I am sure that I sound like a broken record to my clients about the value of having a blog. I often say the question isn’t whether to have a blog (there’s no reason NOT to have a blog), but how to blog. There are a multitude of options and choices – all of them good and each provide great search visibility. However, a honest consideration of not only desired results, but also one’s working style, personality and technical savvy – are all things to think about before selecting a blogging service or software.
Before choosing a blogging option, I’d consider the following questions:
#1: Purpose: Are you looking to build a community with lots of comments and guest authors? Or are you just seeking a way to voice your opinion and showcase your knowledge?
#2: Service Provider vs. Self-Hosted: Do you like the ease and peace of mind of having the blog hosted and managed elsewhere? Or, do you prefer having the customization options and control of self-hosting?
#3: Cost: Are you looking for a free solution? Or are you fine with paying a subscription fee for a few extra bells & whistles that make blogging more convenient?
#4: Customization: Are you determined to have a fully customized blog that blends with the rest of your site (and are OK with paying for some development)? Or, are you looking to have a simple setup at minimal time and cost?
I have worked with every major blogging platform – Blogger, WordPress (hosted & installed) and TypePad – the three big players in personal and small business blogging. They all have their strong points – and all are great choices. Based on my experience, here’s the pros & cons of each:
Blogger
Blogger Pros:
- The utilitarian’s choice… everything you need, nothing you don’t.
- Free
- Instant setup – I recommend it as a starter blog
- Easy to use
Blogger Cons:
- The navigation bar at the top of the screen can’t be removed
- I have experienced issues working with the feeds generated by Blogger – especially when attempting to display headlines on other sites.
- Limited customization options
WordPress (hosted & self-hosted versions)
WordPress.com (Hosted) Pros:
- No installation needed – it’s hosted by WordPress
- Free
- Great bells & whistles for a free service
WordPress.org (Self-Hosted) Pros:
- Free
- Flexible – endless possibilities for expansion
- Loads of plugins, themes and access to CSS for ease of customization
WordPress Cons:
- Self-hosted version requires installation on your webserver – with the attendant need for maintenance time
- Appearance – some themes look great – some are somewhat clumsy looking
- Requires a willingness to sometimes wrestle with it to get desired results
- Free plug-ins offer loads of options. However, many don’t play well with each other and can unexpectedly break your blog for no obvious reason.
- No technical support – only a support forum of other users
Typepad (this blog is on Typepad)
TypePad Pros:
- Easy to set up, great support
- Visually elegant – Themes look great in any browser – easy to read
- Easy to add content and widgets that offer connectivity to other content
- Maintenance-free!
- Easy-easy-easy to use
- Terrific convenience features
- Upgrading to an enterprise-level blogging solution (Movable Type) easy.
Typepad Cons:
- Monthly fee based on selected service level.
- Flexibility comes at a price – access to advanced template and CSS customization options require higher-cost subscription levels.
Basically, any blogging choice boils down to flexibility vs. convenience. My previous blog is on self-hosted WordPress… and even I got tired of wrestling with it to get it to do something I wanted it to do (and I LOVE doing this sort of stuff). I ended up wondering if that was the most effective use of my time… so I switched to the TypePad format. Clean, easy & simple – for me, convenience won out.
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Thanks, Sandra!!
Just so you know, this was the post that made me sit up and notice your blog. Great article with very valuable information. I really mean it. I’ve forwarded it to several people so far.
Andrea Kalli
http://www.virtualassist.net
Mary, this is a nice idea for a post. I started with Typepad and ended up with WP which felt like the right fit as soon as I started digging into it. I am cazy about WP now and think I’ve almost turned into a pusher (of WP, that is).
Nice article. I found your site via Loosely Speaking ( http://blog.looseends.net/ ).
Have you considered Tumblr ( http://tumblr.com ) as a very simple, straight-forward, hosted and free blogging solution? There are plenty of themes and the more savvy tech user can customize the look fairly extensively. There is also another minimalist blogging platform coming to light called Chyrp ( http://chyrp.net ).
I like WordPress, but I’ve come to love Expression Engine ( http://expressionengine.com ). The learning curve is a little steeper, but its very flexible (more so than WordPress) and can be used for much more than blogs.
I have a blog on Blogger and a blog on WordPress. Your “pros” & “cons” are as I experienced them too. I think blogging is fun.
For someone new to blogging, you might get hooked on all the cool widgets and plug-ins you can add. In a short time your blog may look cluttered. Blog readers often prefer a clean, simple blog. If you like more widgets or plug-ins than your blog can accommodate, consider rotating them.
A popular social media blogger’s blog site crashed. He thought it had something to do with his blog hosting site. He went so far as to move his blog to another hosting site only to find out it was a plug in he had installed.
Keep it simple. Follow Mary’s advice. You will have a good time blogging.
Good advice. I need to overcome my blogophobia and go for it. I appreciate your insights, Mary.
I think your own hosting service more good than wordpress free blogs. Because you can install themes plugins ect at your own host. But in free blog in my opinion you cant install new themes.
Thanks for the article.