Readers often ask for my recommendations and advice on blogging, so I decided to put all of my favorite resources in one place. Some of them are affiliate links, some are not, but they all come with my personal seal of approval. 🙂
Getting Started
Bluehost
I started my self-hosted blog with hosting by Bluehost. Bluehost is the #1 recommended host by WordPress.org. They have 24/7 support which we have taken advantage of. They also have aSetting up a site with Bluehost is fast and painless with this step-by-step tutorial.
Namecheap
We registered this domain (and others that we have) through Namecheap. Not only are they about about the least expensive to register with, they offer great support and nice extras like one free year of Whois Privacy Protection. If you are ready to set your blog up now, you will get your domain name free when you go with Bluehost.
Genesis Framework
I started out my blog with a free WordPress theme, but I was never able to tweak it the way I wanted. The Genesis Framework makes customization simple. It also has excellent security, mobile responsiveness and is set up great for search engine optimization. Check out the Genesis Framework and see what I mean.
Restored 316 Designs
Restored 316 Designs offers beautiful, versatile WordPress themes that are built on the Genesis Framework (you have to purchase Genesis separately). I purchased the Tasteful theme and adapted it to my needs. Check out the beautiful layouts at Restored 316 Designs.
Bigstock Photo
While I do get some of my stock photos from free sites, I am using more and more purchased stock photos. With the popularity of Pinterest, the image that accompanies your blog post becomes so important. Bigstock Photo has a much better selection of high quality images than the free sites do. Plus you don’t have to worry about a dozen other bloggers using your same image. You can get a 14-day no-strings-attached trial of Bigstock Photo where you can download 5 images a day. That means 70 free images!
Laptop
In the beginning, I used the family desktop computer exclusively, but as time went on, being able to take my work with me became really helpful. After reading lots of reviews and weighing the pros and cons of various laptops, I decided (with lots of input from my tech savvy husband) on this Acer Aspire. I have been thrilled with it! One of the features that I am loving (that I never realized would be such a big deal) is that the keyboard is backlit! I also love that it doesn’t get super hot like other laptops I’ve had. It has good battery life and it charges fast. For under $600, you can’t beat it!
Finances
Blog Finance Spreadsheets
Even if you’re just starting out with your blog, you should be keeping track of your income and expenses. How else will you know when you finally turn a profit? Blog Finance Spreadsheets are tailored specifically for bloggers and make tax time a breeze! You don’t need a subscription, just a one-time (very affordable) cost and you get free upgrades when a new version is released.
Learning
How To Blog For Profit: Without Selling Your Soul
When I was just starting out my blog, I read Ruth Soukup’s book How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul.
Elite Blog Academy
After reading Ruth’s blogging book, I knew I had a lot more to learn from her. I was eager to be a part of her first class of Elite Blog Academy. Ruth holds nothing back in this comprehensive course. She offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If your blog doesn’t have serious growth in traffic and income after completing the coursework of Elite Blog Academy, she will give you all of your money back. You can’t lose!
Registration is currently closed, but you can sign up for the waiting list to be notified when the next class opens. You’ll also be able to download a free ebook “7 Surefire Ways to Boost Your Blog Income Overnight.”
Growing and Monetizing
Constant Contact
As you are growing your blog you’ll want to start growing an email list as well. When you’re just starting out, though, you probably won’t have a lot of money to spend, which is why I love when services give free trials. Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial to their email service. After that, the rates are affordable as you are growing your list.
ConvertKit
As my blog grew, I switched my list to ConvertKit. Convertkit offers features that aren’t available at the bargain-priced email providers. It has beautiful opt-in forms and landing pages that make giving away a subscriber freebie a cinch. Your list is segmented with tags so that you can easily send emails to targeted lists. It also integrates with services like Gumroad, which I plan to use in the future.
Board Booster
After spending lots of time hand-pinning with an intricate spreadsheet and using other tools that are no longer available, I have happily settled on Tailwind for all my autmated pinning. Tailwind offers lots of features for scheduling on Pinterest and Instagram, as well as ways to collaborate with other bloggers so you can pin each other’s content.
CJ Affiliate
CJ Affiliate (previously Commission Junction) was the first affiliate company I joined. I was excited about all of the big brands available that would be easy to promote. Unfortunately, many of the big companies only want to deal with really big blogs and websites, so campaigns are harder to join.
ShareASale
Becoming an affiliate is easy with ShareASale. Although they don’t have as many big name companies as CJ Affiliate, their programs are much easier to get accepted into. Their user interface is very straightforward and useful (not all affiliate network websites are).
Amazon Associates
No matter what you blog about, you will somehow mention and recommend products available on Amazon. You’ll definitely want to join Amazon’s affiliate program, Amazon Associates. The best part is that you make commissions on not just the products you mention, but anything a reader buys after they click on your link within a 24 hour period (or until they click through someone else’s link).
Izea
Izea is a “sponsorship marketplace” where content creators like bloggers, get paid to tweet, blog or otherwise interact on social media. After filling out your profile, you will start to see offers that you can bid on. They tell you the minimum and maximum bid for each opportunity. You can make a bid and write a pitch explaining why you would be a good fit for the opportunity, though a pitch isn’t required.
My Blog Income and Other Details
Some of you have been curious about how I make money with my blog and how that income breaks down by monetization type (ads, affiliates, sponsors, etc). I’ve decided to share my blogging details (income breakdown, tips, answers to your burning blogging questions, etc) via email. If you are interested, then please sign up for my Behind-the-Scenes Blogging emails!
Vaulable (but FREE!) Blogging Resources
7 Surefire Ways to Boost Your Blog Income Overnight
Goal Setting Workbook for Bloggers
10 Steps to Take When a Blog Post Goes Viral
8 Bad Blogging Habits and How to Break Them
New Blogger’s Guide to Guest Posting
Secret Blueprint for Blogging Success
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I do not know whether it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else encountering issues with your blog. It seems like some of the written text within your content are running off the screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them as well? This could be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this happen previously. Thanks
Great resources! But what ad sites do you use? Or are the ads from one of the affiliate marketing groups?
I started with Google Adsense (what I recommend starting with), but now I have AdThrive managing my display ads. They’re great, but you do need to have over 100,000 monthly pageviews before they will take you.
This is a great source for us new bloggers! (:
Thanks so much for providing this! Would you ever consider doing a series on how to start a blog? i have a blog, but I’m kinda stuck now. I’ve downloaded the book above but can’t afford the course right now. I enjoy it and love sharing recipes and my gardening tips. 🙂
Hi Debbie! I have definitely thought about writing a series because I do get lots of questions. We’ll see! Ruth’s book will definitely give you lots of ways to start improving though. You won’t be disappointed!