7 Steps To Start Your Interior Design Blog (That Makes Money)

Unleash your creativity and showcase your passion for interior design by starting your very own blog!

With an ever-growing interest in home transformations and stylish living spaces, now is the perfect time to dive into the world of interior design blogging.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through steps to set up your blog, create captivating content, and ways to monetize your design expertise. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or an enthusiastic DIYer, launching an interior design blog is within your reach.

Let’s embark on this exciting journey together and make your mark in the online design sphere!

How to start an interior design blog

Want to build profitable affiliate sites without complicated computer stuff? Click here for a FREE video course!

Why Start An Interior Design Blog?

Starting an interior design blog comes with many advantages.

Not only is writing blogs fun, but it can also provide a platform for you to:

  1. Express Your Creativity: Share your unique design ideas, inspirations, and personal experiences with a wider audience, and give your creative vision a voice.
  2. Build a Portfolio: Showcase your design projects, demonstrate your skills, and establish yourself as an expert in the field. A blog serves as a dynamic online portfolio that can help you attract clients or job opportunities.
  3. Connect with Like-Minded Individuals: Engage with other design enthusiasts, professionals, and potential clients by discussing trends, offering tips, and exchanging ideas. This interaction helps you grow and learn within the interior design community.
  4. Generate Income: Monetize your blog through affiliate programs, advertisements, partnerships, sponsored posts, or by offering services and products catered to your audience’s interests.
  5. Create Opportunities: Your blog’s presence may lead to invitations to join podcasts, contribute to other sites, give interviews, or collaborate with influential designers. Such recognition boosts your reputation both online and offline.

Is Interior Design A Good Niche For A Blog?

Yes, interior design is an excellent niche for a blog. The demand for inspiring and practical design ideas creates a sizable audience and there are many products you could promote to make money.

This audience can be anything from homeowners seeking inspiration, design enthusiasts who admire trends and styles, and professionals hoping to network or showcase their work.

In short, there are many directions you could head with your interior design blog and there are money-making opportunities within all of them.

If you’re interested in starting your own interior design blog, keep reading to see how you can get started with this journey in no time.

How To Start Your Own Interior Design Blog In 7 Steps

Narrow Down Your Interior Design Niche

If your goal is to attract visitors and make money, you need to narrow down your interior design niche.

As the old saying goes, “If you try to help everyone, you’ll end up helping no one”, or something along those lines.

So what you need to do is focus on a specific sub-niche within interior design.

This way you can create targeted content, showcase your expertise, and actually help people solve problems.

You can always broaden your niche later, but it’s best to start narrow.

First, identify your passion and strengths within interior design.

Determine which styles, approaches, or topics genuinely excite you. This could be minimalism, sustainable living, eclectic design, or maybe something else.

A personal angle can also be blended into your niche.

You could focus on designing within a particular budget, addressing the challenges of small spaces, or decorating for families with children. When you infuse your experiences into your content, you add a unique touch that resonates with readers.

Overall, selecting a niche you’re passionate about will keep you motivated.

I should also mention that you can always change your niche. It’s not set in stone.

Find A Catchy Domain Name

Finding a catchy domain name is important as it represents your brand and serves as your “online address”.

It’s how people will find your website.

A memorable domain name helps attract and retain readers, improve your credibility, and make it easier for people to refer to your blog.

I have written an entire article on choosing the perfect domain name for your blog, but here are some highlights to follow:

  • Keep It Short: Aim for a concise domain name, preferably with no more than three words. Shorter names are easier to remember and type and it increases the likelihood of people visiting your blog.
  • Be Descriptive: Select a domain name that describes the essence of your blog. This helps visitors understand your content focus which can be a deciding factor for them to explore your site further.
  • Include Keywords: If possible, include relevant keywords like “interior,” “design,” or “home” in your domain name.
  • Make It Unique: Differentiate your blog’s name from existing websites and competitors. A distinct domain name prevents confusion and establishes a strong brand identity.
  • Easy to Spell and Pronounce: Choose a domain name that is easy to spell and pronounce. This will make it effortless for people to share your blog in both verbal and written communication.
  • Choose the Right Extension: The most commonly used domain extension is “.com”. It’s also the most trusted among people, so I’d stick to it.

Remember, finding the perfect domain name takes time, creativity, and research.

You should brainstorm multiple ideas, check for availability, and remember to say the name out loud before you register it. Trust me.

And if it helps, I use NameCheap for domain name registrations. A domain name costs $12-15/year, so it’s not a big investment.

Choose A Reliable Web Hosting Service

Next, you need to choose a reliable web hosting service for your blog.

You can think of it as paying rent for your house. But in this case, you’re paying for the hosting service to store all your blog posts and images, so people can access them.

A good web host ensures faster website loading, secure data storage, and provides technical support when needed.

A high uptime percentage (ideally 99.9% or higher) ensures your blog is accessible to visitors without frequent downtime.

Speed also plays a significant role, with faster loading times improving user experience and influencing search engine rankings.

Security must be prioritized, with the web hosting service providing robust measures like firewalls, malware scanning, and automated backups to guard against data breaches or website compromises.

Additionally, it’s essential to find a web host that includes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. This offers an added layer of encryption and makes your site more trustworthy for visitors.

Scalability is equally important, as your website may require additional resources as it grows. Choose a web hosting service that offers flexible plans. It should allow you to upgrade or modify your hosting package as your blog expands.

Finally, consider customer support – a critical element when facing technical issues.

Some popular hosting services include BlueHost and SiteGround.

If all this sounds complicated, you could also use Wealthy Affiliate for hosting since it streamlines the whole process. It’s what I use for all my websites too.

Pick A Theme For Your Blog

The next step is to pick a theme, which is responsible for how your blog looks.

There are many themes you could pick, but what I recommend is something called GeneratePress.

This website is built on GeneratePress too. I like it so much that I use it on all my websites these days.

It’s a versatile and high-performance WordPress theme that allows you to create a unique and visually appealing interior design blog.

The best part of this theme is definitely the customization options.

Some key features of GeneratePress are:

  • Customization: With GeneratePress, you can effortlessly modify your blog’s appearance through its user-friendly interface. You can customize various elements like typography, colors, and layout to match your niche and personal style.
  • Performance: GeneratePress is built with speed and performance in mind. This ensures faster loading times and improved user experience.
  • Responsiveness: The theme is responsive on all devices and displays your blog optimally on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
  • Compatibility: GeneratePress works seamlessly with popular WordPress plugins, page builders, and other tools, making it suitable for customization and functionality expansion as your blog grows.
  • Support: GeneratePress offers excellent customer support through its dedicated forum and documentation, guiding you through the setup, customization, and management of your blog.

Perform Keyword Research

At this point, your blog is pretty much set up.

Before you start creating content, you need to perform keyword research.

It helps identify popular terms and phrases people search for in Google within your interior design niche.

You then take those “keywords” and create content around them, hopefully giving the best answer to whatever question the reader typed into Google.

Start by brainstorming a list of potential seed keywords related to your niche.

These are general terms that cover key topics and themes associated with interior design. You can draw inspiration from your own knowledge, competitors, blog comments, and social media to compose this initial list.

For example, here are 5 potential seed keywords related to “Interior Design”:

  • Home decor
  • Furniture layout
  • Color schemes
  • Lighting design
  • Textiles and fabrics

Next, you want to insert one of these seed keywords into Google (to see what recommendations the autosuggest feature gives) or a dedicated keyword research tool such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or AnswerSocrates.

These tools provide valuable data, including search volume, competition, and associated long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are phrases with lower search volume but less competition which makes them easier to rank for.

Analyze the keyword data to prioritize keywords that strike a balance between high search volume and low competition. This will improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results and attracting more traffic to your blog.

If you need help with this, I have a resource for you at the end of this post where this part is shown in detail.

Start Creating Content

Once you’ve performed keyword research to see what people are searching for, it’s time to start creating the best content you can on interior design.

Your first pieces of content do not have to be literary masterpieces. You’ll do fine as long as the content is helpful and relatable.

If you keep publishing, you’ll quickly see how fast you improve.

Here are some tips to follow when you start creating content:

1. Plan your content strategy:
Develop a content strategy by identifying the types of articles you want to create such as

  • How-to guides
  • Question & Answer posts
  • Design inspiration
  • Trends, or case studies.

Use your previously conducted keyword research to guide your topics and titles.

2. Develop a content calendar:
Create a content calendar to schedule your posts and maintain consistency. Determine the posting frequency (such as weekly, bi-weekly) and the best day and time to publish based on your own life schedule. A content calendar helps you stay organized and ensures your blog remains fresh and updated.

3. Create engaging headlines:
Write catchy and engaging headlines for your blog posts. A compelling headline grabs the reader’s attention, increases the click-through rate, and encourages them to read your content. Add your primary keyword in the headline for better search engine optimization (SEO).

4. Write a compelling introduction:
Begin your blog post with a captivating introduction that piques your readers’ interest. Provide context and briefly outline what your readers can expect from the post. You can also create a sense of urgency or ask a question to encourage further reading.

5. Provide valuable information:
Ensure your content is well-researched, informative, and adds value to your readers. Offer practical tips, insights, and examples to illustrate your points. Break your content into easily digestible sections using headings and subheadings for better readability.

6. Optimize content for search engines (SEO):
Add your target keywords naturally throughout your content without excessive use (keyword stuffing). Use title tags, meta descriptions, image alt tags, and internal links to optimize your content for search engines.

7. Add relevant visuals:
Include appealing images, GIFs, or videos that complement your content. High-quality visuals not only make your content more attractive but also help readers visualize your design ideas and tips. Remember to use properly licensed images or your own photographs.

8. Proofread and edit:
Thoroughly proofread your content for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or inconsistencies. Edit the text to improve clarity and readability. You can use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor for proofreading assistance.

9. Engage with your audience:
Encourage your readers to comment and share their thoughts and experiences. Respond to comments and questions to promote a sense of community and increase reader engagement.

10. Promote your content:
Share your content on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Join relevant online communities, forums, or groups where you can share your content and engage with like-minded individuals.

Monetize Your Interior Design Content

Once you’ve published some content and you’re getting visitors to your blog, you can start implementing monetization methods.

There are many ways to make money with blogs, but my favorites are:

Affiliate marketing

Join affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, or ShareASale to promote interior design products or services. When a user clicks a unique affiliate link on your blog and makes a purchase, you receive a commission. Make sure to promote products relevant to your content and audience.

Advertisements

Display ads on your blog using platforms like Google AdSense or Mediavine which serve ads based on your content and user preferences. You generate revenue through Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or Pay-Per-Impression (PPI) models. Ensure the ads do not overwhelm your content or disrupt user experience.

Digital products

Create and sell your digital products such as e-books, design templates, or online courses. Develop high-quality, informative, and relevant products based on your audience’s needs and interests, then promote them on your blog and social media channels.

Successful Interior Design Blog Examples

I’ve also gathered some successful interior design blogs for you to draw inspiration from:

  • Emily Henderson, a well-known interior designer, stylist, and author shares design ideas, room makeovers, and styling tips on her blog. The blog’s engaging content and appealing visuals make it a popular destination for design enthusiasts.
  • Apartment Therapy is a comprehensive resource for design inspiration, home tours, and DIY projects. The blog features a variety of well-written and visually engaging articles, catering to diverse tastes and budgets.
  • Wit & Delight is a lifestyle and interior design blog by Kate Arends. Along with stylish interior design ideas, the blog also offers insights into fashion, wellness, and travel, providing a holistic approach to living a well-designed life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do interior design blogs make money?

A: Yes, interior design blogs can make money through various monetization strategies such as affiliate marketing, sponsored content, advertisements, selling digital products, offering paid subscriptions, providing consulting services, and organizing workshops or webinars.

Q: What do interior design bloggers do?

A: Interior design bloggers create and share content related to interior design, including design ideas, trends, DIY projects, and home tours. They often engage with their audience, provide expert advice, collaborate with brands, and may monetize their blog to generate revenue.

Q: How can I increase traffic to my interior design blog?

A: To increase traffic to your blog, ensure your content is engaging, valuable, and optimized for search engines (SEO). Consistently update your blog, promote your content on social media platforms, connect with fellow bloggers and influencers, and engage with your audience.

Q: How do I find my blogging niche within interior design?

A: To find your niche, consider your passions, expertise, and unique perspective within the interior design field. Focus on a specific style (e.g., minimalism, Scandinavian), target audience (e.g., families, small spaces), or content type (e.g., DIY projects, design on a budget).

Ready To Start Your Own Interior Design Blog Today?

Starting your own interior design blog can be an exciting and rewarding experience.

However, putting all the pieces together can be tough, especially when you’re considering aspects like content creation, web design, marketing strategies, and monetization.

But don’t let these challenges discourage you.

Instead, you could use a platform like Wealthy Affiliate to guide and support you through the blogging process.

Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform that provides training, website hosting, SEO tools, and a community of like-minded individuals to help you build, manage, and scale your blog.

You gain access to valuable resources and expert guidance to create a successful interior design blog. From setting up your website and finding your niche to optimizing content for search engines and exploring monetization opportunities.

Wealthy Affiliate simplifies the process and offers 24/7 support.

Start building your interior design blog today.

Make sure to check it out!

Photo of author

Mikko

What's up! I started my first affiliate website in 2018 promoting PC peripherals and since then I've been hooked on making money online with affiliate marketing.

Ever wanted to make money online promoting popular products from Amazon?