Before you publish your first post on your blog, you will need to think about the reason why you want to blog. This will lead you to find the right name for your blog.
If you are new to this blog you can read about how I start my first blog.
I am captivated by the unique blog names on WordPress. I find that the names are in keeping with the authors’ themes and writing styles.
For example, Deandra has a wonderfully inspiring blog called Imago Dei.
Do you know what Imago Dei means?
If you do not, perhaps you should visit her blog and find the answer. I promise you will not regret it.
The following are a few examples of inspiring blogs with great names. Please check them out because they are good!!
Theology of a Newfoundland Housewife
A Blog about healing from PTSD
If your blog name is not on the above list I do not want to leave you out so please add the name and link to your blog in the comment below.
I am sure your blog is amazing. Thank you!
After you have settled on a name for your blog then you will need to choose a blogging platform, find a theme, write and publish your first post, promote your blog, and networking.
The six top blogging platforms are
Note that there is a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is a hosted site by WordPress. It provides all the software necessary for publishing your posts and is fully maintained by WordPress.
This is the best platform for students and bloggers. This site is free for up to 3GB of storage space but comes with upgrades at a cost.
WordPress.org is self-hosting. The WordPress software package is available for downloads and the users can modify and customize to suit their needs.
You have to pay a monthly and yearly fee.
See references below for additional information about choosing the best blogging platform.
I use WordPress.com with an upgrade of $99.00 per year to exclude advertisements and a yearly domain fee of less than $20.
The creeping stage
A baby doesn’t walk overnight, but has to creep before he walks.
The baby creeps until one day he just get up and begins to walk. Well, you are at the creeping stage.
Before you publish your first post it is best to spend some quality time putting your thoughts into words and just simply write. Later you can edit.
It is best to limit your words to 500 or less and not below 100 if you are a first-time blogger.
Most of your viewers will be bloggers who have limited time and little patience to read a post with 2000 or more words.
After you have gained a suitable amount of consistent viewers who like your style of writing then you can increase your word count depending on the topic.
My first posts on my blog contained over 1000 words but my maximum viewing audience was six with about two likes.
It was discouraging!
Later, I drastically cut and edited those posts and reblogged some of them.
After you have decided on a post to publish you will need to select a theme.
The theme of your blog should depend on the type of blog that you are creating.
For example, if your blog is about photography then you will create a theme that will show your pictures beautifully.
If your blog is inspirational then you will select a theme that will highlight readability.
WordPress has a wide variety of free themes and themes to purchase.
Unless your blog is about photography, avoid themes with colorful background and flashy highlights. They only help to slow your website. They are also distracting with poor readability.
Choose simple themes that are easy to read and navigate. This means that you select a theme that makes it easy for your viewers to find their way around your site.
For example, ensure that your theme has a menu option to find the home or about pages or the categories of your posts.
Get a theme that is easily adaptable to other mobile platforms such as cell phones and tablets.
Ensure that your theme supports WordPress plugins including multilingual and translation ready. Be sure to check the ratings and reviews of the theme before selection.
For more information about selecting the right theme read Wpbeginner.com.
I chose a free blog theme when I first started blogging. It was similar to the theme: Book Lite where I showcased a view of one of the beaches in the BVI.
After a while, I discovered that this theme was limited and was not suitable for my needs and the growth of my blog.
So I purchased the Beacon theme for $79 about four years ago. I love it!
As my blog continues to grow I will change the theme to a more sophisticated type.
Remember you are still creeping so stick to free and simple when you first start your blog.
How to select your WordPress theme
To select your theme from WordPress is simple. After signing in, go to the ADMIN section then select Appearance and Theme.
Whichever theme that you like you can simply Preview or Activate. Ensure that you first write a post before you preview the theme so that you can see the layout of your post.
Join us next week as I continue to share my blogging journey with you where I will explain how I wrote and published my first post.
Before you leave, share with us how you select a name and theme for your blog.
Remember, we can learn from each other.
Thank you for reading
References: Hubspot; WebsiteBuilderExpert
Becoming the Oil and Wine 
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