Creating and tracking a start-up and ongoing operations budget is essential to blogging success. Spending within your acceptable parameters is also important. In the same way, as it is important to know how your loan balance is affected by interest, you need to understand how your blog spending will affect your bottom line. Your blog won’t have much traction if you don’t have the resources to sustain it after investing time and money. Let’s take a closer look at how to create a realistic blogging budget that will stay online and make a profit.
Hosting Setup
Choosing a hosting site is the first step in starting a blog. The “host” is the company that stores your blog online and allows your readers to view it via its servers. There are various free hosting services available, including Wix and WordPress. WordPress has more design options than Wix, but Wix is easier to use. Consider starting with a self-hosted plan that meets your needs now. You’ll have many more to choose from with a custom domain name, a professional email address, and automation options. The average monthly cost of a hosting plan is between $5 and $20.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions may be required for other services, such as Survey Monkey, MailChimp, or other website plugins. Automating site processes is easier with plugins, which allow readers to share their posts on social networks. An image subscription may even be an option for you. It is necessary to include images in each post. Despite the fact that there are many free online photo sites, you have to pay to find the best picture for your project. There is a starting price of $1 per image, and it goes up from there.
Domain Name
Your site will also need a unique URL, which you can purchase with a domain name. A generic blog name might cost $0.99 for the first year or $2.99 for two years, depending on your chosen domain name. Premium domain costs are quite a bit higher.
Bookkeeping Software
Now that you’ve set up your blog, you’ll need to keep track of your income and expenses. QuickBooks offers a wide range of bookkeeping services such as tracking revenue and expenses, syncing bank transactions, creating reports, and sending invoices. A standard plan will cost you under $10 a month, and prices increase from there. Before making your first blogging purchases, you should set up a business bank account if you haven’t already. Personal expenses should be kept separate from blog expenses. You will learn quickly that running a blog involves more than just posting unique content. If you plan to monetize your blog, it’s essential to treat it like a regular business. Follow these tips to help you create a realistic blogging budget.
