I thought I would give you a mini series about blogging. Why? Well it’s the home of your business. No matter what you are doing to sell your products – whether it’s Etsy, Craft Fairs or a shelf in a local shop you need a place to pull it all together and invite your customers, or prospective customers. You will be ableto get your personality and expertise over to your visitors.
So first you need to choose a blogging platform.
Step 1: Choosing a blogging platform
There are a number of different blogging platforms out there, such as WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to choose one that’s right for you.
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform in the world.
wordpress.com is free and open-source, which means that it’s customisable and scalable. WordPress is also easy to use, even for beginners. Because it is free to use your domain name will include “wordpress” before the .com
WordPress.org is free but needs hosting which is paid. You will need to register a domain name which will be yours for as long as you keep up paying for it annually – maybe about $10
Blogger is another popular blogging platform. It’s free and hosted by Google, which makes it a good option for people who don’t want to worry about hosting. Blogger is also easy to use, and it has a number of features that make it a good choice for beginners.
If you cannot afford your own website just yet, I believe that this is a good option
Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that’s popular with younger audiences. It’s easy to use and share photos and videos, which makes it a good option for people who want to create a visually appealing blog.
Step 2: Choose a domain name and hosting
If you’ve chosen to have your own domain you will need to register it and pay for hosting. Without hosting no-one will see your communications!
I use Namecheap for both registration and hosting. They offer some of the best deals around with good customer support.
When choosing a domain name make it relevant to your business and easy to read. What do you think this says: menswear? Well it could be men’s wear or men swear.
Step 3: Design your blog
Once you’ve chosen a blogging platform, domain name, and hosting, it’s time to design your blog. This is where you’ll choose a theme, add widgets, and customise the look and feel of your blog
Here are a few tips for designing your blog:
- Choose a theme that’s visually appealing and easy to use.
- Add widgets that will make your blog more useful and informative.
- Customise the look and feel of your blog to match your personality and style.
Next time we’ll have a look writing blog posts
