Choosing a Web Hosting Provider

Your domain name is like your personal mailing address, and the internet needs to know where to go to find your house. Now, you just need to rent a house for the masses to visit.

Think of your new website as a person or a friend who needs a place to live. Web hosting is like a virtual apartment building where your domain name can rent a place to stay and keep all its stuff. You have to choose the size of the apartment and length of the lease, and you need to make sure it has the proper amenities to run a blog. In technical speaking, you lease space on the web hosting provider's server, which is a computer that stores all the files associated with your blog.

Quite a number of web hosting providers are available for hire. The question is which one to choose. You can do a search for web hosts and compare the ones you find that have the criteria you require at your price range. Or you can ask around. Usually, other people with blogs that are not on free hosted services use a hosting provider, and they can give you recommendations.

Selecting a Registrar

You will find quite a few on the internet to choose from, so keep your budget considerations and hosting needs in mind when choosing a registrar:

• Price: Pricing can vary widely. Make sure you shop around. Some companies offer a highly discounted price on domain names, but there are sometimes strings attached, such as requiring you to sign up for a specific length of contract or purchase other services from that vendor.
• Flexibility: Do a bit of comparison to make sure the company you use meets your needs. Both registrar companies and web hosts offer a variety of services that can add on to your bill. If all you want is a domain name, then working with a registrar might be for you. But if you want the whole enchilada and need everything from a domain name to hosting and email, then getting your domain name through a hosting company might be smarter and more economical. Just be sure the company you pick fits the plan you have for your site.

When you find a domain name that suits you is available, and makes sense, you should secure it for the minimum of one year. Some companies offer a discount for prepaying for more than one year of service. If you plan on keeping the domain name for a while, you might as well go for the savings.

Considering a Suffix

One additional decision you will need to make concerning your domain name is what suffix to go with. People tend to gravitate toward domain names ending with .com because it is the most recognized suffix around. Most people hear 'dot com' and know what it means and where to go.

Other suffixes available, such as
.org (which is typically used for nonprofit organizations),
.gov (for government websites), and
.net (for network organizations), are not as widely recognized.

You should choose your domain name's suffix based on what suits your taste and budget. Some registration companies promote .biz or other domains with alternate endings as a way to offer the domain you want, at a cheaper price. Reason being .biz or .info domains are not as common and are therefore less desirable.

Registering your Domain Name

Decided and settled on a domain name? But before you get too excited, remember that you do not own it yet. You must register the domain name in order to use it for your blog. To do so, you need to buy the domain from a registrar (a company that sells and administers domain names). There are hundreds of web hosts and websites that perform registrar duties as well, so if you are more of a one-stop kind, you can sometimes handle this with your web host. But if you need more control over your domain registration, you can purchase it from any registrar.

Checking availability
Before you can buy a domain name, you are required to check it to ensure it is not already registered by someone else. If you have come up with something unique, you have a good shot at getting the domain name, or something close to it. But if your desired domain name is along the lines of something commonly used, you might have a bit of challenge on your hands. Typical registrars offer a multitude of suggested alternatives if your precious domain name is taken.

Choosing a Domain Name

Choosing a domain name, a simple but memorable name used as an address, is a rather simple task. However, choosing the right domain name is entirely different. And you want to get it right the first time because domain names, though not permanent, can be a hassle to change. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before deciding a domain name:

• Is it readable? It is fine to choose a domain name that represents you, but if the letter arrangement when squashed together looks like something else then it might not be the best choice.
• Does it make sense? Matching your domain name with your content is a perfect way to establish branding (if that is important to you). Of course, if the point is for it to be total nonsense, then be it.
• Does it fit you? This domain name should represent who you are, or at least have some significance to you. You will be with a domain name for at least a year or so, so make it count.
• Is it catchy or memorable? You want to increase your traffic. If people can remember your domain name easily, chances are they will come back again and again, even if they have forgotten to bookmark or subscribe to your blog.

Finally, choosing a domain name that matches the title of your site (or that you use in your logo if you have one) is good blogging business. Of course, if the domain name is for personal use and you do not care so much, then it is okay. But consider matching your domain name matching with your title or logo.

Setup Vox Blog

Visit Vox and click the Join Now icon.

1. Fill in the information on the setup page to create your account. Start by filling in your email address and choosing a password. Then provide the rest of the following information.

• Choose a member name. This is public, so choose wisely if it matters. You may use an anonymous name or your regular name.


• Enter your gender. Everyone likes to know who they are dealing with, but you can decline to state it.


• Enter your birthday. It is a requirement for legal reasons, so be truthful.


• Type in the characters for standard anti-spam measures.


• Agree to the terms of service. Read the terms of service and select the check box.

2. Click Sign Up.

3. Confirm your email address. Vox will send you a confirmation email with a link that verifies your address. While you are waiting for your confirmation email, move on to Step 4, but don't forget to check your email because you will need that confirmation code for Step 7.

4. Enter other identifying information. Enter your first and last name, gender, birthday, country, and postal code. This all remains private unless you opt to reveal it to certain member groups, such as friends, family, or neighbors.

5. Choose a personal icon. You can always go back and select something different later or upload one of your own.

6. Select your Vox address. Choose something that is easy to remember and spell.

7. Enter your confirmation code. At the top of the page, enter the confirmation code you should have received by then in your email into the field and click Confirm Account.

8. Name your poison. At this point, you are offered options. You can choose to fill out your profile, set up your Vox, or write your first post.

Vox

Vox is one of the easy and fun free blog service out there. Vox is fun and casual, and it makes adding content simple and easy. You can add video, audio, photos, in one or two easy steps without touching one single bit of code. Integrate YouTube.com videos or photos from your Flickr account seamlessly and effortlessly. The whole thing is totally automated and super slick. It is completely free.

Vox is great for any type of blogger, experienced or not. And it is really ideal for people who are more interested in a point-and-click type setting, very user-friendly. Those who may be interested in a more exclusive, private setting for their blog or those who enjoy a community vibe might enjoy Vox as well.

One of Vox's fabulous key features is its supreme privacy controls. These controls are far more robust, and they offer more flexibility. While privacy is not the sole reason to join, Vox allow people to share video and photos without exposing them to the entire internet. Since then, it is grown into a much larger blogging tool with many benefits.

Setup Blogger Blog

Setting up a new blog using Blogger is simple. You must have a Google account.

Visit the Blogger website and follow these steps to set up your own blog on Blogger.

1. Set up your Blogger account. The nice part about Blogger being associated with Google is that signing up is a breeze. If you already have a Google account, your information may already be plugged in on the Sign Up page. If it is not and you have a Google account that you wish to associate with this blog, go ahead and fill in your email address and password to login.

If you do not have a Google account, click the link that reads Create Your Blog Now. This will take you to a page where you can set up a Google account and your blog at the same time.

• Enter an existing email address.


• Choose a secure password. Blogger will tell you how safe your password is as you enter it. You have the option of changing it at any time in your Blogger Dashboard settings.


• Re-enter your chosen password for confirmation.


• Enter the word that is displayed in the box for verification.


• Accept the terms of agreement and click Continue. Ensure that you read the terms and agree to it before accepting.

2. Fill in the rest of the info on the next page.

• Choose a title for your blog. Again, some of these details can be changed later, but it is wise to choose carefully from the start.


• Choose a blog address (URL). As with any free blogging service, you are bound to their limitations. All Blogger blogs have the blogspot.com domain name required unless you pay for the upgraded service.


• Click Continue. Blogger will offer you the option of selecting advanced features in order to host the blog on your own website.

3. Choose your template. Blogger provides about a dozen different template designs to choose from. Just choose one of them and you are ready to start blogging.

Blogger

Blogger is a very popular free blogging platform available to anyone with a Google account. Upstart web developers started Blogger as a pet project and later sold it to Google. Eventually, Blogger developed into the vastly popular service today.

Using Blogger is beyond easy and requires almost no technical knowledge to get your blog running. While it is not that feature-rich, with a decent amount of pre-made templates to choose from, all you need is a Google account. You may sign up for a Google account at google.com. It is free, so it is great for bloggers on a budget or inexperienced bloggers looking for a way to get started without too much commitments.

Setup WordPress.com Blog

Setup could be done in a couple of minutes. Before you realise, you are completed with the easy setup and blogging with WordPress.

1. Visit WordPress.com. Click on the link Sign Up Now.

2. Fill up the signup form to set up your WordPress.com account.

• Choose a username. This will be your login id, so choose something meaningful to you.


• Enter a valid email address. Wordpress.com registration emails are sent to this address, so use a real one.


• Choose Gimme a Blog! You have the option to create just a WordPress.com account, but choose Gimme a Blog to set up a blog as well.


• Select the I Have Read and Agree to the Fasinating Terms of Service check box. Make sure you read and agree o the terms and conditions before continuing.

3. On the next page, complete the signup process. Take care of these last few simple steps and you are done.

• Choose your blog domain. This will be your actual URL, so be sure to choose wisely. By default, WordPress.com populates the field with your username, but you are free to choose whatever blog domain you prefer.


• Choose your blog title. Again, you are free to give your blog whatever title you like. Although commonly, people choose a title similar to or the same as their blog domain.


• Choose your language. This is fairly self-explanatory. Feel free to choose the language most appropriate for your needs.


• Choose your level of privacy. You can decide to list or not list your blog publicly. Consider whether you want your blog known or you would prefer to stay of the radar. You can always change this setting later if you want.

4. Click Sign-Up. At this point, you are directed to a confirmation page requesting that you check your email account.

5. Locate your activation email from WordPress.com and click the included activation link. And you are done with the setup.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a hosted blogging service that runs the WordPress.org software.

WordPress.com allows users to start their own blog in seconds without having to know squat about technical stuff like FTP, database, hosting accounts... This is great for a newbie with basic internet savvy who is trying to get a feel for blogging without any real commitment. WordPress.com wanted to make it easy and fast to sign up and get started, and they did.

This service is free. However you may upgrade your blog with enhanced functionality with a reasonable amount. Extra goodies include more server space to hold photos and customizable CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), which is one of the methods used to give your site design, for those who are a little more advanced. Check out the WordPress.com website to get a full list of their features.

Marketing

Start spreading the news. If you want to get the ball rolling on your blog business, you can take a few extra steps to help give your site that extra boost. Go the distance by trying some of the techniques:

Buy some ad space on other popular blogs. There are some great programs that allow you to purchase prominent ad space on blogs that cater to your target market. It could be a wise investment if the traffic pours in.

Offer a newsletter. Enticing readers who have visited your site to come back, as a gentle reminder could get those old site stalkers back in the palm of your hand.

Send email blasts. Although unsolicited email is not the group favourite, some people have much success using this tactic. If you collect a list of business contacts, it might behoove you to email them when you launch a new product or service.

Distribute press releases. If you get a point with your blog business where you warrant a press release, by all means do so. Any way you can get the word out is worth doing.

Show off your links. You never know where you can get a potential reader or customer. Put your blog URL in the signature of your emails, put it on your business cards, heck, have it written on your car's rear windshield. Get your URL out there where people can see it.

Turning your Blog into Business

Things to consider when turning your blog into a money maker mover and shaker:

Keeping your options open: Be careful not to corner yourself into one particular topic. Think expansion. If you drill too specifically into one particular topic, you leave no room for inspiration and growth. Make sure you leave yourself some options with regard to business direction.

Accepting advertising: Determine whether a driving force of your revenue will eventually be advertising. If so, you will need to design your site accordingly to accommodate it without being totally overwhelming. Too many ads can be a deterrent, and poor ad locations can stifle advertisers, or you may even have trouble finding some.

Staying true to your content: Do not get derailed too quickly. If you run a blog about cooking and your biggest traffic bait is low-fat recipes, be sure to keep those readers swimming in them. Keep it real.

Cross-promoting: If you notice a spike in popularity in a certain area of your blog that could potentially take off in a big way, consider splitting your blog into different areas to draw your readers into different parts of your site. Divide things up but keep your readers drilling into other areas. Get the readership moving between the two blogs. You double your target audience and potentially double your advertising opportunities.

Getting help: You can do it all, and do it all in style, but everyone should know their limit. Recognize that people are out there with similar interests that can potentially make wonderful contributions to your endeavor. Bring on guest bloggers, rope industry professionals into your discussions, or have a cross-blog promotion. When you can afford to expand, do so. Finally, invest in some professional design if you cannot do it yourself the way you think it should be done.

Picking up some literature: There are lots of books about marketing and books about blogs available online or at your local bookstores.

Promoting your Talents

Whether you are a photographer, artist, crafter, writer, or musician, blogging is an open forum that is limited to no one. It is the best way to obtain objective feedback and criticism. Finding a way to merge your creative talents with a business plan can come together in a blog.

Using a blog to display your talents is a good business strategy. You are the business, so you might as well sell yourself. Blogs open endless possibilities when it comes to what you can create. People respond well to creativity, and if you plan on making your talents into a money maker someday, using the blog format to promote yourself is a great place to begin.

Thinking in terms of starting from scratch, it does not have to go in any particular order. If you already have a creative job and want to promote the work you have already done, a blog can be a way to do that. You can journal how you did your work, how you hoped it would turn out, and what you accomplished with it. With some easy-to-use tools, you can build a nice portfolio for further business development.

With any creative outlet, blogs are not bound to definite limits, and you can take things in any direction you wish.

Promoting Business

Starting a blog for the purpose of business, you are extending your business in a direction that is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. It is not a tough sell. Committing to a business blog can be a little overwhelming, but if you really give it a fighting chance, the benefits can be rewarding not only to you personally, but to your potential sales, leads, and business connections.

Blogging and business can go hand in hand in many situations. For starters, in order to get potential customers to your business site, you need to market to them and generate traffic by direct marketing or search engine ranking or both. By introducing a blog into the mix, you are catering to a built-in customer base. Search engines love blogs. And a better way to get your blog and business discovered by new customers is by providing them with relevant information. It gets you off on the right foot from the beginning.

Marrying a blog to a business website can really give your company some desirable results, if you execute it correctly. There are a few things to be mindful of when taking this step forward. Consider the following:

• Relevance: Anyone can start a blog up and start writing. But with business, you need to be careful what you explore content-wise. The key is to make the blog enhance what you are trying to sell. Whether is is goods or services, keeping in the same vein will draw people in. Keep it relevant.


• Content: A blog about your business may run dry at times. Not many people want to hear you go on and on about what is new at your store or business. Sure it is okay to mingle those types of entries into the content but the key is to keep it interesting.


• Participation: It is imperative that you stay involved in your industry if you want to spike interest in your blog. Comment, read, and subscribe your little heart out to industry colleagues, and the promotion will begin to handle itself.


• Strategic design: If your business is going to benefit from having a blog, you may consider hiring a professional to help you determine your best course of action. How to present your material and how to cross-promote your company with your blog may be things a professional can help you with. You will want to be careful with link placements. Brandishing your company logo all over the place is not necessarily the way to go. Subtlety is key.


• Brand development: You can blog all day long on a free, hosted solution with a free domain name that the hosted blog service hands out to you, but if you are serious about building your blog for business purposes, a design that goes with your company branding can be a good tactic. Branding is everything.

Multiple Personality Disorder

When you get a slew of bloggers going all at once, such as with a larger community blog, it can get a little nuts. While you want to encourage your authors to post and you want fresh content, sometimes it is hard to keep up as a reader when there are several posts an hour.

Who's on first?
Before you start taking this grandiose project of 20 blog authors, consider delegating certain topics or site responsibilities to specific authors. Like a group blog, someone needs to be in charge. When you get a lot of authors, you may end up with multiple entries about the same thing, an overwhelming amout of entries in general, or just a disconnect between the site's overall purpose and an author's agenda.

What's on second?
Create a team atmosphere. Your blog authors should be as committed to your blog as you are. If they feel as though they are part of something big, part of something exciting, and that they have appreciated, they will be more apt to post creative entries and contribute to the growth of the site.

I don't know who's on third.
No one is perfect, and once in a while you ill get an author who might be one sandwich short of a picnic when it comes to your blog. Some administrators do not mind if their authors occasionally post something off-topic. It applies in various instances, but if it is a regular ocurrence and you do not approve of it, this is one of those times you will have to practise tactful discipline.

Managing Group Dynamics

Establish dominance. It is wise to decide who is in charge. You cannot all be in charge. Someone has to take the lead. Usually, it is the person who came up with the site concept or pays for the server space, or otherwise takes the first initiative to make the blog happen. Make sure your authors are clear and agree with whoever you decide to give the lead. That way, you can avoid power plays or hurt feelings.

Exercise. Do not rule with a short leash. Let your authors stretch their legs a little. You will have happier authors who feel more willing to contribute if they feel as though their voices are heard and they are permitted to speak their minds.

Discipline. Sometimes, confrontation is just unavoidable. But you can express yourself without being accusatory or aggressive. Be calm, kind, and tactful but direct. If your authors are not projecting the image that you want to convey, it is not unreasonable to address it.

Affection. Value your authors. You have chosen them for a reason, and if they are quality writers, nice people and good friends, reward them either with small tokens or praise, publicly or privately. Let them know they are welcomed on your blog and in the community, and that you value their contributions. You will have happier writers and happier readers.