How Much Does it Cost to Start a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog?

Everyone knows that hosting your own blog can be a costly affair, and the question of cost arises in every new blogger’s mind. How much is it going to cost to create a self-hosted WordPress blog?  In this post, I will point out some of the costs associated with this process.

How Much Does It Cost To Setup a WordPress Blog?

WordPress is a platform with which you can start a blog for a minimal cost. WordPress software is free, and you can download it for free from the WordPress.org page.
Still, there are some other necessary elements that you will have to pay for such as a domain name and hosting space, the costs of which will depend on your specific requirements.  You may also choose to invest in customization, SEO or other factors along the way.
If your interest is simply to start a blog on WordPress, you can start with a minimal cost of $60 for unlimited hosting and domain with Bluehost and Dreamhost. You can learn all about which hosting service is best for WordPress here.

Domain: Cost – $10

The first element you need to shop for is a domain. Having a domain name is giving an address to your new website. You need to make sure that your domain name is brandable or at least keyword rich.
One should choose a domain in the order of .com, .org or .net.
Following are typical domain prices from different domain providers, (.com domain prices):

• ShoutMyDomain: $9.99
• GoDaddy: $11.98
• NameCheap: $9.98

Note: before you buy a domain name specifically, have a look at the hosting options below. Bluehost gives you one free domain name with every hosting package.
Here are some guides from the past, which will help you in selecting your domain name:

• How to select domain names for your business
• Domain name suggestion tools to mindmap domain names

Webhosting:  Cost, 56-100$

This is one major investment that you will be making in the process of starting your own WordPress blog. I would suggest that you do not compromise with the quality of your hosting service. You should try to get reliable (and affordable) webhosting. For a new blog, shared hosting is recommended.  Here are some of the recommended WordPress hosting services along with prices for one year:

• Bluehost: $69  (with one free domain)
• Hostgator: $56 with coupon code Shoutmeloud25

Set-up cost: (Free [DIY] or $99)

There are many tutorials and resources available on Internet which will help you to set up a WordPress blog. Here are some of the tutorials I’ve written which you can use to install WordPress and set up your blog:

• How to Install WordPress on Hostgator
• How to Install WordPress on Bluehost
• How to Install WordPress on Dreamhost
• 8 Essential settings after Installing WordPress
• How to Generate Sitemap for a WordPress Blog
• 30 recommended WordPress plugins
• Recommended SEO WordPress plugins

You can easily follow our DIY guides above to get things done.
However, if you find that this requires too much technical knowledge for you at this point, you can take advantage of ShoutMeLoud’s WordPress services.
You can also refer to our WordPress guide page for more WordPress resources for newbies.

WordPress theme cost: (Free to $86)

From my experience, the toughest task is to choose the right theme for your site in terms of speed, price and functionality. There are many free WordPress themes, but they are missing some of the important aspects of premium WordPress themes.
If you are looking for a low cost solution, I would suggest trying Elegant Themes or Theme-Junkie. In case you don’t want to compromise on SEO terms, try Genesis Theme.

WordPress SEO: $0-$1000

This is a cost you will need to pay if you wish to start with a professional blog. Many WordPress services offer free SEO optimization when you set up your blog with them. If you wish, however, you can always hire a 3rd party SEO company to do offline SEO optimization for you, though price will depend on your budget.
For new bloggers, I would suggest that you simply follow the SEO guidelines for WordPress, and start blogging.
Make sure you don’t miss any of the essential elements of online or on-page, SEO optimization, much of which can be learned on your own through trial and error.
For a guide to help you to learn everything you need to know about SEO for a WordPress blog, you can refer to the Ultimate DIY guide to WordPress SEO.
You can also accept the help of ShoutMeLoud’s WordPress setup service and enjoy a free SEO-optimized WordPress blog.

WordPress Premium plugins: ( $47-$200)

One of the major benefits of WordPress is its great list of free plugins, many of which can be found at the WordPress plugin repo. There are also many plugins which are available at varying costs.
Technically, as a new blogger wanting to start your blog with minimal investment, you may not need any premium services or plugins. But if you don’t have an investment issue, you can grab some of the premium plugins to help you to boost your on-page SEO optimization.
If you are a serious blogger who has already started making money with your blogging, then you can consider buying premium plugins. I personally use EasyWPSEO on my blog, and I believe it is worth your investment.
You can find a list of other plugins I use at ShoutMeLoud here.
Now let’s figure out the minimum cost for a self-hosted WordPress blog where you will be doing everything on your own:

• Basic setup with free theme:  $70
• Basic setup with premium theme:  $110
• Professional setup with Genesis theme: $399
• Professional setup with various premium elements : $499-$1499

As a newblogger, one can also consider using a basic setup with a premium WordPress theme.
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding the setting up of a new self-hosted WordPress blog!
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