HOW TO BUILD A WEBSITE OR BLOG AND MAKE MONEY!

By: Michael Sava

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning this site may receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at absolutely no cost to you. This please read my affiliate disclosure page for more information. Also, please read our article disclaimer

Real talk! Those days of having to learn code are over! Making a website is easier than ever, believe me, if I can do it, anyone can. Honestly, it just takes a little bit of time and (to be frank), patients. I have made numerous sites in the last couple of years and it’s fun. I help people expand their business or organization and even helped people make money too!

Making your own website isn’t always the answer. Yes, it will save you money, but it will cost you in time. If you feel that your time is useful in other aspects of the business such as marketing, getting your legal affairs in order, scouting locations, interviewing employees, etc., then hire Marbury Web Design. They will create your logo, graphic designs, social media pages, host your website, and build you the website of your drea

I built most of this blog and within a year, it has been my full time job. I love what I do. I get to write about lessons I learned messing up my finances and hopefully changing lives for the better. Bottom line, you can make a full time income doing this. There are people who make $500.00 a month whole others are making 100k a month. It all depends if you keep working!

THREE PARTS TO BUILD YOUR SITE

We want to keep this as organized as possible, just know that this article, it will be broken up into parts. They are as follows:

Setting up Hostgator
Setting up WordPress
Information on How to Make money with your website or blog

A. PART I

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO HOSTGATOR

Hostgator

The road to starting a website, begins at Hostgator. Here, you can buy your domain name, hosting, and build your website. Yes, there are other companies out there, but I will be upfront, NOBODY has customer service like Hostgator. You can call them, instant message them, or email them 24 hours a day! They are always helpful and solve the problem before you get off the phone. The sites I build, I only go to Hostgator!

Starting The Process

Go To Hostgator
Click the “Get Started” Button

CHOOSING A PLAN

This is the basic hosting plan for unlimited websites. It supports hosting for unlimited domains making it a good value as compared to the hatchling. Although it includes fewer e-commerce features than the business plan, it is still perfect at creating an online store, website, or blog. So, here is what is available with the baby plan:

Unlimited domain hosting
Unmetered disk space and bandwidth
Free domain
Free SSL
Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer

Best value, you can always grow if you want to get bigger, but the baby plan is the best pick in our opinion.

Hostgator has some of the lowest prices for web developers who may want to buy shared hosting. In the baby plan, web hosting general initial price was $10 per month. However, the prices have been reduced to $5.95 per month. So, with good value and unlimited domains, you can create as many websites online as you wish.

Click “buy now.” button. You can see an example on the image below.

Click Image Above To See Current Price

Pick The Perfect Domain Name

It is important to think about domain names and hosting before you start building your website. A web host stores all files and makes them available to visitors. Your domain name is what visitors will use to access your website. Without these two elements, your sites won’t be accessible on the internet.

HostGator offers domain registration and web hosting. You can always purchase them with the same company. Keeping them in one place makes the administrative procedures easier since you only need to maintain one account.

Think of a domain name

Now, while choosing a domain name there are a few things to consider:

Keep up with .com

There are several domain name extensions available today, including .org, .net, and .com. however, it is always recommendable to stick with .com. while it might be enticing to come up with complicated blog names using new extensions, .com is still the most popular and credible domain name extension. In my opinion, strange domain extensions like .ninja or .photography make your website appear untrustworthy. That doesn’t mean if you see a website without a .com that it’s untrustworthy. It may or maynot give off that feel.

Consider keywords in your domain name search.

Keywords play a massive in domain names. Using keywords in your domain tells the search engine what your site is about. Quality content and keywords in domain names help you get a higher ranking in Google.

Keep it short and memorable.

While keywords play significant roles, avoid a lengthy domain name. Short domain names are memorable to your visitors. Often, it’s recommendable to have a 15-laters domain name.

Make it easy to pronounce.

Always ensure that you can share and write your domain name. You never know – you may sometimes need to share your domain name in person.

If you intend to use your domain name to create a professional website, it should be easy to spell and understand.

Keep it unique

This is important as it lets you stand out in your readers’ minds. It is worth searching other blogs in your niche and finding out the domain name they’re using.

You want to avoid accidentally using a trademark name or being accused of copying other sites. You can also choose a more brandable name.

Avoid hyphens

Avoid using hyphens in the domain name. Hyphens indicate spam domains, which is what you don’t need to associate with. With a hyphened domain, your visitors may end up at your competitors’ sites in case of typos.

Avoid using double letters.

Avoiding double letters increases your chances. This helps you reduce the chances of losing traffic to typos. Additionally, it makes your domain more brandable and easy to type.

Search and see if it’s available

Before registering your domain name, try to research and find out if it has been registered using the same name. You can carry out trademark research to see if the name has already been trademarked. Additionally, you can check on Google to find out if the name is available on top social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc

What I hate

Avoid joining two words into one. In my experience people don’t remember them as much as a regular name for a website. Even if it is unique. Does that mean all websites with joined words are doomed? No, just take a look at your domain name and be honest with yourself. Ask some friends and family on their thoughts.

Side Note.

Just a Side note, If you still need help figuring out a domain name (and yes, it is very difficult, don’t kid yourself). Please check out a blog post called How To Choose A Domain Name.

Is The Domain Available?

Below you will see an image that Hostgator will show you if your domain name is available. If you don’t see this screen, it will take you that the domain name is already taken. So, it’s back to the drawing board. Be patient, think about it, and enjoy the process.

CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT & ENTER BILLING INFORMATION

To be fair, we are well aware you know how to fill out your information, however we did promise to show you how to build a website step by step. Plus, we have a discount code for you too! Let’s go over the next three steps together

1. Decide Your Billing Cycle

First you are going t have to pick how long you want the site for. The longer you decided to keep the site, the more money you will save. Plus, I will give you a discount code when we cover checking out. However, for now, “trying this” for a month or two

won’t work. It’s going to take you a while to write and get noticed by google. I want to be upfront with you, if you are serious about blogging or having a business, get the 36 month subscription. You will be set up and you will see results by then (so, long as you keep writing, keep it seo friendly, network a little at the very least. Click here, to see an updated price list!

2. Account Creation

Creating your account is easy, just fill in the information like you see in the image below. I have to point out that you should think really hard about the 4 digit code needed. Codes like 1234 or 0000 are not good. Protecting your site is crucial. So, pick a 4 digit number that you will not forget. It would be a shame if someone messed up your site after years of work.

3. Billing Information

Enter in your billing information. Remember, you will receive everything included with he baby plan (or whatever plan you decided to go with). Regardless, you are purchasing more than a domain name.

Decide If You Want To Add On

1. Don't Do It

No, do not do it! Most of these can be done for free. Yes, it can be done for free when you make your website. they are doing this to upsell. If you feel you want to purchase these add-ons, I can’t stop you. However, it’s really simple to do yourself.

Privacy Protection

Yes, Get Privacy Protection

So, to add privacy with HostGator, you first need to check with your web hosting company to see if they offer privacy as an add-on service. With HostGator, all you need to do is use Launchpad to enable WHOIS privacy. So here is how to get started, it’s super simple

Although you’ll still receive the occasional spam phone call or emails, by adding privacy, you won’t get significantly less, and your information will always be safe from strangers. They just want to offer you services like logo creation, website building, graphic design, etc. If you do need help, remember Marbuy Web Design.

If you are planning on having a website that stirs up a lot of emotion, privacy protection is great to keep you and your family safe. So, if you are for/against some new law that everybody is fighting about, you don’t want to take a stand with all your info at your website. Again, this is just my opinion, do what you like. You do not need Privacy to start your website. You don’t need anything else apart from domain and privacy. These two elements are enough to grow your website.

1. This Is What You Will See

Look at the image below, the longer you purchase, the bigger the discount will be. Click here, to see what the current prices and discounts are.

Click Image To See Updated Price

CONFIRM YOUR PURCHASE, CHECK THE BOX, & CHECK OUT

1. Confirm Your Purchase

Check your order. If there is a mistake, HostGators top notch customer service will help you fixt the problem, but save your time. Check your purchase and if it is good, click “Checkout Now”!

Congratulations - (WELCOME TO HOSTGATOR)

You did it, you are set up with the service to reach billions of people! This is an exciting time. Now that you paid you are ready to move on to phase II!

B. Part II

Let Me Introduce You To WordPress

What is WordPress? At its core, WordPress is the simplest, most popular way to create your own website or blog. In fact, WordPress powers over 35% of all the websites on the Internet. Yes – more than one in four websites that you visit are likely powered by WordPress. Includes users of small family websites to multibillion dollar companies. Basically, you now have the service, now here is the software to build your website or blog!

Launch Your C-Panel

Open up your Control Panel Known as the “cPanel”. Here we will be working on the backend of your website. This is for your eyes only (or the eyes of your webmaster). At this step, click “Launch cPanel”.

Look around after clicking the “Launch cPanel”. Many people feel a little overwhelmed at this part. There is going to be a ton of icons, menu bars, advertisements. Yes, you’re going to be entering whole new world. Are we going to be using everything? No. Relax and enjoy the process.

Get Software (FREE)

After you open up your cPanel, there is a whole world of options. However, for right now, let’s focus on building a website and/or blog. On the side menu, click on “websites”, scroll down to the “software” option and click it. After that, you will see a list of options. We highly recommend clicking “Quickinstall” This software is a necessity and crucial to your success.

Get WordPress (FREE)

Now, on the side menu, click “website essentials”. Once you complete that step, you will be given options for building your site. WordPress dominates over the competition with providing FREE software for almost 1/2 of the worlds websites. Stick with what works! Download WordPress by clicking the wordpress box (as seen in the picture below)

Enter Your Domain Name

This is pretty simple, if this is your first website. I just wanted to remind those who have multiple sites, not to foreg to enter in the correct domain name here. If this is your first time, just enter in your website address (domain name). If you have any confusion, worry, or question, call hostgator. You are part of the family now and they are open to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Or send them a direct instant message and they will respond to you within 2-5 minutes.

Fill Out The Admin Profile

It’s pretty important to fill this form out correctly. It can be changed later on, but for now you need to remember what you filled out. The blog title will appear on every page, but again can be changed or deleted later. Remember your admin username. It can be anything you want it to be, but that will be your login name. Of course, your first and last name. Be sure to double check your email address, Once your done, click the button.

Now Wait

I’m not going to lie, this part sucks! However, this the perfect time to get your thoughts and ideas ready for building your site. Right now, Hostgator is letting the world know about your website. It is traveling all over the world and finding its spot on servers, literally. Remember, it’s the world wide web (www.). So, it may take 2 hours to 2 days for your website to show up. Contact Hostgator for any reason, but it’s totally normal. I would contact them if it’s been 48 hours and it hasn’t popped up yet. You will see an image like the one you do above. I have made over 30 websites and I have never waited 2 days. Just be patient and check back.

Check Your Email

Even before the 48 hours, Hostgator will send you an email with all of your information. Get to your email and check it out. Once opened, you’re pretty much done!

That’s it! I hope you journeyed with me in building your website or blog. I truly hoped to answer the question of “How do I build a website” or “How do I build a blog”. Remember, you’re not going to make a million dollars tomorrow. You have to put in the work. This blog here, I published over 100 articles before I even thought about advertising. My focus was getting traffic. Good luck, never stop!

That’s it! Remember, in order to log into your website and start making changes, you need to go to your “Admin URL” that is going to be your web address plus /wp-admin. An example would be, www.whateveryouwebsitenameis.com/wp-admin

If you don’t get it, just click the link in your email address that is next to “admin URL”

Now, all you have to do is login and start building your website. There isn’t anything left to purchase. You can create a million dollar business, blog, website from what you have there.

A Little Word of Encouragement

This is a new world for many of you. It will be difficult to get your colors right, the wording right, the pictures in the right spot, etc. It’s okay, keep working on your website. The day you give up is a day you will regret. The website and blog community always reference that some time later, they ask themselves why they stopped. This is particularly true to people who want to blog about or be involved in one of their passions. Give your passion a chance. It may take up to three or four or five years. Keep learning.

C. Part III

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WEBSITE!

Let’s face it: making money through blogging isn’t easy. However, you can make a couple bucks a year to a couple of million a year! Yes! It has been done, numerous times! I just have to be frank, you have to work on it. Once you give up, you loose! The notable thing about blogging is that anyone can do it, and it looks fantastic on a resume.

You simply must have something to say, and you must be patient and committed to generating traffic and followers.

What is the best way for a successful blogger to make money?

You can make money from your blog or website in a variety of ways. These are the most effective methods for monetizing your blog or website:

Affiliate marketing

To promote affiliate marketing, trackable affiliate links can be added to your blog’s text. Each time a reader clicks through your link and makes a purchase from a website you recommend, you can earn a small commission.

These links will take readers to a brand’s website. The money is for saying “thank you!” to your readers who directed them to their website.

Almost every eCommerce website, such as Amazon or ASOS, has an affiliate program.

Affiliate Window is a massive affiliate network that lets you promote tens of thousands of brands and services all over the world. Affiliate marketing is a natural fit for many bloggers.

It’s all about being genuine and genuine in affiliate marketing. Only write reviews and articles that reflect your genuine feelings. People should only be encouraged to buy products or services if they are a good fit for them.

Amazon has the easiest affiliate program you can join. Click here to see Amazon and look for their affiliate program button to join at the bottom of the page.

Offer banner ad space for sale.

You can also sell banner advertising space on your blog to brands related to your readers. Advertisements can be displayed in almost any location. They are, however, most often found at the top of blog pages or in the sidebar.

Earning money is one of the two options. You have two options for earning money: For each reader who clicks on your ad, CPC (cost-per-click) will pay you a set amount. For every 1,000 impressions your ad receives, CPM will pay you a set fee.

Adblocker plugins’ CPC and CPM can be extremely low. However, because everything depends on the industry, you might want to give them a shot.

You can start immediately by signing up for a Google AdSense account.

Here is a banner space sponsored by the Youtube Channel Reflection and Relaxation.

Content that has been sponsored

One of the most effective ways to monetize a blog is through sponsored content opportunities, also known as advertorials. These advertisements are essentially articles or blog posts that have been paid for.

If Adidas introduces a new line of swimwear and you run a women’s sportswear blog, they may offer to pay you to write an article about it. Affiliate links can also be included.

If you have a strong niche, this method of monetization works best. After you’ve grown your readership, brands will often approach you to discuss sponsored posts. Below is a sponsor we have that you are familiar with, Hostgator.

Click To Learn More

Sell Your Social Media Space

If you have a strong social media presence, brands will be drawn to you. Sponsored posts on social media are a popular way for bloggers to make money. Per post or re-post, there are fees that can be charged.

It’s not difficult to gain a huge number of followers. Your “social proof” (the number of people who follow you on social media) is regarded by brands as proof that your readers will enjoy what you post about them.

Contribute to media outlets’ blogs as a guest blogger.

If you are an authority on a topic, bloggers or members of the media may contact you and ask you to make a brief appearance on their site.

If you are an expert in budget cooking, a newspaper may contact you and ask you to submit some budget-friendly recipes for their cooking magazine.

Don’t be afraid to pitch ideas to publications; even if they don’t know you, an email introduction can help your blog get noticed.

Full Speed Travel

The Above link is to my article I did on how to save money while traveling. Full Speed Travel gives us traffic all because I did a guest post all because I asked.

To expand your blog, work with an agency.

Bloggers have become so well-known in advertising that agencies have been formed to promote them to major corporations.

Although it can be rewarding and provide security, you will need a significant following to succeed.

Fees charged by agencies can be costly. Only the most powerful brands can afford to work with you, while smaller, independent businesses will be wary.

This will vary depending on the type of blog business you want to start. Agency fees, for example, may prevent you from working directly with small independent designers whom you want to promote.

You can sell digital products on your blog.

eBooks, courses, workshops, and video tutorials are all examples of digital products that can be used to monetize your website. If you have a lot of knowledge in a particular field, you should consider creating valuable content that people are looking for.

It can be difficult to persuade online communities to pay because there is widespread belief that everything should be free on the internet. However, it’s worth a shot.

The newsletter space on your blog can be sold.

Brands can also be charged for ad space or mentions in your monthly/weekly newsletter (if one exists). This will only take a few minutes of your time and could earn you a lot of money.

However, if you want to be considered by brands, you’ll need to build a large mailing list.

You can drive the interest of potential employers.

You can use your blog to promote your company or even find work. This is an additional, albeit indirect, way to monetize your blog.

Your blog can function as an online resume. You can demonstrate your abilities, establish your credibility, and possibly land a job.

Consider it this way: your blog is a small business of its own. You demonstrate to potential employers that you have an entrepreneurial mindset and can be successful by demonstrating that your blog can be successful.

Conclusion

Is blogging a reliable source of income?

As we’ve seen, the answer is yes. Your personal circumstances determine the amount of money you can make blogging. This is how blogging works. Bloggers, on the other hand, can earn a lot of money if they are patient.

A blog’s monetization is a time-consuming process that requires some traffic. If you have more readers, advertisers will be more interested in you.

You can make a decent living blogging if you have multiple income streams.

These are just a few simple ways to profit from your website or blog. If you do your research, there are several ways to find out on the internet.

If you need help building your website, please visit our sponsor below by clicking the picture. Marbury Web Design is a family owned business with experience in the field.