HELP! I am a very passionate Newbie : )

[Cynthia.W]

Hi!

I am very interested by blogs and wed sites designs, traffic etc. I have no experience yet but I am very eager to learn and I am ready to work hard to learn.

I want to start editing blogs and building web sites (bu7t I thought a blog might be better to start, no?)

The only problems are that I have a few questions that unfortunately I cannot find any answers. I thought that with all the great talented peoples with experienced that are members to this forums/board, I would probably find a person who has a few minutes to give me a hand.

Here are the main questions that cause me the more trouble:

• How do I find a good subject (and domain name) for my blog? (I want something that will attract and interest peoples…)
• Which host or sites (in your opinion) are best to start for a blog and/or a web site?
• What are the most important things to know to have a successful blog?

Thanks so much to anyone who9 will share a piece of advice with me. If you have time for a little chat, I would be more then happy, my email is in my profile

Thanks again!
Have a great day & take care!

Sincerely,
Cynthia

[Bald Man]

Originally Posted by Cynthia.W

• How do I find a good subject (and domain name) for my blog? (I want something that will attract and interest peoples…)
• Which host or sites (in your opinion) are best to start for a blog and/or a web site?
• What are the most important things to know to have a successful blog?

#1 - What do you like; what are you interested in? If you want to pursue pro-blogging, you've got to pick a topic you're willing to spend a lot of time with. After that think about how you'd go about searching for info about the topic. What words do you type into [INSERT NAME OF PREFERRED SEARCH ENGINE HERE]? Use some simple iteration of that key word or phrase as your domain. There's nothing necessarily wrong with a clever domain name, but bear this in mind: Obvious may be boring, but it's obvious.

#2 - If you just want to start a hosted personal blog in order to get your feet week, pick any old free platform like Wordpress.com or Blogger.com. If you've got your own domain name, I (and probably just about everyone at b5 and most elsewhere) recommend Wordpress, which you can download at Wordpress.org. Your web host can probably set it up for you, and it's nicely balances ease of use and flexibility.

#3 - Be passionate. Be original. Be teachable. Be willing to work. And last but not least: Be patient; it's not a get-rich-quick scheme.

[mcdarling]

• How do I find a good subject (and domain name) for my blog? (I want something that will attract and interest peoples…)
• Which host or sites (in your opinion) are best to start for a blog and/or a web site?
• What are the most important things to know to have a successful blog?


Hi Cynthia,

Welcome! First, I am a relatively new blogger. Second, I agree with everything that Baldman said in his response to your questions.

Here are some of my thoughts: First, what do you have a passion for? What do enjoy talking about, reading about, or doing. That should help you land on a topic. What do you feel you are knowledgeable about?

I personally think it will be difficult to write about something you have no passion for. I love creative names and creative catchy phrases. I like unique. I would recommend going to www.godaddy.com and check there for ideas. There is a place for you to submit ideas and to determine if others already have the domain name.

Lastly, remember it takes to time to build a community of readers. You have to market your blog. It takes time, consistency and persistance, and hard work will help you be successful, no matter what you do! Blogging s no exception. Good Luck!

[Cynthia.W]

Thanks a lot for your replies. I have a few subject in mind but each time i can't help but wonder: am I gonna have new ideas every few days to write about this? Where do you guys think are the best sourse to find new and fresh ideas??

Thanks!
Good morning and have a great day!

[Bald Man]

Originally Posted by Cynthia.W

Thanks a lot for your replies. I have a few subject in mind but each time i can't help but wonder: am I gonna have new ideas every few days to write about this? Where do you guys think are the best sourse to find new and fresh ideas??

Thanks!
Good morning and have a great day!

Write... and think about the topic.

Start an imaginary blog off-line for a couple weeks and see how you do at coming up with content. If you're running on empty after six or seven days, that's probably a sign that you're just not that into the topic.

[hlei]

Or you could try starting a personal blog that has everything that interests you. If you find that you start posting more on one subject than another, you could break that part off into a separate blog.

[mcdarling]

My ideas come from anything and everything around me. I love the challenge of coming up with material in and around the hiring process. I thought it would be difficult writing about valentine's day and getting a job. It was difficult, but I found a way to tie "courting" and old term for dating into "courting an organization http://toughquestionsgreatanswers.com/?p=50. It took me well over a week to get the idea. But I am persistent and I love to talk about how people can get jobs. I coach people on the side. It is in me and it comes out of me no matter what I am doing or who I am talking to. You have to figure out what's in you, what you have passion about. Whatever it is, the ideas will come out of the passion.

[Mark]

Welcome to the fascinating world of blogging, Cynthia!
I agree with all the posters above. You may want to begin with a hosted blog such as Wordpress.com.

However, I would suggest that if you are really serious about blogging, you should go with a standalone blog like WordPress. You need to check out some of the web hosts that host great blog platforms like WordPress. I'm partial to WordPress because it is open source. Since WP is open source, you can bet that there are lots and lots of people out there working to make it a lot easier to use and a lot more secure, as well as enjoyable. I have tried a few web hosts over the years. So far, DreamHost is the finest I have personally experienced. With DreamHost, you can install your WordPress blog with one click. DH pretty much keeps WP updated, and you can upgrade your blog there using their very user-friendly panel. Another great thing about WordPress being open source, is all the really exciting themes and templates and widgets that are being developed all the time. They are so easy to install on your WP blog.

You seem to be pretty excited about blogging.
Why not go with a free-standing blog that can grow with your blogging needs and that will be easy to customize, not only to your preferences, but also to your readers' needs!

[SageRave]

I agree with writing about the things you love. I just bet you have enough for 3 niche blogs. A good practice is to set a schedule to blog by. It's a great way to get in the habit. Once you get in the habit, blogging goes a little faster than your first attempts!

[sheeva]

Hi new here. A blog is more than an online journal or writings posted in chronological order. In addition to writing, bloggers are fostering a community and providing valuable information. First and foremost, you can encourage millions of people to visit your blog, but the numbers won't mean squat if you don't keep them coming back for more. You'll need to provide useful articles and content. It's not enough to provide the same news as every other blogger in your niche topic. You'll have to come up with something new and unique and provide thought provoking analysis. Your blog has to say something and say it well. Smart bloggers learn how to make a income from their blogs.