blogging

 

Let’s face it, if you’re hoping to turn your blog into a business, from day one you need to treat it like one. While your blog may not be your sole income right now, if in the future, you want it to be, you need to have the right tools. Without the essentials, your chances of turning your little corner of the internet into a profitable business is low.

 

Of course, many of us don’t know what the tools we need for success. Being a blogger isn’t black and white like running a startup business, there’s a lot more ground that needs to be navigated. There isn’t one set of rules for blogging success. As blogging as a business is a fairly new concept, the ins and outs of guaranteed success are still being worked on.

 

 

The one thing we do know, however, is that having the right tools is crucial. Want to know what those tools are – keep reading.

 

High-quality site

 

blogging

 

If you want your blog to be a success, you need a high-quality site. I started off with Blogger, but the lack of support put me off. Yes, Blogger is free, but when your site breaks down at 2 am you’ve got no means of getting help. I swapped to WordPress because my awesome, web designer brother suggested it. He’s pretty smart, and a total computer geek so knows what he’s talking about with these kinds of things.

 

I am so glad I swapped to WordPress. It’s not only a completely customisable site, but it’s also super easy to use. For us bloggers, it’s the best CMS tool there is. Best of all you can get it for free – I paid for the advanced version, but you don’t have to. (It’s only around £25 a year, so not too expensive.)

 

Smartphone

 

smartphone twitter

 

 

My smartphone is my lifeline to the outside world. It’s how I discuss upcoming projects and collaborations. It’s also how I share posts with others and make quick edits when I need to. (There’s a WordPress app that makes this incredibly easy to do.) If you want your blog to be successful, a smartphone is a must-have. If you don’t already have one, now is the time to take out a contract. Don’t think of it as an extra cost, think of it as an investment. For all the best mobile contracts, have a browse online.

 

Not only is a smartphone essential so that you’re contactable, but also for sharing content. There are some fantastic apps out there that make content sharing much easier. All social media sites have apps, from Facebook to Instagram. There’s also social media management apps like HootSuite that can be used to set up content sharing in advance. If you’ve got a busy schedule, these types of apps are incredibly useful. Experts say to become a successful blogger you should be posting on social media nine times a day. So help with social media management is an absolute must.

 

Google Analytics

 

typing on laptop

 

Last but not least, use Google Analytics. If you want to be successful, you need to know how much traffic your site is bringing in. The best software for using to do this is Google Analytics; it’s free to install and easy to use. There’s other software that does the same thing, but this is the very best option – ask any successful blogger and they’ll tell you the same.

 

Google Analytics used to be sold for around £4000 before it was owned by Google. Then, Google bought it, improved the software, and now offer it for free. It’s not often you can use software worth thousands free of charge, so take advantage. If you don’t understand it, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials that you can watch that explain how it works.

 

Want to make a success of your blog? Take the advice above on board.