How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by blogging beginners. I also considered this question before starting my blog because I had a limited budget and wasn’t sure when the blog would start generating revenue. Therefore, I was particularly concerned about the cost of start a blog.

After extensive research, I discovered that creating a blog is a very low-cost, low-risk investment with a high return. Now, I earn a substantial income from my blog every month. In the first year of blogging, I made over $5,000 per month, and now, after more than three years, I make over $20,000 per month.

If you want to earn over $20,000 a month by creating a blog like I do, you should carefully read the following content and take action immediately after reading. Create your first blog and write your first post to start your blogging journey and begin earning money.

1. Choosing a Blog Platform (Free)

There are many platforms to create a blog, such as WordPress, Blogger, Wix, and more, which can be either free or paid.

As a beginner, I highly recommend choosing WordPress to create your blog for several important reasons:

WordPress is free and open-source, so you don’t need to spend any money on the platform itself.
WordPress is the most widely used blogging platform in the world, offering a vast selection of beautiful themes for your website.
WordPress has countless excellent plugins available, both free and paid, developed by a large community of developers due to its widespread use.

2. Purchasing a Blog Domain (Around $10 per Year)

To create a blog, you need to register a domain name.

A domain name is the unique address of a specific website or resource on the internet, usually composed of letters, numbers, and hyphens, separated into parts by dots. The primary function of a domain name is to provide an easy-to-remember way to access a website, rather than using a difficult-to-remember IP address.

There are many domain extensions like .us, .org, .net, etc., but I recommend using .com as it is the most widely recognized extension worldwide.

It’s best to choose a domain name that is simple, memorable, and relevant to the content of your blog. For example, my blog uses the domain enterniche.com.

A .com domain typically costs around $10 per year.

I recommend registering your domain on

 Namecheap.com

a site I’ve used for many years to purchase domains. It’s very reliable, reasonably priced, and includes free domain privacy protection.

3. Bluehost Hosting Plan (Annually $35.40 to $59.40)

Let me introduce Bluehost’s basic hosting plan for beginners.

By starting through this exclusive Enter Niche page, you can even get a 60% discount on all Bluehost plans.

Here’s why I chose Bluehost to start my blog:

It’s endorsed by WordPress.org, making it easy for any novice or beginner to use.
No technical or coding skills are required (if I had to learn coding or technical stuff, I wouldn’t have started my blog!).
It’s the #1 recommended hosting company by WordPress.org.
They offer 24/7 customer support through online chat, phone, or email.
You’ll have a self-hosted blog, which means you actually own your website (a must if you want to make money from your blog, rather than signing up for a free blog).

Now that you know Bluehost is the recommended hosting company for complete beginners, let me explain their basic plan, which starts as low as $2.95 per month.

When you’re ready, you can start your blog with Bluehost at the special low rate of $2.95 per month by following the simple steps in this guide. Not only will you enjoy a 60% discount on the regular price, but you’ll also get a free domain (valued at $15)! I recommend acting quickly, as I’m not sure how long this pricing will last.

Step 1: Choose the BASIC Bluehost Plan

You can skip the “plus” and “choice plus” options; you don’t need them. Most beginners who want to start with just one website or blog usually go for the “basic” plan—that’s what I chose for my first and second blogs! You can always upgrade later if you feel the need for extra features.

Personally, I didn’t opt for any additional features until my blog started earning over $10,000 per month.

Step 2: Select Your Domain

Next, choose your domain name (your blog’s name).

If you haven’t decided on a domain name yet, you can click “I’ll create my domain later,” as shown in the image below.

The advantage of this option is that you can start creating your blog right away without purchasing a domain.

When you decide to host your blog with Bluehost, the domain is free, costing you $0!

Step 3: Create Your Account

In this step, you’ll create your account by filling in your account information.

Simply enter your name. If you don’t have a company name, you can leave that field blank (it’s optional).

Make sure to select your country and provide your address, phone number, and email.

Step 4: Package Information

We’re almost done!

Now, choose your account plan.

It could be a 12, 24, or 36-month plan. These plans are prepaid in one installment.

I recommend the basic 12-month plan because, as mentioned earlier, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. Plus, you can try it out for a year to see if you enjoy blogging!

The plan you choose depends on your goals and situation. They are all very affordable and a great investment for beginners.

BLUEHOST 12-Month Blogging Cost:

If you choose the 12-month plan, the cost for your first year of blogging is only $36, including a free domain, making it very cheap and affordable to start your blog!

Who Is the 12-Month Plan For?

Many of my readers choose this plan because they want to try blogging for a year and see if they like it without spending a lot of money upfront.

Step 5: Payment Information

The final step is to invest in the plan you’ve chosen.

You can pay with a credit card or other payment methods like PayPal.

4. Blog Theme ($0 to $99)

A blog theme determines the design, appearance, and layout of your blog. There are many different themes to choose from.

When I first started my blog, I used a free theme (which cost me $0 initially), but I must admit that free versions can be limited in terms of layout, design, and customization options.

Later, as I gained more experience with blogging, I decided to invest in a more premium, pre-made theme. I really liked that I only had to pay for the theme once, and then I never had to worry about it again—it was a one-time investment!

I have no knowledge of design or programming and am not tech-savvy at all, but I was able to choose and install either a free or paid theme without any coding.

If creating a blog required knowing how to code or design a theme layout, I wouldn’t have created one! So I assure you, no technical or coding skills are needed to get your blog up and running.

5. Traffic and Monetization Resources

Once you’ve set up your blog and started posting, the next step is to learn how to attract traffic to your site.

Your blog’s traffic can come from free or paid sources.

As a beginner, I recommend starting with free traffic methods.

You can do this by optimizing for Google SEO or sharing your content on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to drive visitors to your blog.

If you have a budget for investment, I suggest purchasing e-books or video courses to learn how to generate free traffic. Learning on your own can take a long time, and sometimes you might never figure it out, wasting valuable time.

My blog’s main traffic sources are Google SEO and Pinterest. If you’re interested in learning how to optimize for Google SEO and attract traffic from Pinterest, please email me at [email protected]. I’d be happy to recommend the best e-books, resources, or courses for you. I’m here to help!

6. How to Monetize Your Blog

Once you know how to drive traffic to your blog, congratulations—you can start making money from it!

Here are some common ways to monetize a blog:

Google AdSense

You just need to sign up for a Google AdSense account, add your website information, get the ad code, and place it on your blog. When users visit your blog and click on the ads, you earn money.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a major income source for many bloggers, including me. Over half of my blog’s revenue comes from affiliate marketing.

You can write product review posts and promote your unique affiliate links to earn commission from sales.

Selling E-books and Courses

Once your blog is generating good income, you can try writing an e-book or creating a course based on your blogging experience and sell it. I currently make over $3,000 a month from selling e-books.

7. Start Your Blog and Make Money

I hope this comprehensive guide helps answer your questions about the costs of starting a blog and making money from it.

Creating a blog and earning income from it isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time, patience, motivation, and effort.

However, the great thing about starting a blog is that it’s very affordable and accessible to anyone. As you can see, I started with minimal costs and now earn a substantial income. It’s considered a low-risk investment, which is what attracted me to blogging in the first place!

If you’re a beginner or new to blogging, you might be wondering how long it takes to make money from a blog. The truth is, if you’re willing to invest in blogging courses, you’ll see results faster than those who aren’t. I actually wouldn’t encourage anyone to start a blog if they’re not willing to invest in some affordable tools, e-books, and courses to help them grow.

When you’re ready to start your blog with the affordable Bluehost plan mentioned above, follow the steps outlined under “Bluehost Hosting Plan (Annually $35.40 to $59.40).”

Once you start blogging using this guide, please email me at [email protected] to let me know!

I’m always excited to hear from readers who are starting their blogging journey, and I’d love to cheer you on as you grow your blog.

I hope to hear from you soon, my blogging friend!