Starting a blog can feel a little overwhelming at first, especially when you’re trying to figure out which tools and services you actually need.
When I started building Fictional Retreats, I spent a lot of time looking for hosting, themes, and resources that would make blogging easier.
On this page, I’m sharing some of the blogging resources I use and recommend. If you’re wondering how to start a blog, these are a few places that can help make the process easier.
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What You Need to Start a Blog
If you’re learning how to start a blog, you only need a few basics to get started. You’ll need a domain name, hosting, a WordPress theme, and a few resources to help you create your site and content.
The sections below cover the main tools and resources I recommend for getting your blog set up.
Choose Your WordPress Hosting
One of the first things you’ll need when starting a blog is a domain name and hosting. I use Lyrical Host for both.
I purchased my domain through Lyrical Host and use them for my WordPress hosting. You can also set up your WordPress site directly from your Lyrical Host dashboard. I set up my blog email through them too, so everything is easy to manage in one place.
If you’re just starting out, the WordPress Tiny plan is a good place to begin. It includes WordPress, email accounts, SSL certificates, daily backups, and other helpful features. You can always upgrade later as your blog grows.
If you decide to try Lyrical Host, you can use my code FICTIONALRETREATS to get 10% off your first hosting payment.
Why I Recommend Lyrical Host
The biggest reason I recommend Lyrical Host is their customer support. Anytime I’ve had a question or needed help with my website, they’ve been so helpful.
A quick note for U.S. customers: Lyrical Host is based in the UK. If your payment doesn’t go through, your bank may be blocking the international charge. You can contact your bank to approve it or reach out to Lyrical Host for help.
Pick a WordPress Theme
Once you have your hosting set up, the next step is choosing a WordPress theme. Your theme controls the overall look and layout of your blog.
I use the ChicTheme from Bluchic for Fictional Retreats. Bluchic is a small business run by a husband-and-wife team, and their designs work with the free version of Elementor.
Their themes are already predesigned, so you don’t have to build your site from scratch. You can simply replace the sample text, photos, and other content with your own.
Bluchic themes are affordable, and I think they’re a good investment for a new blog. Having a predesigned layout can save you a lot of time and stress.
You can still change the colors, fonts, images, and layouts to make the site your own. Bluchic also provides step-by-step instructions for installing and customizing your theme, plus customer support if you run into any problems.
If you’d rather not do the setup yourself, Bluchic also offers paid theme installation and setup services.
Legal Pages
When you start a blog, you’ll also need important legal pages like a privacy policy, disclaimer, and terms and conditions.
I recommend the Legal Bundle by A Self Guru, which includes templates for all three. Having them together makes it much easier to get the main legal pages set up without trying to write everything yourself.
These pages can help protect your blog and explain important things like how your site handles information, affiliate links, and other terms. A Self Guru also offers resources to help you understand what your online business may need to stay legally protected.
Find Photos and Graphics for Your Blog
Once your theme is set up, you’ll need photos and graphics to make your blog feel complete.
You can use your own photos, but stock photo websites can save you time. They’re especially helpful for blog posts, Pinterest pins, social media, and other areas of your website.
I love Design Pixie for its fun, beautiful, and feminine images. I used their stock photos throughout the home page and other pages on Fictional Retreats.
Ivory Mix is another great option for stock photos and graphics. Their affordable quarterly membership gives you access to a wide variety of high-quality images and design resources without a large upfront cost.
For blog posts, I also use Pexels, which offers a large selection of free stock photos—perfect if you want quality images without adding to your blogging budget.
You can use stock photos as they are or quickly edit them in Canva to match your brand.
I also use Canva to create Pinterest pins and other blog graphics. The free version is a great place to start.
Learn How to Start and Grow Your Blog
There’s a lot more to blogging than setting up your website, and you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
Ivory Mix offers courses covering blogging, Pinterest, email marketing, social media, and other topics that can help you grow your blog. Their course library is included with their membership, along with stock photos, Canva templates, workshops, and other content resources.
I like that the membership is affordable and gives you access to several different types of help in one place. You can start with the topics you need now and come back to the others as your blog grows.
Ready to Start Your Blog?
You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. Begin with the basics, choose the resources that make things easier, and add more as your blog grows.
There will always be something new to learn, but you don’t need to do it all at once. Start with what you need right now and build from there.
Your blog can change and grow over time, so don’t feel like everything has to be perfect before you launch it.
If you’re learning how to start a blog, use the resources above to make the process a little easier and build from there one step at a time.
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