20+ Cool Sports Team Logo Designs (+Make Your Own Online Now)

No matter what sport you play, coach, or promote, you need a sports logo that captures your team’s identity. Whether you’re fierce, fast, or feared, a logo can serve as a reminder of what your team brings to the field.

Use Placeit’s logo making tool to build cool sports logos that will help you tip off with success!

Sports logos
Use Placeit’s logo maker to build your next sports logo, no matter what sport you prefer.

When you use Placeit’s logo making tool, you can create a customized sports logo in no time flat. Start with a template, add your team’s colors and title, and presto! You’ve got a personalized sports logo ready for your jerseys, promo materials, and more. Or use a template from Envato Elements for complete control over your sports logo project.

Follow along with us over on the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

Best vs. Worst Sports Team Logos

Not all sports logos are created equally. Unfortunately, some teams only stick with their logo choices for a few years before they quickly rebrand in search of another option that’ll hopefully hit the mark.

To me, the best sports logos embody three fundamental principles:

  • They’re memorable. When your opponents see your team’s logo, they know exactly what they’re in for. A famous logo is one that your opponents and fans can picture and reminds them of all the great memories of watching your team.
  • They’re timeless. If you’re serious about building a brand identity, you need to choose a sports logo that lasts. 
  • They’re flexible. A good logo works in a variety of formats, from a jersey’s sleeve to the figurehead on the court design.

Let’s take a look at several bad logos that have made their way onto the court or field in recent years:

1. Washington Wizards (’97 – ’07)

From a team that once called itself the “Washington Bullets,” I guess we shouldn’t expect much on the branding front. This logo feels like it was a built-in clipart option, and it’s hard to believe that Michael Jordan donned it during his comeback.

Washington Wizards Logo

2. Las Vegas Golden Knights (Current)

The Las Vegas Golden Knights had a magical run in their inaugural season, going all the way to the Stanley Cup. It’s just a shame that they didn’t have a logo that did their performance justice. This is another generic option that just doesn’t feel like a professional sports logo. 

Las Vegas Golden Knights

3. Houston Texans (Current)

The Texans’ logo has always struck me as feeling stretched out and distorted slightly. It incorporates some of the best elements of the identity, but feels long overdue for a refresh. 

Houston Texans Logo

Avoid building a logo that’ll make its way onto a list like this one. Let’s learn to create a great logo using an online tool called Placeit.

Inspiration: 20 Cool Sports Team Logo Designs (To Make Your Own With Online)

When you use Placeit’s online logo maker, you can use a template to start and cut down on the work involved with building a sports logo. Let’s look at 20 of the best sports logo templates from Placeit that you can use for your own sports team logo.

1. Clever Animals Sports Logo Template

Clever Animals Sports Logo Template

The starting point for this sports logo design is reminiscent of that storied basketball team from Chicago. But the possibilities are really limitless for how you can use it for your sports team logo drop in your team’s details with this Placeit template.

2. Football Logo Maker

Football Logo Maker

The football logo maker template design can be used to set up your football logo. It’s one of those perfect starting templates that are a breeze to update with new team details, color palettes, and team details.

3. Basketball Logo Maker

Basketball Logo Maker

If slam dunks and steals are more your style, try out this basketball logo maker. Choose from a variety of animal caricatures paired with a basketball image like the soaring example above.

4. Rugby Team Logo Generator

Rugby Team Logo Generator

When it comes to cool sports logos, Placeit has a variety of options for sports outside of the American major leagues. Rugby enjoys a popular following in many parts of the world, and this aggressive option is perfect for making your rugby logo.

5. Hockey Logo Template With a Hockey Dog Mascot Clipart

Hockey Logo Template with Dog Mascot

If skates and sticks are present in your favorite sport, this hockey sports logo maker might just be the choice for you. Combine your team’s colors and tagline easily with these wildlife creatures to get ready for the winter-season sport.

6. Hockey Logo Design With Yeti Mascot

Hockey with Yeti Mascot

Want a hockey logo maker that’s a little less realistic? Why not use the much-rumored winter creature to set the stage for your hard-hitting hockey squad. Again, you can simply type over the text placeholders with your squad’s name to build your hockey logo.

7. Sports Teams Online Logo Maker With Cartoon Animals

Sports Team with Cartoon

There’s no reason that you can’t use a cartoon character to create one of the best sports logos! Take the beaver in the example above: this guy means business on any field he takes. For a flexible and fun logo that could be used for practically any sport, try this option out.

8. Sports Team Logo Maker With Interlocked Varsity Letters

Varsity Sports Logo Maker

If you prefer to keep it simple and typographic, this letterman’s style sports logo maker might be the perfect match. This harkens back to the classic style of a letterman’s jacket, with tightly paired lettering in classic serif fonts. This sports logo option is flexible enough for practically any application.

9. Tennis Logo Maker With Tennis Racket Clipart

Tennis Logo Maker with Racket clipart

Tennis is a sport that’s easy to pick up and play and a great way to stay in shape. Best of all, it can be played solo or alone. If you’ve joined or are starting a tennis team, consider using a branding option to make sure your opponent across the net remembers your brand!

10. Badminton Logo Maker for a Pro Badminton Team

Badminton Logo Maker

The perfect follow-up to a tennis logo, badminton is a similar sport that can also be enjoyed with a teammate. This classic sports logo maker option has a royal and proper feel to match badminton’s history. Try it out if you want to create a badminton logo that features the icon rackets and shuttlecock. 

11. Lacrosse Logo Generator for a Lacrosse Team

Lacrosse Logo Generator

By many accounts, lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. It captures some of the best elements of several popular sports, such as the pure athleticism of running the field in soccer and the dexterity required for slick stickwork. Build out your lacrosse’s team logo in minutes with this lacrosse logo maker.

12. Sports Logo Maker for a Baseball Team With Baseball Clipart

Sports Logo Maker for Baseball Team

Batter up! If you use this baseball logo maker, there will be no mistaking what sport your team plays. Use this sports team logo starting point to create a memorable baseball logo. Just drop in your details to set up your team for success on the diamond.

13. Basketball School Logo Maker

Basketball School Logo Maker

A minimal logo like this one is the type of sports logo design that can stand the test of time.  This logo can be used for basketball at any level and is just as easy to customize as any selection in this round-up.

14. Lacrosse Logo Maker With a Lacrosse Helmet Clipart

LAX Logo Maker

Here’s another lacrosse logo option that puts the player’s face front and center. If you want to bring the familiar lacrosse helmet to your team’s logo, this might just be the perfect starting point for you.

15. Hockey Logo Design Template With Maple Leaf Clipart

Hockey Logo Design Template

Hockey is certainly the leading sport for Canada, and this maple leaf logo captures that spirit perfectly. Use this sports logo template as the starting point for your hockey logo design.

16. Basketball Logo Maker With a Rhino Graphic

Basketball Logo Maker with Rhino

When you use this sports team logo tool, you’ll have most of the elements you need to create a memorable logo for your squad. Swap in another character or animal and quickly build a basketball logo that’ll take you to the hardwood!

17. National Cricket Team Logo Maker

National Cricket Team Logo Maker

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in several countries, so it’s no surprise that there are some top-notch logo designs for the sport. Use this for a serious and fierce look at creating your next cricket logo.

18. Cool Cricket Club Logo Maker

Cool Cricket Club Logo Maker

For another option for a cricket logo, check out this more fun and playful option. The design presets in this logo maker are the perfect option to show off your cricket team with style.

19. Cheerleader Logo Maker for a Cheer Squad

Cheerleader Logo Maker

Cheerleaders are a major part of the sports experience. There are also incredible competitive cheer teams that are always growing in popularity. If you lead or are a part of a competitive cheer team, try out this logo maker preset to build a design that’s sure to brand your squad’s identity.

20. Rugby Logo Design Template

Rugby Logo Design Template

Rounding out our selections, you can’t miss out on the popularity of rugby when it comes to sports. Combining the best elements of American football with pure toughness and grit, this Placeit logo preset is the perfect way to show off your rugby squad’s credentials.

How to Quickly Make a Sports Team Logo Design Online

Wondering how you can use Placeit to design your next logo? We’ve got you covered. Let’s look at five steps you can use to create your next sports logo.

1. Start With a Top Sports Logo

We’ve covered 20 of the best sports team logos that you’ll see in this round-up. Choose any of them on Placeit to start designing your next logo. 

I’ll use the last selection in the list, as you can see below. When you open it in Placeit, you’ll see text boxes and color presets to adjust your finished logo.

Choose a starting point
Choosing a starting template in Placeit solves most of the work before you even get started.

2. Change the Sports Logo Icon

On the right side of the Placeit sports logo maker, you can see that there are many other icons and animals that you can use for your next logo project. Sure, the starting point features an aggressive koala, but there are plenty of other options to choose from.

Click on another animal or character on the right side to update the icon. The logo maker will add the new character and protect the text and color scheme that’s already in place.

Change icon
There are plenty of other animal and mythical characters you can choose from; click on the right side in this sports team logo maker to update the character.

3. Customize the Team Specifics

Now that you’ve chosen a sports team logo character that fits your brand, it’s time to add your specifics. That takes just a few minutes, thanks to the easy sports logo maker from Placeit.

On the left side of your browser, change the team name and city affiliation in the text boxes. Notice that you can also adjust the font and color for this text while you’re at it. In just a few seconds, Placeit will update the sports logo preview, and presto: your brand is coming to life!

Team specifics logo

4. Add Your Signature Colors

Let’s add our color options. It helps if you’ve got a branding guide to follow to ensure that you choose the perfect colors for your team, but you might be starting from scratch when you create your logo.

Click on the color swatches on the right side of Placeit’s sports logo maker. You can use the dropdown selections to swap in colors of your choice in place of the starting points. With each selection, Placeit will update the preview with the adjusted color options.

Adjust colors
Use the color options on the right side of the sports logo maker to adjust the selections for your project.

5. Download the Finished Logo

Once you’ve invested the work into totally customizing your team’s logo, it’s time to download the finished product. Just press Download to lock in all of your customizations and generate the logo that your team will use when it takes the field.

Download finished logo
The finished logo took just minutes to create and features all of the customizations you need for your logo project.

If you prefer the world of fantasy sports, we’ve got you covered as well. See more team logo options with the guide below. You might even be able to use some of them for your real-life team!

The Best Sports Team Logos (With Unlimited Use)

Placeit offers an easy gateway to build sports team logos in a web browser, but it’s not the only way to customize your next sports logo. If you’ve got a bit of savvy with popular graphic design apps like Photoshop or Illustrator, a subscription to Envato Elements might be the best option for you.

Envato Elements screenshot
Use these Envato Elements logo options to design your next sports team logo.

With Envato Elements, you gain access to thousands of assets, including sports logo templates. You can download a template that matches your vision, customize it with your team’s details, and license it for use anywhere. 

Make sure to check out the tutorial below for more tips to totally customize your sports logo:

Build Your Sports Team Logo Today (Easily)

Building a sports logo doesn’t have to be challenging. Using either Placeit or Envato Elements, you can jump right into the design process today. 

Using a browser-based logo maker like Placeit’s options is often the best way for rookie designers to create a winning sports logo design. But if you already have experience in graphic design apps, Envato Elements might be the best option. Either way, don’t start from scratch—use one of these template approaches to save hours of design work.

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15 Free InDesign Catalogue Templates With Creative INDD Layouts 2020

When it comes to creating a catalogue for your business, there’s no better tool than Adobe InDesign. Adobe InDesign is a powerful program created with print design projects in mind. It’s got plenty of tools to help you lay out an attractive InDesign catalogue in 2020 and export it for printing or sharing digitally. 

Famella Catalogue Template
Famella Catalogue Template (a premium template)

What’s more, you don’t have to start from scratch if you want to design a professional-looking catalog. Thanks to the tons of catalogue templates found on marketplaces like Envato Elements, you can speed up the design process. You’ll get your InDesign catalogue done quickly, even if you’ve never designed a catalogue before. And if your budget is tight, you can even find free catalogue templates online.

Find the Amazing Premium InDesign Catalog Templates on Envato Elements & GraphicRiver (2020)

For top-notch premium InDesign catalog templates in 2020, Envato Elements is an all-you-can-download resource for creatives. As an Elements member, you’ll pay a low monthly fee. It unlocks access to thousands of premium, professional resources that include:

  • professional InDesign catalog templates
  • stock photos and royalty free music
  • graphic templates, fonts, and more.

Premium templates from Envato Elements are the place to start your InDesign catalog project professionally. Free catalogue templates are often not as robust as professional premium templates like those available from Envato Elements.  

InDesign-Catalog-Templates-Envato-Elements
You can find thousands of premium InDesign catalogue templates on Envato Elements.

Premium themes include professional design options. There are hundreds of InDesign template features that go beyond the free products available around the web. 

Elements is intuitive and easy to use and is the perfect tool for making a statement with your catalog in 2020. As you can see, it includes thousands of business catalog templates.

InDesign-Catalog-Templates-GraphicRiver
GraphicRiver is another great source of premium catalogue templates you can edit using InDesign.

But if you don’t need other design elements and just want a catalogue template to create your catalogue quickly, stop by GraphicRiver. This marketplace offers thousands of InDesign catalogue templates. Buy them one at a time, as you need them.

5 Premium InDesign Catalogue Templates on Envato Elements and GraphicRiver

For a premium InDesign catalogue template, start your search on Envato Elements. Envato Elements has thousands of catalogue templates for InDesign. Download these templates and customize them quickly to meet your needs. 

To buy your InDesign catalogue templates one at a time, look at GraphicRiver.

Here are some of our premium InDesign catalogue templates from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver for 2020:

1. RAZOR Shoes Catalogue Brochures (INDD)

RAZOR Shoes Catalogue Brochures

The first template on the list has a modern design that can be used for any type of catalogue. The template is easy to edit and comes with predefined paragraph and character styles. 

It includes 16 predesigned pages, all of which have a 3mm bleed, so the entire document is print-ready. All you’ve got to do is add your content and customize the fonts and colors to your liking.

2. Interior Catalogue – Professional InDesign Catalogue Template (INDD, PDF)

Interior Catalogue - Professional InDesign Catalogue Template

If you’re looking for an interior design catalogue template, this template is a perfect choice. It uses a modern, vertical layout and comes with predefined paragraph styles and a 3mm bleed. The template includes 20 pages, and you can easily add more by duplicating existing spreads. 

3. Jasmine Lookbook Catalogue – Fashion InDesign Catalogue Template (INDD)

Jasmine Lookbook Catalogue - Fashion InDesign Catalogue Template

Try the Jasmine template if you need to design a fashion catalogue quickly. This template has a clean and elegant design, with 18 pages and a 3mm bleed. This means the template is print-ready. You’ll also find well-organized layers and a horizontal layout that’s easy to edit.

4. Catalogue – Simple InDesign Catalogue Template (INDD)

Catalogue - Simple InDesign Catalogue Template

The Catalogue is a simple InDesign template that can be used for any type of catalogue. The template includes eight pages and predefined character styles. You can easily edit colors and fonts and add your own images. 

5. A5 Booklet Catalogue – Multipurpose InDesign Catalogue Template (INDD, EPS, PSD, AI)

A5 Booklet Catalogue - Multipurpose InDesign Catalogue Template

Consider the A5 Booklet Catalogue if you’re looking for a versatile and modern design. This template has plenty of space to include your product photos and provide their descriptions. It comes with 12 premade pages and all the necessary bleed and margin areas to make it print-ready. 

Best Free InDesign Catalogue Templates

If this is your first time designing a catalogue for your company, perhaps you’re not ready to invest in a premium template. Thankfully, there are plenty of free InDesign templates designed with catalogues in mind. Those free InDesign catalogue templates are a good starting point. They’ll help you get your catalogue designed quickly. 

1. Minimal Free InDesign Catalogue Template

Minimal Free Catalogue Template

Try this free InDesign catalogue layout if you want a minimal look and feel. The template includes a master page and several inner pages, which can be duplicated as many times as you need. 

2. Free InDesign Catalogue Template

This free InDesign catalogue template can be used for any type of catalogue. It’s got several premade pages, and you can duplicate them if you need more than what’s provided by the template. 

3. Simple Free InDesign Catalogue Template

This simple InDesign catalogue template is fully editable and comes in A5 size. You can customize fonts, colors, and add your own images.

4. Multipurpose Brochure Catalog

Multipurpose Brochure Catalog Template

This free multi-purpose brochure template could be repurposed as a catalog template. It includes a front and back cover design and five interior layout spreads.

5. 20-Page Multipurpose Template

Use this 20-page free InDesign template for many different purposes, including as a product catalogue template. It includes master pages, and the file is print-ready.

6. Free InDesign Template – Fashion Study

This free InDesign template was designed for magazines, but it could easily be used to create an InDesign catalogue.

7. Free Brochure Template

Free Business Brochure Template InDesign

Here’s a free InDesign brochure template designed for businesses. It also includes a table of contents and an “About the company” section.

8. Stylish Free InDesign Template

Here’s a creative free InDesign template with a stylish design to use for your magazine, catologue, or other brochure. It features a wraparound cover and a modern look.

9. Free Modern InDesign Template 

This modern InDesign template features smart layouts. There’s also a table of contents. Use it for a brochure, catalog, or other corporate document.

10. Free Fashion InDesign Template

Fashion-Magazine-Catalog

If you’re looking for a fashion magazine or catalogue free download, consider this free InDesign template. It’s got a modern design layout and plenty of room for your fashion photos.

11. Business Brochure Design Free Download

You can edit this free template in InDesign or Photoshop. It’s made for business, but you can use it for a variety of purposes such as an annual report, catalog, or magazine.

12. Free Blank Catalog Design Template

Use this free predesigned blank catalog layout the next time you want to publish a catalog. It’s print-ready, so you can just customize it with your own pictures and text.

13. Free InDesign Template – Fully Editable

Free-InDesign Magazine Catalog

If you’re looking for InDesign catalogue templates online for free, consider this InDesign template. Created for a simple magazine, it also works for catalogues and reports.

14. Colorful, Modern Free InDesign Template

This free InDesign template was created for proposals, but it would work just as well for a catalog or other corporate brochure. It features an 11 x 8.5-inch layout (US Letter size).

15. Catalogue or Magazine for Free Download

Showcase your products in this Adobe InDesign magazine or catalog template that you can download for free. It includes custom artwork in a layered PSD file.

5 Creative InDesign Catalogue Layout and Design Tips

You’ve now seen a range of free and paid InDesign catalogue templates. Here are a few tips and tricks that’ll help you create an attractive catalogue design. 

1. Pay Attention to the Cover

When it comes to catalogue design, your cover matters more than you think. It’s the first thing potential customers and clients see. If you get it wrong, chances are nobody will bother opening the catalogue in the first place. 

Your catalogue cover needs to give a hint of what’s hiding behind it and give them a reason to explore the rest of the contents. 

Minimal Catalogue Template
Minimal Catalogue Template: a premium catalogue template on Envato Elements.

2. Use High-Quality Photos

The photos in your catalogue should be high-quality, so that your customers and clients can get a clear view of your products. Make sure the photos are well-lit and that the product is the main focus of the photo. You can also save some of the catalogue pages to include a full-width photo to separate different sections of your catalogue.

3. Limit Your Fonts

Your catalogue copy needs to be legible and cohesive. With that in mind, limit your fonts to two or three maximum. That’ll allow you to create a pleasant typography scheme without overwhelming them. 

Catalog Template
Premium Catalogue Template

4. Make Ordering Easy

Your catalogue should make it as easy as possible for your customers and clients to place their order. Dedicate a page to ordering instructions. Also, consider including a mail-in form to help with the order process. You can also include a dedicated phone number for placing orders on each page so that your customers can easily find it.

5. Don’t Clutter the Design

Leave plenty of white space around individual products, and consider using a column layout. This will reduce the chances of your catalogue pages appearing cluttered. Cluttered pages can make your catalogue look unappealing.

Fashion Lookbook Catalogue
Fashion Lookbook Catalogue: another premium InDesign catalog from Envato Elements

Design an Attractive Catalogue With a Professional InDesign Catalogue Template

Designing an attractive catalogue for your products is easy. Start with a professional InDesign catalogue template, instead of starting from scratch. 

While there are plenty of free InDesign catalogue templates out there, they’re often limited in terms of customization options and come with a limited number of pages. A premium InDesign template will have a more professional design and more customization options. 

Start your search for an InDesign catalogue template on Envato Elements. You’ll also get access to other design assets such as web templates, stock photos, fonts, and more. 

If you need an InDesign catalogue template immediately, stop by GraphicRiver and check out the premium InDesign catalogue templates that you can buy individually.

No matter which marketplace you chose, you’ll be able to find an attractive catalogue design that’ll meet your needs.

And if there’s more you want to learn about Adobe InDesign and InDesign templates, stay right here on Envato Tuts+. We have loads of useful roundups and tutorials just for you!

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How to Start a WordPress Blog (Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for 2020)

Have you been wanting to share your ideas with the world at large and start a WordPress blog?

Maybe you’ve started traveling and want to start a travel blog. Or, maybe you’re good in the kitchen and want to post your favorite recipes for others to try. Better yet, maybe you’re an activist for social change and need a wide-reaching platform to spread the word about your cause.

No matter what you want to write about, starting a blog with WordPress is the best way to go about it. As the most popular content management system in the world, you don’t have to have any technical or coding knowledge to get started. Plus, you can customize it as you see fit.

But the best part about blogging with WordPress is, as you begin to generate more traffic, you can make money online by monetizing your site in several ways.

Because of this, we’re here to show you how to start a WordPress blog so you can start sharing your ideas right away.

What Do You Need to Start a WordPress Blog?

The first thing you need to understand about the WordPress content management system (CMS) is that there are 2 versions to choose from: WordPress.org and WordPress.com.

For complete details, check out this WordPress.org vs WordPress.com comparison. In the meantime, here’s a quick look at each to help you decide:

WORDPRESS.ORG WORDPRESS.COM
You must pay for WordPress web hosting and a domain name registration. You’ll also need to pay for any premium themes and plugins you want to install on your blog. WordPress.com blogs are FREE. You do not get a custom domain name and have limited storage.
You can use any WordPress theme and/or WordPress plugin (free or premium). Bloggers are limited to the free themes available on the platform. There are no plugins, only built-in plugin-like functionality.
You can monetize your site any way you want (e.g., sell ads) and keep all the earnings. You are not allowed to sell ads. Only those with high traffic volume can apply for advertising with revenue sharing.
You are responsible for all site maintenance, including site backups, security, and site optimization. WordPress.com handles all site maintenance for you.

Because WordPress.org is so flexible, most bloggers opt to use the self-hosted WordPress.org platform.

In addition to knowing which version of WordPress you want
to use, you’ll need the following to start a WordPress blog:

  • Domain name
  • Hosting account
  • WordPress installation
  • WordPress theme and plugins

So, let’s start a WordPress blog!

Step 1: Get a Domain Name

The domain name of your website is the website address (or URL) that people type into their web
browser when they want to visit a specific website.

domain name example

Your domain name serves many purposes:

  • A way of identifying your website
  • Branding for your blog
  • Giving people a way to remember and recognize your website
  • A way to tell people what your blog has to offer

Some people use their personal name or company name as their website’s domain name. Others choose a name that relates to the content of their blog. For example, The Food Network’s domain name is www.foodnetwork.com.

You have to purchase and register your blog’s domain name. This ensures no one else can use that domain name. Registration is good for one calendar year. As long as you continue to register your domain name each year, no one else will be able to use it.

You can purchase a domain name for your blog from any number of companies. But, to make things really easy on WordPress users, many WordPress hosting companies offer domain name registration as part of their hosting plans.

In fact, the hosting service we’re going to use for this tutorial, Bluehost, offers a 1 year free domain name registration to anyone that signs up for one of their hosting plans.

For help with choose a domain name, be sure to check out these easy to use domain name generators.

Step 2: Sign Up For Bluehost Hosting

To start, go to Bluehost and click on the green ‘Get Started’ button.

bluehost hosting

This will take you to the different hosting plans available.

bluehost hosting plans

It’s recommended you start with the Basic plan. This is a great option for bloggers just starting out. With it, you’ll get features like 50GB of SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, and 25 subdomains.

This is on top of the features all Bluehost customers get
like:

  • 24/7 customer support
  • Built-in security measures
  • Easy to use cPanel
  • Automated backups
  • One-click WordPress installation
  • CDN services

As an official WordPress.org recommended host, Bluehost is a great hosting option.

Next, you’ll be prompted to either create a new domain or
enter an existing one.

bluehost domain name setup

Lastly, you’ll need to fill out your account information, decide on any package extras (e.g., plan length and domain name privacy), and enter your payment details. We recommend choosing the 36-month plan, since it’s the best value.

You’ll see a success message when you’re purchase is
complete. Click Create Account to continue.

bluehost success message

Next, you’ll need to create a password for your account.
After you do this, your account is ready to go. Click go to login.

bluehost login

For added protection, you’ll then be prompted to sign in to your account.

Step 3: Set Up Your Account

Now that you have your domain name and web hosting, it’s time to set up your account and start your WordPress blog. When in your Bluehost account, you’ll be asked to name your site, create a tagline, and decide if you want to start a blog and/or online store.

Of course, these things can be changed later if you want. It’s just to help you get started.

create a website.1

When you toggle on Do
you want a blog?
You’ll be asked where you want to display blog posts.
Select either My home page or A different page.

Then click Continue.

The next screen will ask you what you goals are. Select the
options that matter to you. In addition, select how comfortable you are with
creating websites if you want. Then, click Continue.

create a website.2

Bluehost makes it easy for you to access hundreds of reliable WordPress themes to help start your WordPress blog. You have the option to choose one now, or pick a theme later when you’re in the WordPress dashboard.

bluehost themes

Step 4: Start a WordPress Blog

Now that your Bluehost account is all set up, it’s time to
start a free blog using WordPress. This means installing the WordPress software
on your website.

To start, go to My
Sites
and click on Create Site.

install wordpress

Next, give your site a name and tagline.

Need help deciding on a blog name? Check out this roundup of amazing blog name generators to inspire you.

Click Next.

create a new wordpress site

Choose your domain name from the dropdown. Then, either select/deselect the three pre-installed WordPress plugins: WPForms, OptinMonster, and MonsterInsights.

Click Next.

choose domain and pre-installed plugins

Bluehost will then set up your site for you. You’ll be able to login to the WordPress dashboard by either going to www.yoursitename.com/wp-admin or going to My Sites in your Bluehost account and hovering over the default theme in the screen.

There, you’ll see two options:

  1. Manage Site
  2. Log into WordPress

Select Log into
WordPress
to go straight to the WordPress dashboard where you can start
creating content, adding images, and so much more.

If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to building
your WordPress blog, Bluehost has a great checklist in the Home section of your account.

start a wordpress blog checklist

Step 5: Pick a WordPress Theme

At first, your WordPress blog will look something like this:

plain wordpress blog

This isn’t visually appealing. Luckily, with WordPress you can customize the look of your website by choosing a WordPress theme.

To install a WordPress theme on your blog, go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard. Click on WordPress.org Themes to access free WordPress themes found in the repository.

add new theme

There you can search themes based on Featured, Popular,
Latest, Favorites, and Premium themes. You can also search for a specific theme
too.

wordpress repository themes

If you need a theme with a certain feature, just click on
the Feature Filter button and select
the features you want included in your theme choices.

theme feature filter

When you find a theme you like, click the Preview button to see what your website will look like when the theme is applied to your site. Make sure to look for things like design, color schemes, typography, and layout.

theme preview

If you still like what you see, click Install and then Activate.

Once the theme is activated on your website, you can click on the Customize button to make changes.

live theme customizer

Here you can change things like:

  • Site Identity: change the site name and tagline and upload a custom logo.
  • Colors: use the custom colors or change to a custom color scheme.
  • Background Image: upload a background image to your site.
  • Menus: customize the navigation menu on your website.
  • Widgets: add or delete widgets such as a search bar, recent blog posts section, or site categories.
  • Homepage: decide whether to display your latest blog posts or create a static homepage.
  • Additional CSS: add custom CSS to change the look of your website.

Each theme will have its own customization options in the
Live Theme Customizer. The above just gives you can example of some of the
things you can change.

Premium WordPress Themes

If you need a theme with more advanced functionality, you
may want to look into the premium themes available from these reliable theme
companies:

  • FancyThemes: FancyThemes creates simple blogging themes for bloggers. They have 13 free themes and 1 beautiful premium theme for purchase.
  • Meridian Themes: Here you’ll find WordPress themes built for bloggers, creatives, and business owners. There is 1 free theme and 11 premium themes to choose from.
  • Elegant Themes: Elegant Themes is a reputable theme company that offers memberships to customers, complete with 2 WordPress themes meant for magazine, eCommerce, portfolio, business, and blogging sites. A membership also comes with a social sharing plugin and a opt-in form plugin.
  • StudioPress: Famous for one of the most popular frameworks in the world, Genesis Framework, StudioPress has plenty of stunning premium themes for you to pick from.

To install a premium theme on your WordPress site, start by
going to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
Then, click Upload and then Upload Theme.

Browse for the theme zip file on your computer and click Install Now.

install premium theme on blog

Wait for WordPress to install the theme and then click Activate to make the theme live on your
blog.

Step 6: Create a Blog Post

After you have the basic design of your WordPress blog
sorted out, it’s time to create your first blog post.

To do this, go to Posts
> Add New in your WordPress
dashboard.

add new blog post

Here you’ll see the Gutenberg Editor, which makes it easy to write content and add images to your blog post.  It works by adding blocks of content to your website.

To add a block, click on the (+) and choose the type of content you want to add to your site.

add gutenberg block

Once you’re done writing, all you have to do is click the Publish button to make your blog post
live for all to see.

publish blog post

Underneath the ‘Publish’ area (in the Document section), you’ll see other sections to customize such as:

  • Categories: assign your blog post to a category so readers can easily find articles about the topic that interests them most. Categories are a broad grouping of your blog posts and help people identify what your blog is all about. Every blog post on your website must be assigned a category.
  • Tags: assign your blog posts tags, which are specific details about individual blog posts. You do not have to give your blog posts tags.
  • Featured Image: this is where you upload an image to appear at the top of your blog post. It will also appear anywhere on your website you allow blog post featured images to appear.
  • Excerpt: here you can write a small snippet of information about your blog post for people to read.

Step 7: Using WordPress Plugins

WordPress themes help with the visual appearance of your blog. On the other hand, WordPress plugins help with your site’s functionality.

Just like themes, there are thousands of WordPress plugins
available for your blog. And while it would be impossible to name them all, we
can break down some of the types of plugins that might be helpful for making
your blog better.

  • Site Security: securing your WordPress website from hackers, spam, and other malicious activity is your responsibility when you have a hosted blog. That’s why using a security plugin to stop brute force attacks, site downtime, and a poor user experience is critical to your success. Some of the best site security plugins include Wordfence Security or Sucuri.
  • Backups: having a backup of your website, stored in a safe off site location, can help should anything go wrong. Some great options are BackupBuddy and UpdraftPlus.
  • Performance: a fast loading blog is the best kind. Using a WordPress plugin to help with caching content and optimizing images will increase your site’s speed and performance and help boost your search rankings. For help with site performance, we recommend StackPath (previously known as MaxCDN) and WP Super Cache.
  • SEO Optimization: organic search results are one of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog. A good SEO plugin will help you optimize your content for better rankings and increased traffic. The best SEO plugin by far is Yoast SEO.
  • Social Media: making your blog content shareable across multiple social media networks will help you reach a broader audience and boost engagement with your site content. If you want to enable social sharing on your site, consider using Social Media Share Buttons and Icons.

How to Install a WordPress Plugin

To install a WordPress plugin from the WordPress Repository
on your blog, start by going to Plugins >
Add New.

There, you’ll need to search for the plugin you want to
install on your blog.

search for wordpress plugin

When you find the one you want, click Install Now and then Activate.

If you want to upload a premium WordPress plugin you’ve
purchased from a marketplace, go to Plugins
> Add New and click the Upload Plugin button.

upload wordpress plugin

Browse for the zip file you have stored on your computer,
click Install Now and then Activate.

premium plugin zip file

Keep in mind, each plugin you install and activate on your
WordPress blog may or may not require additional settings configurations to
work properly.

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! You now know how to start a WordPress
blog, complete with a domain name, web hosting provider, WordPress theme, and
plugins.

If you need a little extra help understanding the WordPress
CMS, be sure to check out this quick guide to WordPress user
roles
.

So, get out there and start a WordPress blog today. And don’t forget to tell us all about your experience in the comments below!

The post How to Start a WordPress Blog (Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for 2020) appeared first on WPHacks.