Do you want to start a small business blog (or website)?
Don’t worry! I’m here to help.
With this post, I will show you how to setup and start a small business blog that will help you attract clients.
Having a daycare blog lets you communicate everything you want about your childcare program to potential clients.
These are the 4 basic steps to follow when you start a small business blog:
- Choose a website name (and register it). If you follow my HostGator affiliate link, you can get the 1st year free.
- Choose a hosting company (I recommend HostGator. Use coupon code: thedaycarelab to get 65% off your order.)
- Set up WordPress and connect your site.
- Design your website with a WordPress theme.
Why You Should Start a Small Business Blog
There are so many reasons to start a blog for your daycare business (or any other small business).
When I started blogging for my daycare business, I wrote about the activities the children were doing.
Over time, I developed a sample of activities to showcase on my website for current parents (and potential clients) to look at and learn about the different things the children were doing during childcare hours.
My next reason for starting a blog for my daycare business was to use it as a tool for attracting new clients and capturing leads.
If you want to start a small business blog for your daycare, I suggest you:
- Take pictures of your daycare space, outdoors space, learning activities, a few sample meals, etc.
- Write about the activities the children do in your program.
- Write about your service.
For example, if you will teach children about letters, colors, shapes, and numbers (your service is a preschool program), then you can write about some of the activities the children will do to learn those things.
Similarly, as a child care specialist, you can help parents with ideas and tips about caring for their children such as how to potty train, wean off bottles, etc.
The ideas are many, and you can use your small business blog to sell yourself as a true professional!
Information to include when you start a small business blog for your home daycare:
- Include a blurb about YOU and what makes you different from other child care providers (ex. educational background, years in business, etc.).
- A rate and fees section (if you feel comfortable disclosing it online)
- Hours of operation
- An example of your learning program (if you will provide one)
- Your daily routine
- Pictures of your space (remember no photos of the children without authorization from the parents)
- FAQ section
- Contact information, etc.
- License number
One thing is for sure: it’s essential to have a website or blog to help attract potential clients. It’s easier to have a successful business with the right marketing tools!
WordPress.com Vs. WordPress.Org
There are many platforms you can use to build and start your small business blog.
But I use and recommend WordPress. It’s by far one of the most popular website platform among small and big businesses.
Since many people around the world use WordPress, I love that I can search just about any question I might have about using WordPress and can usually find the answer on a blog post or YouTube video.
(Quick note: WordPress is just a software that is set up to help you design your website and put up your posts.)
My preferred option is WordPress.org. It’s free, but you do have to pay to host your website. Hosting a website generally only costs about $3 to $10 per month.
Believe me, it’s worth it!
Also, just to let you know, WordPress.com does offer free hosted websites, but I would avoid that option. While it’s completely free, technically, you do not own your website; WordPress does.
And another thing, you will have to put their name at the end of your website. For example, if I used the free WordPress option for this site, my URL would be http://thedaycarelab.wordpress.com. For business purposes, it’s too cumbersome, and it does not look professional.
Instead, register your domain name and get low-cost hosting.
In the long run, a self-hosted website is the BEST option. It gives your business a boost of credibility and professionalism.
While you don’t need to be “techy” to set up your website, there is a bit of a learning curve.
But if I can do it, YOU can do it too!
Related: Besides having a professional looking website, it’s important that you see yourself like a real business owner. Because you are! Check out my post about How To Dress Like a Professional Child Care Provider.
How to Setup and Start a Small Business Blog
Choose Your Website Name
To keep things consistent, your domain name (or website address) should be the same as your business name. That means you’ll have to choose a daycare name that matches your website address from the very beginning.
For example, if you chose the daycare name Child Kid Care, you will want to get the domain name ChildKidCare.com.
Also, if you plan to use social media for your daycare, check to see if you can get all the matching social media names too.
Why?
Because this will create brand continuity across all your marketing channels and will make your business easier to find.
More things to think about when choosing a domain:
Avoid using hyphens or numbers in your domain name. It confuses people.
Suppose your domain name is Childs2ndHome.com. When verbally telling people your domain, they might assume it’s “ChildsSecondHome” and you will always have to clarify it’s the number 2. Believe me, it will get annoying fast!
Also, a website address ending in .com is preferred.
But before you do anything else…
…you must head over to HostGator’s domain search tool and check to see if your domain is available for you to use. Even if you’re not yet 100% certain on the name of your daycare business, doing this will help narrow down your list of potential names.
This step is ridiculously easy!
Simply input your domain name and click search.
Choose a Hosting Company
You’re going to need a host to get your website “live” on the internet and viewable to the public. When you signup for hosting you’re renting server space which will give you a place to store all of your site’s files. It does all the “background” information for your site.
I use and recommend HostGator hosting!
Get HostGator hosting and register your domain name at the same time. While there are many hosting companies to choose from, HostGator is perfect for small businesses.
HostGator is a very low-cost hosting service that does a very good job and makes it easy to get your WordPress site started. You can register a domain name (YourDaycareSite.com) and get WordPress installed – all in a few clicks!
Their customer service is amazing! I’ll message them at all hours of the day and I always get a quick response and solutions to my problems, questions, etc.
HostGator also offers video tutorials to help you set up your website.
It doesn’t get easier!
a.) Go to HostGator Website
Click the yellow button that says “get started”. (Keep in mind that HostGator might look a bit different if they update their website, which they often do. But the steps will be the same.)
b.) Choose Your Plan
You can choose from one of the three options available.
Now you must be wondering which plan you should choose.
Well, that depends…
When I started, I got the Baby Plan because it wasn’t that much more than the Hatchling Plan and I knew I would want to build more websites. So I liked that with the Baby Plan I could host an unlimited number of websites.
However, if you’re planning to make only one website and you don’t plan to make multiple websites yet, then you can just go with the Hatchling Plan.
Go click on the Buy Now button under the Hatchling plan.
Quick Note: Another important thing to keep in mind when picking a blog hosting package is to know, upfront, how much will it cost to RENEW your hosting package when your initial term is over.
c.) Enter your domain name
This is where you will enter the domain name you chose in step 1.
If you already own the domain then you can click on the “I Already Own This Domain” tab.
Quick Note: At the end of the domain search result, there is a checkbox with the heading Add Domain Privacy to (your domain name) costing $14.95/yr.
Simply opt out by unchecking it. You are a beginner, and you don’t need it
d.) Choose package type & billing cycle
After you choose your domain name you will have to select the package and billing cycle.
I recommend choosing a 12-month or a 36-month plan.
The longer your contract period, the lower your rate.
Also, there is an option to pay hosting on a monthly basis, but it’s a lot more expensive and the monthly bill gets annoying.
Trust me, with all the time and effort that goes into building and designing a website, it’s best to pay for longer periods and not have to think about it for a while.
So as a beginner who wants maximum savings, choose Hatchling in package type and 36-month billing cycle.
e.) Create your HostGator account
Next step, create a HostGator account.
Enter your email address, choose a strong password and provide a security pin.
f.) Enter your billing information
Enter your name, phone number, current address and payment information.
If you have a Tax Exemption ID don’t forget to add it to save on taxes.
g.) Uncheck any additional services
From here, you will be given to option to add additional services. I didn’t add any extras and as a beginner, you don’t need them either.
h.) Enter a coupon code
Next, you will see a coupon code box.
There should already be a default coupon code in the box, but to get a better deal on your hosting plan switch it out to thedaycarelab and you will get 65% off!
i.) Review order details
Okay, so once you added the coupon code: thedaycarelab review your order details.
You can double-check, that you have selected the Hatchling plan for 36 months at $2.75 per month, and added the coupon code to get a 65% discount.
The estimated tax is $6.42 and that brings the total cost down to $103.62.
Once you have verified that the order is correct you can go on to the next step.
After you read and agree to the terms of service, click on the checkout now button.
Once your purchase is complete, you will get a confirmation email from HostGator with a password. This password will allow you to log in to the HostGator control panel (cPanel).
j. Install WordPress
Next step, install WordPress onto your site so you can start designing your site.
To add WordPress to HostGator, go to HostGator’s Customer Portal.
Login to cPanel with the email and password you received in the confirmation email sent by HostGator.
For your convenience, I added a video tutorial created by HostGator you can watch to help you with this step:
Or you can go here and check out their step-by-step tutorials, which are always up to date.
Once the WordPress installation is complete, you will get all the information needed to access your website.
Simply go to the https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin, sign in, and start blogging!
That’s it!
Remember: YOU are the customer, and YOU are paying HostGator for their service.
Reach out for their help at any time, I know I do!
Design your website with a WordPress theme
A WordPress theme is what gives your site the look that it has.
If you want to change the way it looks then all you do is pick a new theme.
There are many free WordPress themes you can choose from that you can install with a click of a button, and it will be ready for you to use.
Also, there are many premium themes you can buy that will give you additional options and blog functionality.
For example, I use and highly recommend the Genesis Framework. It’s one of the most popular and best supported themes in the market. And best of all, it is easy to use!
But if you do not have the budget for a premium theme right now, that’s okay; you can get it later (or not at all).
You can continue to use any of the free themes provided by WordPress if you want and for as long as you want.
That’s it for setting up your blog!
Congratulations! You officially have a business blog up and running!
My biggest tip to you: Just start a blog for your business and don’t get stuck with the aesthetics of your new site.
Because the only way to be a successful business owner that makes money is to get your business information out there. Even if your website is not perfect, it’s something!
shannon colclough says
I know a lot of child care centers that are missing out on extra income just by blogging.