How to Easily Create a WordPress Blog with Bluehost

Updated on February 21st, 2019

This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer here.

Full Disclosure: I do get a commission if you click and buy Bluehost through my link at no extra cost to you.

Hey! Today I’m going to be showing you how to quickly and painlessly create your own WordPress blog (even if you’re not tech-savvy!). It only takes about 6 minutes (yep, I’ve timed it), and I’ve broken it down into simple steps for you.

Blogging has personally changed my life; it’s given me the ability to make $3,000 in my 3rd month of blogging, helped my husband quit his job, and allows us to travel the world full-time. And right now, you can start your own WordPress blog for super cheap. I’ve been able to work out a GREAT price with Bluehost just so that you won’t have to spend a TON on hosting for your blog as well as a free domain name (but it’s only when you click through my link below!). Just make sure to act fast because I’m not sure how long this deal will be around! 

You can get your blog started here and follow the fast & simple step-by-step guide below.

Here is Everything This Step-by-Step Guide Will Help You With:

• Which hosting for your blog to use.
• Which ones NOT to use (and why).
• How to find the right blog name.
• Which plans to go with.
• How to set up your blog theme.
• How to navigate your your WordPress dashboard.
• How to publish your first post!
• PLUS.. Insider tips and tricks as well as my contact info if you need help.

How We Got Started with Blogging…

We were below the poverty line.

And my husband was working a soul-sucking corporate job as we struggled to get by.

To be honest, it was hard to imagine a future where we could really prosper and actually reach our dreams.

And our dreams were to travel the world full-time and see amazing sites and meet wonderful people.

We wanted to experience life outside of our tiny, dark apartment, and a car that kept on breaking down in the middle of WINTER.

My husband was searching for hours for ways to work online. There were so many ideas out there, but there were no great fits. Some of them required skills we didn’t have or VAST AMOUNTS of time to make it work… and we didn’t want to wait years.

But then it all changed. One day, my husband finally ran across an amazing interview with a blogger named Rosemarie Groner from The Busy Budgeter who was making over $5,000 a MONTH from blogging! And it didn’t take her years! In fact… it took her months.

We were immediately hooked and after 3 months of prepping and following her advice, launching our blog, and then 3 months of actual blogging…

We were making MORE than my husband’s corporate job!

$3,000 in 3 months after launching... we were stunned and we know we couldn’t have done it without God’s help (seriously). Launching a blog was one of the best things we could have ever done!

And since we’ve started blogging, things in our lives have looked completely different. We went from living below the poverty line and living paycheck-to-paycheck, to making over $10,000 a month and traveling to countries like Morocco, Japan, and France. I’ve been able to wake up when I want to and see parts of the world I would never have gotten to see otherwise.

And I know that it will give YOU the ability to quit your dead end job, spend more time with your family and friends, and give you incredible time and money freedom. There are honestly so many opportunities blogging will give you.

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You can check out the tools I use to have a money-making blog here!

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So if YOU Are Struggling Financially, Looking for a Way to Quit Your Job, And/Or Want Time Freedom, Then Here’s Where You Start…

To begin, if you’re wanting to have your own self-hosted blog, then I’d definitely go with Bluehost. They’re the only hosting company I recommend to my following because they’re AMAZING for beginners – cheap, 24/7 helpful service, one-click WordPress install button, and you don’t have to be tech savvy to use them (at all).

Also, it was one of the top hosting companies in 2019 and… there are WAY too many stories of other bloggers having headaches when dealing with other hosting companies (and I DO NOT want to lead you their way).

Plus, there are over 2,000,000 other bloggers using Bluehost, so you’re in good company!

Now starting a WordPress blog is super simple, which is why I like showing others how to do it as well. And when you use my special link, you’ll be able to get hosting and a FREE domain name (with a 12 month or more plan) for just $2.95 a month – a 63% savings!

And I’d DEFINITELY make sure to go with a 12 month or more plan since you can only get that special deal AND free domain name through it. Also, you’re going to save a LOT more money when doing this over the long run. And if you want the best deal, then I’d definitely recommend the 36 month plan. It’s the cheapest option available which is why I like telling my readers about it. 😊

So why not go with a free blogging site?

Now this part is VERY important to discuss, because you do NOT want to go with one.

I know that it may be easy to think that you can just use WordPress.com or Blogger to get started with your site. However, there are MANY reasons why you’ll want to steer clear of this. And one of the first and most important reasons is because…

They can take your blog away from you at any point. And they don’t have to give you a reason why.

This is something I’ve known to happen to big bloggers like Michelle from Making Sense of Cents (when she was just starting out).

And this means that all of that hard work you put into your blog posts will just go away, and I DO NOT want this happening to you.

ALSO, if their site happens to be taken down or they’re bought out and shut down, your blog and content will go away permanently. Which is another great reason to make sure your work is protected.

In the end, you can think of it this way: It’s a single point of failure. If that one thing is taken away, then the rest falls like a house of cards. You want to be self-reliant, not dependent on someone else.

Second: You’ll be able to make money: Making money with a free blogging platform is extremely hard. Many readers and companies will turn away from free blogging sites because they look VERY unprofessional. This means that sponsors, affiliate programs, and ad networks will choose not to work with you. And readers who would have bought or read from you will go to a blog that looks like they’re more of an authority on the subject you’re writing on.

Also, people will take you more seriously AND remember your site name more easily when your blog URL is:

yourcoolblog.com instead of yourcoolblog.wordpress.com.

Third: YOU will have control over your site. Free blogging platform companies (like Blogger) may show ads on your site that you do NOT want on there.

Also, you’ll be able to determine how your site looks if you’re self-hosted with Bluehost. Which to be honest, makes sense. If a company is being represented because their name is attached to your blog name (example: yourcoolblog.wordpress.com), they’re going to want to control what you do. So if you’re self-hosted, then there’s NO LIMIT to your creativity and individuality.

And Lastly… you can’t use plugins with a free blogging site.

Plugins are those amazing features that self-hosted WordPress blogs have that allow them to protect their site from hackers, get subscribers, make their blog look amazing, give them features that make blogging more simple and easy, gather helpful information on their readers, and SO much more. And sadly, with a free blogging site, you won’t be able to use these.

Side Note: You can sign up here for a list of FREE plugins every new blogger needs!

In the end, I just really want to save you the trouble of having to deal with these BIG inconveniences. I don’t want to see you lose your hard work or not be able to express yourself the way YOU want to because of rules set in place by those sites.

But, here’s the good news!

If you are already on a free blogging platform, you can hire someone for a small fee to migrate your site over to a Bluehost WordPress site. No tech work for you!

And if this is something you want to do, then there are SO MANY perks to going with Bluehost such as:

• You get your own FREE domain name.
• If something goes wrong or you need help, their tech support is SUPER helpful!
• You get WordPress for free when you go with Bluehost.
• Bluehost has a one-click install for WordPress (Yes!).
• It’s extremely affordable, being just $2.75 a month (only through my special link).
• You can get your money back if you feel that this isn’t for you.
• It’s super easy to use, especially when you’re not tech-savvy. And it’s even easier when you follow the tutorial down below.
• You’ll look more professional and will be able to make money with your blog if it’s self-hosted.
• It comes with awesome FREE blog themes.

As a side note, I just wanted to let you know that if you’re having ANY trouble at all when signing up or setting up your blog, just email me at contact@chasingfoxes.com. I have an awesome contact from Bluehost who will be able to help you out quickly and efficiently. I want to make sure that you have THE BEST help possible. We all need it when starting out (I would know!).

However, if any of these things interest you, then you will first need to start out with going to their signup page here and follow the step-by-step guide below.

I honestly can’t emphasize enough how important it is to be self-hosted if you want to make money blogging or gain a following more quickly.

And when it comes to being self-hosted, Bluehost is the best way to go. This company is highly recommended by huge bloggers like Rosemarie from The Busy Budgeter and ProBlogger.com or Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income. Plus, it will save you the headache when trying to figure out how it works or if there are problems.

So sign up through the button below and follow long with the tutorial.

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And again, remember, if you’re having trouble with the sign up process or post sign up, just contact me at contact@chasingfoxes.com. I’ll be able to get you the help you need. I know what’s it’s like to be new to something, feel confused, and need help.

Step 1 – Sign Up for Bluehost with a Free Domain Name

Now when you first sign up with Bluehost and start the process, you’re given the option for a free domain name which is super helpful when first starting out. There’s no need to pay extra for something when you’re already paying for hosting.

And if you don’t already have a domain name picked out, then definitely check out our guide on how to find the right one for you. There’s no fluff (I promise!) my husband (who wrote the post) made sure to give you the right help since we BOTH know how hard it can be to find the right blog name.

Also, the site Bust a Name is a great place to enter in some keywords and see possible combinations for your blog name (especially when you have time to kill).

And LASTLY, you’ll want to sign up with Bluehost and get your domain name RIGHT AWAY because once it’s been searched for (by you) others can see it and buy it themselves… and then sell it at an OUTRAGEOUS price (like $3,000+… ??!!).

Important Side Note: If you don’t know what you want your domain name to be, Bluehost allows you to choose it later while still getting it for FREE.

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Side note, here’s a quick list of the tools I used to make $10,000+ a MONTH with my blog:

If you want to quickly start up your own blog for a cheap price (only $2.95/mo through my special link here), then I would definitely recommend Bluehost. It’s what I used when I first started out, and you need a hosting service if you want to make money through your blog more easily.

Check out my step-by-step guide here that shows you how to sign up quickly.

One of the BEST ways to make money blogging is with affiliate marketing. Basically, you recommend a product you love and when they click through your link and make a purchase, you get a commission at no extra cost to them. And a great place to learn is with the online course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. The creator, Michelle, makes over $50,000 a MONTH through affiliate marketing, so she definitely knows what she’s talking about. 

Read my review of the course here to learn more!

Also, you can check out my interview with Michelle here.

If you want a course that will take you by the hand and teach you how to become a full-time blogger, then I would definitely recommend Elite Blog Academy (or EBA). They only open up once a year though (in early March), so it’s best to sign up for their waitlist here and they’ll let you know as soon as the cart has opened.

Read my review of Elite Blog Academy here.

One of the most important things you can do as a new blogger is to start up your email list right away. It’s what I wish I would have done when I first started out because then I would have a LOT more subscribers (and having an email list is the biggest way to make money blogging). 

The email provider I use is Convertkit since they’re SUPER easy to use and give you 1 FREE month to try it out.

Read my Convertkit review here.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one of the most important ways to get traffic to your blog. It’s basically optimizing each blog post so that it shows up in people’s search results on Google. And if you’d like to learn more on how to do that, then check out Stupid Simple SEO. It’s a course that opens up a few times a year and has REALLY helped us out!

Read the review of the course here!

If you’re new to creating images for your blog, and don’t have the money for Photoshop, then I would definitely recommend PicMonkey.com. I started out with it when I was a new blogger and still use it to this day! Also, the monthly price is the same as just a couple Starbucks drinks. 

Check it out here!

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Step 2 – Tips on Picking the Right Plan (Very Important!)

Now when it comes to picking out the right plan, I would make sure to just go with the Basic Plan. As a new blogger, there’s no reason for you to pay more for things you don’t need right now. Also, you can just upgrade later if you want to and pay the different. No hassle at all!

Now my next tip would be to make sure you’re purchasing a 12 month or more plan (paid up front) since this will give you the free domain name and save you a lot of money down the road – they charge more if you have a monthly plan, which makes this the best option.

ALSO by going with a monthly plan, you run the risk of your site accidentally going down. This can sadly happen if you don’t renew your domain name or your card expires. Then you’ll end up losing pageviews and income which makes being on a monthly plan pretty risky.

So just know that the bigger plan you get, the more you can save.

And in my opinion, going with the 36 month plan is the BEST deal (it’s what I went with!). It’s cheaper than the other plans and you won’t have to think about renewing until 3 years later. 

Now if a free domain name is something you want, then continue to follow along so you can get your hosting and domain together quickly and easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, I would really make sure that you get a 12 month or more plan, instead of a monthly plan, so that you can save a lot of money and not run the risk of your site being pulled down due to an expired card or other issues.

Also keep in mind that even though you are paying it all up front, a 12 month plan will only cost you $59.40 and the 36 month plan will cost around $106. And these yearly plans ensures that you DON’T pay more by going monthly, give you a FREE domain name, and peace of mind that your site isn’t going to go down because the hosting wasn’t renewed that month. – In the end, if you go with more, the less you’ll pay and the more benefits you get.

 Plus! If you want your money back, Bluehost will be happy to give you a return for the time you didn’t use. Then you don’t run a risk of losing money.

If you’re unsure about blogging, the year plan might be great for you so that you don’t feel committed to it for a very long time. It gives you the option to try it out for 12 months and see how you feel at the end.

Last Note – Forget the Add-Ons

Lastly, feel free to uncheck all of the add-ons. The ONLY thing you will really need is Domain Privacy Protection (for $0.99 a month). This just ensures that personal info, like your email address, isn’t out there for others to see.

And just remember before we continue on that if you use my special link, you’ll get an amazing deal others won’t get as well as a free domain name.

Now if you’re ready to get your WordPress Blog started, then you can follow the simple steps here:

1. Click on the “Get Started” button when you go to Bluehost.
2. Choose the package you want.
3. Give them the domain name you want to use, the one you’ve already registered elsewhere, or skip for now (until you can think of the right one later – it’ll still be free).
4. Fill out the form for your personal and payment information.
5. Then choose a secure password.

Again, if you have trouble with any of these steps OR you have some questions about hosting, remember that you can contact me at contact@chasingfoxes.com. I have a GREAT person at Bluehost that will be able to help you out quickly, and I don’t want you getting confused along the way at all.

Step 3 – Connect the Domain

Now, if you’ve already purchased your domain name on a site like GoDaddy.com, you can easily connect it to your Bluehost account.

Side Note: If this is something you didn’t do, then you can continue onto the next step.

Also, if this step makes you nervous (because if you’re not tech savvy like me, then anything techy can make you nervous), then feel free to go to GoDaddy’s support page for help with this.

Here’s a snapshot from GoDaddy’s support page of the steps you’ll need to take…

When it comes to “Name Servers,” they should look something like this…  ns1.bluehost.com; ns2.bluehost.com.

After this, you can simply head over to your Bluehost account, go to “Domains,” click on “assign,” and follow the SERIOUSLY painless steps!

Step 4 – Installing WordPress with One Click

Now this step is VERY simple!

Installing Wordpess with Bluehost is FREE and only requires you to click one button!

And here are the following steps that will take place when you sign up to use WordPress through Bluehost:

• After choosing a password, Bluehost will ask you to pick a free or paid theme for your blog, but if this is something you want to do later, then you can go onto the next step. Or you can pick one now and change it later on if you want to!
• Then you can go on by clicking “Continue Building.”
• Lastly, you can choose the options, “Personal,” “Business,” or “I don’t need help,” and you’re done!

Congrats! You’re OFFICIALLY a blog owner! This is such an exciting place to be, I would know, it’s changed my LIFE.

Now if you’re having any trouble with signing up or navigating your NEW ( 😃) WordPress blog and Bluehost dashboard, feel free to contact me at contact@chasingfoxes.com. I’m here to help you out!

Easy Tips on How to Navigate Your WordPress Site!

• If you want to create a new post, just hover over the “Posts” option on the left side of your page and click “New Post.”
• When creating a post, you can click on “Media” to download images.
• Installing Plugins: Simply hover over “Plugins” on the left side and choose “Add New.” Then you can simply search for the ones you want such as “Google Analytics.” – You can also sign up here to get a list of FREE plugins every new blogger needs!
• Install Jetpack: Jetpack is a great FREE plugin that’ll protect your site from attackers/spammers, optimize the speed of your site, AND you’ll get the option to see your blog’s stats. This means you’ll get to see how many people have been on your site for that day, what sites they’re coming from, and how many views each post on your blog has for the day.
• For those who want to have fun with sending out newsletters to their readers, you can get started with Convertkit (Great for non-tech savvy people… seriously). Plus, I have a post explaining how it works here.
• When looking for a good blog theme to make your new site look amazing, I would definitely go with Genesis. I know many bloggers who use their themes and they’re very affordable (with FREE ones as well!). And to pick a theme for your site using WordPress itself, all you need to do is hover over “Appearance” (in your WordPress dashboard) then click on “Themes” and choose one of the great options they have. – As a quick note, just know that if you pick a paid theme (like with Genesis) they’ll be more fast and secure, easier to install and customizable, have better search engine optimization, and designed for desktop AS WELL as mobile.

Now if you have any questions at all, just let me know! I’m happy to help! 🙂

Here are some posts on blogging to help you get started! 

Free Blogging Email Course for Beginners

5 Ways to Make Money Blogging

How to Come Up with an Amazing Blog Name

How to Find Your Blog’s Niche & Make it Successful

How I Made $3,000 in My 3rd Month of Blogging

Why You Need an Email List & How to Set One Up

How this Blogger Went from $0 to Over $50k+ a Month Blogging

The Course That’s Turned Others Into Successful Bloggers

How to Actually Increase Your Blogging Income (Passively!)

3 Things Blogging Pros Do to Get Millions of Views