This site is a result of my own story. In a nutshell, it grew out of a desire to supplement our family's income. My husband is a public school teacher and while we are very grateful his salary meets our needs, we decided to try to increase our income for two reasons:
- To expedite the paying off of our mortgage so we can be completely debt free.
- To sock some savings away in the event we might have the opportunity to serve others in Africa someday.
I'm so glad you're joining me! Let me tell you where we're headed.
Are you skeptical like I was?
What we're about to do is build a blog from scratch—not just any blog, but specifically, a blog that will generate income. I'm sure some of you are feeling a little skeptical. Sounds a little sketchy, no? I get that.
When I started blogging in 2004, I thought anyone who made money online was a scam artist. Then I found some seemingly legitimate people who really did seem to be making money, but they were all men working about 80-100 hours a week to do so. As a stay-at-home mom trying to keep meals on the table and kids dressed in clean clothing, that just wasn't an option for me. So, I sat back and watched.
In the last few years, I started finding more and more "average" people like myself who really were making an honest income through their blogs. Needless to say, I was intrigued, so I set out to figure out how it all worked and how I could do it too. The guide you're about to dive into is what I've learned.
Before I get started, though, I should say a little somethin':
Things in the blogging world change at an amazing rate. Because of this, there are many ways to blog. What I present here is my blogging process—what I've found to be effective after countless hours of research and my own trial and error. Feel free to pick and choose what is helpful to you. And also?
If you don't read anything else on this page, please read this: Blogging for income is a lot of work. Expect that it will take months before you start earning some coffee money and a year or more before you start to really see some significant income. If it happens earlier than that, great, but this is not a quick process. Stick with it, though, and there's great income potential for sure.
Will this be worth it?
If I'm looking for a job—any job—I want to know what it will require and what the compensation will be. Do you have these questions like I did?
- How much can I make?
- How much will this cost me?
Well, I can tell you what I've learned after blogging for more than 6 years. And let me tell you, I'm as skeptical as they come. Here are my answers:
- How much can you make? If you read my FAQ, you'll know there are bloggers making well over 6 figures—in some case, significantly more. That's the exception to the rule, but there are plenty of "average" people making part- to full-time incomes blogging. We had a discussion about this recently when I posted How Much Do Real Bloggers Actually Make? I asked my readers how much they make and I shared how much I made my first two months on this blog.
- How much will this cost you? Well, to get started, there are only 2 things you really need: a domain name and hosting. (Actually, you do have the option of starting a free blog using a free service, but if you are serious about making an income, I highly recommend you don't go the free route; you get what you pay for, as they say.) A domain name will cost between $10 – $20 per year and hosting costs $6.95 per month (paid annually) on the host I use & recommend, Bluehost. In other words, the cost to have a blog works out to be less than $10 a month. Not a huge investment for something that has great potential.
My First Tip (and a sidebar):
You won't get rich quick blogging. It's surprisingly hard work. But if you're like me, seeing a little money come in—even just a trickle—is motivating. So, before you even have a blog, let me introduce you to Swagbucks. In fact, Swagbucks has nothing to do with blogging directly, but, it's a simple way to start earning some spending money right off the bat. Here's how it works. (Go ahead, go check it out. You can come right back.)
End of of sidebar.
OK, where was I? Blogging. Right.
Wanna see how it works from the beginning?
What we'll cover in bite-size pieces
Alright, let's talk about the main topics we'll cover. This is a general overview. I am completely aware of how overwhelming the topic of blogging is, so I've decided to present the information in bite-size pieces. To that end, expect there to be multiple posts on each topic. Also, you'll see as we go that there is some overlap between topics, so it won't necessarily go in this exact order:
- Building a strong blogging-for-business foundation – We'll talk about ways to set ourselves up for blogging success.
- Getting started – In this section we'll talk about the nuts and bolts of getting your blog set up.
- Design basics – Next we'll go over ways to make your blog your own.
- Monetizing – Once we're up and running, we'll discuss ways we can make money.
- Branching out – Building relationships with others is key to successful blogging.
- Blog maintenance and improvement – We've got to make sure we know how to protect that which we've spent so much time building.
My goal is to find a balance between providing enough information to get you started, without overloading you with nitty-gritty details; those you can research on your own (Lesson #1: Google is your friend). This is not an exhaustive manual, but a "teach you to fish" sort of guide to help get you well on your way to blogging success.
I'll warn you up front, it's not going to be easy and it will most likely not be quick. And I can't even guarantee you'll make money at all. But with some hard work, I'd say the likelihood of doing so is good great!
Ready?
Let's get started! Move on to Step 1: How to find your passion.
Disclosure: The link to Bluehost.com in this post are affiliate links, meaning, if you click on one of them and purchase your hosting there, they will give me a portion of that sale…at absolutely no cost to you of course. I like to think of it as a win-win situation. I’d be grateful for a click through my affiliate link, but that is completely up to you. 
FYI, here's my full Disclosure Policy.
I'm excited about this series. I've spent a lot of time reading blogs over the years and early on it seemed like the only people making money were the people blogging about how much money they were making by blogging. Now so many people have sponsorships and partnerships etc. and I'm interested in learning more about it.
So excited about this! Can't wait to read more..
My blog is not from scratch, but it is new. I am excited at what I can learn and hopefully get some new perspective on my blog. Thanks.
~Amber @ The Mom Road
So happy to see this up Amy!
And feel better soon!
This sounds like a great series! I'm looking forward to it.
Hope you don't have the flu
I hope that you get to feeling better soon, Amy!! I am so excited about your blog. (-: I can't wait to learn more.
Here are the things that I am passionate about and truly love doing: figuring out how to save money, playing with my kids and hubby, homeschooling my kids, gardening, cooking healthy real foods, and Bible studies. Basically staying home and taking care of my family. (-:
Nice brief and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you on your information.
please, please, tell me that you really are gonna go step by step and as simple as possible….i have been so dispointed before
I hope it will be!
So gald you commented on my Blog! I've been blogging for about 3 years, but have wanted to start over and re-focus. Now that someone has hijacked my domain, I have the perfect excuse to start over. And now I have your blog as a wonderful resource!
I have been thinking of starting a new blog for pay, so this site is perfect. Could you please give some idea of what a person could make each month? (average according to age of blog perhaps) Thanks!
Hi Mary,
Bloggers make anywhere from just a few dollars a month to well over 6 figures (or more) per year. Obviously the ones making large sums of money are few, but there are many, many bloggers making at least part-time or full-time incomes. Personally, I'm making a decent part-time income from this blog so far. One thing to note is that you won't make money overnight blogging. It takes a lot of time and is hard work!
Amy, thank you very much for your valuable posts! This one in particular helped a whole lot!! Your hard work is very much appreciated!
Thanks, I'm so glad!
Hey Amy!
Great post! I am currently using Blogger and would love to purchase a domain name – my fear is that I will lose everything I already have in the process – is there a way to transfer my current blog? This might be a loaded question, but I am just going to have to make a decision to do that because my 'blogspot' domain is not very inviting!
Yes, you can purchase a domain name and even set up a self-hosted WordPress blog if you'd like without touching your current blog until you're ready to transfer it over. You can also purchase a domain name (yourdomain.com) and use it with your Blogger blog too. Whether you transfer your Blogger blog to WordPress or not, I do recommend getting your own domain. Here are some things to think about when choosing a domain name.
Thanks Amy for sharing this. I have just been checking out videos on You Tube learning how to do this when I saw your post. Of course yours was the most updated with the new Iframe app.
Dear Amy,
I love your website! It has been so helpful to me. I have learned so many things that I didn't know before. Today I learned how to add a favicon and I am so excited. It's the little things, you know. It was easier than I thought it would be. Thanks again. I look forward to learn more as I grow my business.
Way to go LaRea! I'm so glad it's been helpful and thanks for stopping by.
Do you have a book on all the tips and info that you have written about on your blog, about how to start a blog? I would gladly pay for something like that. I like to print out stuff and use a highlighter and yellow stickies to mark things that I want to know. I find reading on line too difficult.
I tried to copy some of your text into word to print it out and couldn't – would love to know how you blocked that?
Your site has been invaluable to me. You must have a very organized mind, it is so clear and straight forward. I wish my blog was coming along as well, I seem to be all over the place and at the moment I am disappointed in what I am putting out.
If you have a printed – or downloadable ebook let me know I will be first in line to buy it.
I have a question. I was looking at starting a blog through WordPress (not the free one but where I would have my own domain name) but I noticed that with any advertising they get 50% of whatever I earn. Are there any better options out there, ones that wouldn't be taking a chunk of whatever I earn from advertising? Thanks!
Is your blog on WordPress.com? If so, I would recommend getting a self-hosted WordPress.org blog (there's a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. I talk about the differences on this page.).
If you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, you won't lose 50%.
Thank you so much!
Amy,
Being totally NEW at the idea of Blogging, I am learning so much from your insights and experience. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to start my blogg
So glad you stopped by, Ruth!
Amy on Bluehost do you recommend purchasing the add ons – like site protections, etc.?
Nope.
Just got my "calling" to start a blog in the shower ..(-: and then I found this. I'm overwhelmed with excitement!!
Thank you so much Amy for this great info. My husband and I just got done with an amazing adventure he did. He rollerbladed 220 miles (from Duluth, MN to St. Michael, MN) to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. I posted updates on Facebook almost hourly. We had many people following us for the whole week. One person said I should start a blog. I have thought about it in the past but have been so scared…scared of the unknown. You are making me believe it is doable! THANK YOU! If you want to see more about my husband's adventure, check out his website: http://www.twenty2degreessouth.com! It is amazing!
Hi! I just deleted my blog a few days ago but I though that I didn`t try too much because I only tried for one week. But where do you get the motivation to continue your blog when it is not improving at all? I am really looking forward to prolonging the life of my blog. But sometimes I`m thinking if it is worth it. I am only fourteen years old by the way. Thank you very much.
i want to start a blog for income willing to invest time but dont how can u help me lol
Hi Mary, I recommend you check out my How to Start a Blog (or Website) series. Thanks for stopping by!
I am so excited to find you, I have been thinking about doing this for awhile and have no idea where to start. Look forward to my new journey!
Let me commend you on your disclosure as regards blue host. It is refreshing to find people who are telling where their money making interest is preserved.
Thank you Ms. Amy for this amazing info!
Hey Amy
I really appreciate how you have found a way to share others how blog.
I too am a blogger and have two blogging websites one made money the other did not.
What I am looking for is someone to guest blog on my Blog. I love how you are so honest and up front about what it takes to succeed. I know my readers will love your content. Thank you Amy
Warmly Juanita