For Starters:

* Select a memorable, relevant name: Think about your topic and audience and select a title and tagline that you think will appeal to them.

* Buy the domain: Whether you’re using a hosted or self-hosted version of a blogging platform, buy your name as a domain. Someday, your blog could be very popular and you won’t want to have missed the chance to have your own name.

Decision Time:

* Select a Platform (from which to jump): WordPress, Blogger, and Typepad are a few to consider. I’m not the one to ask about comparing these platforms – I gravitate towards WordPress every time. Problogger offers a great writeup on selecting a platform – it’s over a year old but still very relevant.

* Hosted vs. Self-Hosted: For the purpose of this post, let’s assume you’re taking my advice and selecting WordPress. Will you choose their hosted version or will you take their software and install it on your own server space with a web host? WordPress.com offers a very nice way to get things started in about 5 minutes. They host your site and all the setup is done for you. But, this is more limiting and down the road you may wish to have more freedom. Your other option is to download their latest version and install it on your own hosted space on your own domain you just purchased. Don’t be scared off by this option! With this option you have complete freedom over your site. The WordPress.org installation instructions are very thorough. I’m not a web developer and I’ve been able to pick up on it pretty easily. There are even hosts that offer one-click installations!

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