Over the last two years, internet consumption has grown at an incredibly alarming rate, and it’s still growing. As a result, millions of people are making purchase decisions via online sites such as blogs. And to pounce on that money-making opportunity, you need to start a successful blog.
You don’t have to own a big company for you to start a blog, you can as well start by promoting other people’s products. All you have to do is ensure that you provide quality information to your readers.
In this post, I will show you a step-by-step guide that will help you establish a successful blog. Once you follow the steps here, you can start making money while at home through your blog.
How to Start a Successful Blog in Kenya
1. What Do You Love?
Starting a blog begins with what you love to do—the passion you have. Now, what do you love? Is it traveling, swimming, business—name it. Blogging is all about publishing what you love. It might take time to notice, but you will always feel better doing what you enjoy most.
Your passion becomes your niche. Here are some guidelines to check when choosing an excellent place to start.
In my case, I had suffered enough to know that no sort of employment could be sustainable. And that was after I spent two years after graduation searching for a well-paying job. Instead, I ended up getting a low-quality job that paid peanuts.
So I left the job and started a business, blog, and freelance writing too. One of my first posts was about why you should never depend on your paycheck alone. This mind-opening post came after so many people lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At that time, I didn’t know about niches, but I continued to learn anyway. Little by little, I realized that it would be a good idea to educate people on how to gain financial freedom—primarily through making money online.
Now that you know what to blog about let’s head to the next step.
2. Purchase a Domain Name
A domain name is a website’s address. In my case, the domain name is www.ceciliawayua.com. When you search on any search engine, it’s the address that destinates you to my home page.
You can choose a domain name that is easily writable and that people cannot confuse with other things. In addition, in some way, let people understand faster about what your blog entails at first sight of the domain name.
I have to admit that’s not the case with my domain name because I did not know much about blogging at the beginning. But I must say that I’m happy with my domain name anyway.
I got an incredible offer in Namecheap, and I bought my domain name at a significantly lower cost. You can get discounted rates here, and let me know whenever you get stuck.
3. I Want You Start a Successful Blog in Kenya, so Choose the Best Hosting Company
To get a space on the web to display your website, you need to get a company that offers web hosting services. These web hosting companies have servers that store your website’s web pages. So, whenever a visitor types your domain name on any browser, the hosting company displays your pages within the shortest time possible.
In my case, I chose Namecheap as my hosting company. And I must say that I enjoy their services. Can you imagine that they have a live chat option where you can chat directly to customer support? In addition, they helped me do things that needed some coding. So, if you need to have the best customer service at any time you wish, then Namecheap has got your back.
4. Create Your cPanel Account
Still, in your Namecheap account, you will be able to access your control panel account. A website control panel enables you to manage your website activities at any time you wish.
The screenshot below shows what your control panel will look like when you log into it.
5. Install a Content Management System (CMS)
Now, you want to have a good experience posting your content online without going to a coding class. In my case, I use WordPress as my CMS.
You will install WordPress while on your control panel account. Here is where to get the Softaculors installer in your control panel.
Once you install WordPress, you will access the login details that will take you to the dashboard where you can start uploading content to your site.
Once you install WordPress, you will design your website in a design that feels good to you. So up to this spot, I must say Congratulations to you! It’s indeed a significant milestone.
6. Now You Are Inside WordPress, What Next?
Once you log into your WordPress account, your dashboard will look like the screenshot below. And now, you have a busy day to design your site. First, of course, you need your site to have the best theme and customize it to the fullest.
Let’s learn some basics about designing your WordPress site.
Install Themes
A website theme will enable you to design your new website to be as pleasing as you like. In addition, you will access the fonts and colors that you love to display on your site.
To add to that, you will also be able to add the pictures you need. The following screenshot shows how you can access the themes you need. Once you click on the Add New button, you will search and install the suitable theme for your blog.
Note that some themes will make your website to be slow. As a result, that will discourage visitors who do not have much time to wait for a page to load. And that’s means you should be more careful when choosing your theme.
In my case, I use the free version of Generate Press, but I’ll be upgrading soon to enjoy the premium features. So, here is how I customize my Generate Press theme page.
Install Plugins
Now that you already have your theme ready, it’s time to go ahead to install plugins suitable to make your site successful. So, I’ll take you through the most useful plugins that any website should have. They are free, but you can always opt for premium versions to get a better experience.
- Akismet Plugin
Akismet will protect your site from spam which may eventually lead to blocking of your site. In addition, the Akismet plugin will help you to filter spam comments. It’s usually annoying to keep on deleting spam messages day in day out.
Your time is so precious, and that’s why you should use this particular plugin to help save your time. I like Askimet because you can choose the amount you want to pay annually if you need to upgrade. They don’t give you a fixed figure.
- W3 Total Cache
This plugin will help to improve your website’s performance by reducing the load time. For instance, you will bear witness that users don’t like slow-loading pages.
More mobile users have flooded the internet in search of information. So, the pages need to load faster, especially on mobile phones. That’s one main reason that you need to have this plugin on your site.
W3 Total Cache also helps in keeping the user’s browser data, hence encouraging repeat page views.
- Aweber For WordPress
You will need this particular plugin to collect subscribers to your site by providing access to subscription forms. Remember, you will need subscribers to share your ideas and sell products to them. The good thing is that you can get this plugin for free until you earn enough to upgrade your membership. Claim your free access to Aweber here.
- The Yoast SEO plugin
Of course, you will need to get free traffic from search engines. Yoast SEO plugin helps you to optimize your pages for on-page SEO(Search Engine Optimization).
The good news is that you can get the Yoast SEO plugin free of charge. It’s a good plugin for beginners that they can use to sharpen their SEO skills.
- Social Media Share icons
At some point, if you create nice content, your audience will need to share your content with their friends on social media. So you should provide them with the appropriate icons. As a result, your site will become popular after some time.
- Site Kit By Google
Site Kit has everything that Google has in place to help your site grow. On the Site Kit, you will get access to analytics to know and track your site visitors. In addition, you will get data concerning your visitors and how they find your site.
In addition, you will have access to Search Console By Google that will help you know how much traffic you get from search engines. Furthermore, you will know which search terms your searchers use to get to your site. The data will help you to create content in line with what your audience needs to see.
Still, on the Site Kit by Google plugin, you can access your Adsense account. Once you have an Adsense account, you will earn from Google’s ads on your site. But that may take time because it will depend much on you having traffic.
Congratulations!
If you manage to get to this point, then I must say Congratulations! You can take a short break—you have come from far indeed.
Create Content to Upload on Your Blog
Now, what was your niche again? Well, that’s where you should focus on while creating content.
To start writing
Do something we call keyword research in your niche(area of specialization). Keywords or key phrases are the words that readers use for queries in search engines.
For instance, if you need to know something like the best side hustles in Kenya, you may search—side hustles in Kenya. So, Google will bring you the most relevant blogs about side hustles in Kenya.
And that’s one reason that you should create your content in line with keywords that rank in your niche. To rank on Google’s first page, you can start by using long-tail vital phrases—which have low competition.
You can use Semrush to do your keyword research, Keyword planner by Google, Urbersuggest, Ahref, and many more sites that can help you.
Now, after you get the desired keyword, do your research and start writing your first copy. Remember, the first copy is never that nice, but that should not limit you. In fact, here is my first ever writing that I ever did and published. I have not made any edits on it, and I will never do. It will just serve as a memory.
You can copy your writing from Microsoft Word and paste it on the WordPress Add New Post section. Check the guideline below.
Now, use the Yoast SEO plugin to optimize your post for search engines. Afterwards, you can directly publish your post.
How Do You Start a Successful Blog in Kenya?
It would help if you made your blog successful to enjoy the fruits of blogging. But where do you start?
Well, I promised to take you through the blogging journey till you start seeing fruits. So, keep reading. We are going to the most exciting part of it all.
Create lots of high-quality content
Creating high-quality content is the number one source of success in the blogging industry. To develop high-quality content, ensure that you do detailed research on the topic you are working on at the time.
Get your writing ideas from the first ten results on Google. Ensure that you don’t write duplicate content because even Google will consider you to be spammy.
In addition, ensure that you include images and graphs to support your information. You can get free images on Pixabay, Unsplash, Pexels, and many more sites.
Providing helpful information to your audience will increase the chances of your posts ranking on search engines.
Take a good example of how you search a word or a phrase on Google. You will agree that you click on the posts on the first page. Then, if you don’t get what you need on that particular post, you go back and click on the following link. So, the way you focus on high-quality content is the same way the other people are doing.
Now, you have quality content that is unique and answers the searcher’s intent. What next?
Sign Up for Google AdSense
Google AdSense is a software that puts advertisement banners in your blog posts or wherever you plan to place the ads. In addition, it puts the ads customizing them for user experience. For instance, if an individual has been searching for the best smartwatches, Google will bring them Ads that have smartwatches. Once they click on any of the banners, you can earn some commissions.
Google AdSense pays you in what we call Pay Per Click(PPC). However, visitors can skip or report the Ads, so this particular way is not the best to earn money in your blog. But it’s a stream of income in blogging.
So let’s go to the next way that you can earn money through your blog.
To be successful in your blog in Kenya, do affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is the best way and the most promising way to earn fast money through blogging. With affiliate marketing, you place tracked links on your posts, and once your visitors take action using your link, you will gain some commission.
For instance, some of the links on this post are affiliate links, so I will earn some commission if you click and buy using the links.
I must say that affiliate marketing is how you can earn lots of money in a short while. However, you will need to have massive traffic on your blog to start seeing tangible results.
There are many sites where you can start promoting their products, even without having traffic. However, some online stores like Amazon will close your account when you don’t earn for more than 90 days.
That’s why it’s advisable to start affiliate marketing once you have enough traffic to jumpstart you. With affiliate marketing, you will be creating a passive income stream—that is hard to dry up.
Guest Posts
If your website grows successfully, everyone in your niche would like to have you feature them on your site. Businesses have noticed the increment in the internet consumption. That’s why every business out there is looking for a website to feature their products and services.
As a result, you will charge them to place their posts on your site. And in that way, you will be making money. The more your site has high authority, the more likely you will receive more guest post requests. And in turn, your bank account will be full of dollars.
However, to get guest post requests, you have to make your blog more successful first. Once you are successful, you will get the fruits.
The Bottom Line
Now that you have read how to start a successful blog in Kenya, you can go ahead and make the bold step. Remember, a long journey always begins with a single step. You can always contact me whenever you need to verify any information on this post.