Are you ready to start your blog? Blogging is the most accessible tool to lay the cornerstones for your business. I have been blogging since 2017 using WordPress. Today I will share with you guys the cost of starting a blog like this from the ground up.

First, Hosting Service: $2.75/month

Web hosting is a business that provides the technologies and services needed for the website or webpage to be viewed on the Internet. There are many web hosting services to choose from: InMotion, HostGator, HostInger,… I have used HostGator in the past, and my current hosting service BlueHost

HostGator, in my opinion, is a little challenging to work with for a beginner. When I first started, I didn’t fully understand how to build a website or a blog. The cPanel-based management featured in HostGator was confusing to me as I didn’t know where to go or what to do to set up my site correctly.

I picked BlueHost the second time around because:

• Affordable: $2.75/ month. I got this price through an affiliate link provided by MakingSenseOfCents. The normal sale price is $2.95/month which is also around the same ballpark.
• FREE Domain Name for 1st Year
• FREE SSL Certificate Included
• 1-Click WordPress Install
• 24/7 Support
• Super easy to set up and connect with WordPress.

Related:WIX TO WORDPRESS: Google Adsense, S.E.O, Google Registration

Second, Choose a Domain: $10/year

A domain is basically a web address for your site. Choosing the right name for your blog is essential. You can search for the availability of the name right here on BlueHost. The Internet is home to more than 1.3 billion websites. There’s a good chance that any domain name, however unique and creative it may sound, has already been taken. Don’t be frustrated when the name you think of is not available. Picking out the right name requires some patience. Here are a few tips for picking the right name for your site:

• Do Your Research
• Think Like a Visitor
• Make Your Domain Name Brandable
• Make Your Name Memorable
• Choose the Best Domain Extension

For complete information, I recommend this blog I wrote: 6 Best Ways to Pick the Domain name for your Website.

Third, Pick a Theme: $59

If you have just started, I recommend choosing free theme provided by WordPress. I said this because it is important to understand the basics of how a theme works, and you can easily manipulate the free theme to your vision. If you are ended up not liking the free theme, you can always purchase a premium theme.

I currently use Newpaper12 theme by Tagdiv. With this theme, I love the blog-sharing ability and the menu layout. If you followed my blog, you know I used Wix before I switched to WordPress. You can read about the reasons why I switched from Wix to WordPress so you can understand how frustrated I got with Wix.

Fourth, MailChimp to collect email: $0

Collecting emails is very important if you want to grow your blog or business. WordPress includes OptinMonster, a similar service to Mailchimp. I have read good reviews about MailChimp, so I decided to give it a try instead. MailChimp allows my site to set up the Subscribe button so my reader can sign up to receive email notifications whenever I have new content. The best part is that MailChimp is free and easy to set up with WordPress.

Fifth, Canva Pro for Graphic Design: $12.95/month

Canva basic is free. It comes with various pre-made designs for Instagram, Facebook, Pins, and so much more. I love Canva because it is user-friendly and has a mobile app. I can create a beautiful, eye-catching Instagram post within 10 seconds. All my blog logo, Pins, and graphics are created by Canva.

Sixth, YOAST SEO Premium: $89

$89 is the cost for 1-time purchase for one website. I started with the free Yoast, but I upgraded to the premium because it contains more features:

• Internal linking suggestions:  Get suggestions for links to other pages on your website, as you write.
• Content insights: We show you the 5 words or phrases you use the most on your page, to check if they’re a match with your chosen keywords.
• Redirect manager: Easily redirect old URLs to new ones. So you don’t lose visitors because they get stuck on a 404 Not Found page.
• Focus keyword export: Get a clear overview of your focus keywords and SEO scores (CSV export)
• 1 year free access to 24/7 support

Related: WIX TO WORDPRESS: Google Adsense, S.E.O, Google Registration

Seventh, Google Search Console: Free

Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results. How Google sees your website is important. Google Search Console enables you to understand how your site shows up on Google search. It is not a requirement that you have to sign up for Search Console to be included in Google Search results. I definitely recommend signing up for Google Search Console as one of the steps when building your blog.

Eighth, Google Adsense: Free

If you look at my blog, you will see ads in next to the logo and other places on the sidebar. Adsense is one of the ways to monetize your blog. I wrote a blog about “HOW TO GET APPROVED BY GOOGLE ADSENSE WITH WORDPRESS 2019”. You don’t have to sign up for Adsense if you don’t want ads to show up on your blog. But one of my goals for this blog is to create income, so Adsense was on my to-do list.

In conclusion, it costs me $174 to start my blog.

This is not bad considering I have done all the work and research on my own, and saves me a lot of money. Some services charge you the upfront cost of about $1,000 to build your blog. And some company event goes with $500 a month for a maintenance complete package fee. I think those are just ridiculous. I love what I do, and I don’t mind helping others as well.

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