WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com), on its own, is a free service, but you need web hosting in order to run it. Some people actually pay to have WordPress installed, but it’s ridiculously simple, and as long as you can read and know how to use a computer, you can do it yourself. After you register your domain and sign up for your hosting account with SiteGround, you will receive a confirmation email that will contain some important information, including a link to your control panel, username, and password. Once you open your control panel by clicking on the link in your “welcome” email, enter your username and password and log in. You can see a tutorial on SiteGround right here if it’s your first time working on a self-hosted website.

You can also use a SiteGround Wizard to Install WordPress. When you log in to the Customer Area for the first time, you will see a message pop up, asking if you’d like to have WordPress installed on your account.

how to start a lifestyle blog wordpress

Select “Proceed” to have WordPress preinstalled 

how to start a self-hosted wordpress blog

On the next page, enter your WordPress login information (pick a username and a strong password) which  you will use to log in to your blog

start a lifestyle blog with siteground

You can then pick one of the free WordPress themes to be preinstalled on your new blog. 

After that, you’re all set and can now log in to your brand new WordPress Blog. 

Sometimes, it can take a little while for everything to set up, so don’t worry if you try to go to your blog address and it’s not showing up right away.

GET BLOGGING!

After you’re done setting up your domain with SiteGround and installing WordPress, it’s time to pick a theme. To access your blog, go to yourblogname.com/wp-admin and you will be prompted to enter your WordPress login information. This is where you will log in to blog; write your posts, change your themes, upload your images, etc.

How to Start a Lifestyle Blog

This is what your WordPress Dashboard will look like. 

WordPress is pretty simple to navigate and you can easily change your theme by going to Appearance > Themes. There will be a few default themes that come pre-installed on WordPress, but you can search through many free themes or you can purchase gorgeous, pre-made themes for WordPress, email graphics that fit your aesthetic and more from places like CreativeMarket or Etsy.

How to Start a Lifestyle Blog

You can change/add a theme under Appearance – Themes

How to Start a Lifestyle Blog

You can now go to “Posts” in your Dashboard and delete the “Hello World” post that will appear on your blog.

Now, even though this post is titled “How to Start a Lifestyle Blog“, you can obviously set up a blog in any niche, by following these steps. After you publish a couple of posts, I highly recommend you start connecting with bloggers in your niche, right away. Visit other blogs, leave comments and don’t be afraid to spread the word about your blog, even if you’re just starting out. I get questions about growing and expanding blog audience pretty much every single day and I always say that connecting with other bloggers is a great place to start.

Mental Habits that Steal Happiness

RELATED POSTS:

+ 20 Quick tips for your blog
+ Blogging tips for beginners

+ Photography tips for bloggers & DSLR basics
+ How to optimize your blog images
+ How to maximize your blog content
+ 20 Useful blogging tips
+ How to grow your blog

Another tip is this: start a Pinterest account for your blog- sign up for a Business Account and set up rich pins for your blog. Once again, Pinterest is a great place to connect with others, but it can also be a great resource for information or a place to promote your blog posts. I talk about Pinterest all the time because I can honestly say that my blog wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is if it wasn’t for Pinterest. You can learn how I get almost 7 million views each month on Pinterest in this post.  If you want to grow your Pinterest account but don’t have time to pin on a regular basis (which is what will help you grow your following fast) then I also recommend you schedule them using a tool like TailWind (I wrote about it here). You can also join a few group boards for bloggers- you can find boards to join on PinGroupie. I get thousands of referrals from Pinterest every day, so I highly recommend you check it out and get familiar with it. If you want to join my Tailwind Tribe for Bloggers that I just created, you can click this link to your invitation. If you’re new to Tailwind you will also receive a free month of Tailwind Plus (Tribes is a free feature, even if you don’t already use Tailwind). Before you decide to join in though, there are a few rules: pins need to be vertical, high quality and need to be relevant to lifestyle/blogging niches.

My Blogging and Photography sections are full of blog tips you might find helpful when starting out. I also have a BLOG RESOURCE page where I linked exact equipment I use for blogging, plugins I recommend as well as some of my most-loved Blogging and Photography posts. If you can’t find an answer to your question,  feel free to get in touch with me. You can also grab a free printable with over 200 ideas for a blog post right here.

Well, if you’ve ever wondered how to start a lifestyle blog, or want to start a blog, this is pretty much all you need. I can honestly say that starting a blog changed my life in many different ways and I can’t imagine my life without it.

If you need any help setting up your blog, you can also contact SiteGround via their live chat. 

TAKE MY FREE 7-DAY EMAIL COURSE: HOW TO START A BLOG

Once you start your blog and have a few posts published, you’re ready to start making money! You can also grab 10 FREE, styled stock photos here to help you get started on your lifestyle blog. To see a list of affiliate programs and other resources I highly recommend, see this post. 


How to Start a Lifestyle Blog: this content uses referral links. Read my disclosure policy for more info.

86 Comments

  • Reply
    Lisa Autumn
    February 11, 2017 at 5:20 am

    I am currently thinking about moving to wordpress but I am so unsure about it.. I am SO used to blogger and pretty happy with the way my blog looks.. so :/

    xx Lisa
    lisaautumn.com

    • Reply
      Nikola Hessová
      February 11, 2017 at 11:45 am

      Same here! :(

      • Reply
        Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
        February 11, 2017 at 6:48 pm

        WordPress is very easy to use :)

        • Reply
          Nikola Hessová
          March 7, 2017 at 5:22 am

          But I have domain bought on GoDaddy..and my blog is running on Blogger…and I really have no idea how to move BOTH things to new hosting. This is gonna be tough…Yesterday I found some YT tutorials how to move from blogger to wp without loosing google ranks and it was so overwhelming! Not sure If I handle this.

          • Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
            March 7, 2017 at 8:50 am

            Have you seen this article on WP Beginner > http://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-switch-from-blogger-to-wordpress-without-losing-google-rankings/ If you really want to switch and feel overwhelmed you can also have someone do it for you: https://www.pipdig.co/shop/blogger-to-wordpress-migration/

          • Nikola Hessová
            March 7, 2017 at 9:20 am

            Thank you so much for your help, Paula. I really appreciate it. I will try to figure it out myself and if I failed I will pay someone to do it for me. I always describe myself like someone who always do a research and then everything do on my own, but this seems to be too much..this is really beyond my technic skills :D Thank you Paula. At least you push me to do this major change! I quit my job…yes..I did it…it was strange..but now I can do what I love..freelance and spend more time on my blog. xoxo Nikol

          • Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
            March 7, 2017 at 9:28 am

            You’re very welcome Nikol! I’m the same way, I’m stubborn and always want to do everything myself haha ;) Let me know if you need any help, I’m not familiar with blogger, but if you need help with anything regarding WordPress I might be able to help.

            That is so amazing- nothing better than pursuing your passion girl! So happy for you and wish you the best of luck, you’re going to do amazing, I know it!! You’re such a talented artist! x

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 11, 2017 at 6:47 pm

      WordPress is very easy to navigate, if that’s what you’re worried about. If you’re comfortable with blogger and don’t plan to expand any time soon then there’s no need to switch :) You can always do it down the road.

  • Reply
    Darina
    February 11, 2017 at 5:58 am

    Good post! I am so happy that I migrated my blog from Blogger to WordPress last year :)

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 11, 2017 at 6:49 pm

      Congrats on the move! I’m happy I started with them from the get-go haha :) How was the switch? Was it difficult?

  • Reply
    Alina
    February 11, 2017 at 8:38 am

    If I ever do take my blog more seriously, I’ll definitely have to invest in switching to WordPress so I can take it to the next level. Brilliant post as always lovely, love reading your tips as you’re such a pro x

    Beauty with charm

  • Reply
    Emmalisa Tilli
    February 11, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Guess what!!!!!!! I got a message from a magazine, Taylor Magazine and they said if I want to write about beauty, or anything I like or am open to inspire, I can write for them!!!!! Eeeeee I have never been approached by a magazine before! So nervous already ?

  • Reply
    Rosie von Waldherr
    February 11, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    I also think getting WordPress is definitely the best! I started with Blogger back in the day and it was fine then, there wasn’t really much. But nowadays whenever someone asks me about it I always say WordPress!!
    xoRosie // Curvy Life Stories

  • Reply
    peonies passionfruit
    February 11, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    Great detailed post on starting a lifestyle blog, definitely some great tips to take away and work on.

    Eme x

    http://www.peoniesandpassionfruit.com

  • Reply
    Jenn
    February 11, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Fantastic post! All things I wish I knew a few years ago, but nonetheless very helpful. I just moved to WordPress from Blogger this week and I’m never looking back. I already can tell it is the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Also, I totally did the online journal/blog thing back in the day! I had the link in my AOL instant messenger profile lol!

    Jenn │ Beauty by Jellybean

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 14, 2017 at 10:40 am

      Thanks so much Jenn! So glad you’re happy with the change, WordPress is awesome! Haha ahhh the good old times! :D

  • Reply
    Victoria
    February 12, 2017 at 1:06 am

    Such a helpful post!

    Ohh, dial-up! Those were the days lol. I had AOL and I still remember getting so excited whenever I’d hear “You’ve got mail”. I used to love LiveJournal & Xanga. I never thought blogging would become so socially acceptable, it’s crazy!

    -Victoria
    treelinedavenue.com

  • Reply
    Kiss & Make-up
    February 12, 2017 at 4:20 am

    Great A to Z guide :-) WordPress > any other platform for sure.

  • Reply
    Laura Jayne @ msrouge.net
    February 12, 2017 at 4:48 am

    Argh I remember the days of LiveJournal and dialup. As I was going through a bit of a ‘goth’ phase during my teens, my platform of choice was a ‘Deadjournal’. How wonderfully macabre. I’d love to try and find it again one day, but I can’t for the life of me remember my old account name.

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 14, 2017 at 10:42 am

      Hahaha “deadjournal”!! ;D I’d love through browse through my old blogs too, although I think there’d be a lot of cringing involved lol!

  • Reply
    Natalie Redman
    February 12, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Great post! Getting your own domain I think is so important.

    http://www.upyourvlog.com

  • Reply
    Yvonne Ashon
    February 12, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    This is a nice post and very informative.
    http://www.yourbeautypantry.com

  • Reply
    Amy M
    February 12, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    It’s amazing to see how far you have come with such a beautiful blog! I’m definitely going to look into self-hosting soon ♥

    Amy // Snippets of Amy

  • Reply
    Marianne Escobar
    February 14, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    OMG! Finally! Thank you so much for finally putting this up. This is totally the most informative “how-to” about blogging I’ve ever read. This really helps especially for someone like me who is on the verge of tears just thinking of what to do and how to do the whole “putting up my own site”. Sadly, Hostgator is too expensive for me :( I’m actually towards ehost because they’re a lot cheaper. It would be great to go with Hostgator if it wasn’t for the price. Converting Dollars into Philippine Peso is just a headache.

    I’m just really trying to prepare everything and I’m all set. I’m really excited and nervous at the same time. I would love to be as successful as you some day, love.

    All the best!

    annewndrs.wordpress.com

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 14, 2017 at 8:34 pm

      You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the post! You can actually get your own domain and hosting for $3 a month, can’t imagine ehost being too different! :)

      I was definitely nervous at first too, but I can guarantee that once you make the move, you’ll feel very accomplished :) It can be a bit of an intimidating process, but it’s not as difficult as you’d think. Wishing you the best of luck with your blog!! You’re a sweetheart, thank you! :) xx

  • Reply
    Sophie Jane Cheval
    February 14, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    Great post thanks for sharing all your helpful knowledge! very inspiring to get me started :)

  • Reply
    Ellie
    February 15, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    Wish I could have seen this before I started blogging! It is so helpful!

    http://www.petiteelliee.com

    Ellie xx

  • Reply
    Megan // MissMeganMclean
    February 15, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    Great Post and so helpful…If only i’d spotted this before setting up my blog. i mus have spent hours searching for all the information you had right here! I’ll definitely be upping my engagement on Pintrest after this! Thanks again

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 21, 2017 at 9:36 am

      Aww thank you! I remember being very confused at first too haha ;) Pinterest was a game-changer for me!

  • Reply
    Hollie Owens
    March 21, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    This post is fab and even though I’ve been blogging for about a year now, it’s always great to learn new tips and see how others like to do it!

    Hollie | ItsHollieAnn.com

  • Reply
    Ral
    April 28, 2017 at 1:30 am

    Wow! This is the best article I have ever read about how to start a blog with wordpress. I have read many blogs about it but they are either too techie or they lack a lot of details. I am glad I read this one. Cant wait to start using wordpress soon.

  • Reply
    jamie fechtmuller
    May 2, 2017 at 9:41 am

    Ok, I have tried and tried and tried installing WordPress and feel like such a dummy! It says it’s installed but I can’t figure out for the life of me how to log in. Great post though haha, I’m sure it’ll be helpful once I figure this out! x

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      May 2, 2017 at 9:50 am

      Sometimes it takes a while for the setup to complete. To log in go to “yourblogname”.com/wp-admin and use login info that was emailed to you by your hosting provider.

      • Reply
        jamie fechtmuller
        May 2, 2017 at 10:26 am

        Okay it worked! Do you have wordpress.com or .org? I thought with purchasing the host, it would allow me to install custom themes but it’s saying I need a .org site. (Sorry for asking so many questions, you are very kind for answering!)

        • Reply
          Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
          May 2, 2017 at 10:43 am

          No worries! WordPress.Org is the only WordPress platform that is self-hosted. WordPress.Com doesn’t allow you to host the website- they do it for you. it’s the major difference between the two. I think you’re thinking of the domain name (your .com address) which is something different and not the same as hosting. To create custom website/blog you’ll need to sign up for your own hosting with a service like HostGator. See this article: https://ithemes.com/tutorials/wordpress-com-vs-wordpress-org/ and this one: https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/

          • jamie fechtmuller
            May 2, 2017 at 10:50 am

            Hmmmm. I installed HostGator & paid for a package. So although my blog name ends in .com, is it possible to still be a wordpress.org page? Haha I feel like I am making this WAY more complicated than it should be!!

          • Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
            May 2, 2017 at 10:57 am

            Ohh okay I got you! If you signed up for hosting then you should be all good, you just need to figure out your way around WordPress :) No of course your blog will end in .com (unless you purchased a domain that ends in .net or something) Where exactly did you go to try and install the custom theme?

          • jamie fechtmuller
            May 2, 2017 at 11:03 am

            Ahhh finally figured out how to log onto WordPress.org haha. Feeling a bit less silly now. I bought a custom theme from Etsy, and it’s all well and good except for the fact that apparently the theme is missing tags..whatever that means. So WP won’t let me install it. I think that’s something due to the theme itself though and not WP. Thank you again so much for helping, Paula! Your blog is awesome, definitely a huge inspiration! x

          • Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
            May 2, 2017 at 11:05 am

            Oh that’s good!! If you have issues installing, I’d contact the theme seller. You’re very welcome Jamie, good luck with your blog and feel free to reach out with any questions! :)

  • Reply
    Asakemi
    May 25, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    I already have a blog but i found myself reading this post carefully for useful info! Your posts are such blessings! Pinterest is still a little confusing for me but i’m sure your tips will be super useful!
    Thanks, Paula!

  • Reply
    thebreezybees
    June 24, 2017 at 9:08 am

    This post is very interesting! I already have a blog and for this we choose altervista.org since this is our first blog experience and we wanted to experimented a little bit before to purchase a domain.
    but your advices about how to start a blog are very helpful!!! i saved this page between my favourite so that in the future, if i need some good tips, i know already ehre to look ;)
    thank you for sharing!!!
    x sandra

  • Reply
    Jillian Rose
    September 1, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    Hello I followed your directions, but I am so so lost :( Are all themes $49? When I try to go to my website it says its unavailable. I’m so stressed out and confused.

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      January 7, 2018 at 7:48 pm

      HI Jillian I am so sorry, I have no idea why I just noticed this comment! There are a lot of free themes, out there, you don’t have to buy one right away.

  • Reply
    esterpiub
    October 18, 2017 at 3:02 am

    Oh that’s very helpful. I have a Pinterest account I never use, I should most probably start working on it as well – though I don’t have a business account yet. Thank you for sharing, this post was very useful!

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      November 14, 2017 at 6:32 pm

      Pinterest is amazing for growing your blog and getting traffic to your blog. Best part is, you really don’t need a ton of followers to make it work for you!

  • Reply
    Laura Anderson Weiss
    October 18, 2017 at 8:38 am

    This is just the level of handholding I need as a new blogger. Can’t wait to see what other resources you’ve shared. Thank you so much for providing this help!

    Love your black and white photo theme, by the way!

    http://Www.candidcondition.com

  • Reply
    Charlotte
    November 6, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    This is such a great post, I’ve had a blog for nearly 2 years now and I’m still hosted on WordPress, should I make the plunge and go self hosted?
    Also, do you have any tips on Instagram recently? My engagement has been super, super, super dwindling over the past month or so and I don’t know what to do to get it back!
    Thanks.
    Charlotte | Two Cats One Flat

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      November 14, 2017 at 6:27 pm

      Thank you so much, Charlotte! if you’re thinking of monetizing your blog then I’d definitely switch to a self-hosted service! I do not have an updated post on Instagram, but will be sharing a few tips for boosting engagement very soon, so stay tuned!

  • Reply
    Kristen Muller Numen
    November 14, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    FINALLY started a blog of my own thanks to you! Thank you for all of your detailed information. I’m C’est la Vie blog! AAAhhhhh I’m so excited!! Your post was the nudge I needed (and the fact that it was step by step as to what to do)!! Thank you thank you :).

  • Reply
    Ingela Fredriksson
    December 10, 2017 at 2:27 am

    This was great:) Now i got my inspiration back to blogging, so I now what to do today, Thank you for all the information.

  • Reply
    Smitten Visage
    January 31, 2018 at 12:45 am

    Hey Paula, beautiful and indeed educating. I re-read this blog & the comment section to make sure my question was not previously answered. I’m torn between bluehost and siteground. Although i’m fairly new to blogging, I am re-branding and also intend to have e-commerce on my site. Wanted to ask for your recommendation/Advice. Also i’m so confused about a shared or managed hosting services. These lingos are driving me crazy.

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      January 31, 2018 at 1:08 am

      Hi Love! Have you taken my free email course on starting a blog? You might find it helpful!

      As far as hosting goes, I’d urge you to stay away from Bluehost and anything else owned by EIG. I’ve heard horror stories about them from my blogging friends and I myself hosted a site with one of their hosts and had to deal with my site being down all the time, even without traffic spikes, for days, with no help from their support. A lot of bloggers recommend Bluehost because they pay ridiculously high affiliate rates. If you’re just starting out, you will probably be okay going with a shared hosting plan. This basically means that one server hosts multiple sites, therefore, they “share” that server. I, for example have a managed VPS, since shared plan wouldn’t be able to handle my traffic. Managed hosting also means that your host will take care of backups, security and other issues for you, so you don’t have to worry about anything on the back-end of your site. They will also help you out with any issues you may experience, which happens from time to time. A good support is one of the most important things in terms of choosing your host- Siteground has great support. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions!

  • Reply
    MG005
    February 1, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    I’m fairly new to blogging so your posts have been a wonderful source of information. Thank you!
    I am currently with WordPress.com. I did not realize the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
    If I follow the steps you provided, I should easily be able to switch to WordPress.org using SiteGround correct?

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      February 1, 2018 at 5:32 pm

      You’re very welcome, so happy that you like my posts! If you have purchased your own domain you can easily switch to SiteGround- you’d just have to export and import all your posts (you can see how to do it here: Transfer WordPress from wordpress.com: http://bit.ly/2FDpBYR )

  • Reply
    Valentyna Tysiachna
    February 27, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    Thanks Paula. Although I used cms2cms for Blogger to WordPress migration, I found your post really informative.
    Thanks again)

  • Reply
    ranie
    March 17, 2018 at 3:36 am

    I wish I can make self hosted blog

  • Reply
    Roh Al-ward
    March 19, 2018 at 12:53 am

    Hi, I’ve registered in your free email course of blogging but I haven’t received any email yet . I wish this problem can be solved.
    Best regards ..

  • Reply
    Abby Fryman-Cannone
    April 18, 2018 at 8:57 am

    Thank you for this! I almost have my website complete. I’m watching youtube tutorials too. :) It’s going to be a lifestyle blog called Abby From the Block. Hopefully you’ll be able to check it out in a couple of weeks. And I’m open to constructive criticism! http://www.abbyfromtheblock.com Thank you again for all of your blogging tips. ~Abby

  • Reply
    Postcards and Pink Umbrellas
    June 21, 2018 at 4:01 pm

    I have tired adding amazon affiliate links to WordPress and I cant get the link to appear. I dont know what I am doing wrong but WordPress tells me I need to contact amazon and amazon tells me I need to contact wp – so, basically – no one will help. :(

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      June 27, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      Are you trying to add them to your blog posts? This is just like adding any other link- you just copy the text link from your affiliate stripe and add link to a text within your post.

  • Reply
    Jessi Knorr
    August 28, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    Wow! I’m really glad I found your post! I have been blogging for years and have had some success (limited)……just started another blog jessitellsall.com this week……and everything you listed here I will be implementing. I just need to work on the whole…WOW factor and also networking better. You have definitely inspired me to dig deeper and just go for it. We all have stories to tell…..time to start the adventure! Thank you!

  • Reply
    Chantelle Sagurit
    March 30, 2020 at 9:06 am

    Hi Paula, where did you get your blog theme? Was it from WordPress or from somewhere else? And is your theme called? I love the layout and want to use the same

    • Reply
      Silvia
      February 16, 2021 at 4:07 am

      I’m curious as well. It looks amazing!

  • Reply
    Andraz
    October 5, 2020 at 1:30 pm

    It is really hard to start writing. Your tips rocks!

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