Take a look on Pinterest and you’ll see some impressive income reports from bloggers earning everything from a few extra bucks to more than $100,000 in a month (yes, a single month!).
And these income reports can do a lot to inspire you to get online and start your own blog. Those very income reports are what spurred me into action, even though I seriously knew nothing about blogging.
Terms like domain, host, plugins, framework and themes were foreign to me. But, nonetheless, with dreams of earning major passive income as a blogger on my mind I launched and — barely earned anything during the first three months Work from Home Happiness was online.
Fast forward another three months and I was actually starting to pull in a blogging income! It definitely wasn’t anywhere near $100,000/month (and still isn’t), but it was enough that I could cut down on freelance writing to focus on growing even larger. And by my first year up and running, I was making a full-time income as a blogger.
So, what was it exactly that turned my blog around?
An expensive paid-for blogging course? Nope.
A super-secret online treasure chest? Uh-uh.
I simply changed my theme! Seriously, that was it.
Choose Carefully. Your Theme Matters
Being the frugal person that I am, I opted to use a free WordPress theme when I first launched Work from Home Happiness back in April 2015. The non-optimized, design-lacking theme made the site look, well, cheap. This bargain-bin look repelled visitors and advertisers alike.
And in the world of blogging, no visitors + no advertisers = no money.
So, even though I was blogging my heart, I saw next to no growth and equally low income. Not wanting to throw in the towel just yet, I set out to figure out why great content alone wasn’t enough to grow my blog. What was it these pro-bloggers were doing that I was missing?
The answer was right in front of my face — or on my computer screen:
The majority of them were using the exact same blogging platform AND framework.
What was it? The power of WordPress with the versatility of Genesis framework!
WordPress and Genesis for Blogging Success
As a newbie to the blogging world, I knew that most bloggers used WordPress for its versatility and ease of customization. You probably know that too! But when it comes to themes, I didn’t realize many super-successful bloggers were all on the same page — or framework, that is.
Take a look:
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents earns upwards of $100,000/month as a blogger. What powers her blog? WordPress and Genesis!
The Budget Mom, Kumiko, offers sound financial advice to the masses while earning $2,000+ a month. What software and framework is her beautiful blog built on? You guessed it — WordPress and Genesis!
Lena, over at What Mommy Does, earns anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 each month on her blog. And, as you probably guessed by now, she uses the WordPress-Genesis combo too.
And that’s just three examples of successful bloggers. Really, the list could go on and on — seriously. To date, Genesis Framework powers more than 500,000 WordPress sites and counting.
Starting to see the potential in running a WordPress blog using the Genesis framework?
But before you go out and start a blog using the one-two WordPress-Genesis punch, let’s look at what Genesis is and why it’s so darn awesome.
What is Genesis?
StudioPress is the mastermind behind Genesis, the industry standard design framework pro bloggers love. It’s built specifically for WordPress and can be easily customized with any number of child themes. For example, Work from Home Happiness is run on WordPress using the Genesis framework with a child theme by Restored 316.
Confused? Think of your blog like a house.
WordPress is the foundation.
Genesis is the walls.
And the child theme is the decor that makes your space uniquely you.
Why is Genesis so Popular?
There are a number of reasons Genesis is the preferred framework of thousands of full-time bloggers, myself included. My big reason for switching to Genesis early on was the fact that it gave my blog a professional look without the professional price tag.
With the different child themes and plugins, Genesis is easily customizable, giving your blog a perfectly polished look even when you’re pinching pennies and taking the DIY route.
And that’s why Genesis is the perfect platform to use from the time you launch until you reach full-time success. You don’t have to look like a beginner just because you are one 🙂
If you’re already impressed by Genesis and how thousands of online entrepreneurs trust this versatile framework to bring their blogs to life, just wait, it gets even better!
Introducing StudioPress Sites, The Risk-Free, No-Hassle Way to Launch a Blog!
Recently, StudioPress took their popular framework a step further by packaging it with hassle-free hosting, top-notch support, and more than 20 pro themes as part of StudioPress Sites.
So, what exactly is StudioPress Sites? Great question!
Aside from gaining access to the Genesis framework and 20+ amazing themes to create a beautiful blog right out of the box, you’ll get:
- Fast-loading performance
- Zero hosting hassles
- Rock-solid security
- World-class support
- Automatic updates of Genesis and WordPress
- Advanced SEO (great for beginners!)
- Free SSL certificates
All of these amazing features can be had for one low monthly price paid out quarterly or on a yearly basis — the choice is yours. There are plans available for bloggers and affiliate marketers as well as those with ecommerce ambitions.
And because StudioPress believes in their products, they offer a risk-free 30-day refund policy. If you’re unhappy for any reason or just don’t think it will work for you — no problem! They’ll give you a no-questions-asked refund.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to StudioPress Sites and start your own money-making blog today so you too can say #goodbye9to5!
This post contains affiliate links. What are they? Check out my disclosure statement for more info.
Cori Ramos says
Hi Ashlee,
This is a great post! Thanks for putting all this together. It’s true, it’s really easy to set up and launch a WordPress blog. The real work comes after the launch especially if we want to see income flowing like our fellow bloggers who are killing it.
Thanks for sharing. You know I’m passing this on! Hope you’re having a great week.
Cori
Tammy says
I just switched to Genesis and I using a Restored 316 theme. Best decision ever! Thanks for validating my decision even further.
Ashlee Anderson says
Hi Tammy,
That’s awesome! I couldn’t be happier with the Genesis framework and my Restored 316 theme too. I’ll be doing a redesign shortly and will be sticking with Genesis and will purchase a new Restored 316 theme. I’m glad you’re happy with yours too 🙂
Happily,
Ashlee
Brittany Brown says
I am going to have to eventually look into the themes. The advice on this is amazing!