If you are considering to start a blog, there are many things you need to take into consideration.
One of the most important decisions that will affect how much it will cost to start a blog, is the purpose of your blog.
If you want to start a blog as a hobby, just to have a space where you write your ideas, you can that for free at WordPress.org.
It only requires setting up a free account and after that, you are good to go.
So How Much Does It Really Cost To Start A Blog?
If your purpose is to make money blogging, then you will need to do some small investments.
In order to be able to monetize your blog, you will need to be self-hosted.
There are many hosting providers, for as little as $3.95 / month, however, most of them require that you pay at least 1 year upfront, which brings you to $47.4 for hosting.
Depending on the hosting provider that you choose, you might also get a free domain with your subscription, otherwise, you will need to purchase that as well.
That can cost anywhere from $2 to hundreds of dollars, depending on which name you choose for your blog.
Usually, when purchasing self-hosting, you have several free WordPress themes that you can choose from.
Basically this should be enough for you in the beginning, however, if you need additional functions to your blog, such as predefined styles, so your blog will have a more unique feel, you might want to purchase a theme.
For example, I use the Ashe Pro Theme by WP Royal Themes. This enables me, unlike with the free theme, to customize my theme with unlimited colors, making it much easier to brand my blog.
Another tool that comes with the Pro theme, is the sticky navigation. The sticky navigation allows my blog to have a more professional look, while keeping the most important information, such as my sidebar, visible at all times during navigation.
Post sharing icons is a super important tool that you need to use if you want to monetize your blog. This allows your readers to easily share your content, which eventually helps in increasing your traffic.
The post sharing icons are only available with the Ashe Pro theme, not with the free one.
Speed can either make or break your blog or website. The Ashe Pro theme is speed optimized, while the free version is not, meaning you’ll have to work on that as well.
Another fun option that the Ashe Pro theme comes with, is the Instagram widget area, which, especially if you are in the food or travel blogging, will enable you to beautifully showcase your Instagram feed on your blog.
So, how much does Ashe Pro Theme Cost? It comes at a cost of only $30. Personally I believe it’s worth the investment, as it built for bloggers and compared to other paid WordPress themes that can reach up to $100, is not comparable in terms of what it offers and how easy it is to use a beginner.
How much does it cost to start a blog?
- Hosting: $36 / year
- Domain: starting $2 / year
- Professional WordPress theme: $30 / life
Grand TOTAL: $68
The above cost reflects only setting up the blog. If you want to make money from your blog or website, you might also want to invest in some tools or courses.
I invested $200 in Michelle’s course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, as she is an expert in this. She is currently making more than $50,000 / month only from affiliate marketing.
I am also paying $10 / month on Canva, as the paid account enables more functions for graphic design.
I find Canva extremely useful for designing beautiful visuals, especially if you don’t have any graphic design experience. If you want to learn more about how I use Canva to create beautiful Pins, check out this article.
I am also considering paying other tools that most of the bloggers use to increase traffic, save time with social media or increase the subscribers’ list. I am currently trying the free versions and if I find that they are useful I will definitely purchase them.
If you are looking to start your own blog, check out this article about How to Start a Blog in 4 Easy Steps.
