Top Tools and Tips for Starting and Growing Your Blog
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Starting a blog is easy, but keeping it running and growing takes time and commitment. In this post, I’ll be sharing the tools and resources I use to help me manage my blog successfully.
Learn how to set up your new blog, pick the perfect custom URL, and start earning with ads and affiliate links. Discover how to share your blog posts and images effectively across the web. Plus, explore tips for maintaining your blog and maximizing the benefits of plugins and tools.
You’ll find everything you need in this post to start, grow, and succeed as a blogger.
TIP: Bookmark or save this post to revisit later for new resources and tools I add to my blog that you might find helpful too. Save my post on Pinterest here.
Grow Your Blog with These Simple Tips and Tools
When I started blogging, I chose Blogger because it’s user-friendly and a great option for beginners. It’s perfect if you want to test the waters and see if blogging is right for you. However, if you decide to take blogging more seriously and want to grow as a professional blogger, you may eventually outgrow Blogger. At that point, you’ll likely want more control over your site and content, which makes a platform like WordPress a better long-term choice.
Looking back, I wish I had started with WordPress from the beginning. When I finally made the switch, I had over a year’s worth of content and images that needed to be transferred. The process was time-consuming and complicated. I also had to hire someone to ensure the transfer was done properly and to set up redirects for my old links. Even after the move, some issues remained, like images watermarked with my old Blogger URL floating around on Pinterest.
No matter which platform you start with, I highly recommend getting a custom URL for your blog right from the beginning. A custom URL stays consistent even if you switch platforms later. It’s an essential step for building a professional and trustworthy presence for your blog or business.
Ready to take the leap into online blogging? Follow this path to set yourself up for success!
Step 1: Choose your Blog Name and Domain
Start by choosing a name for your blog and a custom URL. If possible, include a keyword in your URL to boost your SEO and help people find you online. For example, when I started, my URL was simply my business name, Oombawka Design. However, I realized adding the keyword “crochet” would make it easier for people searching for crochet content to discover my site. So, when I switched to WordPress, I updated my URL to include the word “crochet,” making it clear that Oombawka Design focuses on crochet.
Once you’ve chosen your blog name and a potential URL, check online to ensure it’s not already in use. If it’s available, secure your custom URL right away so it’s exclusively yours!
Ready to secure your blog’s identity?
Once you’ve chosen your perfect blog name and URL, it’s time to purchase it and make it yours. Let’s explore the best places to get your custom URL!
There are plenty of options for purchasing your own custom URL, but my personal recommendation is Hover. Here’s why I use and trust them:
- A simple, user-friendly domain management experience.
- Top-notch support via phone, chat, and email.
- Free domain privacy to keep your contact information safe.
- Access to hundreds of domain extensions.
- Easy, instant connections to popular web hosts.
- Full flexibility to connect to any web host or site builder.
- Features like domain forwarding and mailboxes.
- Powerful tools to help manage your domain efficiently.
Plus, if you use my link, you’ll get $2 off your domain purchase! Check out all the benefits Hover has to offer today.
Step 2: Finding the Right Hosting for Your Blog
Choosing the right hosting provider is an important step for your blog’s success. Over the years, I’ve tried a few different companies. I initially used GoDaddy but found their site uptime and customer service didn’t meet my expectations. In 2017, I switched to RFE Hosting and was impressed by their excellent customer service and tech support.
In 2021, after RFE was sold to another company, I made the move to Big Scoots. The transition was seamless—no one even noticed! Since then, I’ve enjoyed faster site speeds, reliable hosting and the very best customer service. Big Scoots also offers affordable hosting packages, including Fully Managed WordPress Hosting, which is perfect if you’d rather avoid dealing with the technical side of WordPress.
Step 3: Linking your Domain and Hosting
The next step is linking your domain to your hosting account. After purchasing your hosting plan, your hosting company will email you the Domain Name Servers (DNS) you need. This process can take up to 48 hours.
If you purchased your custom URL through Hover, you’ll need to update the Nameservers section on your Hover account with the DNS information. Both Hover and Big Scoots offer excellent customer support, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them via email if you need help. You can also explore the HELP sections on their websites for step-by-step instructions.
Once your domain and hosting are linked, your hosting company will provide login details for your site. From there, you’ll be ready to access and start building your WordPress blog!
Step 4: Choosing the Perfect Theme for Your Blog
Your blog’s theme plays a big role in its look, feel, and functionality. For WordPress users, the Genesis Framework is an excellent choice. StudioPress offers a helpful guide explaining why Genesis is a smart investment for your site.
For the first 11 years of my blogging journey, up until 2024, I relied on Genesis for my site. It’s a dependable and user-friendly option.
Here’s why I still recommend Genesis:
- SEO and schema.org optimized
- Built with HTML5 for modern functionality
- Includes unlimited features and updates
- Offers automatic updates for easy maintenance
- Secure and reliable
- Comes with custom widgets and flexible layout options
You can purchase Genesis on its own, bundled with a theme, or as part of a pro-package that includes multiple themes.
If you’re looking for child themes to pair with Genesis, check out some of my favorite options:
- Restored316
- Pretty Darn Cute WordPress Themes
- Foodie Pro (part of the Feast Plugin)
You also have the option to invest in a custom theme designed specifically for your blog. While custom themes can be expensive, they’re a great choice if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind design. For this, I recommend both Lindsey Riel from Coach Linz and Lauren Brown from Once Coupled.
Why I Chose Kadence for WordPress
My current go-to option for WordPress is Kadence. Its drag-and-drop functionality and user-friendly features made it an easy choice for me. I love having the flexibility to customize my site’s look and feel whenever I want, without needing to dive into coding or make complex updates.
Step 5: Creating Your Blog Logo and Branding
Your blog’s logo is a key part of its identity and branding. It’s what readers will recognize across your site, content, and watermarked images, so it’s important to choose a logo that reflects your brand from the start. Changing it later can sometimes disrupt your blog’s recognition, so take time to make the right decision.
Here are a few ways to create your blog logo:
- Design your own using tools like Canva or Adobe’s Free Logo Maker.
- Use a logo template to customize a pre-made design.
- Create a logo with DesignEvo for a simple and affordable option.
- Invest in a custom logo design for a one-of-a-kind look.
The cost of your logo will depend on the method you choose, but it’s worth the investment to establish a strong brand identity.
When you’re ready to take the next step in designing your blog logo, consider reaching out to:
Step 6: Important Policies You Must Have for Your Blog
When I first started blogging, I had no idea that specific policies were required for my visitors. To get mine in place, I hired a lawyer to draft them—an effective but costly option! Alternatively, you can use online policy generators and plugins to create them yourself.
Below, I’ve included some free online policy generator and plugin options. While these tools can be a helpful starting point, it’s up to you to decide whether they meet your needs or if you’d prefer professionally written policies crafted by a lawyer, as I eventually did.
Please note, I’m not qualified to give legal advice. If you have questions about the policies your blog needs or how to set them up correctly, I recommend consulting with a lawyer to ensure everything is handled properly.
Understanding Blog Policies and Your Options
The policies you’ll need for your blog will depend on the type of content you create and the activities you manage on your site. Here are some of the most common policies to be aware of:
- Privacy Policy
- Terms and Conditions
- GDPR Privacy Policy
- CCPA Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
- FTC Disclosures / Disclaimers
You can create policies using plugins for your site, or you can hire someone (a Lawyer) to create them for your site and social media pages.
Free Plugin Options to Consider
- WordPress Autoterms Plugin (Privacy Policy, GDPR Privacy Policy, CCPA Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, Your Own Legal Page)
- WordPress Privacy Policy Generator Plugin (free version)
- Free WordPress Cookie Consent Plugin
If you prefer to create your own policy manually, WordPress provides a detailed step-by-step guide to make the process simple. Their Privacy Policy Guide covers everything you need, including key elements to include, how to add the policy to your WordPress site, and helpful tips to streamline the process. Take a look here!
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive set of policies for your blog or social media pages, the Premium WordPress Privacy Policy Generator Plugin can create the following policies for you:
- Privacy Policy (GDPR-compliant)
- Terms and Conditions
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Policy
- Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement
- Policy for Linking to External Websites
- General Website Disclaimers
- FTC Disclosure and Compliance Statement.
- Refund and Returns Policy
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Policy
- Cookie Policy (GDPR-compliant)
- Blog Commenting Guidelines
- Affiliate Program Agreement
- Children’s Privacy Policy (COPPA-compliant)
- Disclosures for Affiliate Marketing
- Policy on External Links
- Policy for DoubleClick DART Cookies
- Refund Policy for Digital Goods
- FTC Disclosure for Testimonials and Endorsements
- Terms of Service Agreement
- Anti-Spam Policy (CASL-compliant)
- Privacy Policy for Facebook Pages
- Medical and Health Disclaimers
- Earnings Disclaimer for Financial Transparency
- California Privacy Rights Policy
- Newsletter Signup and Subscription Policy
- Impressum for Legal Compliance
Understanding Copyright and Using Online Content Properly
It’s important to remember that you cannot simply copy and paste text or images from the internet into your blog posts. Most content online is protected by copyright unless it’s explicitly stated as being in the public domain.
If you’re looking for images that are free to use and in the public domain, check out my post: Where to Find Public Domain Images. Alternatively, if you find an image on another website that you’d like to use, consider reaching out to the site owner via email to request permission.
Step 7: Must-Have Plugins for Your Blog
- Akismet Antispam
- Wordfence – Security
- UpdraftPlus – Backup/Restore
Akismet – Antispam
Akismet filters spam comments from your posts. This is a must-have plugin. Get your free Akismet plan here.
Wordfence
Wordfence is a great security plugin to keep your site safe. It includes malware scanning, firewalls, the ability to block brute force attacks and 9 other features.
Get your free Wordfence account here.
The premium version is fantastic too and includes extras like the ability to block by Country, check if your IP is generating SPAM and a real-time threat defense feed.
Check out the comparison of all the features here: WordPress Security Plugin Comparison
UpdraftPlus
The UpdraftPlus plugin is a must-have for peace of mind, offering a reliable way to back up your blog’s data and images. You can schedule backups and even store them remotely using options like Dropbox. Having a backup system is essential in case the unexpected happens, and I highly recommend UpdraftPlus.
I used the free plan for over two years before upgrading to the Pro plan, which has been fantastic. You can start with a free UpdraftPlus account here!
Step 8: Writing Your Blog Posts
Getting your blog posts seen online starts with effective SEO, and a great way to set yourself up for success is by installing the free Yoast SEO plugin.
Yoast SEO
This plugin guides you step-by-step through optimizing your blog posts for SEO and making them easy to share online. It’s beginner-friendly and includes tutorials to help you improve your content. I also recommend signing up for their newsletter—it’s full of valuable tips, especially since the online world evolves so quickly.
As your blog grows and you’re ready to invest more in its success, I highly recommend upgrading to the premium versions of these Yoast plugins for even greater results.
Diving Deeper into SEO
SEMrush
For greater control over your SEO and SEM, I highly recommend SEMrush. This powerful online platform provides valuable suggestions to optimize your posts and pages, evaluates the quality of your backlinks, and monitors your site’s overall health.
Step 9 – Promoting Your Blog on Social Media
To ensure your amazing content gets discovered online, you’ll need to market and promote it across various social media platforms. Keep in mind that different types of content perform better on specific platforms, so it’s important to identify which ones work best for your niche.
High-quality images are essential for social media success, but size requirements often change over time. These plugins stay updated with the latest size guidelines, making it easy for you to create standout posts and thrive on social media.
For success, ensure that every post you write includes at least one high-quality image.
CoSchedule
CoSchedule is my go-to plugin, and I’ve been using it for nearly 11 years. It’s an incredible tool that lets me schedule my blog posts to be shared across my social media accounts directly while writing. I can customize the frequency of shares and choose which accounts to post to.
I also upgraded to their premium plan, which includes a fantastic feature called ReQueue. This allows me to select posts I want to reshare in the future to fill gaps in my sharing calendar. With ReQueue, I can set the frequency of shares (like once a month) and even specify date ranges for seasonal posts I want to reshare at just the right time.
This plugin is my favorite—it ensures your posts stay in front of your readers consistently, even if you need a day off and can’t share them yourself.
Tailwind
Tailwind is an excellent tool for building your presence on Pinterest and Instagram. For Instagram Business plans, Tailwind offers a powerful automatic sharing tool to streamline your posting.
Tailwind’s Tribes feature is a unique tool for Pinterest users. Tribes allow you to connect with others who share similar interests, making it easy to find fresh content to share with your audience and pin to your boards. At the same time, other bloggers can discover your content and share it with their readers.
Ready to give Tailwind a try? Sign up here!
Step 10: Advertising
When I first started blogging, monetizing my site wasn’t even on my radar. It wasn’t until I had been blogging for seven months that I applied for advertising. Each ad network has its own requirements—some focus on traffic, while others look for a specific amount of content. If you blog daily and offer helpful, relevant content, you’re more likely to get approved quickly. However, if you post less frequently, approval might take longer, so planning ahead is essential. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get accepted.
Once you’re approved, aim for a balanced approach to ad placement on your pages and posts. Too many ads can turn readers away, so if you notice a drop in traffic, consider adjusting the number or placement of ads.
Also, take time to review your disclosure policies and ensure your site complies with FTC guidelines for different types of posts. Staying informed and compliant is key to maintaining trust with your audience and staying on the right side of advertising regulations.
Top Advertising Solutions to Monetize Your Blog
Adsense
Google AdSense is one of the most popular and widely recognized ways to monetize your site. It offers helpful articles and tutorials to guide you through preparing your site for ads, planning your placements, and optimizing their performance. Learn more and sign up for AdSense here.
Media.net
Media.net is another excellent option for monetizing your site, powered by the Yahoo! and Bing network. It provides a reliable way to earn revenue while delivering quality ads to your audience. Learn more and sign up for Media.net here.
Google AdMob
If you’ve developed a mobile app, AdMob is the ideal advertising solution. It’s designed specifically for app monetization and helps you maximize your earnings. Learn more about AdMob here.
Step 11: Partnering with Ad Management Companies
Once your site reaches a consistent level of daily traffic, you may want to explore working with an Ad Management Company. These companies handle the optimization and placement of ads on your site, helping you maximize your earnings while saving you time.
Raptive
I currently partner with Raptive and highly recommend them. Find out if your site qualifies for Raptive here.
Mediavine
If you do not qualify for Raptive, I recommend you reach out to Mediavine. Learn more about Mediavine here.
Ezoic
Although I haven’t personally used Ezoic, I’ve heard many positive reviews about their services. Learn more about Ezoic here.
Step 12: Affiliate Marketing Opportunities
Affiliate marketing is a fantastic way to generate additional income for your blog. There are several affiliate networks to choose from, and my favorite is ShareASale.
Other Plugins I Love
- Cloudflare.
Speed up your site speed easily by adding Cloudflare. See what you can do with their free plan here. - WP Rocket.
Fantastic Performance Plugin for WordPress. Helps to optimize your website for Core Web Vitals. - Broken Link Checker
- Hubbub Pro.
Social sharing and website growth plugin for Wordpress. - Slickstream Engagment Suite
Additional Blogging Resources You May Find Helpful
Taylor Bradford’s Blogging Edumacation Series:
- Why You Should Hire a Blogging Coach
- Running a Blogging Business
- Before You Hit Publish Checklist
- How to Improve Your SEO
- Product Reviewed? Now What?
- Common HTML Used in Blogging
- All About Media Kits
- Who are YOU as a Blogger?
- How to Run A Blogging Giveaway Part 1
- How to Run A Blogging Giveaway Part 2
- FTC Disclosures
- Building A Blog Community
BONUS: Creating High-Quality Images for Social Media
High-quality images are essential for success on social media, so it’s worth taking the time to create visuals in the correct dimensions for each platform. Keep in mind that size requirements can change over time, so staying up-to-date is important.
Using a plugin like Hubbub makes this easier by providing recommended image dimensions directly in your blog posts. Alternatively, you can try tools like PicMonkey, which includes social media sizes in its crop options and collage menu. Canva is another excellent choice (and my go-to for image editing), offering pre-designed templates tailored to specific social platforms—perfect for building your brand’s look. For more specialized needs like infographics, presentations, and charts, Visme offers a fantastic range of templates to help you stand out.
Running a blog can be rewarding when you have the right tools and tips to support you. With the resources shared here, you’ll be better equipped to manage your blog, grow your audience, and even start earning income. Remember, every big blog started small, so take it one step at a time and enjoy the journey!
You may also enjoy these posts:
- CoSchedule Review
- Creating a Name for your Image File
- How to Translate PDF Files into Different Languages
Happy crocheting!
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Hi Donna, Getting people to your site is not a simple task. It is important to follow Google’s best practices, to implement proper SEO for your posts and images, to add ALT tags to your images so when people see one of your images online they can find their way back to you, to include great images in your posts so they can be shared on social media (the right dimensions and good quality) and to have your site accessible to many readers. With the changes this past 2 years for https many browsers will warn visitors that sites are not safe to visit and this warning can deter people from staying there once they arrive at your link.
You may also want to try to find places where you can share links to your content – like All Free Crochet – they take submissions of content links and images and then share those with their readers too. Ravelry is a good platform to use as well – and there are other crochet sites that can be worked with online – you can apply to work with different yarn companies for shared exposure – Link Parties are also a good way to start building relationships with crocheters and other crafters –
It is a lot of hard work and anyone who tells you any differently is either extremely lucky – or has had some help from someone behind the scenes to make things happen at a faster pace.
If your goal is to make it a full-time job – or to replace income – you would be best to start your own blog with your own url – then apply for ads through Adsense or other agencies to get started. There are also great affiliate networks out there that you can apply to work with – which in turn will allow you to (with proper disclosures on your posts and links) earn small amounts of income from sharing their sales, products and promos with your readers.
I hope this helps a bit,
Rhondda
Love your blog! I’ve been blogging for a couple of years now, though I did not post regularly last year. Just recently retired and am now committed to posting weekly. Do you have any advice on how to drive more traffic to my blog? I have some great crochet patterns and crafting advice there.
Thanks for your advice!
I would like to see more on this…Stress-Free Seamless Crochet
Hi Cheryl, Thank you 🙂 I’ve made a note of the title for when I pick my next books! Have a lovely week, Rhondda
I hope this is the correct place to leave a blog post, I’m never sure. I would like to see a review of the Rugs for Kids Book, I’m interested in crocheting 2 for my little nieces. Thank you!