Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
So you’re ready to start a blog and make money…it should be easy, especially these days with all the promotions promising how easy it is!
Right?
Well…that depends.
There are a few bits of info you should know before jumping in.
And most importantly – these bits of info let you know how to start a blog without breaking the bank.
This is incredibly important for one main reason: You might not want to blog.
You might realize your blog idea won’t work, and you’d instead try another.
Why invest much money into the idea if it might not work as you envision?
The good news is that you can start a blog easily & quickly – and for little money.
The key is to know what you need for the blog, what costs money and what doesn’t need to yet, and how to avoid unnecessary costs.
So let’s get started!
First Things First – How To Start A Blog
To start a blog, you will need to purchase the following:
- A domain name (paid yearly)
- A hosting account (paid monthly or annualy)
That’s it. No other costs are necessary.
Ideally, you also know what you plan to blog about, have a general idea of the content you will create, and how you want the blog to look.
But you can work on those things once the blog is set up.
If you know the name you want it to have, grab the domain & hosting, and you are ready to go.
Can’t I Use A Free Blogging Service?
You could, but a blog address at a free service (like blogger.com or wordpress.com) does not have the same impact or authority that a domain name-based blog has.
And while you can get a free blog and then pay a bit to add a domain name to it, that setup will cost more, give you less control, and limit what you can do with the site.
If you have any ideas at all about growing your blog, it’s best to start at the beginning with your domain name and your hosting account.
What Is A Domain Name?
The domain name, the .com (or .net or .whatever-you-choose, although I’d say stick with .com), is what I always say is like the “road sign” you put out on the “road” of the internet to tell people where you are. (Stick with me – this will make more sense when I explain hosting.)
A domain name can cost as little as a couple of bucks for the first year when you first sign up for it, but it will cost anywhere from $12-20 per year thereafter.
NOTE —> You will need to renew, aka pay for, your domain name every year.
TIP: WRITE DOWN YOUR DOMAIN RENEWAL DATE WHERE YOU WILL REMEMBER IT.
Remember to renew your domain name every year it’s due, or you could lose it.
Depending on where you get it, if you miss your renewal date, you might get a small grace period to renew still.
However, If you lose the domain, you could have difficulty getting it back…sometimes domain “squatters” will snap up expired domains and hold on to them.
If you want it back, you must pay them large amounts for it (I still miss my old domain from 15 years ago…a squatter got it back then, and they have never let it go!).
Can I get an email address using my domain name?
Yes, how you do that varies.
Once you have a domain name, you can set up email accounts using it (yourname@yourdomain.com).
These are often set up via your hosting account (see below about hosting), but there are other ways.
For example, if you have an iCloud account with Apple devices, you can set up domain-based email through iCloud (no additional charge on your iCloud account – domain email is included).
What is a hosting account?
A hosting account is a space on a remote computer (server) you rent monthly to hold your website content.
Think of it like renting office space: Your hosting account is the office space, and your domain name is the sign you put out on the road.
You will pay monthly or yearly, depending on your hosting company.
I strongly recommend starting off paying month to month so that if you decide blogging isn’t for you, you can easily cancel instead of being locked in for a full year’s payment.
One benefit of a hosting account is the included email accounts; be sure to check that email is included when you sign up for hosting.
However, keep in mind: If you ever let your hosting account go, you will also lose your email accounts & email messages. (This has happened to my clients in the past…they forgot to renew their hosting, and when it wasn’t paid, they lost their email.)
If you lose your hosting, you will ALSO lose your website and all its content…so be sure to take backups of your blog. I’ll explain more later on in the series.
NOTE—> A hosting account will be about $8ish per month, and you will pay for this each month or every year.
Is there anything I should consider when choosing a hosting account?
I suggest paying attention to three things:
Free SSL certificates: These are what make your URL “https://“ instead of “http://“ and SSL is required for all sites (it’s an extra layer of security).
Almost all hosting companies include basic SSL for free in their hosting packages.
You do NOT need to pay for SSL.
Tip: Avoid hosting at Godaddy specifically because they charge quite a bit extra for SSL.
The ability to pay monthly: Especially when starting, paying for hosting month to month is beneficial.
Yes, you can save a few bucks by paying yearly upfront, but if you’re not 100% sure that the blog will work out for you, paying monthly when you start is the best way to go.
You can always change to yearly a bit further down the road.
3. Email accounts: Most hosting companies include free email accounts, but check to be sure.
Should I worry about how much disk space or bandwidth they offer?
When just starting, no. Unless you have gigabytes of content ready to post immediately, you won’t need to worry about how much space you need for a while.
And you can always upgrade once you need more space.
Is there anything I should consider when buying a domain name?
Nothing other than price.
Domain names are the same no matter who sells them, so the only advantage one company has over another is the cost.
Usually, you can find good deals for the first year, but then check how much the domain will cost when it is renewed.
Sometimes, a super cheap first-year price means a higher price for every year thereafter *cough*Godaddy*cough*.
Some registrars, like Namecheap, might not be as cheap at the start, but then each year, the price is lower (usually, they run about $8-9ish for the first year and then about $13-14 per year regular price).
Tip: When you purchase a domain name, you do not need any extras they try to upsell you on (unless you want them, of course…but none are necessary).
What if my chosen hosting company offers a free domain name?
They usually offer free domains if you pay for a year of hosting upfront, so that is your decision.
However, if you decide to change hosts at some point, you will have a few extra hoops to jump through.
You’ll either have to transfer the domain or not, and then you will have to pay for the yearly domain renewals there at the old host, and those rates are usually higher (ask me how I know).
I suggest buying your domain name separately, just for the ease of keeping things organized from the start.
Where do you suggest I buy my domain name and hosting account?
Top domain accounts when you start a blog
Disclosure: If you purchase through our links we are compensated at no cost to you.
For domain names, I suggest any of these:
- Namecheap
- WordPress
- Ionos Canada
- Bluehost
- Godaddy (for domain names ONLY)
Best hosting accounts when you start a blog
Disclosure: If you purchase through our links we are compensated at no cost to you.
Unlimited Performance, Unbeatable Uptime
For hosting, I suggest any of these:
- BigScoots – CBB uses this
- WordPress
- Bluehost – Use the CBB unique link and get hosting from Bluehost for only $1.99/month!
- WebHosting Canada
- SiteGround
I have a domain name and a hosting account. Now, what do I do?
Okay, now it’s time to get your blog set up!
In the next How To Start A Blog post of my three-part series, we’ll cover these steps:
- How to “point” your domain to your hosting account (attach it to your hosting account)
- How to install WordPress on your hosting – and how to understand the difference between self-hosted WordPress at wordpress.org and the services offered at wordpress.com
- How to log into your new WordPress site, get the lay of the land, and start creating posts.
Contribution: Thanks to Sara, who runs Moonsteam Design and designed Canadian Budget Binder, for her expertise in this three-part series.
Related Posts
Disclaimer:
Please note that pricing for each blog resource may change.
This blog post may have affiliate links where I earn a commission if you sign up for them.
I trust these products and have used or still used them at one point in the last ten years.
Please read my policy and disclaimer for Canadian Budget Binder.