Step 7, How Do I Create a Free Blog at Blogger.com?

Ahhhh! Finally, we're THERE. Creating the blog. All that other stuff prior to now was a bit boring. Today we can actually get our hands wet and not only our minds.

Mood? Rather feisty, let's get going with this... A very short post today.


This blog will answer questions such as:

How do I create a free blog at Blogger.com?
Will I need to pay to upgrade soon?
How many blogs can I create at Blogger?


This blog will not answer questions such as:

My friend told me that to start his WordPress blog he had to pass an IQ test for MENSA first - does Blogger require this?


How do I create my free blog at Blogger?


Steps to Creating your Free Blog at Blogger:

1. Make sure you're using Mozilla Firefox Browser . Yes, it's required** because the number of problems that you WON'T have because of it will keep you from throwing things across the room 6 times today. If you have Internet Explorer, please, for your own peace of mind install FireFox and transfer over all of your bookmarks to FireFox with this easy tutorial. You'll be so much happier in the future! (Find it at FireFox button on right column).
   
2. Choose the Orange arrow link that says > Create your blog now >
3. Enter title of your blog like, "Blog Simply!" is the title of this one.
4. Enter the domain name (subdomain name) that you've chosen for your blog. Both of these can be changed later - so, don't get all anxiety disorder... just enter what you think these will be.
5. Click the blue > Check Availability > link which will check the database to see if your domain is available in the system since there can be no duplicates. > Continue Arrow >
6. Choose a Template - I use Rounders a lot in my blogs -I think I use rounders 2 - but it's not on THIS template chooser page - there are more templates later. Just choose any of them. > Start Posting! >

You've just created your site on Blogger.
CONGRATS!

The first screen that pops up allows you to create a blog post - go ahead and enter one... Choose a title that reflects what you'll write about. For my first post I always title it something like, "Blog Simply! What is this site about?"

Inside the large text box you can write the body of your blog post. Play with the formatting a bit. It's best NOT to hit the |ENTER| key when you are composing your blog because that is a "hard return" that will screw up the formatting of your post. It will take some getting used to.

Create a post and add a label for it in the lower right corner - just choose a keyword that fits the post. For posts like this first one I usually choose "admin" for my keyword or "notes" or "Blog Simply info" or something like that. Remember, a label is like a category that this post will fall into. Visitors can search on labels and bring up all the posts you made with that label.

Then when you're finished you can choose the orange PUBLISH button at the bottom.

Go to your new blog URL in your FireFox browser and see what your site looks like... http://blogbombs.blogspot.com (enter yours).


If you had any problems at all during the sign-up process you may have problems in the future. I'm using a mobile phone as my modem and I have occasional trouble even using FireFox but with IE posting to my blog is not possible.

"I'm more serious than when
"Lassie" and "Flipper" died...
you need to use the FireFox browser
for anything Blogger or Google related."

Please don't fight me. ;)

If you can't live without IE then keep it - and use it for everything ELSE that isn't related to Google.

I was having SO MANY problems with Internet Explorer and Google's angels were kind enough to work with me for over a week trying to resolve it before they whispered to me in an email... "You could try FireFox, most people don't have any problems when they use that browser."

In their infinite wisdom and guidance they dropped in my ear some of the sweetest nectar known to man...

Google Love...

it was well-placed, and well-intentioned... it was... well, it was LOVE that's all I can say.

Apparently they like FireFox better. Me too after 4 months of using it. MUCH, much better.

Up to you.


Will I need to upgrade my Blogger blog anytime soon?

Not unless you are posting more than a gigabyte of photos and content anytime soon. If you re-size your photos for the internet you'll likely not use the 1GB anytime soon.

How many blogs can I create at Blogger?

More than you will ever be able to manage and update on a frequent enough basis to make them all work - so, stick with just ONE for now!


Review...

Go to blogger.com and enter the info they tell you and you'll have your first blog! Make a post if you want, if not, no worries - we're getting there.

Play around in the Blogger interface and see what you can learn on your own... we'll go over everything later and it's unlikely you'll screw something up beyond repair... no, I think it's impossible - so, go ahead and play around!

and it got reeeeaaaalll quiet...

and Vern said,

"Thank you kind mother Google for all you provide for us, suckling us from blogger infancy until we can stand on our own... you gradually wean us off your info-nipple with a gentle pull and ease us into the blogging game with a careful push that makes us better and more responsible bloggers aimed at helping visitors to our blogs become smarter and happier. Thank you for your grace and your undeniable selflessness..."

Step 1, What is a Blog?
Step 2, How does a blog make money ?
Step 3, What skills and qualities do I need to blog for money?
Step 4, What topic should I blog about to make money?
Step 5, How can I choose a good domain name and title for my blog?
Step 6, How much money does a blog cost?
Step 7, This one!


** I make about a dollar if you download at that link (I gotta get mine too you know?) You with me?