Have you ever thought about the start up costs of your business, web site or blog before you actually got started? It’s quite important and something you need to think about before starting your blog.
While blogging content might be free, there are many factors that aren’t. In this post we are going to break down the financials and budget planning for your blog.
Domain Name
The domain of your site is going to be something that will be with you for the lifetime of your site. A domain name usually costs around $10, but if you want a premium domain name or one that is about to drop or expire, you cam grab a decent one for around $60-$80. If you want a really great domain name you will be looking at costs in the few hundreds to a few thousand dollars. Investing in a quality domain name is a great way to build the branding and reputation for your blog or business online, but it’s also not required.
Web Hosting
There are thousands of web site and blog hosting companies out there, but choosing a package that costs you less than $10 a month is usually a safe bet for most bloggers who are starting out. I’m personally hosting HostGator to host all of my sites and they have some great packages for under $8 a month, which also include easy one click install of WordPress. To take a look at the other top hosting companies online, be sure to check out the top 25 hosting companies infographic.
Blog Theme
When people first get to your site the first thing they see isn’t your content, but it’s your blog design. The worst thing you can do is have the default wordpress theme or a horrible looking site. Many theme directories like ElegantThemes.com offer exclusive access to all of their premium themes for one low annual price. A custom designed theme will run anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousands, so it’s best to save your money and invest in a low cost premium theme when starting out.
Logo Design
A quality and original logo can do a lot for your business or blog. In the past a logo design would probably cost you a few hundred dollars, now you can get them done for as low as $29 each through services like LogoNerds. If you are looking to get a wide variety of logo designs created, then you should look through the list of top logo design marketplaces.
Content Creation
No matter your budget, in the end it will all come down to the content and value that your blog provides to your audience. Creating killer blog content takes a lot of time and skill, but it’s also possible to outsource your content if you can find high quality writers that know what to write about in your niche. Don’t waste your time creating a blog and throwing garbage content on your site, as it will not only waste your time but also your site visitors.
Guest Blogging
Since we are talking about the costs involved in setting up your blog, we should also talk about some ways that you can save money while also getting link backs and promotion for your site as well. Guest blogging is still one of the best ways to not only get incoming links and traffic, but also to get your name and brand noticed. Top blogs will allow you to blog on their site for free if you provide them with quality content. Be sure to check out this list of 100+ sites that allow guest blogging.
Social Networking
Just like guest blogging is free, so is the power of social networking. You should definitely create a profile for yourself on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ if you are going to be writing content under your own name, and also be sure to use Google Authorship with all of your blog posts. It’s also important to setup fan pages for each of your sites so your followers can receive your latest blog posts and updates through the major social networks.
So what’s the budget for your blog?
This may be a lot of information for a brand new blogger to think about, but it’s all extremely important to the overall success of your blog’s future. While it may seem like a lot, it actually will come together quite quickly and fairly simple. The good thing is that blogger is one of the cheapest methods for starting a business, as you really only need a domain ($10) and hosting ($10/m) to actually get started. As for everything else, you can slowly implement these benefits over time.
To learn more about getting starting in the world of blogging and how I’ve taken my own blogs from nothing to six figure businesses, be sure to check out my new book on Amazon.com titled “Blogging Tips: Confessions of a Six Figure Blogger“.
