How to Start a Blog in 3 Easy Steps

How to Start a Blog @ AVirtuousWoman.org

If you’ve considered starting a blog but you just haven’t taken that leap of faith yet, I want to encourage you today to get started! I know you may have a lot of questions, but the best way to learn is to just jump in and learn as you go.

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That’s exactly how I started my blog, A Virtuous Woman over 15 years ago.

If you’re not sure where to start, let me show you exactly how you can get started.

How to Start a Blog

Getting started blogging can seem overwhelming, but it’s really a simple process.

1. Choose a domain name, registrar and hosting company.

Your domain name is the URL address of your blog. For instance, my domain is: avirtuouwoman.org.

The hosting company is where your website lives.

WordPress is the best platform for your blog. Some folks will recommend other systems or companies like Squarespace. If you do decide to start with another platform, I’m fairly certain you’ll regret it later.

You could create a free blog on Blogspot.com or WordPress.com, but if you are serious about blogging, it’s better to go ahead and get things set up right in the beginning so you don’t have to go through the headache of moving your blog later if you decide you want your own domain.

Your blog address would look something like this: BestBlogEver.Blogspot.com or BestBlogEver.Wordpress.com.

But the thing is, you could start your own self-hosted website for less that $10.00 a month! It really is better to own your own blog right from the start. And instead you’ll have your own website address like: BestBlogEver.com. See the difference? You can name your blog anything you want – as long as it doesn’t already exist and you’ll be the sole owner of it.

Choosing the name of your blog can be a lot of fun and challenging. Give it some good thought. Ask your friends for ideas. Pray about it. And then see if the domain is available. If it is, grab it!

——->> Bluehost is a good choice for hosting – and their prices are great!

2. Choose your blog theme/ design.

This is where it starts to get fun. Once you’ve purchased your domain name, set up a hosting account, and installed WordPress, you’ll want to choose a theme. A blog theme is basically the way your blog will look.

WordPress has a lot of free options which are great when you first get started. WordPress really is press and play. You’ll find the free themes in your Dashboard under “Appearance.”

If you want to give your blog a custom look, you’ll likely want to purchase a theme. But it’s totally not necessary until you feel your ready!

Some of my favorite places to find pretty themes are:

I have used themes from each of these companies over the years. I am currently using a theme from Pretty Darn Cute which requires the Genesis Framework – or Parent Theme. Genesis is amazing and I highly recommend it! Basically, this means you need a parent theme which is like the framework that your child theme is built on. It’s not hard – you just install the Genesis Framework and then install your theme and activate it. Once your theme is activated you can customize the header, colors, and more. I’ll talk more about that in an upcoming blog post!

3. Write your first blog post.

Writing that first post is a little scary, but just jump and say hello to the world. Create ell your future readers a little bit about yourself on your About Page. And really, just start writing. You may want to write several blog posts before you start sharing your blog on social media and with your friends. But either way, just write what’s on your heart.

To write a blog post in WordPress, in your Dashboard click on “Posts” in the left menu and “Add New.” The WYSIWYG editor is simple to use. Click “Add Media” to upload photos to your blog post. Play with the buttons a little to figure out what they do. No one willsee your blog post until you click “Publish” on the right side of your blog post text editor.


Whether you want to use blogging as a way to minister to other women, make new friends, build a business, or just as a hobby, it’s a great way to share what God is leading you to say and do. And you just never know where blogging will take you, who it will bless, or where you’ll end up.

I’d love to hear your blogging related questions. Just hit reply and shoot me an email!

Happy blogging!

Melissa Ringstaff

P.S. You can learn more about I started blogging and you can Start Blogging as Ministry here.

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase a product or service through my link, I receive a small commission. I appreciate your help supporting this ministry!

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