Thinking about starting a blog? Then one thing you’re probably wondering is how much it will cost.
The quick answer is that it depends on the type of blog you want to create, as well as the purpose of the blog. In general, it can cost anything from $0 to $3000 and up to start a blog.
A personal blog, for example, might not cost much while a professional blog, like a business or marketing blog, can involve a number of costs to start the blog, plus monthly costs to maintain the blog.
But no matter what kind of blog you want to create, you’ll find everything you need to know about the costs of starting a blog, and maintaining a blog, in this simple guide!
Is It Free To Create A Blog?
You might be glad to know that it’s more than possible to start a free blog. Sites like WordPress.org, Blogger, and Tumblr allow you to sign up and create a personal blog – and it doesn’t cost a thing!
Despite that, there are limitations to free blogging without paying anything. These can include limited blog customization options, limited storage, limited plugins, and limited monetization.
If you’re not interested in any of these things and simply want to have a blog for personal reasons, then it’s possible to blog for free.
If you want to create a professional blog for business, marketing, or monetization purposes, however, then you’ll need to spend money on it.
The Costs Of Starting A Professional Blog
Professional blogs can be used for a number of reasons and purposes. These include:
- Company news and updates
- Thought leadership
- Product and service promotion
- Affiliate marketing
- Driving website traffic
- Improving website SEO
And since these types of blogs need to look professional, involve plugins, use more storage, be backed up with security, and lots more, it’s not possible to start or manage a professional blog without avoiding the costs.
If you plan on starting a professional business or marketing blog, we’ve listed some of the costs you can expect below (if you’re starting a business, you might want to look into some business management software like ZenBusiness. Read more here).
Hardware
This might be a given, but investing in the right hardware is important if you plan on blogging professionally.
This might include a new laptop or computer with suitable specifications, or even a professional camera if you want to use your own photos in your blog.
If you want to test your blog’s responsive website design (how well your website is optimized for different devices), you may even want to invest in a new phone or tablet!
Hosting
All websites on the internet need to be “hosted”. Think of hosting as renting server space. The web hosting service puts and keeps your website on the internet, and provides other things like storage space, bandwidth allowances, and more.
There are many web hosting providers out there, each offering different benefits and types of hosting. These are a whole other topic, but the main point is that web hosting costs!
Web hosting is typically a monthly or annual payment, with the cost depending on the web hosting provider, the type of hosting service (for example, shared or dedicated hosting), bandwidth, storage, security, and more.
Domain Name
Your domain is essentially your website address. For businesses, for example, this is usually the business name, followed by a top-level domain (TLD), like “.com”.
So if you want to start a blog that has its own website, you’ll need to pay for a domain name.
Domain names need to be bought, which is typically an annual payment to renew the domain name and keep it registered.
Sometimes web hosting providers will include domain name registration as part of their hosting service, which can make the process much easier.
Security
Security is another important factor to take into account if you’re starting a professional blog, as the last thing you want is for your website to be hacked or breached! The costs here can include paying for:
- An SSL certificate
- Website backup service
- DNS service
- Domain privacy
You may also want to invest in a VPN service to protect your data and online privacy.
Marketing And Advertising
If you want your blog to have a higher chance of pulling in website traffic, then marketing, advertising, and optimizing your blog is another thing that you’ll need to invest in.
This can include running ads on social media, funding marketing campaigns, and paying for search engine optimization (SEO) services.
Marketing and advertising your blog isn’t necessary, but it can help your blog rank higher on search engines and get noticed online across different platforms (want more ideas to get your blog noticed? Read here). Both of these can increase your blog’s visibility and audience reach.
Plugins
Plugins can help improve the functionality of your blog, and are available on most professional blogging sites, such as WordPress. Some plugins are free but others cost, which can involve a one-off fee or a subscription.
Examples of paid plugins that will help your blog look and function more professionally include Yoast SEO, Rank Math, WPForms, WooCommerce, MemberPress, and WP Rocket.
Depending on the type of blog you want to start, there will be certain plugins that will be more important (and essential) than others.
Themes Or Professional Web Design
Business blogs, marketing blogs, and monetized blogs need to look professional, as well as function flawlessly, to come across as authentic for the target audience. This involves either paying for a professional website theme or investing in professional website design.
Website themes and templates are available on blogging sites like WordPress and Wix. Some are free, but “premium” themes and templates cost.
Needless to say, hiring a professional website designer also costs. This is more expensive than pre-made website themes and templates, however, as the service will involve customization and building the website design from the ground up.
Conclusion
While it is free to start a basic blog, starting a professional blog, such as a business blog or marketing blog, comes with various costs.
These can include hardware investments, website hosting, domain name registration, website security services, website plugins, and website design, which can range from $200 to $3000 and upwards.
