How To Start a Stylish WordPress Blog • Inspired Design Talk

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This post is all about how to start a stylish WordPress blog.

As I mentioned in a previous post about a month ago I made the switch from Squarespace to WordPress for my website and Blog.

I split my site in two and now have separate domains.

In the next few weeks, I will complete the transfer of pages from my www.iqdesigngrp.com site and will officially pull the plug on Squarespace.

Don’t get me wrong Squarespace was a GREAT place to start my website and I was very happy with them over the past three years.

However, during quarantine I did some reevaluating and realized if I was going to get to the next level WordPress was the way to go.

This post is a recap of the key points for anyone who wants direct to the point information.

What you need to get started

Table of Contents

1. Domain Name

Get your .com for just $8.88 with Namecheap

First thing you need is your domain name.

I purchased my new domain from Namecheap for $14.20 for two years. I also added the Free WhoisGuard.

Free WhoisGuard with Every Domain Purchase

You can do a quick search on this site to make sure the domain name you want is available.

2. Website Host for WordPress Blog

squarespace-to-wordpress-wordpress-logotype-alternative

The next step after purchasing your domain is to purchase a plan with a host for your WordPress.org website.

After A LOT of research, I chose to go with Bigscoots.

For my account, I chose the 155CC shared web hosting plan for $10.95 a month and paid an extra $2 for a dedicated IP.

3. WordPress Theme: 17th Avenue Designs

17th Avenue - Feminine & Stylish WordPress Themes

You can go free when it comes to your theme but I wanted a pretty and girly look.

I chose the Harper theme which had the look I was after and all the different page layouts I would need for both websites.

I am still in LOVE with this theme!

You will also want:

Gramm arly

BEST creation EVER! Corrects spelling and grammar in your blog posts. I use the free version.

Tailwind

Scheduling program for Pinterest & Instagram.

I literally just signed up for the yearly plan today because after using the Pinterest schedular for the past few months (which is FREE) I have come to the conclusion it is a way better use of my time to pay for the Tailwind account.

Sometimes it’s better to not be cheap and just pay to be more efficient.

Just saying!

Anyway, that’s the quick wrap up of how I got started in my blogging journey with WordPress.

Let me know if this was helpful and if you have any questions in the comments below.

Have an awesome night full of Unicorns + Rainbows!

xo Nicole

Recommended Courses

The following courses are recommended and will definitely help you learn all about SEO, keywords, content strategy, Pinterest, and more!

Genius Blogger’s Toolkit 2020: $97(bundle of courses) I bought this 9-28-20 and plan to purchase it every year going forward.

Perfecting Blogging + Perfecting Pinterest Bundle: $220 I bought By Sophia Lee’s course bundle on 12-30-20 and it was one of the best investments I’ve made in my blogging journey to date!

You can buy the separate courses but I do recommend the bundle. If you buy separately I would start with Perfecting Blogging first.

After you finish I would then buy Perfecting Pinterest because the SEO and keyword research tips in the blogging course will benefit your Pinterest strategy.