Blogs. Seems like everyone has one these days. Large and small businesses, non-profit organizations, stay-at-home-moms, teachers (every one of my kids’ teachers have one)…even my cable company has a blog.

Not that I’m biased or anything, but I love blogs. As a blog reader, I love getting up-to-date information on just about any subject I can find from a real live, breathing person…someone I feel like I know after reading them for a while. As a blogger, I love having an outlet for my rants, ideas, dreams, latest funny story. Even on a blog focused on blog design, I have the freedom to venture into other subjects, because…well, because it’s my blog.

But is blogging for everyone? That might be a good question to answer, especially if you’re considering starting a blog that aims to establish a readership base and possibly generate income. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years about blogging and the investment of time, energy and resources it can take.

1. Answer the ‘Why’ Question - So why do you want to start a blog? What is the focus going to be? Are you going to sell products, create an online community, share tips and resources, offer information on a specific subject? Having a plan is the first step in starting a blog. Its not necessary to pick just one subject to blog about, especially if you are a “mommy blogger”. Lord knows we wear 13 hats and want to share about every one of them. But you should have a clear description for yourself and your readers about what can be expected in your writing. Metropolitan Mama writes an excellent eBook on this very subject…setting goals for a successful blog.

2. Consistent Posting – The whole nature of a blog is up-to-date posting on a regular basis. Whether that means every day or every week, know that you are committing to a regular schedule of posting content…assuming you want people to visit and revisit your blog.

3. Choose A Platform - I wrote an entire post on this a while back. The bottom line is to pick the one that’s best for you. Some people want a free platform (Blogger). Others want some of the technical backend taken care of for them (Typepad) and others want lots of options (WordPress). There is no one-size-fits-all platform. To pick the right one for you, ask around, research, figure out your goals for your blog…but don’t lose sleep over it. Really, they all do just about the same thing.

4. Invest In A Design – You knew that was coming, didn’t you? Really though, the whole reason my schedule is filled up for several weeks in advance is because most bloggers understand the importance of visual first impression. If there were two blogs on the same subject with the same quality of writing, but one was polished and easy on the eyes and the other was designed by a second cousin who got Photoshop for Christmas, I can guarantee the reader stats would be vastly different. Don’t leave your blog’s design to chance…or to your well meaning second cousin (no offense, second cousin). Invest in a good designer. You’ll be glad you did.

5. HTML – You will always…I mean, always have some sort of HTML to add or change on your blog. Whether its adding affiliate code, Google tracking code, a button, or an ad, a little bit of HTML knowledge is a must. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Check out W3Schools and Snoksred for some easy to follow tutorials.

6. Get Comfortable With a Photo Editor - Just like HTML, you’ll want to add images to your blog (the more the better!). Whether its getting your image ready for your blog, color correcting, or even creating a button, you should invest in a good photo editor and get very comfortable using it. My recommendation would be Photoshop Elements. Photobucket is a free online tool that offers some photo editing tools as well.

7. Buy the Domain - If you want to keep costs low while you venture into the wide world of blogging, I would suggest purchasing a URL over paying for monthly hosting. Its better to transfer to another platform in the future, if needed, than to change a domain name after your blog is established. A good option is to create an account on Blogger and purchase your domain name there.

8. Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day – And neither will your blog be. It takes time to write your content, attract readers, build a reputation, etc. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have thousands of hits a day and PR people knocking down your inbox in the first month. Keep at it…it takes time and work and commitment. It truly is what you make it.