Are you worried about the cost of creating a blog and taking a back step to start it? Do not worry because you need not break your bank in this case. I will share the cheapest way to start a blog in this article.
— These days, blogging business has become so popular that every individual and business use it to reach a wider audience and get more ROI (return on investment).
But, if you are an aspiring blogger, believing all the myths about the costs of starting a blog may make you worry. And may end up giving up on creating a blog altogether.
Thus, you are ignoring the potential blogging has. In the coming section, I will discuss the four aspects of blogging and their costs.
However, if you want to earn from your blog, think of these costs as an investment in your blogging business instead of an expense.
Whether you are just starting or looking to take your blogging journey to the next level, understanding these key areas can help you make better decisions about your investment in blogging.
Let us see what the Start a Blog guide has all about the cost factors.
Should I Prefer Free or Paid Blogging Platforms to Earn?
So, before diving into the aspects and their costs, you should consider what platform you need to choose free vs paid blogging platforms.
To give you a short answer,
- If you are someone looking to improve your writing skills or want to blog just as a hobby; you can choose the free blogging platform.
- If you are building your business through blogging, then go with paid blogging. Because a business blog needs to be built professionally which you may not get in free platforms.
In comparison, free platforms offer convenience and no upfront costs to you. However, they often come up with certain limitations in terms of customization and monetization options.
On the other hand, in paid platforms, you will have more control and flexibility in customizing and monetizing needing an initial investment.
Let me give you my situation as an example scenario.
— Along with my full-time job, I wanted to start blogging as my side hustle based on my interest in writing.
— Also, I needed to earn from it as a side income, like a professional blogging business.
For this reason, I want complete control over my blog without having any restrictions on customizing and earning.
Hence, based on my goal, I researched the costs of starting a successful blog. And, then I found that WordPress.org has all the options which I need. Immediately, I created my blog using it.
I hope this gave you an idea about the potential of the paid blogging platform. Now, let us see in detail the costs involved.
Everything You Need to Start a Blog and Its Cost
Now, you may wonder what expenses bloggers have in general. To answer this, there are a few
- One-time investments
- Annual renewals
- A few recurring costs to maintaining your blog.
But every essential component has different options and costs which you can choose as per your budget and requirements.
1. Deciding Domain Name and Registration
Firstly, your blog will need a domain name. It is the unique address of your blog on the web. So, if anyone wants to remember you and your blog, it is with the domain name that you select.
Hence, I suggest you choose a name that is simple to remember and relevant to your niche.
However, if you use a free blogging platform, your blog will not have a unique name but will be added to the platform’s domain name.
Ex: abc.com/xyz (your name/domain)
Thus, it will be hard to remember and search for you in this vast world of the internet.
For my blog, I have chosen it in the same way. Based on my interest in writing and design (which is my niche), I named my blog “Design and Pen.”
Once you have decided on it, you should register that name for your blog. Thus, it will cost you around Rs.1000.00 for domain name registration.
Many service providers can register your domain name. Also, a few providers will provide you with hosting services as well (which I will discuss in the next section).
— Do you remember, in the previous section, I told you about annual costs? So, this domain name will come under the annual renewal costs category.
Once you have registered the name for your blog, you will need to renew it every year.
But, if you miss renewing it, the name will expire after the renewal date. Thus, will be given to someone else if they search for it. Hence, you need to take care of renewal every year.
However, there are so many extensions to your domain name like .com, .in, . space, .it, and so on. As you know, the most popular one is “.com.”
So, you can also consider taking a domain from .com for your blog. Also, the domain cost will depend on the extension you choose.
2. Web Hosting & Types
The second important aspect of the cost of creating a blog is hosting. After the domain name, you will need web hosting to host your blog.
— With this, your blog will be accessible to everyone and provide you with a server to maintain it. But you may get confused about which hosting to take based on the many types available.
A. Shared web hosting: You will share the server and other resources with other blogs, and the same will cost around Rs. 90 per month.
B. VPS hosting (Virtual private server): Similar to shared web hosting. But if your website traffic increases suddenly, you can take a few additional resources to manage the traffic. Costs start from Rs. 449 and have till Rs. 1499 per month based on the server you will prefer.
C. Dedicated server hosting: In this hosting, you will have a separate server for your blog. If the server is completely yours, the cost for it also will be the same right? For this reason, the cost of this hosting starts from Rs. 14,999 to Rs. 39,999 per month).
D. Managed WordPress Hosting: Apart from all these, there is a WordPress managed by Raj Softech Solutions. Here, they take care of your WordPress blog and the cost is around Rs.100 per month and can handle one website.
Also, with their hosting plan your blog will have advanced security and good page load speed.
So, seeing all these hosting types and plans, what do you think?
If you are a beginner, I suggest you choose either shared web hosting or Managed WordPress hosting from RajSoftech Solutions. You can manage your blog very easily with either of these hosting services, especially if you are just starting.
But, if you are still thinking about “How expensive is it to start a blog?” it completely depends on the plans you are choosing from the options you have.
For my blog, I am using managed WordPress hosting and, I do not have any issues so far.
3. Blogging Platform Price
Till now, you have known about domain names and hosting. But the question is about the platform’s cost of creating a blog and which platform to choose.
Do you remember, in the previous sections I discussed free or paid platforms? Similarly, if you want to earn money from your blog, I highly recommend you create your blog using WordPress which is completely free.
I know there are several popular blogging platforms, and you may want to create one there. Some examples are Medium, Blogger, WIX, etc.
— However, the main problem is with customization and monetization options. Using those platforms, you may not create your blog as you like.
Also, in WordPress, you have two options: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. As we discussed hosting in the previous section, if you choose WordPress.com, you need not pay for hosting separately, it will be taken care of by them.
However, you will have limited control here over your blog regarding customization, earning money, and user experience. Because WordPress.com displays its branding and advertising.
Compared with WordPress.org, you will need a bit of technical knowledge to set up your blog and purchase hosting separately.
Since I want complete control over my blog and earn money from it, I have set up my blog using WordPress.org.
Finally, the blogging platform’s cost will be free of cost for a lifetime.
4.WordPress Themes and Plugins
So, if you have decided to use WordPress (WP), this section will help you get an idea about a few costs inside WP.
If you are not going with WordPress, you can skip this section.
Firstly, to improve your blog’s visual appearance, plugins, and themes are the backbone of it.
Based on the theme, you choose, the same way your blog is displayed to your users.
Similarly, based on the plugins you use the functionality of your blog will be decided.
However, both themes and plugins have free and paid options available inside WordPress. Usually, in free themes, there are a lot of problems you will come across like:
- Security issue
- Poor performance
- Slow downloading
- No frequent updates
- Only a few customization options
On the other hand, with a paid theme, you can be your boss.
- Customize the way you like
- Amazing SEO features and benefits
- As per the latest update of the theme, automatically your site will be updated according to it
- The more re-sale value of your website because of paid theme and many more.
Above all, a premium WordPress theme will cost you around Rs.6000 which is to be paid only once. Also, you can consider this as an initial investment.
Moreover, I use the premium WordPress theme “Thrive Architect” for my blog. Because I consider my blog to be a business and wanted it to be in the best way possible.
Despite the thrive theme, I use free plugins only for my blog. However, you can explore many free and paid themes available on WP and choose based on your goals and requirements.
Bonus: Digital Marketing Sources
Till now, we have seen the aspects of covering the cost of creating a blog. Now, I will discuss a few bonus aspects that help you maintain your blog in the long run.
— In addition to the core components of creating a blog, digital marketing channels play a vital role in driving traffic and engagement.
Let me tell you what they are and how they help you promote your blog and grow your audience.
1. Email Marketing Channel
While writing great content, effective promotion of it is also necessary because it helps people to recognize your blog and get more audience.
— Also, it is a powerful tool for building and nurturing relationships with your blog audience. , you can effectively communicate with your subscribers and drive conversions.
As with every other crucial component in blogging, you will find free and paid options here. As you know, free options always come with restrictions. Let me give you a few sources so that you will get an idea.
A. MailChimp
Mailchimp is an affordable email marketing service provider. They have various options to use where you can preview the email as displayed in your reader inbox. For a small website, a free plan is sufficient to use.
B. GetResponse
Similar to MailChimp, this is also one of the email service providers. But, GetResponse does not have a free option. However, you can try their plans for 30 days for free and upgrade whenever you want to.
They have various features like newsletters, autoresponders, website landing pages, and more.
C. ConvertKit
Convert Kit is one of the popular email marketing channels. If you want to build one email sequence and one visual email, then the convert kit gives you it for free.
Yes, if you think this is what you need to start an email marketing service, then this will be the best option to try and explore for you.
Above all, remember that every platform has free and paid options. Along with, the cost of creating a blog, these additional costs lie in the plans you choose and your preferences.
So, be mindful while selecting the platforms and their paid options.
2. Social Media Platforms
Finally, as you know, social media platforms are free forever unless you use something additional in the features they usually give.
With social media platforms, you can reach your audience, connect with them, build relationships, and grow your blog.
You can dive into any of the below platforms you like to get started.
- Facebook page
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Pinterest
Further, if you run social media advertising campaigns, sponsored posts, and other promotional activities, will cost you additionally based on the platforms.
However, if you want to increase the visibility and reach of your blog, you can invest in any of the above activities based on your budget.
Overall Costs at a Glance
After seeing all this information and costs, you may feel like the cost of blog writing is high.
Also, I do not want you to do all the math to get an estimated amount. Let me help you, my friend.
To give you a gist of the cost of creating a blog, considering all the minimal possibility costs:
- Domain name: Rs.1000 per year
- Managed WordPress hosting: Rs. 1200 per year
- Premium WordPress theme: Rs. 6000 once for all
So, taking any other costs here and there, starting a blog will not cost you more than Rs.10,000. And the remaining costs will depend on the option you choose and your preference.
Final Thoughts – Cost of Creating a Blog
To conclude, for starting a blog you will need a domain name, hosting, and a theme. It is crucial to consider the costs of creating a blog as an investment in their online presence and future success.
Whether you are a beginner blogger or an experienced content creator, understanding these costs will empower you to make informed decisions and achieve your blogging goals soon.
Finally, you can start minimally and upgrade your resources once you and your blog grow.
If you want to begin your blogging journey and are confused about where and how to begin, check my detailed post on starting a blog that has every detail you need.
Happy blogging!
