Starting a Blog and Creating a Website: How Easy Is It?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

I’ve always had strong opinions, but expressing them hasn’t often been easy. I constantly find myself at a crossroads: Should I speak up? How should I present my thoughts? And how do I share my stories without them being misunderstood?

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered that blogging allowed me to express myself, share my thoughts, and connect with others without fearing misinterpretation.

That’s how I started blogging.

I created my first account on Blogger.com. All I had to do was sign up, customize the look of my blog using the available templates, write my posts, and hit publish. It was simple, and I enjoyed it.

Here is what to know about blogger.com

• It’s a free platform: You sign up and start blogging.
• Beginner-friendly: The set-up process is very simple, no coding skills needed.
• Available themes: You can choose from a few templates, though the customization is limited.
• Basic analytics: Blogger shows you some stats, like how many people have visited your blog. It’s not super detailed, but it’s a nice feature to have.
• You don’t fully own your site: Your blog will have a .blogspot.com domain (blogwithabby.blogspot.com instead of blogwithabby.com). That means Google owns the platform, and if they ever decide to shut it down, you could lose your blog.

After a while on Blogger, I started feeling a little restricted. I wanted more features, more customization, and just a bit more control over my blog. So, I made the switch to WordPress.com.

I couldn’t transfer all my old content directly, but I didn’t mind. I felt like I had a fresh start and was excited to explore what WordPress.com had to offer.

A few things to note about WordPress.com

• Still free, but with more flexibility: Like Blogger, you don’t have to pay to start, but you get a few more options.
• More themes to choose from: Customization is better than Blogger’s, but it’s still limited unless you pay for upgrades.
• Ads appear on your site: You can’t control them unless you pay to remove them.
• Beginner-friendly: If you want a blogging platform with good features but no stress of managing a full website, this is a solid option.
• You don’t fully own your site: Just like with Blogger, your blog will have a WordPress-branded domain (e.g., blogwithabby.wordpress.com instead of blogwithabby.com). This means WordPress controls the platform. However, you can for a plan and have a custom domain of your choice.

Here is a direct link that leads you to get started with WordPress.com.

Then, in 2024, I felt ready to take things to the next level. I wanted my own website where I could have complete control over the design, the URLs, and how I organized my content. So, I moved to WordPress.org with Bluehost.com as my hosting provider.

What’s cool about WordPress.org?

• You own everything. This includes the domain name. Just like blogwithabby.com. Unlike Blogger or WordPress.com, no one can take your site down or limit what you do with it. It’s yours, fully.
• You need a hosting provider. Since it’s a self-hosted platform, you can’t just sign up and start writing, you need a company to host your website for you.
• Customization is limitless. You can go wild with themes, colors, layouts, whatever fits your style. Your imagination is the only limit.
• You control ads. If you want ads on your site, you get to decide which ones, and you keep the money. No random ads popping up unless you put them there. This means you can monetize your blog and earn passive income.

So an important factor to consider here is a hosting provider. There are lots of options out there, can’t list them all.

Bluehost has a solid reputation.

When it comes to choosing a hosting provider, I don’t just go for the cheapest option, I go for reliability. If I’m investing my time and energy into building a website, I need to be sure it won’t randomly disappear one day.

That’s why I chose Bluehost. It has a good reputation, you can check the internet for this.

Free Domain for the First Year

A domain is just the name of your website, like blogwithabby.com. Usually, you have to buy this separately, but with Bluehost, you get it free for the first year.

Reliable customer service

 If you’re thinking about having your own website, I’d definitely recommend looking for a provider that offers great customer service. Trust me, you’ll need it.

I remember after signing up, I couldn’t access my site for a few days, but when I contacted Bluehost, I got immediate help. The support team was quick, friendly, and followed up to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Affordable pricing

Bluehost offers budget-friendly plans. With the link below, you can start at a discounted price of £2.49 per month for the WordPress Basic plan or $4.99 per month for the WordPress Choice Plus plan.

I went with WordPress Choice Plus because I wanted a long-term investment. If this blog is going to be around for the next 10 years, I figured I might as well settle in properly.

I chose my plan, made the payment, and my website was up and running within 24 to 48 hours.

From there, I could customize everything, design, colors, layout, however I wanted.

This part is fun, but it can also get a little crazy. If you’ve been following my journey from the start, you’ve probably noticed that I changed my site’s look quite a few times before I finally landed on the design I wanted.

Starting my own website has been one of the most exciting and fulfilling things I’ve done. And if you’re a beginner, Bluehost is a great place to start. They guide you through the process, making it easy even if you have zero experience with coding or website management.

If you’re thinking about launching your own blog, this might just be your sign to start.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.