Are you wondering how to start a video game blog? We’re so glad you’re here! Our goal is to share the steps needed for a solid and successful blogging launch. My friends and I (Virindi Puppet, Gimmick, and Lemonsmith) LOVE running Hey You Video Game! and we hope that this article helps you start a gaming blog of your own.
I began my first blog in 2002 with little computer experience. It was a simple blog with little flair. My next blog looked better, but it took me weeks to figure it out. This guide contains what I learned through the years of blogging and contains an easy step-by-step instructions on starting your blog now.
Why start a video game blog?
There are multiple reasons why you might be thinking of creating one. Here are some popular reasons:
- You enjoy writing about games. A blog is an outlet for those who love writing and video games. A place to publish gaming-related writing.
- To build a community. The beautiful thing about Hey You Video Game is that people are following our blog and content. We’re building our own little community of gamers that love gaming as much as we do. This is a huge reason why we love our video game website.
- To make money. The famous gaming blogs make money, but we’re not them. We do make money on our blog, but it’s only enough to keep the lights on. We don’t recommend creating a video game blog if money is your main motive.
- It’s fun. This is our prime motivation here at Hey You Video Game! We all have full-time jobs, but do this in our free time. This isn’t a side-hustle, but a fun hobby.
Do you see yourself falling into one of these categories? Do you see how a gaming blog could benefit you? Let’s get your blog started!
The 5 Easy Steps to Start a Video Game Blog
These are the 5 simple steps that you’ll need to take to start. Don’t worry! We’ll carefully cover each step for you.
- Decide what blogging platform to use.
- Find a host
- Pick your domain name and hosting plan
- Install WordPress
- Design and use your blog!
Step 1: Decide what blogging platform to use.
There are many blogging platforms that you can use to start a video game blog or website. There are free services that you can use, but you should know that they will have limited features. My father says, “You Get what you pay for!” and this rings true with blogging platforms. A blogging platform service that is paid-for isn’t expensive. In our opinion it’s totally worth the price.
What is the best blogging platform?
Out of the many blogging platforms in the world, WordPress surpasses them all. It’s the most popular blogging platform in the world.
We use WordPress here at Hey You Video Game! It’s easy to use, incredibly flexible, functional, and has a large community of people willing to help, share ideas, and plugins. As a bonus, if you’re looking to create a website without a blog, WordPress allows this too.
Know this! WordPress has two options to choose from, and these can be confusing so we’ll educate you.
- Hosted WordPress blogs are known as “WordPress.com blogs.”
- Self-hosted WordPress blogs are known as “WordPress.org blogs.” (what we recommend)
A self-hosted WordPress costs a small amount of money, but will allow you to have more control, functions, and flexibility. Without a doubt, it’s what we recommend.
This post will outline the steps needed to start a self-hosted WordPress blog.
Step 2: Find a host
The host will provide server space for your blog/website. The easiest way to understand this concept is that your blog resides on a server (rather than your own personal computer) so that others can search and find your blog on the internet.
A host provides server space for your site. Put simply, when your site lives on a server (instead of on your personal computer on your desk), others can find your site on the internet. We’re huge fans of Namecheap, and will be focusing this guide on how to make a video game blog with them as host. Click the link below (it’ll open a new tab) and follow along with the rest of our steps!
Are you ready to start your video game blog? Start by clicking here to go to Namecheap.
Full Disclosure: I’ve been a paying customer of Namecheap for 10+ years and have had only a positive experience. Some of the links are affiliate links, which means that I will earn a commission if you make a purchase. This is not an additional cost to you, and we only promote products that we use and believe in.
Step 3: Pick your domain name and hosting plan
Once the page opens, click the plan that works for you. The value plan should be more than fine for your needs. If you ever need more space you can always upgrade later. Click add to cart.
On this next page you’ll need to click “Purchase a New Domain” and type in the name you would like for your video game blog. Make sure to put the .com
Remember that this is the name of your new gaming website! You can go the creative route or a use a more descriptive name. There are pros/cons to each. Creative names are fun and unique. Descriptive names make it easy for people to know exactly what your website is about. Try to refrain from using hypens and confusing string of words. Make it simple and easy to spell and say.
You may notice that there are other domains that end with a .biz, .me, .info. While they are cheaper we don’t recommend them for three reasons.
- They’re not as professional.
- People are comfortable with the .com but can be unsure of other website extensions. You don’t want a person to not visit their site, because they’re worried with something they’re unfamiliar with.
- Google does not rank others as well. You want your website to rank well on Google so that it searches easily on their engine. .com is the best for this.
Once you’ve chosen the name of your NEW video game blog you’ll be on the final payment page. We have one final recommendation!
You should purchase the PositiveSSL for an additional $1.99. This adds an added layer of protection for your website. Google has recently made a huge push for site owners to have this on their site or they’d say that your site as being unsafe. Obviously you don’t want this. It feels like they’re nickel and diming you, but it’s worth it.
Step 4: Install WordPress
You’re now the owner of a website, but you need to install WordPress onto it! No fret, this is an easy process!
1. Namecheap will send you a welcome email. In one of these emails you’ll have the login information to go to cPanel. The word cPanel is confusing and technical, but don’t be afraid! cPanel stands for control panel. This is the place where you can control everything to do with your hosted domain. Find the email with the login information and url and log into cPanel. The login page will look like the photo below.
2. Once you’re logged in follow these instructions from Namecheap. They’ve created a quick and easy guide for installation. Click HERE to open the installation guide in a separate tab.
3. On the final page of the installation you’ll want to copy the administrative URL address that is circled here. You’ll need to go to this web address from now on to edit your video game blog . You will log into this with the username and password you created during the WordPress installation.
Step 5: Design and use your new video game blog!
Once you’ve logged into your website you’re ready to design and create content for your blog. Congratulations! You are now the owner of a video game blog! Choose a theme and start creating content. Blogging is about learning as you go, and there’s much to learn. Here are a few tips that we can give.
- If you’re not having fun you may want to re-think why you’re doing this.
- WordPress can be confusing at times, but there are hundreds of people across the internet who can help. Google is your best friend. Whenever we can’t figure out how to overcome an obstacle or create a particular look for our site Google has helped us.
- Want people to come to your website? Make sure to network through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They’ve helped us tremendously.
- Blog about the video games you love. We’ve been in love with some of the popular games (PUBG), but we also talk about less-popular games that we’re enjoying (Slime Rancher). Write about the games that you’re passionate about.
