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Want to know how to create a website or blog? I’m Peter, with 15 years of experience in website and blog creation and management. I love simplicity because simple things are the best. Here, I’ll show you how to quickly and easily create a blog or website. No technical skills or experience required—beginners can pick it up quickly! Whether you’re 18 or 88, you can create your own blog or website in just 20 minutes. Let’s dive into our personal site-building tutorial.
Before we begin, let me share a bit about my website-building and management journey.
In 2008, I started building my own websites and blogs, initially using Dreamweaver, a popular editor at the time. I created each page manually, set up the layout, adjusted colors and formats, and uploaded everything via FTP. It was a lot of work to build a small site with dozens of pages, but I was still learning the ropes. The design was basic, and traffic was minimal, with limited results.
Later, I discovered WordPress. I was instantly drawn to its ease of use and powerful features—it made building a blog or website incredibly simple. It felt like discovering a whole new world, and since then, I’ve continued down this path, learning and creating a new career path.
While running my own sites, I encountered many setbacks. I built over a dozen websites and even created sites for friends. I constantly analyzed which websites were profitable and then tried to replicate the success. Some sites didn’t last, but some are still running today.
Initially, I relied on Google AdSense and similar ad networks to make a small income. Eventually, I shifted to affiliate marketing, and my earnings began to increase. Later, I discovered my niche and started creating my own products, selling them through my website. As my site’s income surpassed my salary, I quit my job to manage my sites full-time and even formed a small team to run my business.
In today’s digital age, if you want to escape a job that feels stagnant, improve your income, or even change your life (I’m not exaggerating—everything I have now is because of this path), building your own website can be a great first step. It doesn’t require much financial investment—just a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic. With your own dedication, you can build a completely different life for yourself.
I admit that when I first learned how to create a blog, I made many mistakes. Here, I’m sharing my years of site-building experience so that you won’t repeat the same errors when creating your own blog or website. By learning from my experience, you can benefit from my more than a decade of website-building insights. I’ve created this free guide to help you easily build your own blog or website.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a website or blog. To leave no gaps, I’ll explain each step in detail, covering how to set up your own site and the WordPress site-building process.
10 Steps to Create a WordPress Website and Blog
Define the website content
Choose a website and blogging platform
Select a hosting provider
Choose a domain name
Set up your hosting account
Set up your WordPress account
Configure the site language and admin username and password (for English sites, the default English dashboard works well)
Choose a website theme (interface)
Publish articles
Promote your website/blog
1. Define the Website Content
The most important step is to choose a niche you enjoy that also has potential for profit (a niche market refers to a specific, focused area of products or services where you can concentrate efforts and become a leader). In short, decide what your website will focus on.
It’s best to pick a specific direction, like technology, international trade, travel, weddings, moving, movies, gaming, etc. Find a balance between your interests and the effort required. Choose a topic you’re passionate about and willing to invest in, and one with a broad enough market—this is usually a good direction to start with.
Choosing the right direction is crucial; if you choose poorly, all efforts could go to waste. Extensive research is essential. You can analyze other sites and use tools like Baidu Index or SemRush to analyze search volume and decide on a focus area.
If you’re still unsure, start with something based on your interests and see how it goes. If a new direction arises, adjust or create another site. The first experience might be challenging, but the second will be much easier.
2. Choose a Website and Blogging Platform
A website platform (also known as a content management system or CMS) turns your text into a website or blog format.
There are many website platforms, both domestic and international. Domestic options include PageAdmin CMS, EmpireCMS, and the DISCUZ forum system. Domestic platforms are generally user-friendly, but they come with risks as companies may shut down or discontinue support, leaving users without assistance. For instance, Dedecms was widely used for personal and news websites, but since the team disbanded, it’s no longer maintained, with frequent security issues making it risky. Considering usability versus risk, it’s often safer to pass on these options.
Internationally, there are several well-known systems such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Wix. Among these, WordPress is the most popular and generally considered the best.
WordPress, a blogging software developed in the United States, makes it easy to create a personal website. Over 75 million blogs and websites currently use it, supporting everything from private blogs to full websites. As an open-source system, WordPress benefits from contributions worldwide, with a vast array of themes and plugins that continuously enhance its features. Today, WordPress offers a wide range of themes and plugins suitable for any type of website, from personal blogs to online stores, movie or video sites, with designs for every possible need. There are also specialized plugins to support various functionalities, including full purchasing and payment processes.
WordPress is entirely free, and most hosting companies offer free one-click installation. Its value is like a shining piece of gold, capable of helping you achieve incredible things.
WordPress has many advantages:
Completely Free – The WordPress blogging system is open-source and completely free.
Easy to Use – WordPress is very user-friendly, allowing customization of the site’s layout, color changes, and image additions. Posting content is as easy as publishing a social media post.
Publish from Anywhere – As long as you have internet access, you can publish new articles. WordPress provides a management backend accessible on PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone from anywhere in the world.
No Coding Knowledge Required – You don’t need to know HTML code or hire a web developer. WordPress is a one-click installation with no coding knowledge required.
Built-in SEO – Google tends to favor blogs and websites built with WordPress, which is optimized for SEO. This makes it easier to improve rankings and attract more readers.
Various Free Themes Available – The WordPress CMS is connected to a theme library, where you can browse and upload thousands of free themes (layouts for blogs or websites). These free WordPress themes are available for one-click installation.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog/Website?
Below are the basic costs for purchasing a domain and using WordPress with server hosting for one year. Costs may vary based on the package selected, but the total yearly fee should not exceed $100.
Setup Type
WordPress + Bluehost
Blog Hosting Service
$2.95 per month (three-year plan upfront)
$4.95 per month (one-year plan)
Domain Registration
Free for the first year ($17.99 per year afterward)
Email
Free email and forwarding
SSL Certificate
Free SSL certificate (one-click activation)
Storage*
50 GB
Bandwidth*
Unlimited
Total Cost
$106.20(three-year plan) $59.40 (one-year plan)
3. Choose a Hosting Provider
A hosting provider will place your website or blog on the internet. I recommend Bluehost for its beginner-friendly interface. Within minutes, you can set up a website and use WordPress on their servers.
Bluehost has both an English and a Chinese site. While the English version is managed directly by Bluehost in the US, the Chinese version is outsourced to Resellerclub in India, and account details, data, and backend differ from the English site. Therefore, I recommend purchasing from the English site for a better quality experience.
Click here to go to the Bluehost English site (discount available through this link!), then click “Get Started” to purchase.
Next, click the green “Select” button to choose a plan.
I prefer the Choice Plus plan because it includes more unlimited features: unlimited websites, domains, free SSL certificate, privacy protection, no traffic limitations, and free website backups.
This $2.95/month plan is the most affordable. It’s a good choice for beginners, and you can always upgrade later if needed.
Clicking “Learn More” provides more pricing options. You might also consider the CHOICE PLUS plan, which supports unlimited websites—a popular choice among users.
Compared to domestic hosting providers, overseas servers offer several advantages. Overseas hosting does not require local registration, has competitive pricing, and generally provides unrestricted bandwidth and traffic. Content moderation is also less strict (as local hosting often requires compliance with rigorous content management policies, which may include takedown or modification requests for sensitive content). Therefore, I recommend using an overseas server.
Additionally, Bluehost includes a free CloudFlare CDN, enabling free, accelerated website performance worldwide, including mainland China and other parts of Asia. Cloudflare’s network covers 200 cities across 100 countries, ensuring high-speed access globally.
I personally use and recommend BlueHost for these reasons:
Free domain registration for the first year.
A 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied for any reason.
Free, one-click installation for WordPress blogging software.
Reliable web hosting services; Bluehost has been an official WordPress-recommended hosting provider since 2005 and currently hosts over 2 million blogs and websites.
24/7 customer support available via phone or live chat.
4. Choose a Domain Name
Your domain name is your website’s address (e.g., google.com). To create a domain, simply type your desired name in the “Create a new domain” box on the left, then purchase the domain.
If you already have a domain, enter it in the right-hand box and update the DNS to point to Bluehost’s name servers.
If you want to purchase hosting now and decide on a domain later, click the link at the bottom, “I will create my domain later.” Once hosting is purchased, you can add and configure a domain and website.
5. Set Up Hosting Account and Payment
Follow the prompts below to complete this section.
In the “Plan” section, Bluehost offers three plans:
Basic 12 Month Price – $4.95/mo.
Basic 24 Month Price – $3.95/mo.
Basic 36 Month Price – $2.95/mo.
The 36-month plan offers the lowest monthly rate, while the 12-month plan has the highest rate.
Select a plan based on your specific needs.
Once payment is completed, a welcome page will appear. Click “Create your password” to set a password for your account.
After setting up your account password below, the purchase will be complete.
Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, contact customer support within 30 days for a refund.
You’ll find your Bluehost account name and login details in the confirmation email, as shown below:
6. Set Up WordPress Account
If you purchased a domain in step five, the domain fee will be billed together with the hosting fee. Once the purchase is successful, the system will automatically install WordPress for you, so no manual setup is required. Next, you can choose a WordPress theme, which essentially is the website’s appearance, based on your preferences.
You can also click “Skip” at the bottom of the page to bypass this step, as WordPress offers a variety of great free themes that you can set up later.
The next screen appears as shown below, which is Bluehost’s dashboard, offering a simple and clean layout. You can click “Log in to WordPress” to access the site’s admin area. However, logging in this way each time may not be convenient. After logging in, you can create a username and password to log in directly in the future.
7. Set the Website Language and Add Username and Password (If your site is in English, you do not need to change the language setting)
WordPress supports nearly all languages, including Chinese.
Go to “Settings,” click “General,” then select “Simplified Chinese” under “Site Language,” and click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page. Now, your WordPress admin panel will be displayed in Chinese, making it as easy as posting an update.
Next, select “Users” – “Add User,” then fill in the required information. Username and email are mandatory fields, and you’ll set a password for login. Select the role “Administrator,” which has the highest permissions on the website.
To log in later, simply go to https://mysite.com/wp-admin (replace mysite.com with your domain), and the login screen will appear as shown below.
Enter your username and password to access the admin dashboard.
8. Setting Up the Website Theme (Interface)
Here, we use the Chinese interface as an example. Instructions are provided with English terms in parentheses.
Click “Appearance” – “Themes” – “Add a New Theme”
You’ll see many themes available; preview them and click “Install” – “Activate” after finding one you like. This gives your site the look you prefer. WordPress themes can be switched anytime, so if you find a better one later, you can always change it.
If you prefer more professional paid themes, I recommend WPZOOM. They offer over 40 stylish themes that are SEO-friendly, visually appealing, and packed with many features. For $99, you get access to 44 themes, allowing you to try different designs to find the best one for you.
9. Recommended Website Plugins (Note: Excessive plugin installations can affect site speed)
Everything is ready, and we can publish the article now.
Click “Posts” – “Add New,” and you can start publishing your first article.
Let’s differentiate between “Posts” and “Pages.” Posts are straightforward; they are the content of your website. For example, if your website is about travel, posts would include introductions to various destinations, travel itinerary recommendations, travel guides, etc. “Pages” refer to more static content, such as “About Us,” “Contact Us,” “Privacy Policy,” etc. This is important to note.
Another very important setting to note is the permalink structure. Please go to “Settings” – “Permalinks” and select “Post Name.” This way, your articles will have permanent links, which is beneficial for search engine ranking on Google, Baidu, etc.
Currently, WordPress has the Gutenberg editor enabled by default, which has completely changed the way users build pages and write articles in WordPress. Gutenberg is a modular visual editor that makes it easy to add new paragraphs, headings, images, videos, or any other content.
Of course, if you don’t like this editor, you can download the Classic Editor plugin to use the traditional method of publishing articles.
Basic Pages for Your Blog/Website
Your blog/website should include some essential pages, including:
About Me (Us) – This page should include a brief biography of the author and a mission statement. How did your passion for the website/blog topic develop? What do you want to convey to the world? What is your ultimate goal? Contact Me (Us) – The contact page provides visitors with a way to reach the author. You can add your physical address, phone number, and email address. Alternatively, you can use a simple contact form to protect your personal information. You can also list your social media links here.
These two very important pages should typically be at the top of your menu and should be prominently positioned for easy access by readers.
Disclaimer Page – If you plan to profit from your blog, you must describe how you intend to generate income. This is an essential page not to be overlooked. For example, if you are discussing and endorsing a product and profiting from links to that product, you must disclose that relationship. Privacy Policy – If you collect data from visitors in any way, you need to add a privacy policy page that informs visitors how you collect and use data and whether you share that data. If you implement Google Adsense or Google Analytics accounts on your blog, you must have a privacy policy. Terms of Service – If your blog/website also operates a store or sales business, it’s best to have a terms of service page to limit and mitigate your potential liability.
The above three pages are typically linked in the footer menu of the blog and can be accessed from the homepage.
How to Write Engaging Blog/Article Content
Each article should be as long, rich in content, and engaging as possible. You can write with a personal style to make the topic lively and interesting.
Decide on Article Content – Create an engaging title that sparks curiosity to attract readers to click on the article. The first paragraph of the article should clearly state the topic while leaving some suspense to pique the reader’s interest.
The Longer the Article, the Better— The more information and details your article contains, the better. However, each paragraph should remain simple, ideally two to three lines. Use lists and highlighted quotes, include images, and use bold text to differentiate sections of the article so readers can quickly find what they want.
Engage in Discussion – At the end of each article, pose a meaningful question to readers to encourage them to respond in the comments. This simple method can increase reader engagement tenfold.
Original Content – Your content should always be original. Never plagiarize others’ work. Your content should come from your heart, your mind, your knowledge base, and your experiences. Such content ranks best.
Use Original Images – While you can use images from free stock photo websites, it’s best to include some of your own photos or graphics you have created. Alternatively, you can use free photo editing tools to reprocess them, such as adding text or other enhancements.
Proofread Content for Flow – The content of your blog/website should be carefully edited. Avoid grammatical errors. This will enhance your authority.
10. Promote Your Blog/Website
Creating a blog and writing great content is just the beginning. To attract readers, you also need to spend some time promoting it, especially when starting out.
You can promote your website through the following methods:
a. Introduce Your Website to People Around You
You can introduce your website to your core circle, including family, friends, and colleagues. Encourage them to visit your website/blog.
b. Promote Using Social Media
You can create accounts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and Weibo. Share article links on these accounts to attract readers to your site. Not only will your friends see the links, but if they share them with their friends, it will increase visitors. If you create high-quality content, it can go viral on social media, attracting a large number of visitors.
c. Comment on Other Blogs
Comment on other blogs, introduce yourself, and leave constructive comments. Many blogs allow you to leave links to your blog. This helps boost your visibility and ranking.
d. Engage with Website Visitors
When your readers comment on your articles, be sure to engage with them. Respond to their comments and questions, and give them “likes” and affirmations. When authors show genuine concern for their community and readership, it naturally encourages visitors to return.
e. Publish Content Regularly
Publish content regularly. Aim to post at least once a week. If there are long gaps between your posts, your followers will decrease, and your growth will be severely hindered. Sticking to a publishing schedule isn’t easy, but it is something you absolutely must maintain.
f. Optimize Your Blog for Search Engines
Submitting your blog is the first step in the search engine optimization (SEO) process. Submit your website/blog to search engines like Baidu or Google. If it’s a brand-new blog, traffic will initially be low. However, as you continue to add rich and relevant content regularly, this will change.
Each of your pages should be optimized and contain the following basic elements:
Optimize Article Titles – Give articles an attractive title to entice readers to click.
Heading Tags – Use H1, H2, H3 tags within articles to distinguish different sections.
Permanent Links – Set appropriate permanent links for each blog post. Use meaningful slugs instead of post numbers. You can easily change this setting in WordPress by going to “Settings” -> “Permalinks.” Choose the “Post Name” option and then click “Save Changes.”
Introduce Some Useful Plugins
If you want to download plugins, go to “Plugins” – “Add New” to search for a variety of powerful plugins. Currently, there are over 57,000 different plugins in the WordPress.org repository. Most plugins are free, but many offer premium features for a fee. These plugins can achieve many functionalities and page display effects you desire. We will introduce how to use plugins later, or you can search for information using a search engine.
UpdraftPlus – The best website backup plugin. With this plugin, you can back up your website to the server with one click or download it to your computer. It’s best to back up frequently, just in case.
Sucuri Security – Free security software. Provides free antivirus features for your website.
WP Super Cache (free) – An excellent WordPress static caching plugin that can improve page load speed and reduce server CPU usage.
TablePress – Allows you to create various beautiful tables.
Yoast SEO – An SEO optimization plugin that allows you to set specific site titles, keywords, descriptions, and many other advanced features.
Classic Editor – A classic editor. The current WordPress is modular, which can be hard to get used to. Enabling this plugin makes writing posts as simple as before.
Loco Translate – Although we have set the language to Chinese, some website page elements may still display in English. This plugin allows you to modify them one by one, fully localizing the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the domain name I want has already been registered?
This is quite common; many simple and popular domain names have already been registered. You can get creative and think of some unique domain names. Alternatively, you can purchase hosting first and then try various domain names on the hosting platform until you find one you like.
What are the costs for a blog and website?
Hosting costs range from $5 to $10 per month. A domain name costs about $10 per year. Those are basically the main expenses.
WordPress offers many different themes and powerful plugins that can fully achieve what any professional website-building company can create. In fact, many professional websites around the world use the WordPress system, such as:
To download plugins, go to “Plugins” – “Add New,” and search for a variety of powerful plugins. Currently, there are over 57,000 different plugins available in the WordPress.org repository. Most of these plugins are free, but many charge for premium features. These plugins can achieve many functionalities and page display effects you desire. We will introduce how to use plugins later, or you can search on the internet for more information.
UpdraftPlus – The best website backup plugin. You can use this plugin to back up your site to the server with one click or download it to your computer. It’s best to back up regularly just in case.
Sucuri Security – Free security software that provides free antivirus functionality for your website.
WP Super Cache (free) – An excellent WordPress static caching plugin that can improve page load speed and reduce CPU usage on the server.
Yoast SEO – An SEO optimization plugin that allows you to set specific site titles, keywords, descriptions, and many other advanced features.
Classic Editor – A classic editor. The current WordPress has a modular content approach, which can be inconvenient for some users. Enabling this plugin makes writing posts as simple as sending a message.
Loco Translate – Even if we have set the language to Chinese, some elements on the website may still display in English. This plugin allows you to modify them one by one to fully localize your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the domain name I want is already registered?
This is quite common; many simple and popular domain names have already been taken. You can think creatively and come up with unique domain names. Alternatively, purchase hosting first, then try various domain names on the hosting platform until you find one you like.
What are the costs for blogs and websites?
Hosting costs range from $5 to $10 per month, and domain registration is around $10 annually. These are the basic expenses.
WordPress has many different themes and powerful plugins that can completely replicate the functionality of any professional website building company. In fact, many professional sites worldwide use the WordPress system, such as:
Almost any blog/website has the potential for success, but most fail for various reasons. Here are the most common causes of failure:
Giving up too soon—This is the most common reason; many bloggers and site owners give up before their blog/website takes off. Please note that most blogs/websites need at least a few months or even years to achieve success. It’s a long-term process. If you don’t get visitors or make money within a month, don’t stop! Keep creating quality articles and promote your site through social media and networking.
Too few posts—If you take a long time to publish an article, readers may lose interest in your site/blog. Readers typically need a steady stream of new information to keep their interest. When a blog fails to provide fresh and updated content, readers will become bored and go elsewhere.
Poor content —Some bloggers think they can achieve success through automatically generated content or spun articles. However, readers are smart, and if an article lacks value, they will leave. Blogs/websites with poor content will never succeed.
Too many ads—If your site is filled with ads covering most of the content, readers will become annoyed. Flashing ads can create strong visual distractions. Readers come to find information. While ads can generate revenue, avoid overusing them.
Is it outdated to create a blog today?
Although mobile devices are prevalent, and many people prefer to quickly check what they need through apps, when it comes to relatively specialized advice and tutorials, people still turn to articles for more information. So, whether it’s a blog or a website, it’s not outdated even in 2024.
Moreover, blogs/websites remain one of the best ways to introduce your ideas, products, brands, businesses, and content to the world. Many bloggers have built their businesses through blogging, attracting customers to consume. Some have even established their companies based on their blogs.
How can I make money through a website and blog?
There are several main methods:
1. Place ads on your site to earn money. Regardless of your site’s content, if you have a certain amount of traffic, you can earn money from ads, such as Google AdSense, VigLink, and Media.net.
2. Affiliate networks. You can review and recommend other products and services; if a purchase is made through your link, you will earn a commission. Some popular ones include Amazon Associates, CJ, and ShareASale. In China, you have options like JD Union and Taobao Union.
3. Sell your own products and services. If you have the capability, you can sell your products or services. I recommend the WooCommerce plugin, which allows you to set up product pages, shopping carts, checkout pages, and payment pages.
There are many other ways to earn money online; you can search on Google or Baidu for more information. I will regularly update tips on how to build a site and make money online.
Further reading: If you are interested in other website building platforms, check out 10 Best Website Builders.
How Much Can Your Blog Earn?
Millions of people around the world use blogs to make money rather than engaging in traditional nine-to-five jobs. Blogging can be one of the most lucrative methods, as the startup costs are very low. You don’t have to blog full-time; even part-time bloggers can earn six-figure incomes from their blogs each year. Many people earn substantial incomes through ads and affiliate networks, and once your earnings exceed your salary, you might consider quitting your job to focus on blogging full-time.
According to a survey by Glassdoor, the average annual income for bloggers in the U.S. is $30,000. Of course, some earn less, while influential bloggers with millions of followers can earn over $100,000 a year. Some even make more than $1 million annually through their blogs.
Conclusion
This is the complete guide on how to build your own website and blog. You now have your domain name, hosting, and website set up, and you understand the WordPress site-building process. Once set up, take some time to explore its various features. Soon, you’ll master how to use WordPress. Then, consider how to create content, improve rankings, and monetize your site as you embark on your new journey.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and I usually respond quickly.
What if the domain name I want has already been registered?