Google bought Blogger.com in 2002, a popular online tool that helps users easily create and manage blogs. The site is free and requires little web experience to get your blog up and running. In fact, the process of creating your blog will take less than 5 minutes. Creating a blog on Google is easy, and writing your first post will take no time at all. The following steps are applicable for both Macintosh and PC computers.
- Visit Blogger.com and click on "Create a Blog." If you already have a Google account, click the "Sign In" link.
- Create a Google account if you don't have one already. Enter the information requested, including your email address and your desired username and password. To stop spammers, Google uses a word verification tool. Enter the words displayed in the graphic in the space provided. Click "Continue."
- Create a name for your blog. Enter the name and your desired website address when prompted. If your web address is already taken, the site will tell you to create a new one. Click "Continue."
- Choose a template. Google offers 12 templates to choose from in a variety of styles. Click "Continue."
- Click "Start Blogging" to go to your newly created blog. Create your first post by entering a title and content in the boxes on the screen. The blog software works in much the same way as any word processing software; you don't need to know HTML and can simply type directly into the field. Use the navigation buttons above the field to format your post.
- Click "View Blog" to preview how the blog will look to readers. Click "Publish Post" when your post is finalized, and it will be published to your blog.
- Click on "Edit Posts" to make any changes to your post, or click "Create" to make a new posting.
- Experiment with the blog tools to make changes to your blog. Under the layout tab, you can change the fonts, colors, backgrounds and page layout. Under the settings tab, you can write a description of your blog, change the title or set your comment policy.