Setting Up A BlogSite – Freelance Writing Guide
After my announcement of writing a Freelance Writing Guide For New Freelancers I’ve received some encouraging support from some of you. This is great, because it tells me that I can hopefully help you with the things I have learned while establishing myself in this field. So without rambling on further, I’m going to get right into the meat of things to help you set up a blog site for your freelance business.
The first thing you will have to consider is what message you want to bring across to potential clients? This is more important than you think and if it wasn’t for my friend Khai and a rather lengthy conversation we had on Skype, I’d still be wondering how to portray myself. Khai’s insights and suggestions made me stop and think and re-evaluate my whole Monika Mundell Portfolio site. The result of this whole exercise is what you see know.
I think it is also clear to you if you are one of my regular readers that having your own self hosted domain is a must in this line of work. How can you expect clients to take you for a serious business person, if your blog is setup on Blogger or WordPress.com? If you want to do this right, then you need to spend some money to get your business off the ground. Having your own website or blog is one of these expenses.
So here is what you do: ask yourself the following questions before you rush out to get going. You will save a lot of time down the line by not having wasted unnecessary effort on things you could have done right in the beginning.
- How do you want to portray yourself as a freelance writer?
- What keyword would be great and fitting to your blog/site
The reason I mention a keyword is that you will want to rank high in Google eventually so that potential clients can find you. It is obvious that anything to do with writing, freelance writing, freelance writer, best freelance writing, writer, freelancer or else would be a fitting match. Alternatively you can also choose your own name.
Registering a domain name
Once you are confident about the keyword you want to target, you will have to find and register a good domain name. In general a .com domain name is always best. But if there is no other way, you can also make do with other extensions if you like.
Do do this, go to GoDaddy and register the domain. GoDaddy will allow you to search for available domains and then register. Here are a couple of things to consider when you do this.
- make sure to click the one year radial button at the registration
- choose public registration
- choose manual renewal
- click on no thanks to all the offers that appear before you pay for the domain
- search for GoDaddy vouchers before you pay
- insert you coupon code as per the last note and double check your URL for spelling mistakes (you’ll be surprised how often this happens)
Setting up hosting
Now that you’ve got your domain name for hopefully $6.95/year (for a .com domain) it is time to look for a reliable host. My number one choice is Hostgator. I have been with these guys nearly for one full year now and never had a single problem with any of my sites being down. I’m actually moving to a stand alone server right now to further protect my sites against sharing with a spammer on a shared account. Until now I have paid under $10/month for a baby croc shared account which has allowed me to build about 15 blogs and counting and there is still bandwidth for more.
The reason I’m upgrading shouldn’t affect you guys when you get started and a shared account will suffice for you until you are ready to contemplate this move too (if at all).
Their live support is also excellent and I can tell, since I have used them extensively for questions when I first started out. Also, don’t waste your time with a no name host “just†to save a couple of dollars per month. $10/month is like 3 cups of coffee at the most and everybody should have that kind of money to invest into a business. Bluehost is another well priced host but by gosh don’t bother with them if you don’t want to end up with the same problems Don of Making Sales Making Money had.
Creating your WordPress database
Once you sign up with a host, you will receive an initial welcome email with some data. This contains your user name and you password as well as some information for your DNS server. This looks something like ns123.hostgator.com and ns234.hostgator.com. Keep this email in a save place as you will need that whenever you are setting up a new blog/site. For the $10/month you can setup unlimited sites and email addresses by the way, as well as unlimited databases.
Now go back to GoDaddy and login with your user name and password. Once in your admin, hover your mouse over the Domains section in the top left window. Then click on My Domains. From the list of domains that open up now (in your case it should only be the one, unless of course you registered some before) click the radial button to the left of the domain name and then along the top click on the Nameservers icon.
In the new window that opens insert your two nameserver numbers like shown below and click save.
This will now point your domain name to the Hostgator hosting account. Normally it takes anywhere between 2-48 hours until the change has been affected and you’ll see it working when a general Hostgator page appears after you type your domain into a browser.
Now it is time to log into your cPanel account at Hostgator (these login details were also part of your initial welcome email) and setup your data base.
When you first login you’ll see a lot of icons and this can be very overwhelming. I tried to record my own videos to show you what I do, but to be honest I need some more practice. Meanwhile, the following two video links explain very well on how to do this. Don’t get confused by the display of Otis’s host account, as Hostgator’s cPanel does look a little different. But all in all you will get the whole idea on what to do and proceed with relative ease.
I hope you paid particular attention to the editing of the wp-config-sample.php file, as this is a very important step in the whole process. That’s it! You should now have your very own WordPress blog on your domain, ready installed. I strongly suggest that you watch further videos on YouTube if you are confused about what to do next. There is plenty of information out there to explain this properly.
I hope this was helpful to some of you. It had to be done, to set the stage for what’s to come next. If you have questions, please ask in the comments section or send me an email to info [at] thewritersmanifesto DOT com.
Monika
About the Author: I'm a passionate freelance writer and problogger. To further build my business I'm also in the process of building my own niche empire which pays me residual income.
Athlyn Green | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
Hi Monika,
The other day, a friend made the observation that the search engines target blogs that have a domain name and hosting.
I found myself wondering if this were true. Did you notice a change in subscribers or an increase in earnings when you switched from free blogging platforms to a domain name and hosting?
Any insights would be appreciated.
Monika | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
@ Athlyn: good question, but I would have to disagree with your friend. I have seen many free WordPress and Blogger themes rank well in the search engines.
Ranking high in search engines has nothing to do with hosting, but with keyword placement and SEO. Plus the more incoming links a site has, the higher it will rank too.
The problem with free blogs are twofold:
1st: they could be gone tomorrow and you can do nothing to keep them as you don’t “owe” them.
2nd: on free WordPress blogs you are NOT allowed to sell anything. This included affiliate programs, your ebooks, your products etc. If they catch you out doing this, they will shut you down.
You can however sell whatever you want from the Blogger blogs.
Hope this answers your question.
Hanen | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
I have hosting sollutions reviews and webmaster forums check it out you might find it interesting
Hosts Gate – Hosting – Reviews – Top 10 Hosts
Wendi Kelly | Apr 14, 2008 | Reply
Monika,
yikes, I am scared to death to do this stuff. I do know it has to be done,I am just shaking my head here, going no, no no, tell me it isn’t so….I’ve been at this one month and I have to change all ready….I want to cry like a big baby….
thank you so much for helping us with this, I wouldn’t have the courage to even try.
So do I set up a different site, leave LLI alone and then slowly transfer everything over later?
Did you start on a free site when you first began?
Monika | Apr 15, 2008 | Reply
@ Wendy: admittedly it is very scary when you don’t know what needs doing, but it does have to be done and the sooner you jump at it, the better you will feel if that is any consolation.
To answer your question, yes, I did start out with a free blog. Several actually and I wish I knew then that I had to be self hosted. It’s not that somebody stands behind our backs and cracks the whip either.
In the end it is entirely up to you whether you want to do this or not. Personally I simply belief it adds way more credibility to our business if we are in this field.
The best way for you would be to setup your hosting account and install Wordpress on it. Then go to your LLI blog and download a backup to your computer.
Now go to your new blog, log into admin and navigate from your Dashboard to – manage then to – Import. If your backup file is less than 8MB in size (which is highly possible since your blog is fairly new) you can simply upload your previously made backup into your self hosted blog.
That’s it. If the file size is bigger, then you’ll have to get your host to do the install for you. They will be able to help with this. All you need to do is give them your backup file and they can work this out.
Wendi Kelly | Apr 16, 2008 | Reply
I looked into the hostgater site. it doesn’t look like they support the Windows platform yet, just the lenix? ( I think I spelled that wrong) I’m not even sure what that is but I don’t have it. I am on windowsS.
Is there a different host you like?
At least the domain I want is avaliable.
Monika | Apr 16, 2008 | Reply
@ Wendy: I’m not sure what you mean by Windows platform. If you mean you have Windows installed on your computer, either XP, Vista or whatever, you are certainly fine with Hostgator.
The Linux is a language I for one don’t understand. But it doesn’t matter as it works for Windows operating systems.
Unless of course you talk about a Windows I have no idea about. God knows what else there is anyway.
Great that your domain is available too. Let me know if you need help.
Hanen | Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
thanks for all the helpful tips
One Year Millionaire | May 9, 2008 | Reply
Great Post. you really explained quickly and thoroughly how to set up a blog
Gout Treatments | May 23, 2008 | Reply
Monika, found you through Court. This is a great post regardless of whether or not you plan to be a freelancer. I plan on setting up my own domain with hostgator and this information is very much appreciated. I am enjoying your posts.
Monika | May 23, 2008 | Reply
@ GT: thank you very much. If you ever get stuck, feel free to contact me.
Mike | Jun 30, 2008 | Reply
What she is talking about is the software used on the server itself. It can be a Linux platform or a Microsoft server platform. 9 times out of 10 you want to use the Linux, it’s definitely what most people use.
Beelissa | Jul 15, 2008 | Reply
This looks like a wonderful series. I still have a free Blogger site. I do have some web design skills and am more proficient in that kind of stuff than the average person, but I’m still scared to set up a real Word Press blog on a real site. These instructions make me feel like I could do it.
Wendi, it doesn’t matter if the host is using a Linux or Windows server. I mean, I’m sure there’s a difference on their end, but as far as you using it, you can use it with whatever operating system you have, that much I know.
gary ruchwarger | Nov 22, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for answering me yesterday so promptly. I’m still mulling over what to put on domain name since I also write about Nicaragua. So I’m now at freelancewritervenezuela/nicaragua.com. two more questions: where do I go to actual design of my blog. Is there software I need? Also, I want to get started running-I’m a work addict like you (I read about your illness). Should I have my first entries ready to go before I do the technical aspects. A short to do list-my obsession-on what to do after the technical part is over. If this is on your site please tell me where. Thanks again.
Monika | Nov 22, 2008 | Reply
@ Gary: You are very welcome. I figure you know how to setup your WordPress blog through your host? If you don’t, drop me an email and I see what we can do.
As for a list of step by step things to do, umpf, no I haven’t got one on this blog. This also depends on what you are trying to achieve as there are many things to take into consideration like Plugins, link building ,etc.
If you get totally stuck let me know please.
Meg | Jan 1, 2009 | Reply
I am interested in setting up a blog, the tips you set forth sound great and I’m sure to use them. My question however has to do with pen names. My day job is in politics and given that I work for a variety of high-ish profile people I do not know if I should have a blog of my personal opinions/perspective etc. online possibly to be seen by clients and linked back to the firm I work for. I thought a pen name would be a nice solution to this, as I do also hope to write novels at some point and considered using a pen name for those also. What do you know about this, how do I legally retain the credit for my original work using an essentially fake name? Is there somewhere to register such a name or check to see if it is already taken? Do you use a pen name? Do you have any suggestions on the topic?
Thanks in advance for your help!
-Meg
Loraine | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Monika,
How important is it to have a blog/site? What if you are not interested in blogging but do want a website. I just registered my domain and contemplating what to do next.
Monika | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Meg: Pen names can be registered as far as I know. I believe you go through the copyright office but I could be mistaken. I also think using pen names is a great idea, I do it all the time, especially for my niches. The last thing I want is some competitor sniffing out what I do and where I live online with those sites.
I also believe that many famous book authors use pen names and therefore they too would have had to register them in order to have legal rights over their work.
So by all means, just go for it and see what happens.
Loraine: That really depends on your business (if you have one at all) and what you intend to achieve online. Blogs are great to attract a huge readership and make waves. They are also an awesome branding tool. However, if you don’t enjoy the idea of blogging perhaps you are better off with a static website. There is nothing wrong with that option either. I also have a static site in my arsenal of sites and it does actually VERY well.
Go for it! Hope this helps.
Monika
Loraine | Jan 22, 2009 | Reply
Okay, Monika, thanks for your reply. Here goes another question. I have many, so I hope you don’t mind : – )
Why do not host with GoDaddy.com? I’m trying to get set up here and want to do this right. I’m amazed that you’ve accomplished so much in so little time. I’ve registered the domain (2 actually) but before I sign up for hosting I’m trying to understand the whole procedure a little better. I do appreciate your step-by-step instructions. How and when do I actually design the site? Is that with the web host?
Monika | Jan 22, 2009 | Reply
@ Loraine: I don’t mind at all, I love helping people so never be afraid to ask questions. The reason why I don’t host with GoDaddy is simple; their hosting is crap and if you have your domain registered at the same place as your host you could get into trouble if they ever decide to shut down (not that it is highly likely).
However, their hosting plans are really not great at all. In my early days I actually did host a site with GoDaddy so I do speak from experience. They don’t give you much space and their site builder (for static sites) is about the only useful tool they have for beginners.
You are much better off to run with a host like Hostgator as they give you tons of space you will most likely never need for a great bargain.
To design the site is easy if you go with WordPress (you can run Wor8dPress as a CMS (a static site) and for that you can choose from thousands of free theme templates all around the net. My site is built on a paid theme and all I had to do was customize it to my liking.
To setup WordPress is easy if you choose a web host that offers Fantastico installation (fast installation of many applications such as WordPress). It takes all but a couple of minutes.
But if you want to design a site with other software that is free instead you can look at NVU, a free tool. However, doing this will require you to tinker with the website setup in the host via FTP.
Monika
Loraine | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Hi Monika,
I jumped ahead and read your post on copywriting. It seems to be an essential skill in the freelance writing business. Any recommendations on a good course to take?
Thanks as always,
Loraine
Monika | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
@ Loraine: Copywriting is certainly a great industry and it pays very well too. Every word you write in essence is copy, therefore yes, the more you understand about the human psychology, the easier copywriting will become to you.
I did a course with David Garwinkel a couple of years ago. It was held by phone and consisted of several parts. I have to say it was money well spent as my eyes were opened to a lot of things to do with online and offline sales.
Besides though, there are eBooks on copywriting that might be cheaper and good enough for you. But unfortunately I can’t recommend one to you myself.
regina | Apr 10, 2009 | Reply
What are the pros and cons of public vs private registration?
Monika | Apr 10, 2009 | Reply
@ regina: If you are doing niche marketing with Adsense revenue then private registration is a MUST! Why? Because there are some really nasty people out there and they will not stop until they stuffed up your account by click bombing it. If you are registered private you can avoid half the trouble. It won’t stop people click bombing, but they don’t know who they are dealing with which stops many in the first place.
Another good thing about private registration is if you do link exchanges with other webmasters. Keeping under the radar is smart.
regina | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
I’ve registered 2 domain names, one public and one private. Please pardon my ignorance (I am a total kindergartener in this field and trying to understand it) but what exactly is ‘click bombing’? And when you say with private registration “they don’t know who they are dealing with”, why is that? I’ve seen that with private registration, the info regarding account owner is not plainly viewable – but it is with public. Who else exactly can see the account owner info when you do public registration?
Monika | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
@ regina: Hey, don’t worry about asking questions, I’m happy to help where I can.
Click bombing is when a person consistently clicks your Google Adsense ads in order to get your account shut down. This is why one should NEVER click their own ads in the first place. Sometimes all you need is up to ten clicks per person and your account will be gone. Unless you notice this right away and contact Google to let them know someone is click bombing your account your chances of keeping it are not so good.
Therefore you always need to check your stats every single day. If you notice something dodgy, either take the ads off for a few days or get in touch with G to tell them of your concerns. If you use a free stats tracking software like Statcounter.com you will see whether clicks originate from the same IP address or not (e.g. same user).
When you register a private domain nobody will know it is yours, that is what I meant. Public domain info can be accessed by anyone online by doing a WhoIs search (http://whois.domaintools.com/) on the domain itself. You’ll find people’s names, addresses, phone numbers and everything else that is noted in the registrars database (except financial details of course). If privacy is an issue for you, then stick to private rego. Hope this clarifies your questions.
regina | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for the clarification.
Monika | Apr 11, 2009 | Reply
@ regina: You are welcome. I’m glad it helped.
Tempie Lafortune | Apr 27, 2009 | Reply
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.