At this point, most people and businesses have taken advantage of this fact, but many have neglected a simple, yet crucial element:

Social media icons.

Having a social sharing mechanism is the simplest way to vastly increase shares and page views. It can be the difference between content that gets a thousand views and content that gets one hundred thousand views. That is why, to me, it is worth writing an article about the topic, and even providing my choices for the top free social media icons that you can download and install on your site today!

Here are my favorite social icon sets that I have used on several of my sites.

1. Flat

My first selection is one that plays it safe with a typical flat design.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful in its own right.

Designed by Alexis Doreau, a digital product designer from France, this icon set is perfect for any website that uses a flat design.

With over 70 different icons to choose from, your social presence will be represented no matter what platform you use.

2. Outline

And now for something a little different…

The Outline icon set provides a minimal aesthetic that is less intrusive than a typical set.

The set of 20 icons is designed by the Graphics Bay Team in Romania, a group known for designing UI web templates, mock-ups, and icons.

Users can insert these icons without having to worry about them adding colors that clash with their page.

Of course, you will need a background color in order for them to be visible to your users.

3. iOS 7 Style

Rounding out my list are these lovely iOS 7 Style icons.

Designed to match the Apple aesthetic, this set of 24 different icons is minimal, yet remains true to the original social logos.

The set was created by Roberts Ozoliņš, a UI/UX designer (and apparent Apple fan) based in the United Kingdom.

No matter where you decide to use these beauties, they will bring a comfortable familiarity to your work.

Why is Social Media Important?

Social networks are one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Facebook alone now has two billion monthly users (over one-quarter of the earth’s population) and even the smaller services can number in the hundreds of millions.

This means that social networking websites are a treasure trove of potential visitors, customers, and conversions from all over the world.

What Exactly is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing (SMM) utilizes social networks as a marketing tool.

This is achieved through the creation and sharing of content that appeals to people on specific platforms.

SMM is unique in that it enables you to assess your campaigns as soon as they are rolled out and change them as necessary.

It also allows you to create hyper-topical content, providing greater returns on (usually) less work.

What are Social Network Icons?

While SMM is a primarily off-site marketing tactic, there are measures you can take to promote your social presence on your website or blog.

The most simple and easy to implement is the social media icon.

A social icon serves as a reminder to users to share your content on their personal profiles.

This, in essence, makes other people market your own site for you.

You could say that the simple icon is responsible for creating the symbiotic relationship between websites and social networks!

Finding the Right Social Media Icon Sets

Social network icons come in sets. After all, there are dozens of hundreds of networks out there and you need an icon for each.

There is no “right” set, but you should keep an eye out for one that matches the tone and color scheme of your website.

For example, just because the default Twitter icon is blue, doesn’t mean you need to have a blue icon on your website.

Where to Find More Icons

Don’t agree with my choices for the top icon sets?

There are plenty of options available online if you just know where to look.

IconFinder

IconFinder is a provider of high-quality icons used by millions of creatives and web designers. Based out of Denmark, it has become one of the most popular icon sites.

On the site, you will find free and paid icon sets. If you only want a single icon, you can easily download or purchase it, similar to how iTunes enables users to download one track from an album.

Dribble

Dribbble is a great resource for finding graphics. It is an online community where graphic designers share their tips and tricks, in addition to their completed projects.

Unfortunately, not all of the work is available for free or even for sale.

Although it takes more perusing than a typical website, you are bound to find something you like that is also available for download.

Graphic River

Graphic River has a vast selection (5,578 to be exact!) of icon sets for all styles and tastes. Starting at just $2, they won’t break the bank either.

It is part of the Envato Marketplace, an online store and design community with countless assets that can help you create a unique look for your website.

I found it to be an effective way to inform my followers of new content.

Then one day I began reading about the effectiveness of using the best email marketing services to create a marketing strategy and decided to broaden my horizons.

The results?

Not only did my traffic increase exponentially using simple email marketing software, I was getting substantially more views on my latest content than I once did when all I used was social media to disseminate my writing.

How could I have ignored this ingenious content delivery mechanism for so long!?

More importantly, why would anyone?

Compiled below is a list of software that you can begin using to promote your hard work TODAY.

But first…

Who Should Perform Email Marketing?

One of the things that prevented me from performing email campaigns was the belief that it was inappropriate for the niche that I was serving.

I thought that only big businesses and “real professionals” needed to create an email list.

But I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

In fact, I now believe that anyone who owns their own website should look into compiling an email list. These include bloggers, artists, small business owners, and eCommerce stores.

Why?

Because it guarantees that fewer of your visitors will be “one-and-done” views, it can help you improve your content, and it can even earn you money.

Still not convinced?

Imagine if one day your social media accounts were all frozen or deleted. What would you do to reconnect with those users?

Compiling an email base ensures that you will always have access to your base no matter what happens to your other means of connection.

Now that you’re convinced, I’m happy to present…

The Best Email Marketing Software

MailChimp

MailChimp is my top email campaigning solution because it is easy to use and affordable.

Number one among small businesses, the service is responsible for sending out over ONE BILLION emails every single day.

Here’s what I like about them:

1. MailChimp includes tons of premade templates that are beautiful and modern and work with all kinds of email campaigns.

Unlike other services that are still using the same stale designs, MailChimp knows the importance of aesthetics.

2. MailChimp is really user-friendly. Similar to a website builder, the platform uses a campaign builder that enables you to determine the layout of your mailings.

3. It is daunting to consider the amount of time and effort it takes to send out mailings, but with its automation feature, MailChimp can do the heavy lifting for you.

In fact, the service offers a list of pre-built automations that you can choose from so that you have complete control of the process.

Here’s what I dislike about them:

1. MailChimp uses a double opt-in policy, which tends to drop off users along the way.

Additionally, the service doesn’t cater to all industries or content types. Of course, most users don’t fall into these categories, but it could be a non-starter for some websites.

Bottom Line:

MailChimp has a really generous free package that can handle up to 2,000 subscribers and allows you to send 12,000 emails per month.

At that price, and with the features listed above, MailChimp is the best deal I’ve found and should be your first consideration.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact was one of the original email list options and over the years they have been able to lead the market and learn from the competition.

Here’s what I like about them:

1. Constant Contact’s template library is one of the most thorough, with different options for seemingly every kind of website or business out there.

Although the designs range from modern to admittedly stale, there is definitely something for everyone and all styles.

2. Constant Contact has extremely reliable numbers, with 98% of their emails reaching inboxes (as opposed to spam folders). Compare that to the 77% average rate of the competition.

This means that whether you send out a daily, weekly, or monthly email, it’s a safe bet that you will reach the optimal number of users.

3. The service is perfect for those looking for something that just works. It may not be as flashy as the competition, but Constant Contact is reliable, easy to use, and has just the right amount of features for typical users.

Here’s what I dislike about them:

1. The customization level of the on-site opt-in forms available to users is limited. This is frustrating because it can stick out like a sore thumb on unique sites and especially those that employ uncommon elements and designs.

Bottom Line:

There is a reason why Constant Contact has lasted as long as it has. It’s an extremely reliable and simple platform.

You can begin using the service today for free. Your initial trial will last for 60 days and monthly plans begin at $20 per month.

Active Campaign

I would be remiss if I did not include Active Campaign on this list. Although it is geared toward larger organizations, this fully-featured service offers many things that will appeal to all users.

Here’s what I like about them:

1. Active Campaign is a very effective email promotion tool. It performs tasks like sending out email campaigns, automation, and segmentation with ease.

This means that you can focus on Active Campaign’s more advanced features and building your email list.

2.  Active Campaign includes a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, negating the need for your business to invest in an addition and more robust (read: expensive) option.

Using Active Campaign’s CRM, you can manage contacts based on interest level and pursue them more vigorously than those less likely to convert.

3. Users can take advantage of a really cool trigger feature that applies different rules to a user’s status based on how they interact with your emails.

These triggers include opening/reading an email, sharing an email, entering a pipeline, and converting.

Here’s what I dislike about them:

1. Although the advanced features of Active Campaign are extremely helpful, they may be a little expensive for people with more basic expectations.

I am aware that this represents most of the readers of my site, but I am also confident that there are those readers for whom this will appeal.

Bottom Line:

Active Campaign is the most advanced option on my list. You will pay for those premium features, but you definitely get what you pay for.

A basic plan begins at just $9, but adding on useful features increases that price to $49 per month.

I hope you found this list of email providers helpful, fair, and balanced. On the one hand, I don’t want to inundate you with options, but on the other, I did want to provide you a spectrum of choices for every kind of website.

I’d love to hear about your email successes and failures! Get in touch and share your best stories!

When it comes to web design software, however, the options out there are seemingly limitless.

This can make it confusing for even the most advanced users to find the best web design solutions.

Thankfully, one of the best tools you can ever find is a trusted advisor; Someone who knows the ins and outs of all of the best tools from years of experience in blog creation and web design…

Someone like me!

I have created the ultimate guide to the best tools for creating and improving the design of your website.

My list is broken down by use and even budget. Whether you are still in the planning stage of your website, or you are looking to supplement an existing layout, there is sure to be something here to pique your interest.

Essential Website Planning Software

Coggle

You come up with a million ideas every time you brainstorm, but most of them go to waste because you’re not making a mind map.

Coggle is an online tool that enables you to create, collaborate, and share all of your ideas in one of the most intuitive ways I have ever experienced.

Designed to simulate the synapses of the brain, Coggle makes you think about your projects in a whole new way through floating text, images, loops, and branches.

You can even invite friends to work with you and add their own changes.

Don’t worry, though. Every single change gets saved so you can revert back to any previous version.

Coggle is free to use, but if you plan on using it frequently (as I do), you can pay a monthly fee ranging from $5 to $8.

Balsamiq

When brainstorming the look and feel of your website, it can be extremely helpful to have a tool that gives you an idea of your plan beyond what you doodle in a sketch pad.

Balsamiq is a wireframing tool that works like a whiteboard but is specifically designed and featured to help you create mockups of websites.

This early stage tool is great for individuals or companies who want to create a unique website that is done right the first time and forgoes the need for constant changes and fixes.

Available for Windows and Mac, this web page design software is free to try and costs $89 for a license, or $12 per month.

Lightshot

The internet is full of websites with inspiring and unique designs, just ripe for replication.

Sometimes when consulting with a web designer, however, they can be difficult to describe. That’s why it’s important to have a powerful screenshot-taking tool.

Of course, your computer probably has one as part of its included toolset, but neither Windows nor MacOS offers users anything close to Lightshot.

Lightshot fully integrates into your operating system and enables you to select specific areas of your screen, make edits, and add annotations, text, arrows, and more.

The tool is great for noting specific features and can highlight only what you want to highlight.

Available for Windows and Mac, Lightshot is completely free to use.

Web Design on a Modest Budget

GIMP

Everyone knows that the best photo editing and manipulation tool is Photoshop.

They also know that it can be extremely expensive.

Enter GIMP.

GIMP is a completely free and open source Photoshop clone that can perform most tasks just as well and even in a similar way to the popular software.

Original a project created by Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis while in college, the program now has a massive user base and is well known among thrifty designers.

GIMP is primarily developed by volunteers so it doesn’t have all of the latest features that you might find in some paid tools, but if you don’t mind waiting, you are likely to eventually see many of the most popular features available on other photo editing tools.

The software is available as a free download and is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Adobe Color Wheel

Color plays an important role in nearly everything we do on a daily basis.

It is also extremely important in web design.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to use color, and even fewer understand the complex theories behind it, including which colors work with one another and why.

Thankfully the Adobe Color Wheel helps solve all of those issues with a tool that automatically and elegantly enables users to create color schemes using a seed color and then helping you pick additional ones.

A good color scheme is one of the first signs I look for in a website because it can be very telling about whether a professional was involved in a site’s creation.

With the unbeatable price of FREE, I highly recommend taking a look at this powerful and useful tool.

Chrome DevTools

If you are using the Google Chrome internet browser, you have access to a powerful tool that you might have never known about.

Chrome DevTools can provide you with a wealth of information about your web project including:

• Page Element Structure
• JavaScript Console
• Sources and Assets
• Execution Timeline
• Network Simulator
• Mobile Layout

These features can help you work to debug a newly built site and guide you in understanding why certain elements are not functioning as intended.

You can access the tool by clicking “Ctrl + Shift + i” on Windows or “Cmd + Opt + i” on a Mac.

The Best Website Design Software Money Can Buy

Adobe Photoshop

You knew it was coming…

Photoshop is simply the best photo editing software you will ever find. Capable of manipulating photos or creating new images on a canvas, the only limit is your skill level and imagination.

What makes this tool superior to all others is the easy-to-use features, layering tools, templates for jump-starting your design, and access to Adobe’s stock image assets.

Once prohibitively expensive, Photoshop is now available as a monthly service. For just $19.99 per month, you will get you full access to Photoshop and all of the amazing components that come with it.

Sublime Text 2

If you don’t mind getting down and dirty with your site code, there is no better way to do so than with Sublime Text 2.

This popular code editor makes it easy to organize your code and keep on top of any changes you make with features like syntax highlighting, common commands, distraction free mode, instant project switch, and more.

The user interface makes it easy for even those with limited experience to understand the code they’re looking at, with colors and automatic indenting and spacing.

Sublime Text 2 is free to use, but if you plan on continued use, you will be required to pay $70 – an extremely fair sum for such an awesome tool.

There’s my list! Have I left off any of your favorites? Have an amazing success story to share? Let me know!

When it comes to choosing your domain, a lot!

In this post, I will teach you how to choose a domain name that you will love and which will take your website further than you ever imagined!

That’s not hyperbole and here’s why:

1. Your domain name is your website’s first impression. It’s the first thing your visitors will see and, just like in real life, that impression can last a lifetime.
2. Your domain is your brand. It can become a household name, or be utterly forgettable. While your site may not become the next Google, it should be just as memorable.
3. Your domain name will affect your marketing, including the all-important search engine optimization (SEO).

And those are just a few of the reasons why your domain is so important!

My guide will teach you how to choose the best domain name for your site so that you can get started building a website or starting a blog today.

Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

1. Choose a Brandable Domain Name Over a Generic One

How boring would Amazon be if Jeff Bezos decided to call it ‘Online Bookstore’ when he started the now-enormous eCommerce site? It might not have become the success it is today!

A creative and brandable name is always a better choice than something generic.

This is because a brand name is more memorable and can help you stand out from your competitors.

Of course, creating a brand name is easier said than done.

When mulling over the possible names you may want for your website, you can do one of two things:

1. Use existing words and put them together in interesting ways. This can be difficult, especially these days where it seems like most website domain names are already either in use or being parked on.
2. Create new words or derivatives of existing words. One of the most popular ways of getting around the lack of available domains is to simply remove a vowel or two (à la Tumblr). You could also pull a Google and simply find an alternate spelling (Google is a misspelling of the word “googol”).

Just try to ensure that you don’t go too far with your branding. Sometimes deviating too much from language norms can lead to other problems, which is why you must…

2. Make it Easy to Pronounce and Type

What do all of Alexa’s top websites on the internet have in common?

They roll off the tip of your tongue and your fingers with great ease.

This, of course, is by design.

Before search engines gained the popularity and importance that they bear today, companies relied on users to correctly enter their domain names.

And while users have more leeway today, it is still important that users know exactly how a domain name should be spelled just based on how they hear it.

A good way to ensure that the name you choose is both easy to pronounce and type is to ask your friends, and even people with whom you have no connection with, what they think.

3. Keep it Concise

Brevity is the soul of a good domain name.

The most popular websites on the internet have short names, with an average of just six characters.

While you may not be able to contend with those sites, you should strive for a domain name that doesn’t require too much effort to type.

Ideally, you should aim to have up to 14 letters in your domain. If this limits your options using known words, consider that brand name I told you about earlier.

If you are at a loss, I recommend checking out a domain name generator for help. Services like Name Mesh can be illuminating.

4. Don’t Use Hyphens or Numbers

Name one website you frequent that uses hyphens or numbers in its domain name.

Go on, I’m waiting!

I doubt you could identify a single one!

That’s because hyphens and numbers simply aren’t used by most websites.

The reason for this is because they are difficult to remember and require a user to think twice before typing.

As discussed above, a website name should be immediately understandable and accessible. f you make use of the dreaded dash, you will spend more time explaining how crucial it is that your potential visitor includes that when typing your web address and less time hyping your amazing new website!

If you make use of the dreaded dash or even a number character, you will spend more time explaining how crucial it is that your potential visitor includes that when typing your web address and less time hyping your amazing new website!

Stick to one of the 26 available English letters on your keyboard.

5. Use Keywords

Many people argue that it is no longer necessary to use keywords related to your website in your domain name.

I disagree.

Not only do I still find them important and useful, they also continue to show results in all of my work.

I’m not telling you to stuff your domain name with keywords, but, similar to my own website, there is nothing wrong with indicating exactly what your website does in your domain name.

Of course, you may run into the trap of the generic name, so I also recommend you include something original, which is, again, what this very site does.

6. Use a Well-Known Domain Name Extension

Did you know that there are hundreds of top-level domain extensions you can choose from?

These include “.agency”, “.art”, “.deal”, “.express”, and “.money”.

Avoid them at all costs!

Okay, maybe I’m being a little bit dramatic, but you should definitely avoid them in favor of a “.com”, “.org”, or “.net”.

The reason for this is because, although they offer more variety and are relatively untouched, the extensions are just that: Unused and unknown.

This can lead people who are unaware of these extensions to immediately distrust your website. They are also harder to remember, simply because they are less familiar.

I recommend doing whatever you can to register a “.com” extension. It’s the safest bet.

7. Think About the Long Term

Above all, keep in mind that the name you choose today is the one that your website is likely to be stuck with for its entire lifespan.

That is why it is so important to consider the long term.

Some of the biggest companies in the world have brand names that are unrelated (or at least seemingly so) to their message or product. This is important to keep in mind with domain names as well.

Your website is bound to change in many unique and interesting ways. Although your primary message may remain the same, the way you deliver it may not.

Think long and hard about your final decision and remember that the best way to determine if you’re making the right choice is to get a second opinion.

Consult your friends and family, and, if you are so compelled, you can even ask me!

One of the best ways to test the limits of your WordPress site is to use plugins.

Not only can they make it easier to perform tasks required to maintain your website, they can also improve your user experience exponentially.

What exactly is a WordPress plugin?

A plugin is a piece of software that can add functionality to a WordPress website.

This can functionality can be anything that is relevant to the user experience of your site or even backend controls.

Whereas once users were required to code simple website elements, you can now do so with the simple install of a plugin.

The best part is that there are nearly 50,000 (!) plugins to choose from, providing you with any feature you can imagine.

Do I need to add WordPress plugins?

WordPress is a pretty well-featured product on its own. It’s not perfect, however.

Think of WordPress as a blank canvas that also includes a paintbrush and the primary colors. Of course, you could probably create a masterpiece with that alone, but imagine how much more dazzling your canvas would look with more colors, different paintbrushes, and a painting knife!

That’s what plugins do for WordPress.

Why should I use WordPress plugins?

WordPress plugins are a great way to add amazing features to your website. They can even increase your site’s security and improve your marketing performance.

Plugins are mostly free to use and can even automate or simplify tasks you perform on your site every day.

The real question is why wouldn’t you use WordPress plugins?!

The Best Free WordPress Plugins (for Blogs and Websites)

Compiled for you below are our favorite FREE WordPress plugins.

I consider this list to be the ultimate “starter pack” for any new WordPress website, but even those who have a lot of experience with the platform might find something they never knew about.

Analytics Plugins

It is always important to have a good understanding of who is coming to your website and where they are coming from. Analytics plugins can help you learn more about your audience and even help you attract new visitors.

1. Jetpack

Jetpack is the ultimate WordPress add-on.

It functions as a command center for making quick changes to how your site functions.

JetPack includes tons of features to help you maintain your website, including traffic and SEO tools, security and backup services, discussion and community, and content creation settings.

It is such a useful tool that many web hosting services include it in their default WordPress installations.

2. Yoast SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is an important technique that every website owner must understand. It can mean the difference between 100 and 1,000 monthly viewers and is considered by most marketers to be the most crucial element in an online marketing campaign.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the time to learn about the ins and outs of SEO. Thankfully, there’s Yoast SEO.

Yoast SEO provides users with all of the tools they need to create content that both users and search engines will love. Features include page analysis, meta and link elements, XML sitemaps, and RSS optimization.

No matter how limited your knowledge of SEO is, you can accomplish great things with this simple, yet crucial plugin.

3. Google Analytics from MonsterInsights

With all of the upgrades you make to your website, you will want to be able to understand how they are affecting viewership.

Although there are many different options for finding the analytics of your website, none is better than Google Analytics from MonsterInsights.

This powerful plugin provides you with visitor metric dashboards, which allows you to see the most valuable measurements in one place.

These metrics are vital for understanding what works to gain your site traction, and what doesn’t, saving you time and energy.

Security and Speed Plugins

Although WordPress has some excellent security and speed features built-in, there is much more you can do to fortify your website, improving both the safety and experience of your users.

1. Sucuri Security

Sucuri provides the ultimate security supplement for WordPress. Not only does it keep your site safe through active monitoring, it guides you through measures you can take if your site is ever hacked.

The security activity auditing feature monitors all security-related events on your site, which the post-hack security actions feature helps you take the proper actions in case your site is compromised.

Sucuri keeps you updated constantly with relevant security notifications and reports on anomalies. It also scans your site for malware, ensuring that your site is always free of issues.

2. W3 Total Cache

Did you know that if you website takes too long to load, your visitors are likely to leave before they even see your home page?

Although there are several techniques you can use to speed up your website, none is as simple as W3 Total Cache.

The premise of this WordPress plugin is simple. It saves a static HTML version of your website so that it doesn’t need to generate new pages constantly.

This puts less strain on your servers and, most importantly, speeds up your site.

3. Duplicator

Do you know what you would do if all of the content of your website suddenly disappeared?

If you don’t have an action plan to implement in case the worst occurs, you may never be able to restore your website.

The Duplicator plugin automatically makes backups of your site regularly. Once you install it, you can just let it do its thing, all with the peace of mind that you will know how to respond to a lost-content situation.

Content Optimization Plugins

No matter how good your content is, there is always something you can do to improve it and make it more shareable and improve the user experience. These plugins can help.

1. Page Builder by Site Origin

WordPress is a remarkably easy platform to use, but many wish that it worked more like a website builder.

Website builders provide users with the freedom to create unique content layouts that WordPress simply cannot.

Enter Page Builder by Site Origin.

Page Builder makes your WordPress site work like a classic website builder. It allows you to place your content on specialized layouts which you can ‘live edit’ and view in real time.  All without any coding knowledge necessary.

2. Floating Social Bar

What’s the best way to get your visitors to share your content?

Just ask!

Floating Social Bar serves as a reminder to your users that they can share your website on Facebook, Twitter, and all of the most popular social networks.

It may surprise you, but that’s literally all you need to do to increase traffic and social shares.

3. Broken Link Checker

Broken links are bad for your website.

Not only can they negatively affect your SEO score, they can also degrade the user experience.

Think about it: how frustrating is it when the link you want to click on doesn’t lead to a functioning website?

Broken Link Checker not only analyses your entire website for broken links, it also actively and continuously seeks them out to ensure that your website remains free of bad links for good!

Parting Words

I hope you found this list of free WordPress plugins to be interesting and useful.

In my experience, all of the websites I have ever owned have improved exponentially after installing them, and they all work extremely well together, complementing each other’s features.

Have I missed any essential plugins? I’d love to hear from you!

Thankfully, creating a blog is easier today than ever before.

Where once building your own website required years of experience building up coding and design skills, the typical user can be up and running in no time at all.

On this page, you will find everything you ever wanted to know about blogging and how you can start your own blog today!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Blogging

Before we jump into the tutorial, we will begin with the most common questions sent in by readers just like you…

How long will it take to set up my own blog?

If you follow the instructions that I lay out on this page, it should take you around 20 minutes to get up and running.

In this guide, you will learn how to choose a platform, figure out a domain name, find a web host, customize your website, and begin adding blog posts.

Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds.

How much time should I expect to dedicate to my blog?

The amount of time you dedicate to your new blog is completely up to you.

It is worth noting, however, that when it comes to blogging, what you put into it is what you’ll take out of it.

There is a direct correlation between blogging success and the amount of time, effort, and the number of posts you contribute to your blog.

For context, this article took around ten hours to create from conception to publishing.

Can I start a blog for free?

You’ve probably come across websites that advertise a free blogging feature, but if you are truly looking to create your own corner on the internet, I highly recommend treating it as an investment.

The reason for this should be obvious.

Not only does paying for your own website give you legitimacy, it also gives you full control over your entire website. That means only the things you want to appear on your site will appear.

Depending on the host you end up choosing, expect to shell out around $5 to $15 per month.

Can I get paid for my blog writing?

You haven’t even created your blog yet and you’re already thinking about monetizing it!?

Well, truthfully, I don’t blame you. After all, there are plenty of bloggers who make tons of money doing what they love. And it’s all passive income!

The amount of money you can earn from creating your own blog depends on how many visitors you can bring to your site. These users are instrumental because they will click on your Google AdSense ads and purchase items from your uniqe links. Some popular bloggers even manage to get sponsorship deals.

As I stated earlier, it’s all about the effort you put into it.

How to Start Your Own Blog Today

Now that you know everything about blogging, you can begin working on a blog of your very own.

Step 1: Choose a Blogging Platform

There are dozens of blogging platforms to consider and you’ve probably heard of many of them: there’s Tumblr, Medium, and even Twitter is considered to be a microblogging platform.

All of those platforms are great, but if you really want to make your blog your own, I highly recommend WordPress.

WordPress is a free, open-source platform that is easy to use and very beginner friendly. It also has a great blogging tool that enables you to have complete control over the look of your content.

Additionally, WordPress has thousands of pre-made templates and functionality-adding plugins available for you to choose from, enabling you to make a website that is as unique as you are.

WordPress is trusted by over 90% of blogs on the internet (including this one) and there is no platform that we recommend more highly.

Step 2: Select a Domain Name

The right domain is a crucial part of your blog because it creates the first impression for your users. It is your own personal brand.

That is why selecting the right name is so important.

But wait, what’s a domain name, anyway?

A domain name is a string of characters that identifies your website. It is generally written out similar to this: www.example.com.

When it comes to choosing the best name for your website, there are three things you should keep in mind.

1. Keep it concise. A shorter domain is ideal, especially if you expect many people to type your website name directly into the search bar of their browsers (as opposed to finding you on search engines). For what it’s worth, the most popular websites on the internet have an average of six characters in their domains.
2. Use keywords. Remember when I told you that a domain name can make a first impression to users? Using keywords related to your field of writing is a good way to indicate to visitors exactly what they’re in for. It also has the added benefit of increasing your website’s positioning on search engines.
3. Mind your extension. You probably know about the ‘.com’ extension, but did you know that there are hundreds of other extensions to choose from, including ‘.pizza’ and ‘.business’? While it may be tempting to use those extensions, they are simply not prevalent enough for me to recommend. Instead, just play it safe and select a domain using the ‘.com’ extension.

Step 3: Find a Web Host

A web host makes your website available to visitors on the internet. It stores all of the files that comprise your blog including text, photos, and videos. Without a web host, you won’t be able to create your own website using WordPress.

Because a web host will determine how fast your website loads, how much content you can add to your page, and how much your blog will cost to keep online, it is important to find the right one.

There are literally hundreds of different web hosts to choose from. Sorting through all of them would be an impossible task and instead of trying to convince you of the benefits of each, I will simply refer you to my handy guide to the best web hosting services.

Once you choose your host, you can simply sign up by choosing a hosting plan, entering the domain name you decided on in Step 2, and completing your registration.

One of the benefits of selecting a web host from my guide is they all offer one-click WordPress installation. This takes the somewhat complicated process of installing the platform and turns it into a single-step action. After installing WordPress, you can finally log in to your shiny new blog!

Step 4: Customize Your New Blog

Congratulations on creating your new blog! Feel free to take the time to learn how to use the WordPress interface. It’s designed to provide clear direction for anything you might do.

I recommend adding a blog theme as your first step. You can do this by hovering over “Appearance” on your WordPress dashboard and clicking on “Themes” from the pop-out menu.

From there you will be able to select from pre-installed themes and even add your own. There are thousands of different free and paid themes to choose from and finding one that works for you is a project in and of itself.

Spend some time trying out different templates, but don’t get too carried away. One of the biggest benefits of WordPress is that you can change your theme quickly if you ever decide it’s time for a change.

You can also customize your new blog with plugins.

A plugin adds new functions to your website that can range from social media sharing to SEO tools. I highly recommend browsing through WordPress’s extensive plugins catalog and finding some to add next-level customization to your blog.

Step 5: Add Your First Blog Post

Now that your site has the look and feel that you want, you can begin adding content.

Your first blog post can describe the intention of your site or you can just jump in by writing about whatever it is you created your blog for in the first place.

To add your first post, simply hover over the Posts section on the sidebar menu and click Add New. You will be directed to an interface that looks like this:

As you can see, it’s pretty self-explanatory. There is a place for the title of your article, the content, editing tools, SEO tools, and publishing tools.

If you have ever used a word processor like Microsoft Word, the WordPress editor should seem like a piece of cake in comparison.

Feel free to test different features, add functions, and make mistakes. The best way to learn WordPress is to simply use it. Once you get the hang of it, you will be spinning more content than your users will be able to keep up with.

Congratulations on creating your first blog!

DreamHost was founded in 1996 by college students in California. It currently is one of the greatest web hosting, having over 400.000 active users, and hosting over 1.5 million websites. They are respected in their field, give their customers extremely lengthy 97-day money-back guarantees, and guarantee 100% uptime. They scored higher on speed tests and are ultimately much faster than their competition. Also, their customer support is available 24/7 and clearly not outsourced.

First Impressions

This is a wonderful host for users who need shared, cloud, dedicated, or VPS hosting. It is the best hosting service for scaling sites and apps. Their features are incredibly handy to use, but beginners might not feel like paying extra for their managed, optimization, and performance services. For those who have a growing site with more traffic, DreamHost is the perfect company for you. Their managed services provide you with automatic updates and backups, DDoS protection, infrastructure management, and malware scans. DreamHost’s in-house customer support agents are always available to help their customers. Whether one needs support in the area of their control panel, SSD, WordPress solutions, or other services.

Functionality

Their control panel is custom-built, meaning that users who love working with Plesk or cPanel might have a hard time adjusting to the new system. Its functionality is superb, since DreamHost includes billing,emailaccounts, MySQL, Django, account information, and ImageMagik.Users receive a free domain name for one year, are allowed to claim it, and transferred anywhere else, if they wish. It does not matter which type of plan the user has, everybody has this feature given to them for free.The One-Click Installer software that DreamHost uses allows fast installation of eCommerce, WordPress, Joomla, phpBB, blogs, wikis, Moodle, user forums, and the like.DreamHost offers free CloudFlare and security services. You can run your own Jabber server, make use of Jquery, but the support for Java is fairly limited.

Features

Every plan of DreamHost comes with a lengthy refund policy of 97 days. If you do not like their services, you can close your account during that whole period. Users receive a full refund in one easy click.

Domain privacy is included in every plan, in order to secure all your information. Protect yourself fully with ICANN-accreditation.

You can choose from over 350 domain extensions. DreamHost tends to let users know which ones are the newest, trendiest, and on sale.

The domain names come with custom nameservers, locking and forwarding options, an automatic renewal, and DNS management tools.

Issues with DreamHost

DreamHost is a quite expensive web host. They make you subscribe to their plans for three years if you want to pay less. A one year subscription is more expensive.
Most of their competitors offer many different hosting plans, making your choice a bit difficult. Here, you get one shared hosting plan and that’s it. Meaning that a beginners with a basic website ends up paying as much as a professional who gets tons of visitors.As mentioned above, not having cPanel or Plesk is a big minus. Many people are used to it, and it could cause much confusion.
Lastly, your setup could get delayed. DreamHost verifies new user accounts before they get activated. So, registration happens in the blink of an eye, but the rest could take up to a few hours.

Pricing

Shared hosting costs $7.95/month, and is powered by SSDs. Managed WordPress hosting costs $19.95/month, and includes 30GB SSD storage, 1 free dedicated IP address, and support for an unlimited email account. DreamHost claims that it can handle over 2 million visits per month. VPS hosting can cost from $15/month up to $120/month, it comes with support for unlimited domain names and unlimited bandwidth. Dedicated hosting costs $149/month up to $379/month. This type of hosting has unlimited MySQL databases, full root and shell access, 1-click WordPress installer, DDoS protection, Ubuntu Linux, and RAID-1 storage.

Conclusion

DreamHost is truly concerned about customer satisfaction, with its 97-day money-back guarantee and great support team. It has impeccable uptime, handy features, and is perfect for users wanting to invest in a solid web host. Different web hosting is available, email accounts, bandwidth, unlimited storage, domains, and much more.

HostGator is a company that has been around since 2002 and belongs to Endurance International Group since 2012. This web host is known for being reliable and having many servers. The web hosting service is mainly a shared hosting provider, but also offers good VPS and dedicated options for larger websites. If needed, different types of hosting are made available, SSH, root access, other languages, plus support for Python, Perl, and Ruby. Their basic plans include useful features, free website templates, an easy-to-use control panel, and unlimited disk space. The service is a bit pricier than its competitors, yet in return offers great support to its customers. HostGator is mainly focused on the semi-technical user and requires more knowledge than web hosts geared at beginners.

First Impressions

HostGator is very user-friendly, which is made clear by using their simple interface. They provide FAQ pages, step-by-step tutorials, and plenty of documents with detailed information.

The provider offers 24/7 support via live chat, email, and phone. The waiting time is minimal and their team knowledgeable. Their money-back guarantee is quite impressive, lasting up to 45 days instead of the standard 30 days. This gives users up to two additional weeks for testing their services. Also, relocating an existing website that you own to HostGator is a free service that they provide.

Functionality

The web host has an impressive set of features, such as error pages and custom cron jobs. Advanced users receive more hand-on control of their websites, but these features are in no way essential to website hosts.
HostGator power their administration consoles using the newest cPanel software. It helps users get set up quickly in order to organize and launch eCommerce shopping carts, and do other tasks. Users can collect logs and stats through the backend panel with Webalizer, Error Logs, AWStats, and Raw Log Manager. Do you want your server to be free of any useless data, one of their web-based file manager is there to help you.

Features

Shared web hosting packages of HostGator are purchased on a monthly basis. This type of web hosting is Linux- or Windows-based that help grow small- and medium-sized online companies. Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is Linux-based and helps for websites that experience more traffic and thus require more power. Dedicated web hosting packages come with a wide array of features, including Windows and Linux.

Issues with HostGator

The service does not have excellent uptime, and could improve in that area. It is rather slow, and does not deliver in terms of page loading times. This is especially an issue concerning SEO and search rankings, because delays can hurt your sales. Many less popular web hosts are able to have faster page loading times, so this is incredibly disappointing.

HostGator says they will do instant backups, but they are talking about manual ones which  automatically come with using cPanel.

Also, their prices are not as great as they seem. HostGator offers the lowest prices for the longest terms. So, you will be obligated to sign up for three years if you want to pay a lower price. If you choose to pay for a year or on a monthly basis, they add 50-150% to the monthly rate. This low rate is only offered in your initial term, meaning that once your plan expires, the prices are not the same anymore.

Pricing

Cloud hosting includes a Hatchling plan for $4.95/month, a Baby plan for $7.95/month, and a Business plan for $9.95/month. Hatchling comes with a single domain, 2GB memory, and 2 core CPU. Baby comes with unlimited domains, 4GB memory, and 4 core CPU. Business comes with unlimited domains, 6GB memory, 6 core CPU, and free private SSL and IP.

VPS has Snappy 2000 for $19.95/month, Snappy 4000 for $29.95/month, and Snappy 8000 for $39.95/month. The first plan has 2GB RAM, 2 cores CPU, 120GB disk space, and 1.5 TB bandwidth. The second plan has 4GB RAM, 2 cores CPU, 165GB disk space, and 2 TB bandwidth. The last plan has 8GB RAM, 4 cores CPU, 240GB disk space, and 3 TB bandwidth.

Conclusion

HostGator is a big name in the industry. Unfortunately, it does not impress with its slow speed and unsatisfactory uptime. The pricing issues are very disappointing, coming from such a company. We suggest you try out the service, but there are better ones out there.

First Impressions

This eCommerce platform is one of the easiest ones anyone could work with. It helps any online store owner save a lot of time by providing the necessary templates and tools to design a functional eCommerce. Shopify has been inviting online tool providers and theme designers to integrate their services with them, giving users more options to make their store stand out.

Their hundreds of templates can make any online shop look professional, sleek, and easy-to-use. Shopify’s Theme Store for users wanting premium templates is appropriate to use for many different industries. Their App Store is vast, and you can choose to integrate free tools or paid ones into your store.

Functionality

Their App Store has many tools in order to extend the functionality of your eCommerce. You can choose from over a thousand applications and integrate them into your online business. Some are free, and some you must pay for. They can include customer service, marketing, social media, accounting, inventory management, shipping, reporting, and much more. Most of your business processes can easily get automated with the help of Shopify Apps.

Shopify provides its users with the tools to manage their inventory, create blogs and web pages, accept payments from several payment processors, organize their products into different categories, insert product images and descriptions, track customer and order details, manage multiple staff login, and more.

Features

Shopify has over 1000 premium templates to embellish any user’s online store. Any platform that can deliver such elegant and professional-looking themes is bound to gain in credibility and reliability. You do not have to pay for all their themes, yet the paid ones are rather pricey. This is a one-time payment, and honestly worth the investment once you realize what it can do for your online store.

A wonderful feature of Shopify is the abandoned checkout recovery. Since , most of your potential clients will place items into their checkout cart and then get distracted before completing the purchase. With this tool, you will not as much profit as you could have.

This handy tool will help you identify who these potential clients are, and send them a reminder to conclude the purchase on your online store. Shopify’s tool keeps track of the email addresses that the potential buyer inserted during the checkout process, and emails them whenever you wish. In these emails, specific links are provided to guide each buyer to their own personal cart. Statistically, this tool will increase your profits tremendously and this will only take a minimum amount of effort on your part.

Issues with Shopify

Unless you use Shopify Payment, the platform has decided to charge a transaction fee for every single sale their users make. This in addition to a monthly service fee, which makes the whole affair quite pricey and makes it more expensive than its competition. Basically, Shopify is trying to cover the costs for the technology that it uses to power your sales. Because the more visitors your site generates, the more bandwidth it takes up.

Another issue related to finances is that most of their Apps are not free of charge. This will increase your monthly payments to Shopify even more, unless you only choose to integrate free Apps.

If you would like to customize your theme, you must learn Shopify’s own coding language. This is called “Liquid” and must be learned on top of knowing HTML and CSS. Meaning, if you want to hire a professional to modify your site, you would need someone well-versed in Shopify coding language. Consider this option only when your store makes more sales, since this expert’s help will come at a price.

Pricing

Shopify’s Basic plan will cost you $29/month, their regular Shopify plan will cost you $79/month, and the Advanced Shopify plan will cost you $299/month.

Conclusion

Shopify helps any online store owner build professional eCommerces with its beautiful templates and handy tools. They grow along with your business, and offer you the opportunity to add more Apps and features the more your online shop grows.

Bluehost was launched in 2003 and was purchased by the Endurance International Group in 2001. Today, the company hosts over 2 million websites worldwide and is even recommended by WordPress. It is an affordable and popular unlimited shared hosting option with many additional features such as shared SSL and an anti-spam filter.

First Impressions

This hosting service uses modern standards for hardware, excels in dedicated and VPS hosting, and their customer support is extremely helpful. Their packages have a high usability and affordability. Bluehost is a favorite thanks to its unlimited emails, marketing credits, free domains, and other useful features. For the beginners among you, the hosting provider has updated their user experience and made is more user-friendly throughout the years. The customer experience is bound to run smoothly and their dashboard is simple to manage.

WordPress hosting on a cloud, shared, or dedicated server is made possible with Bluehost. Users can install this blogging platform via the control panel in one click, or ask the managed services team to do it for them.

Functionality

Bluehost has an important feature that users should not neglect. Usually, when purchasing a web hosting service, one checks every tiny detail meticulously, minus the backup service. Going over the backup policy before acquiring any web hosting should be part of a buyer’s priority.
Luckily, Bluehost creates daily, weekly, and monthly automatic backups of all their users’ accounts and lets them restore it in a few clicks. For those running a big website, the hosting provider also offers Pro Backup service to protect their data.

One of Bluehost’s most impressive feature has to be CPU Throttling, which is synonymous to dynamic frequency scaling. It is a specific process meant to reduce the CPU usage before the processor gets overheated and deteriorates. Still, when it comes to web hosting, the process differs. When too many users are simultaneously on a shared server, CPU resources are being used excessively. This causes the CPU to freeze your CPU usage on your account. Subsequently, your website will slow down significantly and only the hosting company decides when to release it. Bluehost has found a handy solution to that problem, which is called CPU Throttling.

Main Features

The hosting’s user-friendly control panel is easy to use, administer, and manage. Installing different types of scripts such as Joomla, WordPress, phpBB, and others is simple. Users can create email IDs that are linked to their domain name. Other features in cPanel are FTP public account, emails forwarding, creating and managing the database, and more.

The main features included in your Bluehost subscription are the unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 supportive response behavior, simple scripts with 1-click install, 30-days money-back guarantee, fast and secure servers, and higher storage space for starter plans.

Security is of utmost importance when working online, and without the proper security protocols, your website could get infected or hackers could easily attack your site. Bluehost offers shared hosting users and others secure servers for their site. All their hosting plans are affordable and highly recommendable for smaller websites or blogs.

Issues with Bluehost

Bluehost asks their users to pay a fee of $149.99 if they change websites. This is unfortunate, since most hosting companies do this for free.

The prices are higher when you renew your account, because the new customers get the best discounts. All hosting providers want to attract new users, which is understandable. The rates are still quite affordable without the highest discounts.

Unfortunately, Bluehost does not perform as high as its competitors in terms of uptime, which means it scored lower than 99.94%. It loads pages quite slowly, which influences profit margins and user experiences negatively.

Their customer service is professional, yet does not respond to their users quickly enough, especially during the peak hours.

Pricing

There are three Bluehost shared hosting options users can choose from. They must commit to a subscription for minimum 12 months or more. The rates for a three year plan are as follows: a Basic plan for $3.49/month with one website, 5 email accounts, unlimited bandwidth, and 50GB storage. A Plus plan for $5.95/month includes 10 websites, 100 email accounts, unlimited bandwidth, and 150GB storage. A Business Pro plan for $13.95/month containing storage, unlimited websites, email storage, bandwidth, and email account.

Conclusion

If you need to quickly get a website up and running, Bluehost is a great option. It is truly one of the best web hosting services in the market today, which offers its users great service and many features.