Blogger vs WordPress Blog

Setting up a blog has become quite simple these days. You don't have to have any technical expertise or knowledge to make your own blog. Today, there are literally millions of blogs that you can find on the internet, but most of them don't go anywhere because they don't have any strategy in place. It is no longer enough to just start a blog; you also need to how to run and operate it in order to be successful.

Image credit: Mike Licht

It doesn't matter if you don't have any experience as the tips outlined below are going to teach you how to blog effectively:

You need to bear in mind that there are no shortcuts on the road to success. Don't just set up a blog when you are in it for making money. When your aim is to develop a blog that brings it substantial revenue, you will have to make a lot of effort. The only way you will stay motivated is if you blog about something you have a passion for or have an interest in.

It is essential for you to have a purpose or else you are not going to last long in the blogging business. Understand why you wish to start a blog and what you are expecting from it. You will be able to deal with the problems and troubles along the way only if you are sure of why you wish to succeed.

Finding your niche is the next step. Every day, lots of blogs spring up on the web and you can only stand out amongst them if you become an expert in a specific area. Rather than providing general tips on a variety of topics, you should give some thought to turning your blog into a book. You will go far if you go specific.

Once you have chosen your niche, you need to make sure that it can solve a problem. You can only make money if you are able to provide solutions to people's problems. Do some research to know if people are willing to pay for getting the particular issue resolved or not.

If you don't want your blog to come off like thousands of others, you have to inject some expertise and personality in it. Most of the blogs that are established these days are run by people who have absolutely no knowledge or experience of what they are teaching. You should get some experience before blogging about something because you will be able to connect with the audience as you have gone through similar stages. This will get them to trust and like you.

Sure, you can find endless suggestions about domain names online, but the final decision rests with you as you need to think about the kind of brand and name you wish to build. Your domain name has to be concise and unique while being easy to spell and memorable at the same time. Don't go for a name that's tough to remember or you will never be able to develop a large following.

While there are free blogging options you can find these days such as Blogger.com, it is always a sound decision to go for self-hosted service. It is not difficult to find such services, which charge you a few dollars every month and give you control over your blog. You have to freedom of customizing your blog and giving it a personal touch to make it unique. You can also sign up with a good hosting company and setup your blog on WordPress. VPS hosting is a preferred choice of most businesses and bloggers these days.

Now it is your turn to opt for a WordPress theme for your blog, which can be used for giving it a professional look. Again, you will find free themes, but remember that these will be used by others as well. It is better to spend some money and go for a premium theme if you want your blog to be different.

Getting your plugins in order is the next step when you have your web host and a theme. However, you shouldn't add too many plugins because this is only going to slow down your blog. Plugins should only be kept to a minimum and they should be immensely useful such as those that prevent spam, reducing file size, removing and fixing links and playing podcasts and interviews.

Source: Some Brilliant Blogging Tips for the Novice So Their Blog Can Survive