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Now that you have decided that blogging is a good path for you, the big question is, what’s the best platform to use? There are a lot of great options available so it is important you know the pros and cons so that you can choose the best blogging platform for you and your blogging needs. Before you begin looking at different options there are some basics that you need to think about now.
Why do/did I want to start a blog?
What do I want to accomplish with my blog?
How much time and money am I willing to invest in my blog?
After you’ve thought about those questions and have a good idea of where you are starting, where you envision your blog going, and what you plan to invest then you’ll be able to make a better decision. Let’s look at our list of the top 4 blogging platforms and the pros and cons of each.
1) WordPress
WordPress is one of the most well-known options out there and a great option for a small business, those that want to get something out quickly, or those that don’t want to put a lot of time or money into their blog. It’s completely free and really easy to use. They boast a plethora of free themes to choose from so that takes the guess work out completely for you. WordPress uses open source software so you are able to modify, add, and extend at your will. They also have a very involved support community available that include lots of free tutorials and help guides online for free.
WordPress’s ease of use stems from it being designed and created with the basic blogger in mind. This can be a positive but also a negative, depending on the type of blog you are trying to create and maintain. So, if you are looking for something more advanced then you must pay for upgrades. You are also going to be at the mercy of the site when it comes to any updates that they do to the site and page loading speed.
2) Blogger
Blogger is another free site that comes from a very familiar name, Google. It’s simple to get started and is easy to use, however, one of the major differences is that you don’t actually own your site like you do with WordPress. With Blogger, the site is owned by Google. That may seem like a drawback but your worry for security is eliminated because it comes with the added security from Google. There is also an opportunity for making money through Google ads.
Some of the cons are that the creativity and mobility are significantly limited with Blogger. You can’t create your own theme or make a whole lot of changes. This can make it very difficult to move it to a different platform if you decide to do so in the future.
3) SiteBlog
SiteBlog worked hard to make building a blog through their site relatively easy. They also have domain options available outside of the typical .com. They have thousands of templates to choose from that they have conveniently broken down into easy to navigate categories. One of the biggest cons with SiteBlog is that there isn’t any community support available. If that is something that you need this may not be the best option for you.
4) Weebly
Weebly is noted as being a really user-friendly, reliable, blogging site. Its drag and drop features make it a great choice as a no fuss platform. No coding experience needed or involved. You will also gain some peace of mind with the ease and dependability of this site. One of the drawbacks, however, include functions that are more basic than that of other sites. The options to highlight most popular or latest posts are also not yet available.
Blogging Conclusion
The option still comes back to personal preference. You may want to try out a couple of different platforms or just pick the easiest and hit the ground running. Or, you may want to consider something more basic to start out with. It’s never a bad idea to also consider options that can really grow and become more complex with you. Out of this Top 4 list, we hope you have found one that stands out and can get you started in the right direction!
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