The million-dollar question is, how much does it cost to start a blog in 2024 ?
So you’ve decided to start a blog?
Generally, the amount of money one needs for their blog to get started will vary depending on what type of blogger they are. You can spend literally nothing if you want (which is what many bloggers do) or up to thousands of dollars.
Either way, having an idea of where your money will be going can help out when planning your budget.
I’ve broken down the basics of what’s involved in starting a blog below.
Keep in mind that this is just for reference purposes, and should not be used as your actual budget when getting started.
It’s good to have an idea of where your money will go before you start, but once you get rolling it can be tempting to buy everything you see without really thinking about it.
I recommend having something like 10% of your monthly income set aside for blogging purchases, since sometimes the things we think we “need” are often impulse buys (I know from experience).
But if you don’t want to do that, I understand!
Content Outline
7 Things to Keep in Mind Before Starting a Blog
An individual must have a rough idea of required things before starting his/her blog so the path will look a little smooth to them .
- Blog Hosting fee
- Blog Design
- Design Cost
- Time Investment
- Schedule
- Helpful Applications
- Setting up hosting/upgrade
Read for the brief description on how much does it cost to start a blog?
1. Blog Hosting Fee ($3-$10/month) :
This is where you will be hosting your blog.
You can either go with a free option or pay for something better.
Most bloggers that are starting out use wordpress.com to host their blogs, but wordpress.org allows you to have more control over your site if you’re willing to pay the price (it’s around $5/month).
If you want to keep things really simple and easy, just stick with wordpress.com so you don’t have any technical issues getting started!
2. Blog Design ($0-$100s) :
This depends on how much hand-holding you want.
Most sites offer templates in various price ranges, some of which are completely free! I chose not to use any templates whatsoever when I first started my blog.
I just used a text editor and used HTML to create everything I wanted from scratch.
That was also around the time that learning how to code HTML/CSS was a big thing, so people were really into it.
I don’t think using templates will hurt your site at all if you go with one, but there is a possibility for the site to have a template “feel” while using one – if that’s something you’re worried about but getting creative with your design is good for branding and sites like Tumblr and Blogger offer free options as well (especially if you’re sticking with WordPress).
Beyond templates, there’s other aspects of web design that can help make your site look more polished.
Some blogging platforms come with premade background images or entire gallery styles that can be added to your blog, such as this one on Blogger .
If you want more control over your site, there are many website creation programs that can be used to design your blog’s theme.
This is what I did when I started my blog; I went with Adobe Muse , which is an affordable option that most people have no problem using.
I’m not going into detail about web-based software because it really just depends on what you’re looking for and how much work you want to put into getting everything together before launching!
3. Design Cost ($20-$200+) :
You could go with absolutely nothing if you wanted to, but spending a few dollars here or there for art or premium templates can help you focus on the content of your blog instead of the design.
There are many resources available, so do some research on places to get free images for blogs or ways you can create your own blog art!
I’ve found that it really does depend on what kind of blogging platform you’re using when deciding how much money to spend on design.
On Blogger , none of the templates are really that expensive ($20-$27) and they even automatically integrate post photos into the site’s layout.
But if you decide to go with something more customized later down the line, having your entire blog revamped can cost anywhere from $200+ (for a full makeover) to thousands of dollars depending where you look.
If these prices seem too steep, don’t worry! You can get an entirely new custom design for free so it really depends on your preference.
4.Time Investment (Varies) :
What good is a blog if no one ever sees it?
Blogging takes time, but there are ways you can spend less time on blogging and still have an audience.
If you go with using templates or premade themes, you don’t have to update it as often since everything is already made for you!
There are sites that allow you to publish automatically, such as Tumblr , but be aware that too much automation may turn away potential readers.
If you just post GIFs of Taylor Swift every day, people will eventually get bored of seeing the same content over and over again even though Taylor never does .
It’s important to switch up your content and get creative to keep people interested in your writing.
To give you an idea of how much time it can take, my current blog on Tumblr takes about 1-2 hours a day to maintain: I write three posts a day and do some light editing/formatting after each one.
That may seem like a lot, but I’ve been doing this for more than two years so 2 hours is nothing compared to what it used to be!
Of course, some days I’m more pressed for time than others or I just don’t feel up to blogging at all. However, that’s when scheduling comes into play!
5. Schedule ($0-$10+ Per Post) :
The easiest thing you can do is schedule your posts ahead of time in programs like Hootsuite or Buffer.
This allows you to plan out your blog and divide up tasks throughout the week so you don’t have to put in as much effort all at once.
You can write all my posts on a Sunday night, add photos the next day after work, and schedule them for Monday through Friday right before going to sleep that night.
This way you wake up every day with fresh new content waiting for you on the site!
Of course, this doesn’t always go smoothly due to life happening but it’s a good system if you want a more relaxed routine.
6. Helpful Applications ($5-15/post) :
If scheduling isn’t your thing, that’s okay!
Believe it or not, there is actually a free online resource that allows you to create your own blog and publish posts automatically without having to set up anything beforehand.
I’ve used this for my own Tumblr blog when I first started out and still use the same tool today because it’s so user friendly.
You can find hundreds of personal-use free blogging sites online but some examples are Blogger , WordPress, Weebly and even Tumblr.
If you’re using something like WordPress and don’t want to pay for hosting/upgrades, try signing up with Bluehost.
They offer a variety of site-packages starting at $2.95 per month that include free domain names and non-stop tech support.
This is pretty cheap compared to other services but you can also find even better deals online if you do some shopping around!
7. Setting Up Hosting/upgrades ($10-100) :
Hosting is how you store all of the content on your site so if anyone visits the URL they see your work instead of an error message saying something’s wrong.
This is the first thing you should do before even thinking about pages or templates because it will be your online home for as long as you plan on blogging.
That’s why starting out with affordable hosting is so important!
There are so many places to get hosting but two of my favorites are Bluehost and HostGator.
The one I use personally right now is Bluehost because they’re fairly priced, easy to deal with, and have great customer support.
Not to mention their packages include free domain names, unlimited email addresses, automatic WordPress setup, cPanel access for uploading files, Google AdSense integration, and more! You can see all that’s included here.
If you prefer not to pay anything at all, you can always go with a free hosting site like Blogger or WordPress.com.
These sites are simple to use and don’t require any money upfront but they do tend to cut some corners (like not having access to cPanel) and limit what you’re able to do.
This might be enough if all you want is a personal blog that doesn’t receive much traffic but it’s still nice to have the option of upgrading for more freedom and features.
If you want to use multiple platforms for your blog but don’t know where to start then follow these steps below :
Step One: Selecting Your Platform
1) Where will the content be coming from?
If it’s going to be created by guest bloggers then you’ll need a platform that is easy for people outside of your network to use.
2) Will there be any eCommerce on the site?
This is important because many blogging platforms do not have integrated eCommerce functions. This means that you’ll need to have a separate application to run your store.
3) How many people will be writing for the blog?
If it’s just one person, then what is their skill level at blogging?
4) What does your business plan look like?
Is there an emphasis on selling products or is content creation the main goal of the blogs’ existence?
Step Two: Hosting and Domain Name
1) Your domain name should reflect your brand or niche.
2) What features do you want with your hosting package?
For instance, Bluehost offers a free domain name if you sign up for their hosting packages. Other services may offer additional features such as instant WordPress installation, website builders, hosting for multiple sites, and email addresses.
3) You can choose a hosting service that has a large social media following to help promote your site.
For instance, Microsites boasts over 10 million followers while GoDaddy has about 16 million Twitter followers.
4) Choose a domain name that is relevant to your business but is easy to spell so people find you easily online when searching for topics related to yours.
Step Three: Designing Your Site
1) Blogging platforms such as WordPress and Blogger have hundreds of free templates for users to choose from.
2) Many blogging services also offer customization options for users who want control over their design or layout.
3) The platform you select should be compatible with the devices that consumers use most often to access the Internet.
For example, Squarespace is compatible with desktop users, mobile websites, tablets, and mobile apps.
Step Four: Creating Content
1) Take an inventory of the skills that your contributors have.
This will help you figure out what they are capable of doing for your blog.
2) Make a list of features you’d like to include on your blog (tips, product reviews, lifestyle posts).
3) Determine how frequently you want to post new content on your blog (note this may affect pricing if done through a blogging service).
4) Figure out which time of year would be best for publishing on your site based on industry trends or key dates in relation to events that are focused on topics within your niche.
Step Five: Monitor Your Site
1) Do a Google search to see how many times your brand or niche has been mentioned online.
2) Use social media monitoring services that can track all of the mentions of your business on different social networks.
3) Think about customer service issues that may come up and determine if you have a backup plan for this scenario .
4) Consider what you’ll do with your site once it becomes successful, as this will affect pricing as well.
For instance, GoDaddy charges $24.99 per month for sites with revenue under $2 million annually as opposed to charging as much as $84.99 per month for larger businesses ($49.99 is the minimum).
Quick Links:
- How To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost
- How to Become a Freelance Writer
- How to Do Keyword Research
Conclusion: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog in 2024?
So how was it worth it to begin your blog?
In summary, blogging is a great way for businesses of all sizes to get their name out there on the web.
As you can see from our brief guide on how much does it cost to start a blog, setting up a blog may not be as expensive as you think and the payoff in terms of brand recognition and customer loyalty can be significant.
I’m grateful for your reading, and good luck in the future.
