Introduction

This introduction answers some common questions among aspiring bloggers. If you already have a blog and know the basics, feel free to skip this page.

Do I Need a Domain and Hosting?

It is fine to get started on a hosted solution like Blogger.com or WordPress.com. They will allow you to learn the basics of blogging and web publishing without spending money. As soon as you nail down these basics, however, it is vital to buy your own domain name and to purchase a web hosting package with some company.

Why? There are several reasons. First of all when you use those hosted services you don't really own your website, and they could shut it down if they believe you have violated one of their policies.

Secondly, with your own domain and hosting account you will have more flexibility and features on the technology side. This means that you will be able to choose different content management systems to install, special scripts and so on.

Finally, having your own domain name will add a lot of credibility to your blog, as most beginners (and spammers) use free hosted solutions.

The question then becomes: What kind of domain name and hosting should you purchase?

Here is a rule of thumb you can use. For the domain name, aim for something with two words and a .com extension. If you have a blog about diets, for example, you could try dietspot.com or alldiets.com. But be warned, finding a good and available domain is not easy, and you will probably need to spend days on the task.

For the web hosting, choose a shared hosting plan based on Linux (as opposed to Windows), and make sure that it uses cPanel (the standard software for hosting management). If you don't know how to identify these two things, just email the customer support of the company asking whether or not they have it.

What Software Should I Use?

WordPress (the software, not to be confused with the hosted solution WordPress.com) is by far the best CMS (Content Management System) for bloggers and small web publishers. It is an open source project, so you won't need to spend a dime. On top of that it offers more features than any other software, and it is supported by a huge community.

If you have a hosting plan that uses cPanel, as we recommend above, you should find an icon called “Fantastico” inside your dashboard. This is a script you can use to install a wide range of software with just a couple of clicks. You can use it to install WordPress, too. Alternatively you can download the software at WordPress.org and install it manually (they have a “how to” manual for it).

Aren't Blogs Just Personal Diaries?

While blogs emerged on the web as personal diaries, over the years they have evolved into much more than that. It all began when people realized that the blog platform could be used for a wide range of purposes. Some started sharing news on their blogs, others humor pieces, and others yet started writing articles on their fields of expertise.

The key aspect is the fact that blogs transformed monologues into conversations. Before their appearance, you had a small number of mainstream websites that were responsible for the production of all the content online. Users like you and me could just absorb that content passively. With the appearance of blogs, however, the access to web publishing was democratized. Suddenly anyone, anywhere could share his ideas and content with the rest of the world.

Today the line between blogs and mainstream websites is blurring. You have popular blogs like TechCrunch.com competing head to head with established publications like Wired.

We could say that a blog is nothing more than a type of website. It is a platform that anyone can use to publish content on the web. As for what that content must be, there are no rules.

Is It Really Possible to Make Money Blogging?

The answer is “yes.” TechCrunch.com makes over $1,000,000 per year. Popular blogs like PerezHilton.com, Mashable.com and HuffingtonPost.com follow closely.

Obviously most of those blogs resemble mainstream publications these days, with several paid writers, a specialized sales team and the like, but they all started with a single blogger writing about his passion.

And you don't need to go to the very top to see the money. I don't consider myself to be particularly gifted, yet I make six figures per year online. All that money can be traced back to my blogs. Some of it directly, via advertising and affiliate marketing deals, and some indirectly, via online projects that were launched thanks to the blogs.

So yes, it is definitely possible to make money blogging. At his point many people ask: “But is it easy or quick?” Well, that is a completely different question, and unfortunately the answer here is a big “no.”

Making money blogging is no different than making money with any other venture, be it online or offline. As such, it will take time and require a heck lot of work.

Blogging has several advantages though. It allows you to write on a topic that you are passionate about, to work anywhere and anytime, to network with many interesting people, and it can also become a real business.

What Should I Blog About?

Choosing the right niche for your blog is tricky. If you want to blog merely as a hobby, then feel free to write about whatever you want. The important thing here is to have fun.

If, however, you want to make money with your blog and possibly grow it into a business, you will need to choose your niche more carefully.

The first mistake to avoid is making the blog gravitate around your person. This includes using a domain with your name and surname and writing excessively about personal matters. This has worked for some people, but most of them already had some notoriety before they started blogging. Don't get me wrong. Putting yourself in your blog and sharing your related experiences with the audience is perfectly fine, but your site should have a topic on its own, say small business or Microsoft Windows, as opposed to being a personal blog.

The second mistake is trying to cover too many topics with the same blog. You probably have many interests and passions, but you need to choose one of them for your blog. If you write about technology, politics and fitness, you will have a hard time developing a core audience. The sharper the focus of your blog, the easier it will be to attract readers and to monetize it.

The third mistake is choosing a niche that you are not passionate or knowledgeable about. This usually happens when people see someone making good money in a certain niche, and they decide to imitate it. As I mentioned before, making money blogging will take time and hard work. If you don't love what you are writing about, you won't have the motivation to stick with it long enough

Finally, try to focus on just one blog instead of creating a myriad of them. It is easier to make money with one authoritative blog than with a bunch of mediocre ones.