You won’t believe how much the health and wellness industry is worth.
How much will the health and wellness industry be worth?
Over $4 trillion dollars.
Let me put that differently: $4,000,000,000,000
That’s the projected value of the health and wellness industry in 2017.
Is there a future in publishing health and wellness blogs?
The health and wellness industry is booming, making it a great time to start a health and wellness blog. The past few years have found solid growth in this industry. As of 2018, the Global Wellness Institute report indicates that the health and wellness industry is worth $4.2 Trillion! That’s a lot of money, so now, we just need to hep you get your slice of that pie!
First Step, Start a Blog
It is easy for a blog to capitalize off this growing market through eCommerce. Below are some of the most popular blogging platforms and my opinions on each one:
- HostGator (My review with steps to easily create a WordPress blog)
- Weebly (easy peasy website creation)
- WordPress.com (easy, but there are many limits for a free account)
- WordPress.org (probably the best, but needs decent technical knowledge)
- Blogger (Great service, free, but a bit dated looking).
Host Gator
Funny enough, Host Gator is actually where I cut my teeth on learning how to build a blog. I first built this website on Blogger, then quickly moved it to WordPress on Host Gator (I didn’t like Bloggers themes and publishing workflow). Their support was always available to answer my questions (which can’t be said for many hosting companies).
They offer a ton of wallet-friendly plans as well as more advanced hosting for people with bigger sites. This means they have room for you to grow. Sadly, this wasn’t the case when I first started with them, so I eventually left for a different host, and moving back to Host Gator would be too big of a project for me to do right now.
The good news for you, is that if you start with Host Gator and your site gets huge, no worries, they have cloud hosting plans that scale with you. That wasn’t a thing when I first started this site (frowny face).
Don’t take my word for it, go over to HostGator right now, click the little chat box that pops up and talk with their support. Ask questions and tell me you’re not impressed!
Who this is for:
HostGator has made huge strides over the years and now offers some of the broadest options in website hosting. They’ve been around for a long time, so this perfect for someone starting out who wants a reliable host who can answer their questions.
Who this isn’t for:
HostGator has taken most of the guesswork out of web hosting, but if you’re at all unsure about putting a website online, and you’re not up to learning, then I would suggest going with one of their WordPress hosting plans which eliminates almost all of the technical work.
Weebly
Weebly is my next suggestion. I’m not a massive fan of visual web builders, but Weebly has done a great job and the site you end up with looks professional. Their web hosting is quick, and the sites look good.
More technical people might feel limited, so I wouldn’t suggest this for someone who is very technical and wants lots of control over how their website functions. But, if you’re fairly new to building websites, or just want to focus on making great content, then Weebly is a solid choice.
Who this is for:
Weebly is perfect for people who just want to make a nice website, but aren’t interested in the training, hosting and community that Wealthy Affiliate offers. Weebly is also good for people who may not like WordPress. If you have absolutely no desire to take training, and you have no desire to learn the technical side of building a website, then Weebly is perfect for you.
Who this isn’t for:
If you’re a technical person, and want as much control as possible of your website and how it functions, then Weebly is probably not for you.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress. It’s an easy way to get a website up and running, but the free version has a lot of limitations. Basically, if you’re planning to build a website to make money, the free version of WordPress.com probably won’t do.
You’ll likely need to use one or more of their upgrades which can get expensive. It gets really expensive when you want multiple websites (which is common once you start making money online).
Overall, it does a great job, but it can be very pricey for what you get.
Who this is for:
WordPress.com is OK for people who don’t want to invest any money into their business at all, but still want to see what building a website might feel like. Your ability to make money on it may be reduced simply because of the WordPress.com sub-domain names and you’re not allowed to run your own ads on the free plan (Blogger is better for this). The websites look great, but you lose a lot of earning freedom.
If you want a free website for making money, then I’d probably suggest Blogger for you, but Blogger has its own drawbacks. If you’re willing to spend the money, then you can certainly build a fully functional, money-making website, but it tends to be a lot more expensive than other options on here.
Who this isn’t for:
If you’re a technical person who wants full control of their website, and wants to keep costs minimal, then this is not the right service for you.
WordPress.org
WordPress.org is different from WordPress.com. WordPress.org is the self-hosted software. Basically, you download the WordPress software, and install it on your own web host. This is how I run most of my websites.
It’s the cheapest way to get into the business, but it is also the most technically hard. If you’re not comfortable with downloading files, uploading files, configuring a web host, setting up your domain name servers, etc, then this is probably not the right solution for you.
Who this is for:
WordPress.org is best for people who are technical, and comfortable with configuring web hosting. This sounds super difficult, but it’s really not that bad if you watch some YouTube videos and are patient. If you aren’t willing to learn the technical side, or just don’t have the time, then avoid this option.
Who this isn’t for:
If you aren’t technical and aren’t willing to be patient to learn the technical ins-and-outs, then you should avoid this option at all costs.
Blogger.com
Last, but not least is Google’s own Blogger.com. Overall, it’s a solid service, but it comes with a dated look. Getting your own .com domain name is relatively easy, and inexpensive.
What I like best about Blogger.com is that they really exhibit little control over your content. You can run your own ads, and you can promote products. The biggest drawback is the admin interface isn’t that great, the publishing tools are just OK, and the layouts are very dated looking.
The other thing worth mentioning is that Google has kind of a history of killing products off, and the lack of investment I’ve seen in Blogger over the years always makes me hesitant to recommend it to people.
I saw some posts within the last year of the Google Blogger Product Manager claiming some new investments were coming to the platform and they were fully committed to it, so take that for what it’s worth. I have trouble believing that because they said similar things about Google+ before they pulled the plug on it in 2019.
They also said some similar things about Google Allo which they got rid of in 2019. Google’s a business, I get that, and they need to make smart decisions. The value Blogger provides is essentially unrivaled, I just have trouble committing to something that might disappear in a couple years.
Blogger is a common starting point for a lot of people (myself included) but nearly everyone migrates off of it to something else quickly after.
Who this is for:
Blogger is for people who want to publish content, have control over how they make money, and invest as little as possible. It’s a fantastic value.
Who this isn’t for:
Blogger is not for people who want the sharpest, most modern looking websites. Blogger is definitely a “value platform.” Additionally, people publishing on Blogger should have an exit plan in the event that Google announces they will get be retiring Blogger.
Given Google’s past with other projects, I cannot suggest Blogger for people who require stability and dislike change. It’s very possible Blogger could get retired by Google, and you’ll need to move to a different platform.
What Do I Use for a Blogging Platform?
Currently, I use WordPress.org for most of my websites, but I’m also a Wealthy Affiliate member and I’m using their hosting for a few test sites and I’m impressed. I’ve been doing this a long time, so I’m happy to use both.
Weebly is probably one of my favorites for the less technical person that just wants to make a great looking website. I’ve made test sites on it and was pleased, but I’ve used WordPress for too long to make a switch (and sometimes I need the control I have with WordPress).
Choose Your Blog’s Topic (Niche Selection)
The first step is to create a blog. You should consider whether there is a specific area within the health and wellness industry on which you want to concentrate or whether you want a more general blog.
Then, you just have to write quality content that engages your readership and add an eCommerce store and link applicable products to each blog post to start making money.
Example topics you can cover:
- Nutrition
- Fitness
- Yoga
- Bodybuilding
- Sports
You can get as specific as you want. The more specific, the less competition. I will caution that too specific is also a bad thing. For example, “golfing” is a very competitive topic, but “extreme desert golfing” isn’t. That doesn’t make “extreme desert golfing” a good topic, because no one is searching for it.
Your Website’s Look & Feel Is Profitable
Have you ever seen a dodgy looking vehicle with a sign on the side of it advertising a service? I’ve seen them numerous times. I’m not a snob, but I just can’t bring myself to buy dental insurance from a phone number on the back of a beaten down 1988 Honda Accord. It’ not exactly a great first impression. Don’t be that person!
The first step to making money with your health and wellness blog is to have a beautiful, functional website.
Your Website Platform
Platform is a fancy word that means what company’s base you are using to get online. Kind of like what brand of car you are using to get on the road. I use WordPress. WordPress powers over 20% of the internet and they have an amazing community, themes, plugins and support.
If you are uncomfortable with installing WordPress on your own web hosting, then you can use a service like Weebly who makes it dead easy to get a great looking website online today.
The Website Theme
Your website is the storefront to your blog (business). You want a secure, speedy, good looking theme that your customers can browse on their phones without issue. That’s why I trust StudioPress with my business. They make beautiful, affordable, secure and fast WordPress themes. They’re always up-to-date.
I used to use free themes, until I realized how important the theme is to the success of your website in search engines. It might be tempting to use completely free themes, but unless you’re comfortable looking at code, you truly don’t know what you’re getting. If you choose WordPress as your platform, then StudioPress is the way you need to go!
Great Content
The old days of 300-500 word articles being the only requirement are gone. You need quality. Readers want quality content, search engines want quality content, so what should you produce?
Whether it be text, images, or video, people want good content? Do you know why this article starts out with a large, attractive image that took me a long time to make? Because people want to pin this article to Pinterest.
Advertising on Your Health & Wellness Blog
Getting advertisers through a service like Google Adsense is the easiest way to begin making money from your health and wellness blog. This is also the most well-known and the least profitable. I highly suggest giving it a try, but just know that you can make more money using other methods of monetization.
Other Advertising Services:
- Ezoic (I’ve used them for over a year, love them!)
- Media.net
- Infolinks
- MediaVine
- Bidvertiser
One note: Make sure you understand the terms of service from the company you choose. Some companies may not allow you to use other advertising companies at the same time as them. To be safe, it’s best to stick with just one company.
Setting Up an Online Store
Setting up a store on your site through your chosen platform should be easy. Most blog platforms have a template or plugin you can add, like WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads for WordPress. You should first consider what types of products your customers care about. With health and wellness blogs, you could have a store that features:
- Vitamins
- Other Supplements
- Self-help books
- Yoga guides, mats and clothes
- Meditation guides
Some blogs cover the entire gambit of health and wellness, so it would make sense to do the same with your store. However, if you only focus on one aspect, like nutrition or meditation, then your store should reflect that. You want something that will not turn your readership away from your site. Instead, you will provide them with an easy to use service right there on your blog.
Products Related to Posts (Affiliate Marketing)
Relevancy and product placement are huge! If someone is on your site reading your incredible article about protein supplements, doesn’t it make sense to try selling to them too?
It is so simple to do this, and whether you’re linking to products in your own store, or referring them to Amazon, you have a great opportunity to help your reader and earn money.
When you make money referring customers to other businesses, this is called “affiliate” marketing. You just need to find products you believe in and verify if the seller has an affiliate program.
Can I Make a Living with My Health Blog?
There are numerous ways to make money with your website. Whether it be the eCommerce store suggestion, or by advertising. The costs of running your website can certainly be covered, and over time you certainly can make enough money to cover your costs of living. It won’t be easy, but it is completely doable. I hope this guide has helped you, and if it has, please consider sharing it.
How much money do health & wellness bloggers make online?
Free Bonus: Want to know how much health and wellness bloggers actually make? I made a list of 7 prominent health and wellness bloggers along with how much money they actually make from their blogs. Just fill out the form below to unlock it.
