Hello!
My name is Jason, and I’m hijacking this page on Meredith’s blog to answer a couple questions. Meredith only has a few posts so far, but has already been asked a couple times how she started this blog, where she went to do it, what the process was, etc.
If you’ve never run your own blog or website, the good news is it’s easier than you think! Especially with the online tools available these days. And it only takes a few minutes to start the process.
Don’t wait, start today!
So what are the steps to get started?
In a nutshell:
Step 1 – Choose a domain name and webhost
Step 2 – Install WordPress
Step 3 – Choose a Theme and start writing!
Quick disclaimer, the links below are affiliate links and Meredith will indeed earn commission if you purchase through those links. We use and highly recommend each of the products listed below, I’ll explain more as we go…
1) CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME AND WEBHOST
Let the games begin! Start by brainstorming different ideas for names. Then, once you have your choices narrowed down to a few, visit BlueHost to see if you’re top choice is available. They will also host your website or blog for you. They have great rates (as low as $3.95 per month), plus they’ll give you your domain name for free! (Why BlueHost? I did a lot of research, and after looking at all the different hosting companies out there, BlueHost seemed to outclass the others by far).
2) INSTALL WORDPRESS
After you finish registration, you’ll have the opportunity to install the WordPress blogging software. It’s free, and I highly recommend this as well. It basically does all the hard work for you, it’s extremely easy to install and super easy to use.
Simply log in to Bluehost and scroll down to the Software/Services area. Click on the WordPress Logo, then on the next page, click the Install button.
Don’t forget to write down your Login information… login URL, username, and password.
3) CHOOSE A THEME AND START WRITING
So far so good! You have your own essential oils blog, Congrats! Now you just have to turn it into something, right? This is the fun part. First, choose a theme. This is what you use for the look and design of your blog, allowing you to make it look exactly the way you want. If you don’t know how to write code, then a theme makes the design work sooo much easier.
WordPress has a lot of free themes, and you can see them all here. If you’re thinking about a premium theme, then we recommend The Genesis Framework:
I did a lot of research on this part too, and we finally decided to use The Genesis Framework for HappilyOiledAfter, since it gave Meredith the best flexibility for design and growth. You can also check out the other StudioPress Themes.
If you go the premium route, Genesis is the first half of your theme. Then you can browse through their different options for the perfect Child Theme for you and your blog. And of course, you can always tweak your blog even more to get the exact look, feel, and layout you want.
Once that’s done… start writing!
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