You may be wondering how much the cost is to start a blog website. First, why a blog? Because it can be a highly profitable business model. Not only that, you may be tempted to pursue it since it also has a wide range of benefits you may find interesting. One thing is sure; you can consider the Return on Investment very high. Therefore, 2022 is a great year to begin blogging professionally. After reading this blog post, you can open a spreadsheet or text document and take notes of what you’ll need to start blogging.
Brick-and-mortar businesses
Entrepreneur Magazine mentions the cost of setting up a retail store varies from $2,000 to $100,000. And the costs increase depending on the type of business you want to set up. However, you’ll soon find that setting up a blog is one of the most cost-effective ventures you can start. This accessibility is possible because of the arrival of the internet and the ever-rising population who uses it.
Although most bloggers prefer passive income because most processes are automated, they can also sell services and physical goods. The basics are the same for every type of business.
The essentials
You’ll first need a domain name and hosting, depending on who you ask. Your domain name Is your signature. Pick the best amongst many choices since it’s the first impression for your audience. Your hosting is critical too. Fortunately, suitable, fast, and reliable hosting doesn’t cost an arm and a leg as it used to.
You’ll need a newsletter service. This email service will be the backbone of your email automation and a critical part of your sales funnel. Depending on your niche, you may need to take pictures. Mind you; modern smartphones can be a substitute product for cameras, which would take an investment of $0 if you already have a phone.
Domain name
Your domain name will be the name of your blog business. My recommendation is that you take your time to think about it thoroughly. Then, as you develop ideas, check with the domain name registrar of your preference if the domain is available. You have a few choices: Devise a new word, unite, or use a descriptive name.
You’ll find that some people will recommend one option over the other. Each has its pros and cons. For example, if you choose a descriptive name but then succeed and want to amplify your target market, you may encounter a branding problem.
Webhosting
Where will you store the files that make up your website? Certainly not on your computer. You’ll need a server that serves those files. Don’t worry; today, Webhosting is a well-received commodity where you find everything you need to run your blog website through menus and a cPanel.
If you plan to set up a simple brochure type of website, then almost any hosting will do. However, if you want to prepare for success with your blog, then you need a little extra. It would help if you had fast Webhosting (Google takes speed into account for their ranking algorithm)
Newsletter service
Many professional bloggers say the same: “The money is on the list.” And this is true if you want to capture the maximum value from your blog. For example, if you run an ad campaign and send them to a landing page where you expect your prospect to buy directly, then you’re missing the opportunity of making them a member of your email list, where you can sell them repeatedly. Think about it.
Also, your conversion rate will be higher since you take your audience from point A to point B through a well-established path you can monitor and improve.
SEO Software
Many bloggers swear by using SEO software. The truth is that this type of online product can save you hours upon hours of research. However, it may be overkill if your budget is tight or you are learning the ropes. Not only this, but Search Engine Optimization Software can also be relatively expensive. What are other options? You can do SEO for free using free and freemium tools. You can find great keywords this way.
If you’re experienced or need large amounts of suitable keywords, then SEO software may also be for you if you need rank tracking, link outreach, and other tasks in the future. Then you can add it to your budget, especially if you expect a high Return on Investment.
Camera and microphone
As I mentioned above, you can do well with a smartphone instead of a camera. However, if you genuinely need a camera because your blog is highly visual, then you can begin using your smartphone and reinvest in a professional camera. This way, you have the best of both worlds.
Your audience may forgive you if you don’t have a perfect video, but they won’t tolerate it if you lack great sound. If you’ll create products or if you plan to do vlogging, then a mic is essential. You can find a Blue Yeti for less than $150.
Photo Editing
A modern blog post will have an image to accompany it most of the time. This image needs to be the right size. So how do you make it the right size? With the help of a photo editing application. One of the most popular is Photoshop.
Today, you have many options at your disposal. You can use online tools or Photoshop substitutes. One application I have personally used is GIMP. It takes a little while to get used to, but it can crop and change the size of images, modify and improve files created in other packages, and so much more. The best part is that it’s open-source and free.
If you already use Photoshop or are in a highly graphic niche, you may consider paying for a subscription.
Traffic sources
Search Engine Optimization provides you with traffic from search engines. Most bloggers consider it as their only source of traffic. You can get traffic from other sites, not only from SEO. Most websites have a free tier. You can consider upgrading to a paying plan if this free subscription provides traffic that buys your offers.
Most of the time, the free subscription is more than enough to reach your goals. Remember, there are many sites online you can contribute to with the added effect of getting traffic. Social bookmarking, alternative social media sites, directories, and other sites are waiting for you to join.
Ads
Can you include ads in your startup costs? The answer is yes. Buying online advertising is especially true if you’re trying to rank for keywords on search engines. Ranking can take time. What can you do in the meantime? The answer is running ads.
You can run ads on content pages to get email subscribers. Doing this is a smart strategy that can speed up your blogging results.
Final Words
As you can see, when you begin your blogging road, you may be tempted to start with a free blog. Signing up for a free blog website is a huge mistake since you’re giving control of your future to a third-party platform. With a modest amount, you can get up to speed; the sooner, the better. Compared to a brick-and-mortar (offline) business, you don’t need to have inventory, rent a physical space, or pay for utilities. You’re halfway there if you have a Personal Computer (PC) and a smartphone. To answer how much the cost is to start a blog website, you need to know what you want and then go for it.
