Did you know 9 out of 10 consumers consult reviews before making an online purchase?
Most shoppers trust reviews to the same extent as they would trust their allies’ opinions. This explains why a review blog is among the most lucrative and popular types of blogs.
Are you considering starting a review blog but unsure where to start? I’ve got you covered. In the following post, I have provided a step-by-step guide on how to create a review blog. Let’s dig in.
Guide for Starting a Review Blog
Choose a niche
The first step is determining the specific niche to focus on in your blog.
Most bloggers just pick a niche that sounds interesting and then start reviewing products in that area. And while this approach might help you earn a few bucks, it’s not sustainable. Start with some due diligence if you want your review blog to thrive.
Research and compile a short list of niches that seem to be popular. Next, narrow down your options by assessing their competitiveness and profitability.
Once you pick a niche, you’ll also want to choose the reviews you’ll blog about. To make your selection easier, here are different types of reviews that exist:
- Single product reviews – this type of content focuses on just one product. When writing such a review, you must include not only its benefits but also its shortcomings. Providing such unbiased content helps to foster trust with readers.
- Product roundup is a compilation of the best products in a given category. It allows readers to evaluate each feature and pick the one that best meets their needs.
- Product comparison is pretty similar to a product roundup, but it’s structured differently. Here, you’ll compare and contrast the features of just a few products, usually two or three.It allows you to delve into each item and provide valuable details.
Register A domain name and web hosting.
Once you’ve narrowed down the kind of reviews, the next thing is to pick a domain and hosting platform.
Like other websites, a review blog requires a platform that can host its server so that Internet users can access its content. This platform is referred to as a web host. Similarly, your blog also needs a unique address for users to identify it by; hence, the need for a domain name.
Choosing these two things may feel overwhelming for an individual new to blogging. Thankfully, most web hosts also offer domain names, simplifying the process considerably.
Bluehost is a good case in point. Not only does it host your review blog site, but it also lets you create a new domain.
Bluehost lets you accomplish three things when it comes to domains, namely:
- Maintain a domain name that you already own – if you had registered a domain name elsewhere, you can transfer it from your current registrar to Bluehost.
- Register a new domain name.
- Enjoy domain privacy – Bluehost doesn’t display your contact information to the public as required by WHOIS. Instead, they replaced this with some generic contact details related to Bluehost.
And when it comes to web hosting, you’ll enjoy multiple perks such as:
- Top-notch security – regardless of the plan you choose, you’ll be provided with SSL certificate, enhancing users’ security.
- Beginner-friendly – navigating Bluehost features doesn’t require any technical expertise, which makes it ideal for beginners.
- Round-the-clock support – not sure how to use any of its features? You can engage one of the live chat agents, call them directly or head to their knowledge base section.
- Exceptional uptime and site speed – did you know that up to 40% of Internet users leave a site if it doesn’t load in 3 seconds or less? Thankfully, Bluehost offers impressive uptime and speed.
- Offers WordPress hosting – Bluehost is one of just three hosts WordPress recommends for hosting its sites, bringing me to my next point.
Install WordPress
Once you’ve chosen your web host, the only thing left is to pick a blogging platform.
There are dozens of blogging avenues, both free and paid. However, one that comes highly recommended is WordPress. It’s available in two versions: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
The core difference between these two is that WordPress.org is self-hosted while the latter is a hosting service. Self-hosted means that you get to choose your domain and web hosting. And as a result, this grants you full control of your blog’s content.
You won’t worry about your blog being taken down because of violating specific rules. Most importantly, WordPress.org lets you run ads on your blog without having to split the revenue with any entity.
With WordPress.com, you’ll need to choose a plan from the four options available.
And while the free plan provides a great starting point, I wouldn’t recommend it. The platform runs its advertisements on all free websites and doesn’t share the resulting revenue with the site owners.
Another limitation is that it prohibits you from running your preferred ads, thus, limiting your monetization ability. The only way is to sign up for their WordAds program, which forces you to split the revenue with the company.
By now, you’ve probably figured out I prefer WordPress.org to WordPress.com. So here’s how to install the WordPress.org blogging platform:
How To Start A Review Blog
How To Install Your Blog On Hostgator
Step 1:Visst Hostgator
Click this link to sign up for Hostgator, and get a free domain for one year. A new page will open to the WordPress hosting page, as seen in the below image.
Click on VIEW PLAN or scroll down. it has FOUR WordPress plan
Step 2. Choose your shared hosting plan
There are FOUR plans, and you don’t need expensive hosting as a starter .The BASIC plan is an idea for a new blog and a small website.
There are also other plans such as PLUS, choice PLUS but to be honest with you, you don’t need them now.
The cheapest plan at $2.95 per month is a good option for a new blog. It has everything to host your blog with a fast-loading site without experiencing any downtime etc.
With the basic plan, you get 50 GB SSD Storage, custom themes and 24/7 customer Support.
Plus Free Domain for one year, Free CDN and Free SSL Certificate. These features will save you a lot of money and time.
Step 3: Choose the domain name you want (or connect a domain you already purchased)
Click on SELECT on the plan; you will be redirected to the new page, where to create a domain name or choose if you have already registered a domain name.
The domain will be your blog’s address.
You have TWO options; you can select “create a new domain, use one you already own. And since you want to register a new domain, create a new one by typing in your domain name in the space ‘‘Create a new domain” say ”bestgadgetReview” as your preferred domain.
If you don’t have any domain in mind, you can click on “I Will Create One Later” below.
Step 4. Click on the NEXT and input your personal information
After clicking on NEXT, it will open to a new page where you will need to submit your information.
Input all the information correctly—all self-explanatory.
Step 5. Select your package price (the 12-month plan is cheaper than the 36-month)
You need to decide if you want to subscribe for one or two years plan. I advise you to choose 12 months.
The 12-monthly plan will cost $2.95 per month, while the 36 months will cost $4.95.
For 12 months, you will pay $35.40, while for 36 months, you will pay$178.20.
Step 6. Select the extra services, if you want or need them
Scroll down, you will see where to select the extra service. I only recommend Domain Privacy.
So, make sure to uncheck some of these if you don;t need them.
Step 7. Add your payment information
Add payment information. Add your credit card , then follow by the CVV2. The CVV2 is the FOUR digit number at the back of your card.
Step 8. Complete the Registration
The last step is to complete the registration.Confirm that you agree to the BlueHost terms and conditions.
TICK “I have read and agree to Bluehost Renewal Terms, Terms of Service etc
Click on the GREEN bottom that says SUBMIT.
Step 9. Create an account with Bluehost And Password
You need to create an account and enter your password with BlueHost.
You need a username and password to log in to the BlueHost account. Enter your username and password.
Then, click on Create Account.
Step 10. Answer the Questionnaire or Skip it
When you click on create an Account, you will be prompted to a page where they ask you to answer a short question about your blog.
You can skip this process by clicking Skip The Step”.
I advise answering the questions to help BlueHost understand your site to help your onboarding experience.
Step 11. Select A WordPress Theme
When completing the Questionnaire, the next step is to choose a theme for your blog. You can choose a free theme and change it to your preferred theme later.
12. Launch Your Blog
After choosing a preferred theme, it will direct you to the WordPress admin panel. This is where you can manage your site, create a page or post etc.
To complete the process to make your blog goes LIVE, click on the blue bottom that says ‘Launch Your Site.
Congratulation, your blog is LIVE.
Step 13: Check Your Site
You can visit your blog by typing your domain name to view your site’s appearance.
Hello World!
14: Access Your Site Admin
You need to access your blog through the admin panel to edit or log in. Type your website URL with /wp-admin.
For example Newblog.com/wp-admin
Play around with the admin panel when you login.
Now that your blog is live, what is the next step?
The WordPress setup is completed. It is just one click
The process is automated and takes a few minutes. That is the reason we prefer BlueHost hosting.
Customise Your Review Blog
The next thing is to customise your blog. Make it look attractive to your audience. There are two things to do.
Customise your theme, and install a few plugins.
So, let’s start with plugins. There are thousands of WordPress plugins available, but you only need a few that are very important to your blog.
Some of the plugins you need to install are:
SEO plugin: You can install Yoast SEO or RankMath plugin
Spam block plugin: Akismet
Optimole: Optimole optimise your images
Security Plugin:
Backup plugin: Upliftplus
Cache plugin: Wp-Rocket
Install Premium WordPress Theme
There are many premium WordPress themes, both free and paid. Since you start a review blog to make money, it is very crucial to find a premium theme that can load fast to help your blog SEO.
I used GeneratePress on this blog, and it is one of the best WordPress themes in the market. It does not cost, and everyone can afford it.
Other Best WordPress Theme you can check are:
- Astra
- DiVi
Create Logo & Essential Pages
Creating a logo and other important pages for your review blog is a great way to tell your audience what they expect from you.
Here are a few of the pages you need to create. About page, contact page and privacy policy page.
About Page: It tells your readers who you are and what they can expect. You need to describe yourself, what your blog is all about, and the type of content they can find on your blog.
Contact Page: This is a page where people can contact you. This is also important. You can instal the contact plugin and also include your email address.
Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy is also a significant page to add to your blog.
Publish your first blog post.
Now that everything is set. It is time to publish your first blog post.There are lot more than just start type and hit post.
You need to perform keyword research for your content before you start writing. But this blog post is not covering SEO and keyword research.
To publish your post, at the left hand side, click on poat, then NEW. It will open to the editor block, where you can add blog TITLE and content.
Always break down your content into sub-title to make it readable for your audience.
Promote Your Review Blog
Creating your review blog doesn’t mark the end of the journey. You need to promote your blog as much as you can to increase traffic. If you’re not sure of how to go about this next phase, here are some tried-and-tested techniques for promoting blogs:
- Use word of mouth – if you haven’t already, you’ll want to inform your friends and family about your brand new review blog. Request them to check it out, engage and share with others.
- Leverage social media platforms – one of the most effective ways of boosting traffic is to share your blog’s content on social media.
However, you’ll want to be tactical in your approach. First, identify the social network where your audience is.
Next, engage your followers and relevant parties, such as influencers and brands. Finally, participate in social groups related to your niche.
- Share data-driven content – while writing reviews, find ways to incorporate statistical data to back up your facts. While writing such a blog requires more research and time, it’s worth it.
How to Monetize Your Review Blog
You’ve overcome the biggest hurdle of creating a review blog from scratch. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could earn from it?
Here are several ways of making money from your brand-new website:
Affiliate marketing – it is estimated that an affiliate marketer earns an average of $53,319 annually. With such a high income being earned passively, affiliate marketing remains the most lucrative way of monetizing a review blog.
What is affiliate marketing? At its core, it’s the art of promoting another brand’s products on your blog. You then earn a commission for every product sold through your blog’s traffic.
Google AdSense and Pay Per Click Advertising – another technique is to partner up with advertising networks like Google AdSense.
The network uses your blog to showcase ads related to your niche. For instance, if you like to review sportswear, then Google AdSense advertises sports-related items. You earn a given amount for every ad clicked on your blog.
There are other PPC ad networks, such as:
- Infolinks
- Bidvertiser
- Media.net
- Adcash
- RevContent
- Mediavine
Selling ad space – when it comes to advertising, you don’t need to go through an ad network. If you have a high-traffic review blog, you can make money by selling ad space directly to businesses.
I like this approach because it lets you earn 100% of the revenue—no need to split it with giant ad corporations.
Furthermore, you can use a different model, such as cost-per-impression. This means you earn every time a user visits your website and views the ad, whether they click on it or not.
The flip side is that it has lower revenue potential. While you can earn $5 per click with PPC, you’d need up to 1,000 impressions or website visits to earn the same with CPM.
How To Start A Review Blog: Conclusion
You have learned how to create a product review blog, and your blog is LIVE. There is more work to be done before you can start making money.
And there’s no doubt that starting a review blog is profitable. But you’ll need to learn the ropes to get the most out of it.
To get started, first, choose a niche. This area should pique your interest and is popular and competitive.
Next, pick a web host, preferably one that registers domain names. Install WordPress.org and start writing your review content.
Finally, look for ways to promote and monetize your site.
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Oyundoyin Anthony
Oyundoyin Anthony is a blogger and an affiliate marketer that offers helpful contents to people who are looking for different products for their needs. He enjoys helping people to achieve success in their business.
