Blogs are not exactly something new. Blogs have been very popular for the last two decades. Today‘s blogs typically aren’t just a simple journal anymore. They are strategic tools that companies and individuals are using to boost their online presence and fattest their wallets. Have you ever thought - “I wonder how much it costs to start a blog”? Today, we will break down the process and the cost. We will also take a look at how you can monetize your blog.
What should you write about?
You don’t have to be an expert to write a blog about something. Although you should some passion and knowledge for the subject you are writing about. For instance, you do not have to be a vet to write about dogs. You should, however, have some knowledge and/or insight about canines that not everyone has. Pick something you like. It is sooooooo much easier to write about something you know and are passionate about as opposed to something that you just trying to grab clicks with. So for our example we are going to choose dogs.
I know what I want to write about. Now how do I get started?
You’ve selected your topic. Where do you go from here? To answer this question, we need to determine your goals and skill set. Just about every web site host can allow you to setup a blog in a relatively easy manner. The question becomes what do I want to achieve with my blog.
Do you own a business and want to improve you site for your customers? Are you looking to add additional Ad revenue? Are you looking for SEO boosts? Is it something you want to write about just because you are passionate about the subject and want to bring more awareness to it? Any and all of these are good reasons as to why you would want to start a blog.
We are going to focus on the top website design companies for this article. We will look at Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, and WordPress.
Improving your website
If improving your website is your top goal, then most likely you will want to build the blog off of whatever platform you are already using. Typically, building a blog is very similar to building a web page. In this instance, you wouldn’t have to learn a lot of new tricks. By adding a blog to your current site, you won’t be looking at adding any additional costs unless you purchase a special plugin or add on.
Additional Ad Revenue
Are you looking to place advertisements on your site to increase revenue? While you can do this on any of the four platforms, our suggestion is to stick with WordPress. There are a ton of plugins that work seamlessly within your site. Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix almost always require custom code to get the look you are wanting.
Search Engine Optimization Boost
Adding a blog to your site is a big step in maximizing your Onsite SEO. Most companies today now feature a blog in one way or another to boost their SEO standings. With a blog, you can dive deeper than you would normally with a website and hit those all too important keywords. When making a determination here, you’ll want to stick with whatever platform you are using for your website. If you don’t already have a website, Wix may be your go to choice. Wix offers the easiest site design tools. You can literally throw a page together with your new blog in a single day. Wix also offer an SEO wizard which will help you get started in the right direction. If Wix isn’t your jam or you want additional help, 930 Tech offers several different methods and price points to improve your SEO.
I want to write about it because I’m very passionate
Maybe you just want to share your knowledge with the world. Or you have a non profit that you want to keep your donors up to date with. If these are the case, then choose whichever platform you feel most comfortable with. Unless you are intending to attach a sizable online store with your blog, then I would suggest scratching off Shopify for now.
Cost breakdown to start a blog
Wix
First let’s look at Wix. For each product, we are going to start with the lowest possible price. As of writing this, you can start your blog for $14 a month on Wix. That comes to a total of $168 per year. This includes a custom domain with hosting, an SSL certificate (which is about $125 in itself), and 3 GB of storage space.
Squarespace
With Squarespace you are going to be looking at $19 a month or $228 per year. This includes your domain, SSL certificate, templates, and basic web metrics. Squarespace is easy to use but not easy to learn. It functions like no other builder. Keep that in mind when selecting a home for your blog.
WordPress
WordPress is typically credited with starting it all when it comes to blogs. Ultimately, WordPress has the most customization and options. Let’s look at costs.
-Godaddy
- $19.99 per month = $239.88
- Cost of domain $10 and up
- SSL certificate - $125
Total - $375+
- Bluehost (I don’t recommend Bluehost personally)
- $9.99 per month $119.88
- Hostgator
- $155.40 for the first year
- $10+ for the domain
- $125 for SSL certificate
Total - $290.40+
Shopify
Shopify is built to easily create online stores. You can easily and quickly setup your e-commerce in just a matter of hours. If you are looking for blogging, this probably isn’t the route we’d suggest. However, this may be your best option. Let’s look at the costs.
- $29 per month
- $348 per year
Conclusion
In the end the cost for starting a blog is between $120 and $375 a year annually. Now of course, as you add in you are looking at more costs. Add a store - add more costs. Customization - add more cost.
Decide what you want to write about. Again, my suggestion is focus on passion.
If you need assistance determining which route to go or are looking for some help in this process, let us know. You can email us at info@930tech.com or message us on Facebook.
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