The ‘blogging for kids’ concept for my children is a hit with my family. So it was time for me to figure out how to create a simple blog-based website from scratch.
I started this article as I was learning how to set up a blog, to share it with you here. It seemed like an intimidating effort but it was SO EASY BECAUSE a GoDaddy.com representative stayed on the phone with me for 63 minutes and took me step-by-step through it.
Step 1 is picking a name. I went to whois.net and typed in the name I wanted. Luckily, it was available.
Step 2 is registering the name. I went to GoDaddy.com to register it. (That’s where I am now — while starting this blog.)
Step 3 is finding a coupon code to get the address at a discount. Before I buy (just about) anything online, I go to Google and type in the name of “the thing” and add the word “coupons,” as in, “godaddy coupons.” The top result saved me $3 on a $10 purchase.
Step 4 is setting up a host. Because I have joehageonline.com hosted using the GoDaddy Deluxe Package, I’m able to add the kids’ domain using the same package. Sweet! The package gives me 150 GB of space and 1,500 GB of bandwidth, and the ability to host dozens of sites using the one package.
Step 5 is linking the new website to my host. This is where the GoDaddy rep came in handy: the GoDaddy site is a mess. I didn’t know where to look. But he did. He took me through absolutely everything.
Step 6, well, I’m still figuring that out. I want to add a “theme” to change the look and feel of the site. I’m halfway through figuring it out. Will advise…
Step 7, I’m still figuring that out too. I just tried to add the new site to my Google Analytics (to see how many visitors I get daily) and got this message: Tracking Unknown The Google Analytics tracking code has not been detected on your website’s home page. For Analytics to function, you or your web administrator must add the code to each page of your website.
Later in the weekend I found a way to set up this completely free blog in 5 minutes. Ask me how!
Have you set up your own blog? If not, what’s holding you back?
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Very helpful, Joe. Thanks for sharing your experience creating blog-based web sites with us.
By the way, your two boys’ blog posts are so natural, so heartfelt. And what an empowering experience for them, finding their voice and engaging with interactions with adults.
No, I was serious.
I gladly invested 63 minutes to learn a completely new skill.