Planning to start a blog on Bluehost and make money from blogging? Then you are in the right place. In this detailed tutorial, I will share the step by step guide on how to start a blog with Bluehost in 2020 and earn money from that.
Blogging has become very popular and one of the most popular ways to generate passive income online. If you are starting a blog in 2020 on WordPress, Bluehost is the right choice as they have been the most popular web hosting company for decades.
So, let me share the steps to start a WordPress blog with Bluehost hosting (complete screenshots) and also share the solid plan to earn money from your blog through affiliate marketing.
Why Choose Bluehost For Starting A New Blog In 2020
Before I share how to start a blog with Bluehost, I would request you to read this detailed review of Bluehost first. I have shared a very detailed analysis of Bluehost shared hosting plan and why it is good for the beginners to start a blog on WordPress with Bluehost. But still, I want to highlight a few of the amazing facts about Bluehost here.
Bluehost has been the #1 WordPress recommended hosting company for a long time. Just visit this link and you can see that Bluehost as #1 Web Hosting providers in that list. The other 2 are DreamHost & SiteGround.
When you compare the Bluehost market share with other popular hosting companies, you will find that Bluehost is the most popular hosting company. The reason behind this is very clear, they offer cheap hosting with Free Domain and easy to set up the WordPress interface.
Not only that, if you check the below image you will understand that majority of the USA bloggers are using Bluehost plans only.
Do you know that the world’s top bloggers are recommending Bluehost as best for beginners? Here are a few screenshots of ShoutmeLoud, #1 WordPress blog in India.
Popular web hosting review website(hostingadvice.com), also found Bluehost as 2018’s Best Web Hosting considering overall reviews.
Another popular whoishostingthis.com, where you will find many actual customers shared their responses after using Bluehost as hosting providers. Here are a few of the positive responses from Bluehost users.
That doesn’t mean that everything is always positive about Bluehost. There are many complaints and negative reviews as well, and that is true for every product.
How To Start A WordPress Blog With Bluehost [Step By Step Guide]
So, now that you know why to start a blog on Bluehost is the right decision, let us dive into how to start a blog with Bluehost in 2020. This is a complete end to end tutorial after which you will find your WordPress website live. Before starting this process, you need to ready with a few of the things mentioned so that we don’t waste time.
- A credit card so that you can pay your hosting charges
- A domain name handy or you can buy a new one with Bluehost (free for the first year)
- A good premium WordPress theme to enjoy a fast loading website (E.g. Thrive Themes, GeneratePress, Genesis Framework, etc). My website is using Focus Blog Theme from Thrive Themes.
I think this is enough to start the process of setting up a self-hosted website in Bluehost. Follow the step by step guide below.
Step #1: Activate The Special Bluehost Pricing
To start a blog with Bluehost, first of all, click here to visit the Bluehost website. They offer a 50% discount on their web hosting plans. This is a default discount, but I found a special Bluehost coupon trick to get a 66% discount on Bluehost shared hosting plans.
Step #2: Select The Best Bluehost WordPress Hosting Plan
Click on the GET STARTED NOW button and you will find 4 different plans there. Bluehost offers 4 shared hosting plans: BASIC, PLUS, CHOICE PLUS & PRO. I love the CHOICE PLUS plan as it is having everything I need as a starter. You can host unlimited websites and the price is also not that high compared to the BASIC plan.
- Bluehost Basic Plan
- Bluehost Plus Plan
- Bluehost Choice Plus plan
- Bluehost Pro Plan
Step #3: Get Your FREE Domain Name With Bluehost
Choose a plan as per your needs. And then click on SELECT. You will find a screen like below. Here you have to provide a domain name. In case you have a domain name already, then you have to change the DNS settings of your domain using GoDaddy or NameCheap login.
Otherwise, if you don’t have a domain then this is the best way to save the first year domain charges. As Bluehost offer a free domain name. Try to do the necessary researches before finalizing the domain name. Anyway, provide the domain name and click on the NEXT button.
Step #4: Provide Personal Information
On the next screen, you have to fill up all necessary information like your name, address, city, email address, mobile number, etc. On the same screen, just scroll down a little bit to find out the Bluehost hosting plan pricing details and the duration for which you want to buy.
Step #5: Choose 36 mo Plan For maximum Discount
To start a blog with Bluehost while getting the maximum discount, make sure that you choose a 36-month plan. I did a mistake of buying for 1 year, and after that now I renewing my Bluehost package by paying the actual charges. You will not get any Bluehost renewal discount to save money after that.
So, bet way to save money is by choosing for 36-month, so that you can get the lowest price for 3 years. Also remember to remove all the other ticks, as this is not required for this moment.
Step #6: Remove Extra Addons
Step #7: Choose Bluehost Payment Options
Bluehost only offer payment through credit card. That’s why I have mentioned in the beginning to get ready with your credit card. If you don’t have a credit card, then take help from your friends or family.
Provide the credit card information and then click on the SUBMIT button to complete the purchase.
Step #8: Create Account on Bluehost
Now that you have purchased a hosting plan with the maximum Bluehost discount, on the next screen, it will ask you to create a password for your Bluehost cPanel. Choose a password that is very tricky to crack for others, but simple to remember for you. Make sure you followed the password rules.
As soon as you are done with your password, you can log in to your dashboard. You will also get an email with all the necessary details as well.
Step #9: Login To Bluehost Account & Set Up WordPress
Click on the login button and provide your id & password. After successful login, you will find a screen like below. Click on the Start Blogging button and continue with the dashboard.
The Bluehost interface is really awesome. If you are installing the first time also, you will hardly find it difficult. As soon as you log in to your Bluehost cPanel you will find it like below.
Step #10: Install WordPress On Bluehost
Under the website section in your cPanel, you will find easily the option INSTALL WORDPRESS. It will open a screen of Mojo marketplace. Bluehost is internally integrated with Mojo marketplace which provides a very good interface to install WordPress as well as many other services related to a blog set up.
On the next screen, select the domain name on which you want to install WordPress. Make sure you keep the directory field blank. If you have a specific requirement like you want to install WordPress on a blog directory then you can write. In that case, your website will launch like yourdomain.com/blog/.
On successful installation, you will find a screen like below.
Next, you can log in to your WordPress website using the yourdomain.com/wp-admin/ link. You will find a screen like below where Bluehost will offer a screen to configure various WordPress settings.
You can follow the step by step guide to set up your complete WordPress site. Website title, header and other information.
Step #11: Welcome To Bluehost Dashboard
As I have already mentioned, you can either choose a free theme from the theme gallery offered by Mojo marketplace. But it is always better to pick any of the SEO-friendly premium themes from StudioPress Themes or Thrive Themes.
Step #12: Start Using Bluehost Tools To Run Your Blog
After completing all the steps, you will reach a screen like below. Here you have to click on the launch button to make your website live.
This is the detailed guide on how to start a blog with Bluehost WordPress hosting. By now, you are done with the complete blog setup. After that, there are various other things that you must do to run your WordPress blog. Just check this guide here.
Let me summarize few of the crucial activities.
- Posts: You can write new articles using the Posts area. Make sure you do enough research and pick the keywords related to your blog niche.
- Media: Here you’ll see your media(Photos, Videos) Uploads and manage them
- Pages: Here you need to create all necessary pages like contact us, About Us, Privacy Policy, Terms & Service, Disclaimer, etc.
- Comments: First delete the default comment. In case you want comments, then install an anti-spam plugin to deal with spam comments.
- Appearance: If you want to change your blog design, you can install a new theme using that area. I have shared a detail list of good WordPress themes.
- Plugins: You need many plugins to run a successful blog. So make sure to install all the necessary plugins on your WordPress blog. You can install the free plugins, but if you have a budget make sure to invest in necessary tools. You can read the importance of investment in blogging.
You can share your experience or write any kind of query by a simple comment below. Please share this post on Facebook, Twitter or other social channels if you think this post is useful for others too. 🙂
FAQs: Starting A Blog On Bluehost
Is Bluehost good for blogging?
Bluehost is the most popular web hosting company who offers FREE Domain name, FREE SSL Certificate, great interface, good support and most importantly #1 WordPress recommended hosting.
Can you make money with Bluehost?
Yes, you can make money by starting a blog on Bluehost. You can join the Bluehost Affiliate Program and then promote Bluehost from your blog. Besides that also, you can promote many affiliate programs as per your blog niche.
How do I start a WordPress blog in 2020?
This is what I have explained in this article with the example of the Bluehost Sign Up process. WordPress is an amazing CMS where anyone can create a website in just a few minutes. Just follow this step by step guide with screenshots to create a blog with Bluehost.
Is WordPress really free?
Yes, WordPress is a FREE platform if you are talking about WordPress.com. In case of WordPress.org, the CMS is free but you need a web hosting plan where you can install WordPress. In that case, you have to spend for a good hosting company.
Steps To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost Shared Hosting Plan (Conclusion)
So, I hope you will find this detailed Bluehost tutorial on how to start a blog with Bluehost hosting useful. Bluehost is a good hosting company that offers a lot of features and is also recommended by WordPress.org. They are quite affordable as well.
Starting a blog is the first step towards blogging. There are many things to do to set up a blog and then earn money from that. If you keep patience, follow the top bloggers in your niche then you can surely create a successful blog with time. Get the special price of $2.95/mo and start a blog with Bluehost today!
