Reginald Chan

Tag: starting a blog

  • When Is The Best Time To Launch A Blog (And Make Money)?

    When Is The Best Time To Launch A Blog (And Make Money)?


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    Should I Start A Blog Now?

    You are at home and probably under quarantine by the government because they wanted to stop the epidemic of the Covid-19 virus. You had heard and read financial experts talking about the great recession in 2020 and you are dead worried. How do you cope up with the financials? Lucky for you, read this post and I’ll show you two powerful strategies to beat the upcoming recession … but you need to take action right now.

    Do you know that starting a blog is also a good way to build passive income during hard times? Here’s the thing.

    Starting a blog been a long wish for you and you heard about bloggers making money online.

    “Is this the best time to start a blog?” You thought to yourself.

    The answer is probably a resounding “yes”.

    The best time to start a blog is right now. Scroll down to learn how to get started right now.

    Step By Step To Launch Your First Blog

    If you want to start a blog, follow these steps and I’ll show you exactly HOW you can start a blog under $30 or less.

    And under 60 minutes.

    Deal?

    1. The basics

    The basics includes finding a topic that you are super interested with. It can be something boring or something scientific. It doesn’t matter.

    You need to be passionate about the topic.

    Once that is done, head over to BlueHost to get yourself a domain name and web hosting.

    Why BlueHost?

    BlueHost offers free domain name, 1-click WordPress installation, superior uptime and above everything affordability. It costs you under $4 a month and there is no better offer than this!

    Click here to get started.

    2. Setting Up Your WordPress Blog

    Here’s the beauty of using BlueHost for your web host. It is close to automatic and support is just a click away. Right after setting up your domain name and hosting, you should be ready to setup your WordPress blog.

    This step includes:

    • Installing a WordPress theme (find free ones from the WordPress respository)
    • Installing essential WordPress plugins

    If anyone had told you that starting a blog is complicated, they are dead wrong. It is a simple 2-step process as above.

    Step 3: Publish your first content

    Now that your blog is up and running, you need to publish your first content.

    Forget about what others had said about SEO and stuffs. You just need to be yourself and share information based on what you know.

    A wide range of topics could include:

    • The top 10 things you didn’t know about [your interest]
    • How to start [your interest] under X days
    • The ultimate guide to [your interest]

    The sky is your limit. So, don’t be afraid to go overboard!

    4. Informing Google

    The last step is where many beginners make the same mistake. There are millions of blogs and Google takes time to discover them all.

    To fast forward the ‘application’ and ‘signal sending’ process, make sure you register your blog with Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

    When you do this, you are telling Google that your blog is new (and it exists) and they need to take at your blog right now!

    Summary: 4 Steps Simple Process To Start A Blog Right Now

    I had said this a zillion times now. There is no better time to start a blog than now.

    With recession and all the economy woes coming our way, we need to step up and take financials into our own hands. And you need to take action right now.

    Bonus: Two free masterclasses to help you prepare for the great recession in 2020

    Recession is coming and you need to be ready. Today, I want to help you get started—and here are two free offers for you right now.


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    About Reginald

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    About Reginald

    Young at heart and a deep passion for entrepreneurial success, Reginald is devoted to share everything he had learned about online marketing with the public. Follow him for more awesome postings.


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  • How To Start A Blog In Just 5 Steps [Infographic]

    How To Start A Blog In Just 5 Steps [Infographic]

    You heard that you can make money with a blog and you are inching to start a blog. There are way too many guides out there on ‘how to start a blog‘ but you want just the facts.

    Yes, you want a complete blogging tutorial that teaches you how to create a blog from scratch. You have no time to waste and certainly, you don’t want to waste money buying web hosting and domain names just to become another failed blogger.

    You want to start a blog and start making money from blogging. I feel you –and that’s why I created this post for you; How To Start A Blog In Just 5 Simple Steps.

    If you are the type that read, bookmark this post for future reference and if you’re a graphic-type of person, there’s an infographic right at the bottom of this post. And if you find this post useful, I would appreciate it if you can share this around or use the infographic in your blog post!

    how to start a blog

    Step 1: Start a blog by choosing a domain name

    A domain name is like your brand and it matters even more especially when your blog get traction and more visibility. Most bloggers find it really challenging to find a blog name and allow me to hep you out on this.

    There are several rules of thumb when it comes to choosing a domain name:

    • Always go for dot com (.com) followed by dot net (.net) and dot co (.co) – Avoid others forms of Top Level Domains (TLD’s) regardless how interesting they sound like
    • Domain name should be short and in most cases, under 20 characters
    • Choose a domain name the represents your brand and make sense for reading (higher readability = easier remembrance)
    • Avoid hypes and numbers whenever possible
    • Have the keyword embedded in the domain for some search engine advantage in the future

    Domain usually costs anywhere from $0.99 to under $10 per year. There are many domain registrars out there such as GoDaddy and NameCheap which sells at super low prices.

    Want to save money in domain name and get a free one? Continue reading Step 2!

    To be included in you reading list: ProBlogger Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

    Step 2: Choosing a reliable web hosting company

    Web hosting is like the power company that lights up your home (in this case, home is your domain). One of the biggest mistakes done by bloggers is choosing really, really cheap web hosting companies due to the obvious reason; dirt cheap cost.

    The results? Tons of downtime and even possibility of hacking which leads to angry visitors and lost of revenue for you. If you think about it, this isn’t the reason of you starting a blog. You want to make money or passive income from blogging!

    So, here are some guidelines you need to know when choosing a web hosting company:

    • Reliable uptime for web hosting performance
    • Proven track record in this industry
    • Support consists of live chat, phone, email and forum
    • Money back guarantee

    Since you are starting out in blogging, you should be getting shared web hosting as this is the most affordable one. While there are higher end ones like WP Engine, you’re still in good hands especially when your blog is hosted with a professional web hosting company with affordable prices.

    Why? Because it doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

    If you need recommendations, I recommend using BlueHost (read my review on Bluehost) because it costs only $3.95 per month and all the goodies such as free domain name, free site builder, professional support and money back guarantee under one roof. Of course, you only get this deal when you use this link (original price is $5.99 per month).

    Step 3: Installing a blogging platform

    In the 3rd step on how to start a blog, you need to install a blogging platform. Here, I would recommend you to install WordPress as it is one of the most flexible blogging platforms for both beginners and businesses.

    Big brands such as Tech Crunch, The New Yorker and Sony Music use WordPress for their websites.

    By default, most shared hosting service providers would have cPanel system which you can use to install WordPress. If you slightly geeky, here’s the real definition of cPanel credits to Wikipedia:

    cPanel is a Linux based web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a web site.

    If you are wondering if you could create a blog without WordPress, yes you could — but would you? Millions of blogs out there are powered by WordPress because it is flexible and super scalable. As a matter of fact, WordPress allows you to change every expect of your blog (with some coding knowledge).

    Right now, you may be thinking, “Hey Reginald, this is just too much for me. I am working/studying and I have absolutely no time to spare. I demand to know how to start a blog fast!”

    Yes sir! Pardon me for all the jargons I said in the past few paragraph. You want an easy way out? Signup for BlueHost web hosting and they will give you a free domain. Then the magic happens. BlueHost has 1-click install for WordPress. All you need to do is to click and wait.

    Now you are all set … under 5 minutes. Yes, sign up for BlueHost here (If you cancel within 30 days, you receive a full refund on your hosting service and if you cancel after 30 days, you receive a prorated refund for the remainder of your hosting term).

    Step 4: Setting up your blog

    Yes, you just started a blog. Pretty simple right?

    No, it’s no over yet! There’re two more steps and the next step (really simple one, I promise) is setting the blog up.

    On your dashboard (accessible through http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin), head over the left panel and click on Settings > General as seen on the image below:

    setting up WordPress blog

    Once the page is refreshed, you will see a new page and this is the main switch box for your blog. See the options in the image below? Fill the details according to the details of your blog.

    how to setup a wordpress blog

    Once everything is done, click on the Save button.

    Important note: Tagline should be no longer than 160 characters.

    Bonus offer: See why over 164,000 website owners trust StudioPress Themes!

    Step 5: Installing plugins to your blog

    What are WordPress plugins?

    WordPress plugins are bits of software that can be uploaded to to extend and expand the functionality of your WordPress site. 

    In short, plugins help you to do wonders with your blog (even when you have no knowledge about) and it increases productivity.

    Plugins can be installed directly from your blog’s dashboard. Click on the left panel and select Plugins.

    how to install wordpress plugin

    A new page will be visible and you can search dozens of plugins directly from the WordPress repository. As of this point of writing, there are over 37,900 plugins available for download to your blog.

    install wordpress plugin

    Here are some important plugins you need to have when you first start a blog:

    Alternative plugins for advanced bloggers:

    WordPress comes with some beautifully made themes which you can use for free. But if you would want a more custom look and feel, there are tools such as Thrive Theme Builder that allows you to create custom custom blog templates without a single line of code. Besides that, you have StudioPress who offers dozens of professional made blog templates ready for download at very reasonable prices.

    So, what’s next after starting a blog?

    Did you know that you have finish all the 5 steps in ‘how to start a blog‘?

    Yes, give yourself a pat on the back and maybe some beer. You have successfully create a blog from scratch (and without pulling a single strain of hair). Well, that’s awesome right?

    Of course, starting a blog is just the first step in your blogging journey. What’s coming up next is how to make money with a blog (subscribe here to be kept updated)!

    Bonus: How To Start A Blog [Infographic]

    How To Start A Blog [Infographic]

  • Lesson 1: The Art Of Blogging For Beginners

    Lesson 1: The Art Of Blogging For Beginners

    Blogging for beginners

    Blogging is an art and artists who sell their painting get paid.

    Welcome to the first lesson in Blogging University – The Art of Blogging for Beginners.

    In this first lesson, I will be using my personal domain, www.reginaldchan.net as the reference point. I started this blog in May 2013 and the below are the stats:

    • 99,900 page views
    • Around 1,000 followers on email
    • Close to 10,000 followers on social media
    • Approximately $8,000 earnings on affiliate sales
    • Awarded top 100 bloggers in Tribber for 2014
    • Honorable mention on huge sites such as Harvard University blog and Yahoo Small Business

    Accept my apologies for being bold. At times, I often wondered what it really took me to get this far.

    Of course, mistakes I did were:

    • Over 8 years of blogging and making peanuts
    • Started over 30 various websites and having extremely low success
    • Wasted thousand of dollars in ‘guru tips’
    • And probably a dozen more to make me look bad 🙂

    With Blogging University, I certainly hope to share all my blogging tips I have collected over the years and helping bloggers to avoid those mistakes I had done in the past.

    Download this blogging lesson in PDF now!

    Prefer podcast? Hit the play button below:

    What blogging lessons will you learn today?

    • Importance of planning your blogging
    • Choosing the various blogging platforms
    • The type of hosting services you would subscribe

    Without further delay, let’s kick start the lesson today.

    Note: Since this is the first training, the information shared here are relatively very general. This would be a great baseline for any newbie bloggers. Much more extensive blogging tips will follow in the coming lessons.

     

    The importance of planning and strategy in blogging

    The importance of strategy and planning in blogging

    I know only a handful of bloggers who plan their blogging path and this … got to change!

    If you want to be make a living out of blogging or become a professional blogger, you need to utilize the power of planning and strategy building.

    Planning in blogging is simple. Some simple questions you can start asking yourself are:

    1. What are you writing about?
    2. Who will be your readers?
    3. Why would they want to read your blog?

    Now, take a moment to answer the questions above and compare them with the answer sheet below:

    • Very general blog topics (or over 10 different topics of choice)
    • My readers will be anyone who I can find (no specific target)
    • Because it is interesting!

    If the above are similar with your answer, then your blogging career will be seriously challenging.

    You don’t need a godly plan but at least, a simple strategy that will be your guidance in blogging.

    For example, a good blogging plan could easily be:

    1. Very specialized topics (select 3 to 5 related topics)
    2. Targeting readers from the United States aged 18 to 40 who dream of making a living online
    3. Focusing on writing detailed case-studies and tutorials

    Having a clearer blogging strategy could easily help you to have a better reach. More on that in the next lesson.

    Actionable blogging tips:

    Start building your blogging strategy using the simple questions starting with the who, what, where and how. The more detailed your answer are, the better it would be for you down the road.

     

    Choosing a blogging platform

    Choosing a good blogging platform

    There are countless blogging platforms nowadays which includes WordPress (self hosted), WordPress.com and Blogspot.

    You won’t go wrong with any of those but if you are planning of starting your career in blogging (seriously), it would best start with having a self-hosted website.

    The most common question many blogging newbies is the ‘WordPress vs Blogspot’.

    Personally, I would always recommend bloggers to use WordPress platform on their self-hosted domains compared to Blogspot due to the control and features.

    The below are some breakdowns for easier decision making.

    Advantages of self-hosted WordPress sites:

    • Highly configurable and customizable
    • Absolute freedom
    • The most popular blogging platform (availability of support is huge)

    Disadvantages of self-hosted WordPress sites:

    • Slight learning curve required
    • Too much features could be daunting for newbies
    • Very prone to hacking and security issues

    Advantages of Blogspot:

    • Setting up would take less than 10 minutes
    • No plugin required
    • Hosted on servers owned by Google (zero cost)

    Disadvantages of Blogspot:

    • Limited ability for customization (especially when you want to grow your blog)
    • Abide the Blogspot rules, terms and conditions
    • Risk of losing everything as Google is known of shutting down a site without notice

    For beginner bloggers, it is important to choose one platform and stick to it as migrating in the future is very troublesome.

    There is no such thing as best of both worlds and thus, go with the blogging platform that best fits your requirements. Again, my personal opinion is that if you are serious in blogging, it is highly recommended to get a self-hosted site for more control.

     

    Deciding on the best hosting for your money

    What are the common hosting issues

    It is not wrong for you to think big when you are a beginner. However, thinking big could easily burn a hole in your wallet.

    For those who are using self-hosted domain, you would require a hosting plan. Yes, this is an important start even before starting a blog.

    If a domain is your home, a hosting plan is the electricity.

    The quality of the hosting plan will determine the level of uptime you are getting. For starters, a website which have tons of downtime is bad for both the blog visitors and search engines.

    There are several types of hosting a blogger can choose; shared, reseller, premium hosting and dedicated servers.

    Shared hosting

    Basically, you are sharing electricity with around 500 to 1,000 websites. While this is probably the most popular hosting plan for many blogging beginners, located in a high traffic server could easily slow down the website loading speed.

    On average, you could get a hosting plan that cost $5 per month for a single domain.

    Reseller hosting

    This is one hosting option which is widely known among advanced and professional bloggers.  Instead of getting a hosting package from a hosting company, you subscribe to hosting services from a 3rd party.

    What makes this type of hosting an excellent choice for startup bloggers is that you get higher quality hosting in both quality of uptime and customer support.

    For example, clients in my reseller hosting packages get free plugin installation, daily backup and ability to host unlimited domains under $5 per month.

    Comparing to shared hosting, my reseller hosting package would be much affordable since they are getting a high end support from me personally. Plus, I only allow 10 clients in one server in order for them to have ultimate server speed.

    On average, a reseller hosting plan would cost as low as $5 per month to $50 per month.

    Premium hosting

    If you are worried of those hacking and security flaws, having a premium hosting would be a good option. Basically, you are getting top notch support in terms of backup, security and website performance.

    Instead of having 1,000 domains in one server, most premium hosting servers cater only (up to) 10 domains per server. This will ensure that the site performance will not be affected if you ever get a spiked in traffic.

    Premium hosting isn’t cheap and it cost around $29 per month. I would suggest getting this only if you have enough traffic and generating enough income for this service.

    Dedicated servers

    Once you have above 100,000 traffic a month, then you need more firepower. Dedicated servers means that you have the whole server for yourself.

    Dedicated servers usually cost around $70 (at least) per month.

     

    Blogging lesson recap

    For those who are starting a blog, these are the three very basic rules to get started on the right track. While these may seems very petty, don’t be fooled with the advantages these would bring you in the long run.

    The best blogging tips? Follow closely to these 3 blogging tips above!

    Now, I am going to wrap this blogging lesson up and if you have any questions, fire them up using the comment form below and I’ll get back to you with the answers.

    Upcoming blogging lesson: How to plan the perfect blogging strategy?