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ccowman ccowman
 
M$1 December 17, 2008 06:59 PM

When creating a blog, what is the first step you take?

Do you search for a domain name first? Design first? Create content first? Etc., etc., etc.
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darkmatt3r darkmatt3r
 
 December 17, 2008 07:07 PM
You first need to decide what the blog is about, and choose a domain name that is very tied to that topic. If writing content helps you define the niche your blog will occupy, then do that first. The design is less important than the name/domain and the content. Search engine traffic is huge on a blog, so picking a highly trafficable domain is key, but good content is what keeps people coming back repeatedly. There are many good resources on how to get started blogging on the web. Become a blogger takes you through the process via video for free including setting up blog software and web hosting. Definitely worth a look.
Source(s):
http://www.becomeablogger.com
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com
http://www.problogger.net

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cherman cherman
 
December 17, 2008 07:00 PM
I am thinking that you already know what your blog will be about, otherwise, you have to do this before all these steps.

First get the domain name, so no one steal it from you. Then you have to design the blog. When it's fully designed, you can launch it and start creating content.

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ccowman ccowman
 
December 17, 2008 07:05 PM
I approach it slightly different, domain name, content, then theme and design, but interesting to hear what people say.

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jzachary jzachary
 
December 17, 2008 07:01 PM
1. content
2. name
3. Design

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xds xds
 
December 17, 2008 07:04 PM
Make sure it is secure from exploits and spam.

Test it out somewhere else first.

And get yourself some great free hosting !
XMG Free offers free hosting with FTP and CPanel if you are a designer.

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cfinke cfinke
 
December 17, 2008 07:04 PM
Decide what blog software to use. Wordpress is easy to use and very popular; MovableType is slightly less easy to use, but still popular. Blogger is also very popular, but you can't host it yourself.
Source(s):
http://wordpress.org/ (Host your own blog)
http://wordpress.com/ (Free blog hosting)

http://movabletype.org/ (Host your own blog)
http://typepad.com/ (Paid blog hosting)

http://blogger.com/ (Free blog hosting)


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jordan jordan
 
December 17, 2008 07:04 PM
Undoubtedly the first step is to figure out what the blog is going to be about.

The second step is to figure out where it will be hosted and, if you're self-hosting, what blogging software you'll use.

Design can come later, though it's a good idea to have a unique(ish) design before the blog launches. If you already have a name in mind you might as well buy the domain name when you have a few minutes free.

And it's good to launch with at least a dozen posts already written, so that your first visitors can quickly get an idea of what to expect in future posts.

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redbeard redbeard
 
December 17, 2008 07:08 PM
I go with what the overall content of the website is...
then i manage to purchase the domain name and continue with the design based on the content.

if your creating a website where alot of content is displayed on the front page, you'll want to use a more sophisticated layout to display all the text properly and not look overshadowed by other texts/posts.

if its jus a simple daily picture/life blog about you and your daily events, then something simple might work.

domain name should always be purchased last, jus be creative with it.. as most of the good domain names are taken.

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bugsy bugsy
 
December 17, 2008 07:10 PM
1. make sure it's an original idea, do a bit of research on what's already on the market and what you can offer that's unique
2. do a bit of brainstorming, find a catchy name to remember, check if the domain is taken, if so find even a better name
3. register the domain, if you already have some kind of hosting you can probably do that from their site
4. make a sketch, how your site would look like; you'll find content ideas from that process alone
5. work on basic content
6. do basic design

repeat 5 and 6 till it's "stable"

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abdylas abdylas
 
December 17, 2008 07:13 PM
Spend some time finding good, suitable domain name. Then get a good hosting. It's a good practice not to get domain names from hosting providers, instead get domain names from domain name providers. Because you never know if you will change your hosting, and if you do it can cause you problem. So keep domain name and hosting in separate accounts.
Source(s):
http://www.adesblog.com/2007/12/14/common-mistakes-of-a-new-blogger/


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skitt skitt
 
December 17, 2008 07:17 PM
I would target a particular niche and determine some direction for where you might want to take the blog. Personal/business? Ads/no ads? Etc..

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fauxpop fauxpop
 
December 17, 2008 07:17 PM
The first thing I did, and this may not be a very popular answer, is to have something to say. I don't mean this in a smart ass way, either.

I think the best thing that one can do before starting a blog is to begin writing on a regular basis in an offline mode about something that other people will care ABOUT. Get a good collection of work that you're happy with, get in the habit of writing cogent work that is meaningful to you, and get to a consistent level of quality that you are happy with.

Then, get whatever blogging solution you like best (I use Wordpress, but there are several), experiment with layouts, themes, templates and so on, then begin posting your work. It's a great idea to start with a good backlog of writing, in my opinion.

Good luck.

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nathaniel ... nathaniel ...
 
December 17, 2008 07:17 PM
I typically just start writing. It's a good bit later that I actually start promoting it and such. Also, I'm using Blogger most of the time, so there's not a whole lot of design I have to worry about.

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carriep carriep
 
December 17, 2008 07:20 PM
I get my blog concept first.
Then, I figure out which blogging software I want to use. (usually for me, it's Blogger just because it's very easy and user-friendly).
Then, I look for a domain name that fits the blog.
Then I find a basic template.
Finally, I start blogging!
I try to blog at least once a week, but I sometimes don't hit this goal.

This is how I came up with my blog Garlic is Love. I knew I wanted a blog about food and cooking, something not terribly original, but based on my personal preferences and cooking experiences. A lot of the domains I tried were taken, but I finally brainstormed a few that were unique but still related to my idea, and http://garlicislove.blogspot.com won out.

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greenscree... greenscree...
 
December 17, 2008 07:26 PM
...toward the computer

Oh, man, I am on fire! Thank you, I'll be here all night.

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drmarvin drmarvin
 
December 17, 2008 07:38 PM
I would say the first step you should take before starting a blog is to have something interesting to say. It's great that you want to publish, and more power to you if people will read it, but you are kind of up the creek if it's boring. I don't have a lot interesting to say, so I guess that why I don't have a big use for a blog.

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djscram djscram
 
December 17, 2008 07:49 PM
A lot of people have said you should know what you want to talk about, which I think is right. But the flip side is knowing who you want to talk to. If you can describe your audience, this will help you develop content, set the tone, make design choices, and control your language level.

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nativenerd nativenerd
 
December 17, 2008 08:08 PM
I pretty much break it down to a general theme and rough skeleton, then try to add a name around that. I'm so ADD that if I did the name first, it likely wouldn't match the actual content. Once the rough skeleton is in place, find some content, then go back to fleshing out the design. In short...all over the place...

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