Let me guess—at least once, you’ve been discouraged from starting a blog because the thought of launching a tech blog feels ‘hard’ and ‘stressful.’ What if I told you that starting a tech blog is just as easy as baking pies? Follow this article to find out how to start a tech blog—the twelve steps that will get you fully started.
These proven steps on how to start a tech blog, whether it’s your first or fifth, will guide you through everything you need—from choosing a tech niche and setting up a website to picking the right theme, creating a logo, and finally launching your blog.
This checklist is for anyone who wants to understand the first steps of starting a new tech blog. These tips also apply to other types of blogs.
1. Decide on the technology topic you want to write about
The first step in starting a tech blog is figuring out your niche or topic. Just like in real life, niches exist on the web too. People have specific preferences, and they want to read about particular topics.
For example, some people are into gaming and cybersecurity, while others prefer reading about artificial intelligence, design, or front-end development with JavaScript, advanced CSS, and Python programming languages.
The list is endless, from fiction to nonfiction.
A strong passion for technology and an interest in new trends is essential in the tech industry.
So, what do you want to write about? More importantly, what can you write about the most? Is this topic something people around you are asking for? If you’re passionate about it, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to carve out a niche.
Technology bloggers, especially, should focus on what resonates with them the most. Writing about a specific tech niche helps you establish authority in the field.
As award-winning Nigerian storyteller Ubong Johnson said: “It’s best if writers write about what deeply resonates with them; it’s easier to feel such writing, to love it for what it is.”
2. Choose a good blog name
Of course, your tech blog needs a name (which should match your blog’s web address). There are no hard rules, as you’re free to choose, but there are three key things to consider when naming your blog.
First, make sure your tech blog name appeals to your target audience. This is why it’s so important to carve out your niche first.
Knowing your niche will guide not only the content of your tech blog but also aspects like the name and tagline.
Second, the name needs to be unique. Every tech blog has one goal: to stand out. The competition is fierce, and your ability to stand out matters a lot.
Third, your blog name should be memorable. It should stick with readers long after they’ve left your site. Over time, I’ve often remembered blog names and URLs without having to search for them again.
A tech blog name will stick if it’s short, catchy, and paired with a strong tagline that supports it.
Read: 10 Reasons You Should Hire an SEO Agency
3. Sign up for a web hosting service
Every website in the world is hosted by a web server. When you type a URL into a browser—www.serpcore.com, for example—you have just typed what is known as a domain name. That is the name of a website that is recognized by web browsers.
This domain name is tied to a web hosting provider, which helps it run.
The web hosting provider of a website is usually responsible for things such as security and speed. So, it is important that you choose a secure host and one which is fast as well.
I would recommend SiteGround web hosting because they have outstanding customer support, dedicated and fast hosting plans, and they take website performance very seriously.
A couple of other reliable web host services have been around for a while. These include WordPress, GoDaddy, Hostinger, and BlueHost.
Both domains and web host servers are not free. And though it is possible to buy a domain name from a platform that is not your host, I advise you buy from your host. Hosts usually provide customer care services, so when the need arises, you will have to file complaints with them.
4. Install new WordPress
For users hosted by WordPress and other hosts affiliated with WordPress, there is usually no need to do this. WordPress has already been pre-installed.
But users hosted elsewhere will need to install WordPress. WordPress is typically installed as a script. This is the script that web browsers read and process on your site. When installing WordPress, make sure to only install the latest updates of the software.
New WordPress, as you can already tell, has features that are not available in older versions. Plug-ins, for example. Some plugins, like Easy Google Fonts, a plugin needed for changing the fonts of your website, do not run on older versions of WordPress.
New WordPress is also relatively faster and more responsive than older versions.
Read: 10 Reasons Why People Write Guest Posts
5. Get a good theme
WordPress is one of the best platforms because it allows you to choose from a variety of templates (themes) for your website design.
Take your time and carefully select a theme that will be appreciated by your readers.
Remember, we discussed tech niches earlier. Your niche will help guide your choice of theme. For example, if your website focuses on mobile phones and accessories, choose a colorful theme. Mobile phone enthusiasts will appreciate the vibrant design: “Ah! This blog looks good.”
However, if your blog focuses on topics like cybersecurity or surveillance tech, a more neutral theme is better. Too many bright colors are not always appreciated by readers—this is why many websites use simple, white backgrounds.
Also, make sure your theme complements your logo. I’ll discuss logos in more detail later, but your theme should enhance your logo. For example, if your theme includes red, your logo should either match or complement this color to create a pleasing combination.
6. Add important plugins
When using WordPress, plugins are essential. They make managing your site much easier.
How do plugins work? They modify your website’s functionality with just a click (or a few), saving you from having to edit code, which can be complicated for beginners.
For example, a plugin like Easy Google Fonts allows you to change the entire font of your website in a few clicks, which would usually take hours of coding.
There are many plugins available on WordPress, each designed for specific tasks. Choose plugins that help your tech website run smoothly and offer valuable features.
Install essential plugins to improve your blog’s performance. Plugins like All in One SEO or Yoast SEO help optimize your blog for search engines (SEO), which improves your rankings and makes it easier for people to find your content.
Depending on your hosting, you may also need other plugins:
- Akismet: Protects your blog from spam
- WP Super Cache: Speeds up your blog
- Jetpack: Provides features like SEO, social sharing, and security
Some hosting services include these features, which you can enable easily.
These plugins are essential for starting your tech blog. As your blog grows, you may want to install more, but be careful not to add too many. Too many plugins can slow down your site, which negatively impacts SEO.
It’s also important to avoid using large plugins that can affect your site’s speed. If you notice your site is slower after installing a plugin, it may be the cause.
Don’t forget to regularly update your WordPress and plugins to keep your site running smoothly.
7. Create a professional brand logo
I spoke a bit about logos earlier. We live in a digital age, meaning much attention is paid to graphics and designs. So it is an important step as you start your tech blog if you want it to stand out.
While the name of your technology site is its identity in words, your site’s identity in ‘graphics’ is your site logo. It should give visitors an immediate and clear picture of what your blog is about—tech.
Good logos, like good names, stick around for a while, such that when a visitor comes around the second time, they subconsciously grasp the logo.
Many logos have the blog initials or both the name of the blog and the blog’s byline inscribed in them. This is not bad practice—in fact, I will describe it as good practice.
Your logo should not antagonize your theme. This means it should not have antagonizing colors. Color schemes are a vital part of website design.
You can create free logos on Canva. All you need is to create an account, choose from the free logos there or design a new one. Edit it or change the colors however you want. They also offer premium accounts. You can do much more with a premium account with your logo design.
8. Create social media pages
I usually advise tech bloggers who are just starting out to first build a social media following before going on to create a tech blog. Here is why:
—When you create a social media page and are able to grow it, that is you; doing the first thing we spoke of—it is “you” identifying a niche and interacting with it. Blogging, in a few words, is simply interacting with a niche.
—When you create a tech blog just after successfully growing a couple of social media pages, most of the work will be ‘transferring’ and not exactly building. You just have to post your blog article links so your already active followers find their way to your site.
If you already have a tech social media page, keep managing it. Publish your tech blog here. If you don’t, then it is time to create one and meticulously manage it.
9. Start building an email list
One of the best ways to start a tech blog is by building an email list. Building an email list is easy. Just offer to send your visitors a couple of ‘free’ newsletters at a scheduled time every month. Interested visitors will input their email addresses, and voila! They become part of an email list.
An email list is so important because it helps the blogger keep a direct interaction with his or her readers. If you go on to do business with your tech blog, an email list can help boost your conversions.
Read: 10 Best SEO Writing Tips for Creating Great Content
10. Start blogging
When all things have been put in place, then it is time to do the deal! Start blogging.
Many tech enthusiasts just starting out have what I like to describe as the: “Will I fumble” anxiety. I am telling you this; you won’t fumble as long as you put your heart out there with every blog post you make.
As I start earlier, start out with writing stuff you deeply resonate with. Make each writing heartfelt so readers are glued to it from start to finish.
Writing for a blog is somewhat different from regular writing. When you write for a blog, it is important that you pay attention to paragraphing. Don’t make a paragraph too long.
Also, be creative with your blog titles. Make good use of headings and bullet points.
Get ideas from tech blogs such as Wired, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Fast Company, The Verge, and Mashable. All these are top tech blogs in the industry.
Connect the Google search console to your blog. It’s a tool you use to observe your site’s presence in Google Search results.
You also need some kind of uniformity now. You should not just put up posts. There has to be some uniformity.
As you start out, it is important that you connect with other tech bloggers too. This will help you understand blogging more.
11. Research keywords
Once you understand how to start a tech blog, look into what keywords you need to optimize your blogs for. Keywords are basically just words that point search engines toward sites. When users make searches on search engines, they input a number of words (keywords), which search engines scan for.
If these words have been included properly and in the right locations on your blog, then it’ll be easier for search engines to find you and put you up on search engine result pages.
What this means is that you will rank more. A site that ranks typically averages more conversions and gets more traffic.
To know the keywords being used in your niche, it is important that you do some research. Conducting keyword research usually involves making use of SEO software.
Once you understand how to start a tech blog, look into what keywords you need to optimize your blogs for.
12. Connect Google Analytics
When you start a tech blog, you need to understand how people interact with your blog. A bulk of blogging, asides from writing and making posts, is observing.
As a blogger, you have got to be observant. Google Analytics is a free tool by google that can help you observe how your site is performing. Make tweaks to areas of your site that are not doing as well as you want them to.
Also, connect the Google Search Console to your blog. It’s a tool you submit your website and then use to observe your site’s presence in Google Search results. Like Google Analytics, Google Search Console will also give you more insight into your blog.
Summary
Now that you know how to start a tech blog it’s time to dive into writing and managing it. Blogging is not as hard as it looks on the surface. What’s needed of you, basically, is a bit of commitment to your blog. Pay attention; this is how you succeed as a blogger.
There’s never a specific right time to start a blog. It would be best to start a blog when you have the time and attention to commit to it. However, starting is no problem while you are still working another job.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a niche
- Pick a memorable name
- Sign up for web hosting
- Install WordPress
- Select a suitable theme
- Add essential plugins
- Create a professional logo
- Build a social media presence
- Build an email list
- Start blogging
- Research keywords
- Connect Google Analytics