Complete list of steps to start a new blog in 2020
An important step by step list to consider to build a successful blog
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Domain name
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Choose the right domain. Use tools like namecheck.com to check for options matching your idea.
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Choose the right domain extension. .com is the best way to go, if it is not available look out for .net for .co.
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If the content of the blog is going to be applicable or useful in a specific country, consider getting a country extension like .ca or .us.
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Consider Namecheap or GoDaddy for buying the domain.
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Make sure to have WhoisGuard Privacy Protection selected to avoid private information like email address and phone numbers exposed to spammers. Namecheap offers this for free.
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Hosting is one of the most important aspect of a good and fast loading blog, so conduct and in-depth research on all the possible options.
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Hosting
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Speed, security and great customer service are the top three points to consider while selecting a good hosting solution.
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Some hosting providers give huge discounts during the first year but there will be huge increase in prices after the first year. Check and make sure this will not be the case.
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Check the server locations available. A high number of servers spread across the world will be better.
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WordPress Installation
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Make sure SSL is installed and active as it is an important feature currently for ranking and SEO. There are many free SSL options like Let's Encrypt.
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Once the hosting is purchased, install WordPress on the domain. It is a fairly simple, but If you are not familiar with the process, there are many free tutorials available in YouTube.
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After the installation is complete, install the theme you desire. There is a default WordPress theme, but there are many free themes available. Astra, WP Ocean, GeneratePress and Divi are some of the good options.
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Install necessary plugins for caching and security. There are many free options available. Research all the possible options.
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Install a good SEO plugin. Yoast and Rank Math are the best options. While Yoast has a free as well as paid plan with some additional features, Rank Math is completely free.
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Go to settings and change the permalinks to post name.
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Basic website set-up
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Build and publish the contact us and about me page.
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Give clear information in the about me page in two to three paragraphs explaining why you are a expert in this niche and what you are going to write about in this blog.
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Explain shortly on who is the target audience and how would they be benefited out of reading your posts.
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Clearly define the categories you are going to write the posts for. Set the primary category.
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If you are confident of having enough time, install a live chat plugin and interact with the visitors and answer their queries. This will significantly increase engagement. Drift and Customerly have free plans.
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Install a push notification tool so that the website visitors can subscribe for push notifications and you can retarget them to promote new content. Pushcrew and Pushmonkey have a free plan.
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Email Marketing
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Email marketing is not necessarily mandatory while starting, but it is always good to start building your list right from day one.
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Get an email address with your domain, yourname@yourdomain.com. This is very important for email marketing and also for your own personal branding as free mail clients like Gmail does not look professional.
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Gsuite is the best option to purchase professional email, but you can get one set up with your hosting provider for free but with some limited features.
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There are many free email marketing tools available. Select the one which suits you best. MailChimp and Email Octopus have a completely free plan up to 2000 subscribers. If you have enough budget, ConvertKit is the best email marketing tool for bloggers.
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Spend time to come up with a very good lead magnet that can be offered to gain subscribers.
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Set up lead generation forms and pop ups without affecting the overall user experience on the website.
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Publishing content
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Use free keyword research tools like Ubersuggest, Answerthepublic and come up with content ideas relevant to the niche.
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Be clear and concise in the sentences. Have the sentences short and to the point. Avoid long paragraphs.
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Learn and implement on-page SEO best practices.
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Optimize images by using tools like ShortPixel.
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Plan a content calendar with topics ready for at least one month of blog posts.
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Have a target of number of words to be written in a day, start with few words like 100 or 200 and increase it gradually.
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Be consistent in writing the planned number of words everyday without fail. If any chance the target is missed on a day, make it up on the subsequent day.
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If logging in to WordPress is difficult, write on the go using Google docs.
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Use tools like StoryChief and WordPigeon to link Google Docs with your WordPress account and publish in few clicks.
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Have a right balance or long form (more than 2000 words) pillar posts and short from response posts (600 to 800 words)
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Content Promotion
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Set up social media accounts in Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and if possible an YouTube channel.
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Publish and share useful content in the niche in all the channels. Keep the feeds active and engaged.
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If it hard to allot time for doing it, use tools like buffer and Quuu. Once you connect Quuu with Buffer account, all the channels will receive content consistently.
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Reach out to influencers in the niche and offer guest posting in return of a backlink.
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