Selecting between Paid vs. Free Blogging
Before you even start blogging you need to choose between free hosting services and a paid site. There are pros and cons of each decision and it will affect every other aspect of your online journal or business.
Decide the purpose of your blog. You need to clearly define why you are blogging before you decide on a blog host. If you have a personal blog or online diary then a free host may be the way to go. Most professional bloggers will tell you that’s better to start out owning your domain name so you can build a brand. Owning a name ensures that you have complete control over what happens on your site. You’ll be able to add as many plugins or use different template designs which may be restricted on free hosting.
Know what you are getting into. A free blogging service may seem like the way to go just because the price is right. You’ll want to carefully consider all of the restrictions that this may place on you. You won’t own your domain name and you’ll have to abide by their terms of service. Your free blog may even be marked as spam and taken down without notice.
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.
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