I see you have survived day 2 because you all are back!
By now you should know what times you’ll allot for your new blogging business (it is a business so you have to clock some hours) and you should have selected a great blog/brand name!
Challenge 3
Now that you have a blog name, it’s time to create that blog! I have owned several blogs, and those several blogs have been very lucrative feats!
Today I will be challenging you to find and create your own self hosted platforms. There are several platforms for you to choose from, which is why this step may be difficult.
First and foremost you must choose a blogging platform that can be self hosted. OR one that is all inclusive.
There is a major difference between hosted and self hosted, even though they sound quite similar. One offers total control (self hosted), while the other offers convenience (hosted). This becomes increasingly important if you want to start monetizing your blog. When you are on a hosted server you don’t have complete protection of your content, as the platform has the riht to trash your content at any given time) Scary!
Quick Tip: Just because you have a personalized domain name, this does NOT mean you have a self hosted site.
I personally have used Bluehost (in conjunction with wordpress.org) and i’m in love! However there are others like siteground that offer great self hosting packages as well.
There are people who will tell you to ALWAYS use wordpress, but honestly I like to tell people to do their research because what works for one person may not be suitable for others.
When you are searching for a hosting package here are some things to compare:
- Website space
- Bandwidth
- Included Domains
- Email accounts
- Site Backup
- Spam Alerts
- Marketing offers
Here is a list of self hosted platforms to sift through regarding offers:
https://www.siteground.com/wordpress-hosting.htm
https://www.bluehost.com//track/ciaedwards (affliate link)
Here is a list of hosted platforms:
https://www.wix.com/upgrade/website
This is in no way an exhaustive list, but it should get your juices flowing.
Once you’ve decided which platform you are going to use, go ahead and sign up! With high hopes, your blog/brand name will be available so that you can use that as your domain name (website address).
Most of the platforms interfaces are super easy to navigate!
Recap:
- There is a difference between hosted and self hosted
- Pick a platform you are most comfortable with to host your blog and sign up