How To to Start Your WordPress Blog In 2 Hours (Simple Steps)

So you want to start your own WordPress blog, but don’t know where to start?

You’re right.

WordPress is an incredible platform to start a profitable online presence one of the best ways to share your knowledge through blog posts.

I’ve been building WordPress sites for over a deacade. And while I’ve tried many other platforms, I always come back to WordPress for its flexibility and ownership benefits.

Here are the best tips to get you started in 2 hours – no fluff, just actionable advice.

What is WordPress and why should you use it?

WordPress allows you to publish both long and short-form written content.

It’s like if a website builder and a content management system had a baby.

Your articles get published on your site, and you maintain complete ownership of your content.

However, the one thing that makes WordPress different from any other platform out there is that you own everything.

Unlike platforms like:

Substack
Medium
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook

You have FULL CONTROL over your content and audience. No algorithm changes can destroy what you build.

Recently, WordPress has also become incredibly versatile – supporting video, audio, courses, membership sites, and more.

Choose Your Domain and Hosting

The first step to creating your WordPress blog is getting hosting and a domain name.

When choosing your domain name:

Use your name if building a personal brand (safest and fastests best)
Choose something memorable and related to your expertise
Avoid hyphens and numbers
Stick with .com whenever possible (cheaper & easier to remember)

As for the hosting…
I strongly recommend Infomaniak hosting:

Cheap (~$6/month)
Swiss quality and reliability
One-click WordPress installation
Excellent security track record

Install WordPress the Right Way

If you’re using Infomaniak as recommended, you’ll benefit from their one-click WordPress installation. This makes the technical setup incredibly simple.

But don’t stop there. You need to secure your site from day one:

Install Wordfence (Free Version)

My WordPress sites got hacked before, but since installing Wordfence, I haven’t been hacked since
It’s the most comprehensive security solution available

Set up Updraft Plus for regular backups

Schedule weekly backups at minimum
Store them in a separate location (cloud storage)

Remember: Security isn’t optional when building an online presence. Start with these measures from day one.

Pick a Professional Theme (Without Getting Stuck)

When it comes to WordPress themes, I have one specific recommendation: GeneratePress.

Here’s why:

Clean code that loads lightning fast
Professional design without bloat
Highly customizable without getting complicated

I suggest going for the $59/year license.

And if you buy it with my affiliate link, make sure to send me the receipt and I unlock a free crash course on how to get started.

IMPORTANT: Keep it simple. GeneratePress can become complicated quickly if you get lost in customization. Use it as a traffic engine for your blog, nothing more.

When you enjoy doing something, then you don’t spend weeks, months, or even years getting started. You simply start.

Set Up Your Blogging Creation System

Creating content consistently requires a system. Here’s how to set up yours in WordPress:

1. Create Your Main Categories

Start by establishing 5-7 main categories that cover your expertise. For example, as a systems expert for content creators, I use these categories:

Note-taking
Digital Products
Blogging
Email Marketing
Automation

These categories should be broad enough to contain 50+ articles but specific enough that readers immediately understand what they’ll find.

In WordPress:

Go to Posts → Categories
Add each category with a clear name
Write a 1-2 sentence description for each

2. Write for ONE Category First

This is crucial: don’t scatter your focus across all categories at the beginning.

Pick ONE category to establish topical authority. For example, I started with aritcles around note-taking. Published at laest 20+ articles about it.

Why? Google and readers alike need to see you as an authority in a specific area before branching out. This builds what SEO experts call “topical authority” – becoming the go-to resource for a specific topic.

3. Build Your Content Idea System

Now, it’s time to brainstorm at least 50 blog post ideas for your chosen category. Yes, 50. This gives you a runway of almost 6 months of content. (2 articles/week)

You can use chatgpt to come up with a few articles, but the best articles ideas are those who target keywords people are actually searching for.

Then use these proven blog post formats to generate ideas for your focus category:

Step-by-Step Tutorials:

“How to Set Up Category Pages That Convert in WordPress”
“Step-by-Step Process to Create a Content Calendar That Actually Works”
“How to Write and Publish Your First Blog Post in Under 60 Minutes”

Answer Common Questions:

“How Often Should I Publish Blog Content? Data-Based Answer”
“Should You Write for SEO or Readers First? My Honest Take”
“Can You Still Make Money Blogging in 2025? Here’s the Truth”

Reviews and Comparisons:

“I Tested 5 WordPress Themes for Content Creators: Here’s the Winner”
“GeneratePress vs Astra: Which Theme is Better for Professional Bloggers?”
“The Only 3 WordPress Plugins You Actually Need (Honest Review)”

Problem-Solution Format:

“Fixing the 7 Most Common WordPress Errors for Beginners”
“Solving Your Content Creation Bottlenecks: 5 Systems That Work”
“How to Overcome Writer’s Block for Bloggers: My Proven System”

Case Studies and Examples:

“How I Grew My Blog to 10,000 Monthly Visitors in 6 Months”
“5 Examples of Perfect About Pages for Professional Bloggers”
“What I Learned from Publishing Daily for 30 Days Straight”

Resource Lists:

“21 Free Tools Every WordPress Blogger Should Be Using”
“15 WordPress Shortcuts That Will Save You Hours Every Week”
“9 Places to Find Royalty-Free Images for Your Blog Posts”

When brainstorming, focus on questions and problems your audience actually has. Visit sites like Quora, Reddit, Facebook Groups, and Amazon book reviews in your niche to find real questions people are asking.

Create a spreadsheet with these column headers:

Blog Post Title
Main Keyword
Post Format (Tutorial, List, Review, etc.)
Target Word Count
Call to Action

Fill this out for all 50 ideas, and you’ll never run out of content to create.

The WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) makes content creation straightforward once you get used to it.

Install Only the Essential Plugins

Plugin bloat is a real issue with WordPress. Here’s the minimal stack you need:

Wordfence – For security (already mentioned)
Updraft Plus – For backups (already mentioned)
Yoast SEO – For search engine optimization

Don’t fall into the trap of installing dozens of plugins. Each one adds potential security vulnerabilities and can slow down your site.

Create Your Content Foundation

Before publishing regular blog posts, establish these foundational pages:

About page
Contact page
Services/Offerings page
Privacy policy and terms

Then, create your first 3-5 blog posts before officially launching. This gives new visitors something to read when they discover your site.

Focus on one platform. Plant your flag on it.

WordPress should be your home base – the place where all your best content lives. Other platforms can direct traffic to your WordPress site.

Establish Your Daily Publishing Workflow

Daily content positions you as a leader in your industry.

Here’s how to make daily publishing manageable:

Set up a simple content calendar in WordPress
Create templates for different types of posts
Batch content when possible (write multiple posts in one sitting)
Schedule posts to publish automatically

Keep in mind that as with every blogging platform, aim to write at least 100 pieces to start getting traction.

The reason is because competition is fierce. Every niche is saturated.

And you probably need to write 100 pieces to simply become good at it.

That’s why enjoying the game is mandatory if you want to play it long-term.

Technical Implementation Checklist

To ensure you haven’t missed anything, here’s your complete technical setup checklist:

Hosting & Domain:

Purchase hosting from Infomaniak
Set up domain
Implement one-click WordPress installation

Security Layer:

Install Wordfence
Configure basic security settings
Set up Updraft Plus backups

Performance:

Install GeneratePress
Implement minimal theme settings

Once this foundation is in place, you can focus on what really matters: creating valuable content for your audience.

How much does it cost?

WordPress.org is free. But you’ll need to pay for:

Domain name (.com): ~$10-15/year
Hosting: ~$80/year (Infomaniak)
GeneratePress Premium: $59/year (optional but recommended)

TOTAL STARTUP COST: About $150/year.

This is significantly less expensive than many other business investments and gives you complete ownership of your platform.

Remember, your WordPress blog isn’t just a blog – it’s an asset you own completely and can monetize in countless ways.

Now it’s your turn. Get started today!