How To Start (Or Switch To) A Self-Hosted Blog

Bonus: 4 Features of a Successful Blog

• About Page. Be friendly and welcoming—readers want to get to know you! You don’t need to divulge your mother’s maiden name, town you were born, spouse’s job title, or any other really personal details. Just give a short sound byte of why you started your blog and any fun facts about yourself.
• Contact Form. WordPress.org offers an easy plugin for this, which I included here on my own blog. It allows readers, new ad agencies, and potential sponsors to contact you. Take advantages of those opportunities!
• Search Bar. This enables readers to quickly locate old posts without sifting through all 236 of them. The widget should be included when you install WordPress; simply drag and drop it into the sidebar widget area.
• Social Media. Stay connected with your readers! Create accounts for a Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. To prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed, focus on one outlet at a time. Eventually you’ll get the hang of each social media site and become a pro in no time!

 

 

Congratulations! You’ve successfully switched your blog to be self-hosted! 

 

 

Other Steps in This Series…

The Cheat Sheet

Step 1: Pick a Host

Step 2: Pick a Domain Name

Step 3: Pick a Website Builder

Step 4: Pick a Theme

Step 5: Save, Export, and Upload Your Content

Step 6: Install Analytics

Step 7: Add Email and RSS Subscription Options

Step 8: Reach Out to Old Readers

Step 9: Add Advertizing

Bonus: 4 Features of a Successful Blog