How much does it cost to start a money making blog?

That’s one of the questions I get so often.

Some folks think it’s going to cost their leg. I don’t know who is deceiving them. But the simple truth is, with less than $100, you can start a powerfully prosperous blog.

Note however that growing the blog up and maintaining it (through content production and distribution) are different phases and I won’t be talking about that in this post.

But what does it cost to start?

I’m going to walk you through. And I promise it’s going to be very simple. However, before we get into those steps, you may want to checkout this ultimate guide on creating a blog that makes money

What you are going to need to start your money blog

A blogging topic
A domain name
A web hosting

1 – You need a blogging topic (Niche)

This is the foundation of your blogging. If you start off on a wrong topic, you are going to fail. That’s why it’s important at this point to select carefully what to blog about.

Writing about just anything won’t help. Mixing up unrelated topics on your blog is a waste except you know your strategy.

Many bloggers have wasted time and energy going forward and backward simply because they laid the wrong blogging foundation – choosing the bad niche.

The choice of your niche should be guided by three main factors:

Knowledge
Passion
Reason for blogging.

A lot of people advise you blog on something you are passionate about. Others say blog on a topic you have mastery over. Let me add that you should define a reason for your blogging. Then add the other two.

Do you want to blog for money? Do you want to blog as a hobby?

T1 is the topic or niche that combines your Passion and subject Mastery
T2 is the niche that combines your Passion and the Reason you want to blog
T3 is the topic that combines your Reason and Mastery
T4 is the soft spot. It combines your Passion, Mastery and Reason

NB: Check out this post for more help on this point

2 – You need a domain name

Your domain name is simply the name of your web address. It points readers to where your content is located online.

The easier it is to memorize, the more people can find you. You should choose a domain name that’s as short as possible. Avoid random characters. Go with something readable.

Choose a name that’s generic, allowing you to expand your business. You may want to also choose a keyword focused domain name. A domain name that says something about your content direction.

Your domain name has an impact on your brand. The more unique it is, the more readers stick to it. I can think of some of my friends with unique domain names like bloggingfromparadise.com, bloggerspassion.com, problogger.com, mostlyblogging.com, etc.

These are those in the blogging niche though. But I highly encourage you choose a name that’s attractive and sticky.

Another option is to use your real names. I’m using EnstineMuki.com. Others like JohnChow.com and zacjohnson.com are doing massively well. However, if you ever think of flipping your blog anytime in the future, avoid using your names.

NB: Check out this post for more on how to choose a domain name

3 – You need a web hosting service

A web hosting is actually a service that stores your blog files and makes it available worldwide 24 hours 7 days.

It’s actually a space on a remote computer called server. Initially, it’s almost an empty folder with some basic system files. What you will have to do is upload files, create databases and email addresses on the space.

Once you have your web space, you will need a domain name (seen above) pointing readers to it. Without the domain name, it will be almost impossible to view your content.

How much does it cost ?

Now let’s get into more serious things.

There are a couple of things you’ll need to spend money on off the bat. These are:

Domain name (required)
Web hosting (Required)
Plugins (Optional)
Themes (Optional)

But here is the good news…

Some premium web hosting services will make some of these paid elements available for free. Let’s see more below.

Choosing a hosting platform

In one point above, I poke about web hosting as one of the blogging requirements. But where do you host?

There are different hosting services out there. Your choice of one of them is defined by the blogging tool you go with.

Most common blogging tools are:

We are going to be focusing on WordPress.org. Did you notice there are differences between .org and .com?

Check out this ultimate guide to WordPress so you understand these differences.

The reason I’m recommended WordPress.org is because you are going to be master of your business. It allows you self-host your blog and be part of a bigger Internet community.

But how much does it cost?

First, WordPress.org is completely free. However, the hosting platform is going to charge a fee to give you powerful tools to effortlessly setup your WordPress blog. Here are some of these hosting companies and how much they charge you:

1 – Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the most widely used and recommended premium web hosting services we have today. What makes it more attractive are the highly optimized servers, customer services and truly affordable prices:

First year $3.95/m
First year free domain name
Free SSL

Total to spend with Bluehost: 3.95*12 = $47.4 first year

Subsequent years = $7.99*12 = $95.88 + domain renewal.

[thrive_link color=’orange’ link=’https://enstinemuki.com/bluehost’ target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ align=’aligncenter’]Host your blog with Bluehost here[/thrive_link]

2 – Siteground

Siteground charges $3.95/m for the first year. No free domain name. That brings you to $3.95/12= $47.4 + domain name

From second year, it jumps up to $11.95/m or $143.4 + domain name

[thrive_link color=’blue’ link=’https://enstinemuki.com/sgwordpress’ target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ align=’aligncenter’]Host Your blog with SiteGround here[/thrive_link]

3 – A2 Hosting

A2 hosting charges $3.92 first year. That brings us to $47.04 + domain name fee. Obviously, it will take us to over $50 as there isn’t any FREE domain

Subsequent years, you are charged $95.88 + domain name fee

[thrive_link color=’purple’ link=’https://enstinemuki.com/a2wp’ target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ align=’aligncenter’]Host Your Blog With A2 Hosting Here[/thrive_link]

There are other top web hosting services but I don’t want to include them here. You really don’t need anything more than one company to work with.

I’m currently hosting with WPX Hosting. As a matter of fact, it’s my most recommended, fastest and cheapest dedicated WordPress hosting when it comes to bigger blogs.

If you are starting on a low budget, I recommend you pick any of the three mentioned above.

Here is a recap:

Bluehost: $47.4 plus FREE domain
Siteground: $47.40 + domain name fee (making it over $50)
A2 Hosting: $47.04 + domain name fee (making it over $50)

All things being equal, you should go with Bluehost for a more friendly price.

Where else do I need to spend?

I mentioned above that you optionally need some plugins and themes. You are more likely not to spend on any additional plugins. However, I recommend you see this list of 9 plugins for a new WordPress blog.

You may not find the free themes available with WordPress core more fulfilling. That means you have to purchase a theme fit for your business.

Generally, good themes are under $100. You may want to try out StudioPress themes or Thrive Themes

What about list building ?

One of the things I recommend you start with is list building. That’s because your list is a huge part of your marketplace.

It’s a nice source of traffic for you anytime. It’s also an exciting source of income. We’ve heard a couple of times that ‘the money is in the list’ and that’s true.

A single targeted and active list subscriber is worth about $1 a month. That means a list of 1000 members should be generating averagely $1000 a month.

I know that always isn’t true for most of us. But if you treat your list building like a real business, getting the right tools and focusing on getting the right subscribers, trust me you will see the money.

Starting a list with your new blog doesn’t necessarily mean spending more. All you need is a professional Email Marketing Platform that charges nothing for beginners.

MailerLite is what I recommend you start with. You get up to 1000 subscribers and all the premium tools including AutoResponders and Automation, Professional Campaign building wizard, Content Upgrade facilities, etc.

Let me set your blog up for free

I want to install WordPress blog, install security plugins, configure your permalink, install SEO plugins and a premium theme for free.

All you have to do is:

Buy your hosting from Bluehost here. Make sure I earn the affiliate commissions
Send me your login parameters. Within 24 hours, your blog will be set.

NB: See more about my WP Setup Free service here!

Conclusion

Question: How much does it really cost to start a money making blog

Answer: Less than $100

What is stopping you? Let’s talk in the comment box. Share this post on social media if you like it and I will really appreciate.