You want a blog but you’re totally confused…
we’ll guide you through the frequently asked questions and all that confusing tech talk.
To have your own blog you’re gonna need to know a few things.
Hosting, you’ll need a place to “host” your blog. Which is a place on the internet to store all your files, like blog software and images. After you order hosting, you can install your blog software.
Software, to make a blog you need blogging software. This is a program in which you type your entries and upload photos, which then “posts” that info onto your blog website.
lets say you’re using wordpress for your blog software…
– on the internet, you would login at your control panel
– then you would type your entry and upload photos
– and press the “publish” button to add the entry to your blog so that everyone can see what you’re up to
Domain Name, you can order a domain name at goddaddy.com or any other domain name seller. This domain name will “point” to your hosting account so when people type in your domain name they will see your blog.
Images, some blog programs give you the option of uploading images right in the control panel. It then gives you a code which you add to your post to show the image.
Choosing Blog Software .
We’ll help you choose the right one for you.
Total Beginner, if you are somewhat computer illiterate
the easiest program that has the most options is TYPEPAD
– on the internet, you would login at your control panel to create your blog
– you can easily change the colors and layout… it’s also very simple to understand how to add things to your blog, and they have a TON of help files.
Your blog would be hosted at their site
Total Beginner 2, if you don’t want to pay for TypePad the easiest program that is free is BLOGGER.
– on the internet, you would login at your control panel to create your blog
– Blogger has some new templates for your blog… if you want an all original look, it’s a little more complicated to change colors and the layout, but there’s lots of help files around the internet to get you started
– www.blogger.com to sign up for an account… you can have it hosted with them which will require you to have a “banner ad” at the top of your blog… OR you can host your blog anywhere else (like with us) and they would remove the banner ad from your blog.
Total Beginner 3, if you don’t want to pay for TypePad
and want to have your own domain name
the easiest free program that has the most options is WordPress
– order a domain name and hosting package at www.hostdime.com
– your new hosting plan comes with a “one-click” install of the WordPress software!
– once your website is up and running, on the internet, you would login at your blog control panel to create your blog
– there are TONS of templates to use with Wordpress, choose one and go
– it’s easy to create links and pages
NOT A BEGINNER, if you are up for a challenge
there’s a lot of cool options for those who like to explore computer programs… some blog software you’ll need to know or learn html skills and other ones are pretty easy to upload to your host. see the below for links to the blog biggies, like MovableType, which seems to be number one for fiber art blogs.