How I Created My Website Using Blogger and $11

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Many people have asked me how I created OliviaCleansGreen.com. I hope this post can answer technical questions and show how easy it is to create a blog as website for your small business (or just for fun) using Blogger.

Me, blogging from Boneshakers many moons ago.

I created Olivia Cleans Green using Blogger. Blogger is fabulous and free with your Google account! It's also astonishingly easy to use. If you know how to write an email then you can make your own website! Check out the Getting Started Guide to get started today and become besties with Blogger Support.

Even though I use Blogger, my web address doesn't end with the suffix ".blogspot.com." This is because I purchased the custom domain OliviaCleansGreen.com for $11 a year. I purchased my domain through Blogger, but you can use one that you already own through another source like GoDaddy.

Customizing your blog doesn't require special skills or help from a designer. If you go into Blogger Dashboard > Layout, you can add all sorts of flair to your blog. Blogger offers a lot of cool basic gadgets (aka widgets). I added the Search this Blog, Popular Posts, Subscribe, Picture, and HTML gadgets, to mention a few. I also added a Twitter widget using what's called "third-party code" provided by Twitter.

If you see a widget or feature on another blog and want something similar on your own, see if there is any branding next to it. That's how I discovered LinkWithin, the widget that appears under each post, showing related posts from my archives. If the widget can't be supported by your platform (Blogger), search for something similar using Google.

If you look at the menu under my website header, you'll notice you can read other things via my website besides the blog. For example, there is a page of info on my Small Business Services and a green cleaning goodies shop. They're there because I added pages. The difference between those pages is my Small Business Services has a URL within my website and my shop links to an Amazon page outside of my website. It's free and easy to add both types of pages. 

If you want something on your blog but aren't sure how to get it there or even if it exists, just ask Google. If the question doesn't bring you results that are helpful, try rephrasing the question. The answer is out there!

Tomorrow, I'll share some tips and resources for creating brilliant blog content.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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