Creating a blog is a fast way to publish content online. It is much like a website except a blog is run by a series of scripts that generally publish and organize the content by date and categories.
Blogs are typically easier to setup than websites because most blog platforms come with ready-to-use templates and there’s no software or FTP needed to publish your content to the Web.
I use WordPress for this blog, and the theme (design) I use is called Thesis.
The easiest way to setup a blog is to choose a web host that has a WordPress install script. So all you have to do is sign up with hosting and install WordPress from the hosting control panel.
Instantly, you’re ready to begin blogging.
Blog or Static Website?
A static website is a series of pages that are manually put together using HTML and CSS. 2CreateAWebSite.com is a static site.
This is my main tutorial site and you may notice the content organization is more controlled and logical. It’s not ordered by date or category like my content here. It’s organized by steps so it’s easier to reference. The content is also not updated as frequently.
If you use WordPress, you can create static content, but it’s important to learn how to edit your navigation/theme to make use of those static pages and create a more logical navigation.
This blog is more like a journal/magazine where I just publish random articles related to Internet marketing. Since the articles are organized by category, it would be harder for people to follow if they wanted to learn how to build and promote a website. That’s why I reserve my blog for “latest news” and use my static site for teaching.
Most people choose blogs today because they are easy, dynamic and universal. I personally like having a static site as well because it’s easier for people to follow my tutorials.
You don’t need a static site and a blog, just make sure you organize your content in the most useful/logical way for delivering your content. Not every kind of site is best for a traditional blog format.
Many people tell me that blogs are difficult to navigate and find information. That’s because most bloggers don’t make good use of static pages. So their site just becomes a list of random posts in different categories, and the older content eventually gets buried. While that may be fine for some sites, others may benefit from a more static organization.
If you are creating a tutorial/reference site, visitors may get lost and have trouble finding the information they are looking for. That can be rectified by making use of more static pages. That’s really the key whether you accomplish this with a blog or static site.
How you customize your blog design with static content will depend on which blog theme you use. For example, Thesis easily lets you add static pages to your main navigation without editing the code. You can even create a drop-down navigation with ease. Free themes are often more difficult to customize unless you understand PHP and CSS.
Consider a Premium Theme
There are tons of wonderful free blog theme designs, but I am so glad I use a premium theme. The code is usually cleaner (loads faster), the design is easier to customize, they are more search engine optimized and you typically receive free upgrades for life.
Many new bloggers gravitate toward the free themes at first, but often struggle with customization and later discover the benefits of having a paid theme.
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Hi
I feel I am going to be asking a silly question here. It’s about subdomains vs folders i.e. newsite.domainname.com vs domain name.com/newsite. I’ve read loads of articles, including your own, and decide to use both !! I will use a sub domain for one purpose and folders for the rest. Now I know how to create them, reference them and so on but what I don’t know is how to manage the content on them. I use wordpress.org with hostgator. I want to buy Themes but I want to make sure I can set everything up the way I want. I want my ‘home’ page to be my blog but I will create a menu to direct readers to other topic static pages. I’m quite happy with everything that needs to be done but don’t know how to manage the new sub domain or folders, how to publish to them etc. I can find plenty of information on how to create subdomains and folders but no information on how to get content onto these sub domains or folders. Can you help please ??
Cemlyn
Great tutorial. Withyour tips I start my first blog. Thank You Lisa
i have applied my blog into google adsence, but they did not accept my blog. i think so they did not accept blog or not pls inform me.
Thanks for the Blog. Some good advice for someone who is just starting out and experimenting. I am conducting a social-internet-money-making-experiment and am in need as much good advice as possible. Some readers/traffic wouldn’t hurt either though! It is sometimes quite discouraging looking at the traffic stats, but I guess one just needs to keep plugging away. Thanks and Cheers
This website iz BEAST!!! 😀
Great post this is very good blog you give great idea thanks
Thesis is awesome! Thesis and WordPress is even better!
Hello Lisa,
I found your blog information on your website and read a few of your other posts.Here are Best Informations.thanks…. a lot such kind of informative site.I’m waiting for your next advise.
Lisa,
I have been following your advice in setting up a blog and at another time a website. Just wanted to let you know that I was unable to access webpalace through your link and had to go direct to the site. Just a shame you miss out on the credit when it is only through you that I connected with them. Actually I have found a few of the links too long to get through to or not at all.
Cheers
Thanks Jenny, but do you remember what page you were on that had the broken link to websitepalace.com?
Lisa could you please comment something on my blog..I need to know what my blog is lacking.. I think that the content of my blog is unique but I need some expert advice 🙂
hi lisa
i have been following your advise for my site.i would like you to visit my site and let me know what you think and tell me what you think.
HELLO LISA,
I LOVE YOUR WORDS.THIS WAS SO NICE.
I JUST DON’T HAVE A CREDIT CARD AS I’M MINOR.I THINK I WANT TO CHANGE TO WORDPRESS.CAN I USE AD SENSE THERE
I current using a website and wish to use wordpress. Your tips help me to get it out.
Hi , lisa
I am new to this business.i am following you, reading your posts and everything i can do .is it that simple? as you are saying.
i am new in this field …to get maximum knowledge about al this stuff
Hey Halvar,
Keep it up, you can go build a Free wordpress site for starters. You can go to http://www.spikel.com and pay about $8 for a domain name then start there also. Good luck in the future.
Stacy Renee
so nice 🙂 thanks
Hi, Lisa
I m new blogger jsut have one website Quotes on Life
This really helped me.
awesome stuff! thanks for all the information.
Great post! I would love to see a follow up this post, Thanks
Hi lisa,
I made a blog with personal experience. i have also posted some aritcles by detail and with images. i want to ask you can you tell me about sitemap. what is site map and how can i submit it. i had made webmaster tool account of google but i did not understanding about sitemap and what did i submit it through sitemap . please tell me or any other person have complete detail or tutorial please tell me.
regards
Dear Ms.Lisa,
I have created a blog http://dayabaran-nature.blogspot.com/ and apply for the google adsense failed to get it because the site was under contraction, after that I made some modification to the site and add more pages to the site,
can you please check my blog and update me if I apply for the adsense again will get it,
Thank you very much,
Dayabaran
Dear Ms.Lisa,
My Blog was approved by Google Adsense,
Thanks for Google,
Also I thanks you for giving good articles,
Thanks & regards,
Dayabaran
Dear Ms.Lisa,
I am sorry to inform you, my Adsense account is disabled for invalid activities. its difficult me to understand what are the invalid activities.
I wrote this just to update you,
Thanks,
Dayabaran.
lisa thanks for info, your site is the best for online business information
Hi,
I’d like to start a blog. I signed up with wordpress.com and now discovered Thesis on your blog. However, I don’t understand which option to take. The developers or personal option in thesis? What’s really the difference? I just want one blog.
Thanks,
Tanja
Hi Lisa
I’m an aussie living in the states with way too much time on my hands and needing a creative and constructive outlet. I created a facebook photo album when I moved to Ohio. It takes my friends on a re-decorating journey of my house but I do it in a very humerous way (or so I am told). So many people want me to post it to everyone, or make a book and continue to ask when I am going to continue the “story”. I think blogging may be the way to go but I also seem to gather other humerous tales, given my experiences. My head is spinning though with buzz words like wordpress, RSS feed, hostagator and whatever the heck else to do with blogging. Where do I start??? Should I purchase a book, hang in there with reading all the sites like yours, watch videos, or just get cracking? Can you point me in the right direction to start…..from scratch!!
Thanks
Hi Lisa,
Just wondering, if I decide to host my own wordpress blog, would I be able to use .net or .org instead of .com?
Cheers,
Nick
this is very good blog and good also for blog create idea
good
Hello, I am new here and from China. I am not understand why I can’t access some blog website.
have any of you used Veretekk Marketing system? If so I wouyld like to hear your comments re: how good it is
Hi guys, Im in need of some help if at all possible?? I have a business plan which is game based, where people can win money. I personally believe in the idea and think it’ll work. The game itself is also based on the idea that it will generate huge amount of traffic!! Im thinking of paying ( or giving away a percentage of my idea ) for somebody to help design my website for me. Do you suggest i do this or can anybody help, i really need a day or 2 with somebody!
Thanks Lisa this was great. I will let you all know how this works. Love your blog and site.
I am very thankful to you.he did more for me. I am very lucky because he is home beside me to take suggestions from him
Hey Lisa
Great site and just the inspiration I was looking for to kickstart my journey to affliate marketing. I’ve taken your advise and got myself a domain and now the process of building a cool website begins. I have tried using just Blogs with Blogspot and WordPress but I don’t feel it is working for me. I hope yo keep you posted on progress.
Keep up the good work.
Nice site Lisa and good job….Guide the starters like me ……
Best Information Site
Lisa, I’ve read many of your article on your web sites (2createawebsite.com & 2planawebsite.com) and blog for fast two years. I’m planning to create a blog or website (With SBI) and It will be about the car technology. I will be able to post a article or two because of my poor English. Here I want to know that I had better start with blog or website… I’m waiting for your advise. Thankyou
Lisa i follow your blog. you are my ideal in the field.
Hi Lisa
i have applied my blog into google adsence, but they did not accept my blog. i think so they did not accept blog or not pls inform me.
Hello Lisa, can you tell me why you use Hostgator? Can’t you just use the services of WordPress to get the blog up and running?
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Hi Lisa
I am Basavaraj Sajjan From India , I am new entry to click bank
now i only concentrate on that.So Please tell me how to promote ads, Blog into othersite. Which is bettre Free webs or Blog. Pls Send Free adposting sites.
Thanks to u
Hey Lisa,
if I host my wordpress blog on my own domain, will I be able to use google adsence on it? If no, what are the other alternatives?
Thanks in advance
Yes you will.
Hey Lisa,
I was reading your blog information on your website and when I read that blogspot could for whatever reason delete your profile and remove your content I got worried, and was wondering how I could self host my fansite with wordpress if I bought the domain off of google. I want to switch my domain from bloggspot to wordpress (self-hosted from google). Any info is appreciated thanks.
Hi Halvar,
Of course you can use your Visa with your PayPal account. All you have to do add your Visa to your account so that any purchases made will come straight off your Visa.
There are some great Internet Marketing forums out there as well. Maybe one day you could create a chat for everyone with questions which are Internet Marketing related. That’s a good idea you have 🙂
Well, I could make a forum with Internet Marketing related stuff 😀
So i got some questions about that XD
Do you want to be in the crew?
I’m also going to ask other people with much knowledge 🙂
I can’t handle a hole forum alone! 😀
I need some crew members !
So email me at: halvar.tjelta@lyse.net
If you want to be in a crew for Internet Marketing!
Required:
You have to know something about Internet Marketing 🙂
That’s it 🙂
So email me if you want to join!
Or you could reply on this comment ! 😀
Well, yeah it’s quite a lot for me though, but i might not start with all that. I came over a Visa Electron (Visa for people that is under 18) Do you think i could use that for my PayPal so i could get a domain and such?
I am going to make a blog about random tips. And put some google ads there. Hopefully i’ll earn some cash that way if i do it the right way and get some people come.
Wish there was a easy chat senter where everybody could come and talk. Because it would have been so much easier for people to get help and talk to eachother. Help each other out. Give tips, learn and have a great time with each other through the Internet.
Well i am a really active boy on the internet though. Spending my half day there if i can, but i also like sports XD
Maybe everybody could get MSN?
Wish i could learn something from people. Then i could help others aswell! 😀
My MSN is: fifa06_rule@hotmail.com
Again Thanks alot for your help!!
Hi Halvar,
You’re welcome! I think $200 is a lot to start off with, especially if you’re using free services. I like to help people in anyway that I can. I don’t know as much as Lisa knows, but I know enough to get me by and I’m still learning everyday. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good Luck!
Hi Scarlet,
My name is Ashik Thomson.I am now running a blog on computer tips.I have no much traffic yet.So if you help me with suggesting me on your site or twitter it will be a great help.
Hopefully,
ASHIKTHOMSON
Hi Halvar,
I know I’m not Lisa, but I hope you don’t mind me giving you a few tips. It’s hard when others don’t necessarily understand what you’re doing because then it’s of no importance to them. You’re in a difficult situation because you’re 14 and you don’t have what you need.
I would suggest starting out with a free website. Normally, it wouldn’t be a good idea to to work with free websites just because you’re limited to certain things, but in your case it should be ok.
To clear up your credit card problem, if you get any extra money say for special occassions, your birthday or chores, save it and get a pre-paid Visa or Mastercard. You can put your money on that and then purchase your domain name with it. You only pay once a year for your domain name and it’s easy to change your personal information if you get a new card.
You can also try getting help from other family members or working for family members to get you more money.
Hope this helps.
Thanks alot Scarlet! 😀
I never knew that i could get a pre-paid VISA card.
This makes it better. I got some money though but its not so much. I got like 200$ but i dont feel its so much. Well again thats alot for the help! Atleast this is a very good way to earn money. Because you know its real. Thanks.
Halvar 🙂
Hi Lisa,
I am a 14 year old boy. So i dont got a credit card to pay with. So what should i do?
Just make some prework sites and then get a domain after 4 years? My parents won’t help me. They don’t know so much though.
Hope you can help me.
~Halvar
Hey Halvar,
Read through all your other posts too besides this one – my first impression though, was, “sounds like a Russian scamster”.
I don’t know if you’ve trawled the ‘net at your age as much I have (at mine) but the kind of post you’ve made here is typical of Russian (from Chuvashia) and Nigerian scamsters looking to hustle a freebie if nothing else.
But thanks to the credulity of Lisa who chose to give you advice and made conversation with you, by the end of your last post, I’m weighing in giving you the benefit of the doubt.
I’d still caution Lisa and anyone else who reads this post / comments to be sensible when communicating with you privately by email.
Yeah, I’m an sceptical cynic!
Hi Lisa,
My WordPress blog is hosted on my own domain. So, this means that I can put up Adsense as well as affiliate banners, correct? I can actually make money from my WordPress blog since it is hosted on my own domain right?
Hi, i love wordpress themes, but also wana work with adsense. so, i just learned that both can’t work together. thanks for the lesson. I have adapted templets from other sources check is it one you like? http://www.forex4realincome.blogspot.com thanks
Hi Lisam
I was writing a blog for some time and getting some raffic.Currently i am using blogger account….will it be helpful to get more traffic if i switch to wordpress…or is it better to buy a domain name and link to my blog..or just continue with current blogger only…..my aim is to make more money using adsense 😀