Tips Paid vs. Free Blogging
The first thing you’ll need to decide when you start blogging is whether you want to go with a free host or a paid service. You’ll need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each because it will have lasting ramifications on your business.
When deciding between paid vs. free blogging you need to decide exactly what you’ll be using your blog for. How you use your blog determines what kind of blogging host you need. If you just want a space for your friends to gather and share your thoughts then go with a free host. If you want to build a brand or business then a lot of pro online writers will tell you to go ahead and invest in your own domain name. With your own domain name you can have a say in every aspect of your blog. If you need to add a plug-in you can, if you want to use an unusual template or theme you can because you won’t have the restrictions of a free blog host.
Read the terms and services of the free site carefully. You might want to go with one of these services just because you don’t have to put money up front. The rules and regulations may not be worth the free service. The company has ownership of the subdomain and you have to do exactly as you say. The site even reserves the power to shut down your site immediately if another user marks it as spam.
Reevaluate your budget. Money is probably the only thing holding you back from getting your own web host. You might be able to make more money with a hosted blog, more than enough to cover your costs. It may be helpful to break the money down into a month by month basis so you get a clearer idea of what it will really cost you.
Think about the future. You might want to start off with a personal blog but be surprised how much it will take off. At some point you may want to switch your personal blog into a business blog. Many free blogging sites don’t let you monetize your site in certain ways. If there is even the slightest chance that you will turn your blog into a business to make money you will be better off going with a paid service so you’ll own the domain name.
Evaluate how computer savvy you are. Lots of web blogging hosts have simple software that you can use with a little education. You may find that free blogging sites really cater to the beginners; you might not even need to learn code. You might find the design templates offered to be static and your blog won’t have all the functionality you want. Millions of other people may use your template so your blog may just look like everyone else’s.
Learn more about hosting a blog. Stop by Sara Gilmore’s site where you can find out all about locating good blog hosting and what it can do for you.
