THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STARTING A BLOG
Finally, you got to this exciting step where you are going to build your first blog pages!
They are a few important web pages that every blog should have.
It is important to properly plan the structure of the site and to decide which categories will appear on the main menu. Your readers should navigate easily through the blog pages and increase your blog page views. Here are five must-have blog pages and a few important tips to follow:
#1 HOMEPAGE
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Therefore, your homepage is undoubtedly one of the most important web pages on your blog. Although it is usually not the webpage that drives the most traffic to your blog, it is still the storefront of your blog, and it needs to navigate your visitors to find what they are looking for quickly and easily.
#2 ABOUT PAGE
The About Page is a page that contains the story about you and the information about your blog or your business. This is the page to present your personal story that will bring you closer to the readers, share the idea behind the establishment of the blog, tell about the vision of the blog, and the purpose for which it was founded.
#3 DISCLOSURE, PRIVACY POLICY & TERMS OF USE, ACCESSIBILITY
These pages are important from both a legal and ethical standpoint. In fact, these pages need to contain the site’s “dry rules” and different policies.
If your blog collects any user information, such as names and email addresses, or uses cookies to track user behavior with a program like Google Analytics, then you need to write a Privacy Policy to your blog.
If your blog provides any free or paid services to your readers, then you definitely should protect yourself from a legal standpoint and add a Terms of Use Page to your blog.
And if your blog provides information to your audience that relies on your expertise and advice, you must inform them whenever there might be a conflict of interest by adding a disclosure page. For example: if you use affiliate links, run contextual ads, or receive any kind of compensation for including anything on your blog.
#4 SUBSCRIPTION LANDING PAGE
A subscription landing page is a page where your blog visitors can sign in to your newsletter by entering their contact details, such as Name, Email, Phone number, etc. You can also insert the subscription form code to your sidebar so it will appear at the bottom of every page or display it in a pop-up every time a new reader is visiting your website (like I did on this website). I use the WP Forms plugin to create the subscription forms on my website.
Each time you receive a new blog subscriber, you actually receive validation that this subscriber has identified your content as adding valuable content. This way, you can build relationships with your audience and send blog updates on a regular basis. The newsletter subscribers database is a marketing asset that will help you promote your blog with almost no costs.
First, before creating a subscription page/form/popup you must create an Email Account. It can be a Gmail account or a dedicated hosted Email. This email will be used to manage your subscriber’s database and be in contact with them.
Best Email Marketing Services
A good email marketing service enables you to create highly engaging emails. There are plenty of email marketing software providers. Some of them offer you a free version under 1000-2000 subscribers, so you can try different services and choose the best one for you. Among the most popular and the largest email marketing services you can find Constant Contact, MailerLite, MailChimp, Drip, ConvertKit, AWeber, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, and more.
#5 RESOURCES PAGE
A resource page also named as “Recommendation” page is a page that provides valuable information and your top picks for your specific topic. You can look at my resources page here. This is the best place to list your top products, guides, and other resources you think will provide great value to your readers. For example, on my resources page, I listed my blogging guides and all the best products and services for bloggers. A resources page is a known technique to promote affiliate links and increase income. I talk about this on the “How to Make Money” page.
What’s Next?
Once your blog is ready, publish at least 10 articles, and go to the most important part of this guide – promoting your blog online to drive high traffic and earn money.
