One of the main reasons I chose Blogger to host by blog is that it allows me to use my custom domain name - MyUpNorthLife.com - as my blog name instead of the default - MyUpNorthLife.blogspot.com. Using a custom domain name give a more professional appearance, and with Blogger, it is free to use (domain registration fees still apply).
To switch from the default domain name, I followed the instructions outlined on this Google support page: How do I use a custom domain name for my blog?. It is super easy to do this, especially if you registered your domain with GoDaddy.com, which I did. Even if you did not register with GoDaddy, the instructions found on the mentioned help page will walk you through the process.
That's it! It only took me 5 minutes to switch my blog over to my custom domain name. You can now find me at: MyUpNorthLife.com.
Next Up: Creating Static Pages on Your Blog
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Naming Your Blog and Picking a Host
When I offered to help my friend Ali start her blog, I had absolutely no experience with them. I have a web design background, so I understand how to register domains, build website, etc., but I never dabbled in blogging. I decided that the easiest way to help her start a blog was to start one myself and document the steps. So here we go!
Deciding on a Blog Name
You first need to decide what your blog is going to be about. If your blog is going to be about one particular thing, it is a good idea to use a word in your name that describes what you are going to blog about. This will make your blog come up better in the search engines. For example, let's say my blog is about cooking. I would be advised to pick a name that includes the word "cooking" or "recipe" or something similar. For my first blog, I want to be able to write about whatever I feel like on any particular day. I do think I will concentrate on recipes and diy projects, but that may change. Therefore, I'm going to go with a more generic name. For my blog, I settled on, "My Up North Life". We'll see if I stick with the name or change it later!!
Seeing if the ".com" of the Blog Name is Available
If you are serious about doing a blog, and if you want the opportunity to MAYBE make money from it someday, you should register the .com of your name if it is available. It is much more professional to have a blog address of "MyUpNorthLife.com" than "MyUpNorthLife.wordpress.com" or "MyUpNorthLife.blogspot.com" (blogspot is the domain name for blogger). You can skip this step if you are just doing a family blog such as this one my friend Jen has: Yost Family. But if you may want to make money some day with ads and the such, register your domain now. To do this, I recommend using a site such as Go Daddy. If your domain is not available and you want a .com, now would be a good time to change your name (since you haven't set anything up yet). I lucked out and the .com of my name was available, so I registered it.
Deciding Where to Host Your Blog
OK. I've decided on the name and secured the .com name. Now where do I host my blog? After doing a few quick Google searches, it became apparent that there are two main choices for hosting blogs: Wordpress and Blogger. Yes, there are others, but these are the two major players in my opinion.
As a non-blogger, I had heard more "buzz" about Wordpress, so I decided to start there. I went to Wordpress.com (which is different than Wordpress.org), said I wanted to start a free blog, and began typing in my information.
The first thing Wordpress asks for is your blogger name. This is how you see if your chosen name is available. Whatever you type in here will be followed by ".wordpress.com". So I type in "MyUpNorthLife" (no spaces) and hit tab. Wordpress thinks for a minute and comes back with a green check mark, telling me my name - MyUpNorthLife.wordpress.com - is available.
We are making progress. I notice a drop down box next to my name that tells me I can get the .com of my blog for $18 a year. Wait a minute.... I've registered domains, and I know that a .com does not cost $18 a year. (You can typically get one for about $10 a year). Ahhhh. I see. What Wordpress is telling me is that if I want to use my domain name name, I can, but it will cost me $18 a year. I'm just starting my blog, and I really don't want any expense at this time. Let's check out Blogger.
I navigate to Blogger and say I want to set up a blog. I type in my name, and it's available on Blogger also. Great. Now, how much is Blogger going to charge me to use my domain name? After some checking around, I find the answer. Nothing. It does not cost me anything to use my domain name on Blogger (MyUpNorthLife.com). This frugal girl likes that. I'm going to try my first blog on Blogger because of this.
The other reason I've decided on Blogger is that it is easy to add "Adsense" to your blog. Adsense is a program that allows you to make cash by displaying relative advertisements on your blog. You cannot use Adsense until your blog has content, but once it does, it is seamless and automatic. I like that it is easy to use Adsense with Blogger, so that's another reason why I'm going with Blogger.
Set Up Your Blog!
I now fill out the form to start a new blog. It has me create a name with ".blogspot.com" at the end, but I am told I can easily change that later. For now you can visit me at myupnorthlife.blogspot.com!
Next Up: Using a Custom Domain Name for Your Blog
Deciding on a Blog Name
You first need to decide what your blog is going to be about. If your blog is going to be about one particular thing, it is a good idea to use a word in your name that describes what you are going to blog about. This will make your blog come up better in the search engines. For example, let's say my blog is about cooking. I would be advised to pick a name that includes the word "cooking" or "recipe" or something similar. For my first blog, I want to be able to write about whatever I feel like on any particular day. I do think I will concentrate on recipes and diy projects, but that may change. Therefore, I'm going to go with a more generic name. For my blog, I settled on, "My Up North Life". We'll see if I stick with the name or change it later!!
Seeing if the ".com" of the Blog Name is Available
If you are serious about doing a blog, and if you want the opportunity to MAYBE make money from it someday, you should register the .com of your name if it is available. It is much more professional to have a blog address of "MyUpNorthLife.com" than "MyUpNorthLife.wordpress.com" or "MyUpNorthLife.blogspot.com" (blogspot is the domain name for blogger). You can skip this step if you are just doing a family blog such as this one my friend Jen has: Yost Family. But if you may want to make money some day with ads and the such, register your domain now. To do this, I recommend using a site such as Go Daddy. If your domain is not available and you want a .com, now would be a good time to change your name (since you haven't set anything up yet). I lucked out and the .com of my name was available, so I registered it.
Deciding Where to Host Your Blog
OK. I've decided on the name and secured the .com name. Now where do I host my blog? After doing a few quick Google searches, it became apparent that there are two main choices for hosting blogs: Wordpress and Blogger. Yes, there are others, but these are the two major players in my opinion.
As a non-blogger, I had heard more "buzz" about Wordpress, so I decided to start there. I went to Wordpress.com (which is different than Wordpress.org), said I wanted to start a free blog, and began typing in my information.
The first thing Wordpress asks for is your blogger name. This is how you see if your chosen name is available. Whatever you type in here will be followed by ".wordpress.com". So I type in "MyUpNorthLife" (no spaces) and hit tab. Wordpress thinks for a minute and comes back with a green check mark, telling me my name - MyUpNorthLife.wordpress.com - is available.
We are making progress. I notice a drop down box next to my name that tells me I can get the .com of my blog for $18 a year. Wait a minute.... I've registered domains, and I know that a .com does not cost $18 a year. (You can typically get one for about $10 a year). Ahhhh. I see. What Wordpress is telling me is that if I want to use my domain name name, I can, but it will cost me $18 a year. I'm just starting my blog, and I really don't want any expense at this time. Let's check out Blogger.
I navigate to Blogger and say I want to set up a blog. I type in my name, and it's available on Blogger also. Great. Now, how much is Blogger going to charge me to use my domain name? After some checking around, I find the answer. Nothing. It does not cost me anything to use my domain name on Blogger (MyUpNorthLife.com). This frugal girl likes that. I'm going to try my first blog on Blogger because of this.
The other reason I've decided on Blogger is that it is easy to add "Adsense" to your blog. Adsense is a program that allows you to make cash by displaying relative advertisements on your blog. You cannot use Adsense until your blog has content, but once it does, it is seamless and automatic. I like that it is easy to use Adsense with Blogger, so that's another reason why I'm going with Blogger.
Set Up Your Blog!
I now fill out the form to start a new blog. It has me create a name with ".blogspot.com" at the end, but I am told I can easily change that later. For now you can visit me at myupnorthlife.blogspot.com!
Next Up: Using a Custom Domain Name for Your Blog
Monday, March 26, 2012
Welcome!
Welcome to blogplicity! The goal of my blog is to document the steps I took (and the decisions I made) when creating my first blog. I hope that you find some of this information useful.
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