How to Start a Style Blog
So you want to be a style blogger, eh? I have some good news and some bad news…
Just kidding, it's only good news. And the good news is that starting a style blog is extremely easy (and almost free).
Now running the blog and getting people to read it… well, that takes a little more work. But the first step is getting started, and you can do that right now, in the next five minutes (seriously).
There are basically three steps:
- Domain Name and Hosting
- Install WordPress
- Dress It Up
Let's look at each of these steps in a little more detail.
Step 1: Domain Name and Hosting
This might be the coolest part of this process. You get to pick a name! No pressure here, you can always change it, but you should try to pick a winner.
Make a list of 10-20 potential names, then use the Bluehost domain name finder to see if they're available. If not, no worries! You can always add a modifier (an extra word) to the domain name.
For example, if you want awesomestyle.com but it's already taken, you could try awesomestyledude.com.
Not my best work, but you get the point.
Honestly, the name isn't all that important. It just feels really important. It's best not to get hung up on this step. Just pick something and run with it.
On to hosting…
If your website is a car, hosting is your parking space. It's a little corner of the internet where you get to keep all of your blog posts, photos and videos. And if you pick a good hosting company, you never have to worry about someone else parking in your spot.
There are tons of hosting companies, but the best one is Bluehost. It's what this site is running on right now, and I've never had any problems with it.
The customer support is great (even thought you probably won't need it), and it's super affordable (like the cost of one cup of coffee each month). Save yourself some time, skip the research, and go with Bluehost.
Step 2: Install WordPress
After you get your hosting account and domain name squared away, you need to install WordPress. Sticking with the car metaphor, think of WordPress as your website's engine. It works so well that over 20% of websites on the entire internet use it.
So yeah, look no further. WordPress is where it's at. It's easy to install from your hosting account.
Step 3: Dress It Up
You can't have a plain old boring website. After all, it's a style blog. It's got to look good, like you! The easiest way to make your blog look dapper is to use something called a theme.
A website theme is like the body of a car. It doesn't change the frame of engine, but it determines how it looks.
The best WordPress theme, in my modest opinion, is Genesis. This framework and its “child themes” look amazing. They're minimal, clean and modern.
Plus they're super fast, totally secure and optimized for search engines (very important for any style blogger).
This site is running on the Balance theme, but you should check them all out and pick your favorite.
Time for a selfie!
Congrats! You're the proud new owner of a style blog, which makes you a style blogger. Time to publish some selfies and share your thoughts about what to wear with what and when to wear it.
Welcome to the club. Have fun!
