How to Start a Blog for Your Business (Even If You’re Not a Tech Person)
Thinking about starting a blog for your business but not sure where to begin? You’re in the right place.
Whether you’re a service provider, product-based shop, or creative entrepreneur, blogging is one of the most effective (and affordable) ways to boost your online presence, build trust with your audience, and make your marketing life easier over time. But if you're new to blogging or setting up your website, it can feel like a whole new language.
Don't worry—this guide will walk you through it in plain English. I'm breaking down how to set up your blog step-by-step, using Squarespace as the main example (since it's what I use and love), along with an overview of other popular platforms, best practices for launching, how to make sure Google can find your posts, and tips to keep your blog running smoothly and strategically.
Step 1: Choose the Right Blogging Platform for Your Needs
Before you start writing, you need to choose where your blog will live. There are lots of platforms to choose from, and each one has pros and cons. I personally use Squarespace because it’s beginner-friendly and combines everything in one place (website, blog, and email), but let’s look at the most popular options:
Squarespace
Great for: Service providers, makers, photographers, coaches, small product-based businesses and more
Pros:
Beautiful, clean templates
All-in-one tools (blog, website, email marketing, e-commerce)
Easy to use with drag-and-drop editing
Turn your blog post into an email draft with the click of a button!
Things to know:
Less flexible than WordPress for advanced customization
Limited plugin options
May require creative workarounds for more complex needs
WordPress
Great for: Bloggers, SEO-focused businesses, large websites, or anyone who wants full control and customization
Pros:
Extremely customizable with thousands of themes and plugins
Excellent SEO capabilities (especially with tools like Yoast)
Large developer community and extensive resources
Things to know:
Requires separate hosting and domain
Steeper learning curve for non-tech users
Needs regular maintenance (backups, updates, security)
Showit + WordPress
Great for: Photographers, designers, and visual creatives who want design freedom with powerful blogging tools
Pros:
True drag-and-drop design flexibility (no coding needed)
Uses WordPress for blogging, which is SEO-friendly
Beautiful, modern templates
Things to know:
Blog is powered by WordPress, but site design is through Showit (two systems to manage)
Can get pricey depending on plan and customization needs
Not ideal for product-based businesses or e-commerce
Wix
Great for: Beginners, hobby bloggers, or small businesses needing something quick and simple
Pros:
Very user-friendly drag-and-drop editor
Quick setup with built-in templates
Offers a free plan (with ads)
Things to know:
SEO tools are improving, but still not as robust as Squarespace or WordPress
Limited long-term scalability for growing brands
Some design templates can feel restrictive
Shopify (with blog add-on)
Great for: E-commerce brands who want a store-first platform with the ability to blog occasionally
Pros:
Built-in e-commerce tools with seamless checkout experience
Easy product management and marketing integrations
Blogging tool is included with your site
Things to know:
Blog is more basic compared to other platforms
Not ideal for content-heavy or education-based businesses
Customization requires a bit of liquid code or third-party apps
✅ Choose a platform that supports your long-term goals. If you want everything in one place without needing coding knowledge, Squarespace is a solid choice.
Step 2: How to Set Up Your Blog on Squarespace
If you're using Squarespace, setting up your blog is simple and doesn’t require any plugins or extra tools. Here’s how to do it:
✍️ Step-by-step Squarespace blog setup:
Log into Squarespace, or start a free trial if you haven’t already.
From the dashboard, go to Pages → "+" → select “Blog”.
Choose a layout (Grid, Chronological, etc.) that fits your style.
Click into your new blog page and start writing your first post.
Add Categories and Tags to help organize your content.
Use headers (H2 and H3) to break up your post and improve readability.
Add images with alt text (more on that below!).
Click Publish or Schedule when you're ready to go live.
🎯 Hot tip: Batch 2–3 posts before launching so your readers don’t land on an empty blog.
Step 3: Set Your Blog Up for SEO Success
Once your blog is set up, you'll want to help search engines find it. This is where tools like Google Search Console come in.
🔍 How to connect your blog to Google Search Console (Squarespace version):
Head to Google Search Console and click “Start Now.”
Choose URL prefix and enter your domain (with “https://”).
Select HTML Tag for verification.
In Squarespace, go to Settings → Advanced → Code Injection → Header.
Paste the HTML tag from Google and hit Save.
Return to Google Search Console and click Verify.
Once verified, go to the Sitemaps section and submit:
sitemap.xml.
This tells Google to start indexing your site. Give it a few days or weeks to see results.
📌 Pro tip: Use Google Search Console to track which posts are getting clicks and keywords you’re ranking for—it’s free marketing insight!
Step 4: Format Your Blog Posts Like a Pro (Even as a Beginner)
Now that your blog is live and Google-friendly, let’s talk about best practices for actually writing your posts in a way that’s accessible, searchable, and helpful.
✅ Formatting Tips for Better Blog Posts:
Write a strong headline. Use keywords your readers might search for.
Use headers (H2s and H3s) to break up long text. This helps readers and search engines.
Add images to make your post more engaging, and always include:
Descriptive file names (ex:
squarespace-blog-setup.jpg)Accurate alt text (this helps with SEO and accessibility)
Use short paragraphs and bullet points where it makes sense.
Always include a CTA (call to action)—invite your reader to subscribe, book a service, or read another post.
Sprinkle in your location and your specialty to your blog posts for additional context and keywords.
Interlink your content. Link to other blog posts or pages on your site to keep visitors engaged and improve SEO.
Step 5: So… What Should You Blog About?
Now that the tech is handled, the next big question is: What do I even write about?
The good news is: your blog doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be useful. Think of it as a tool to serve your audience and support your offers. If you're not sure where to start, I’ve got you covered.
📌 START HERE:
“What Should I Blog About for My Business?” 30 Blog Post Ideas That Actually Drive Traffic, Sales, and Save You Time!
This post will walk you through dozens of blog topic ideas, broken down by business model (service-based, product-based, makers, and more), plus ways to repurpose each post into social content, email newsletters, or even printed materials.
Final Thoughts
Starting a blog doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right platform, a few simple tools, and a strategy rooted in service (not perfection), your blog can become one of the most valuable parts of your business marketing.
And the best part? Once it’s live, it keeps working for you behind the scenes—building trust, growing your audience, and lightening your content creation load week after week.
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