So, You Want to Start a Blog? Part 2: Choosing a Blogging Platform and Hosting Company

So, You Want to Start a Blog? is a step-by-step series that will guide you through setting up a new blog, so you can Blog Awesome. If you’re new here, be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss a post. Look for series’ posts every Tuesday and Thursday.

You can find Part 1: Choosing a Title and URL here.

Now that you’ve come up with an awesome title and URL for you blog like we talked about on Tuesday, it’s time to select a blogging platform and a hosting company.

Blogging Platforms

A blogging platform is basically the software that you use to create and maintain your blog. I’m biased. I don’t think there’s any room for discussion here. I’m just going to tell you straight up — choose WordPress for your blogging platform. Yes, Blogger is free, but WordPress is superior. Why? Well…

1. With WordPress you can self-host your blog which means you have full control and ownership of your content. With free blogging platforms your content lives on their servers which leaves you at their mercy. Some free blogging platforms also have rules about what type of content you can publish. I think it’s important to be king of your own domain (pun intended.)

2. The themes or templates available for WordPress are more flexible and more powerful. WordPress is the preferred CMS (Content Management System) for businesses. It’s used by large corporations such as Sony and Ford. WordPress’ popularity has lead developers to create a variety of world-class, professional-grade frameworks and themes.

3. With the WordPress plug-in library many customization are simple and almost limitless. Plug-ins are extras (mostly free) that you can download and add-on to your theme. For example, a social media button plug-in allows you to add Twitter and Facebook share buttons to your blog without writing a single line of code or understanding anything about HTML.

What About Free WordPress?

So you check out WordPress, and you see that there’s a free option that let’s you host your blog on their servers much like Blogger. Don’t choose the free option. With the free option you can’t sell advertising, products or make money.

Maybe you think you don’t want to make money today, but tomorrow when your blog starts to take off you will. Then you’ll have the hassle of switching from your free WordPress blog to a self-hosted one. Save yourself the headache and go self-hosted from the start.

As a newbie five years ago, I started out on free WordPress. It was a hassle to transfer from free WordPress to self-hosted WordPress. Also I didn’t know how to do it myself back then, so I had to pay someone to help me. I could have saved that transfer cost if I’d just went self-hosted from the beginning.

Is it Worth it to Spend Money on My Blog?

A lot of people balk at the idea of spending money to set up a blog, because it seems like a waste. Rather than seeing it as wasteful consider it an investment in yourself. Even If blogging is just a hobby, you’re putting a few dollars into something you love. Do you have other hobbies? Do you spend money on them? Even if you jog around the block you probably at least invested in a good pair of running shoes.

If you want to make money with your blog, you should have no problem justifying a financial investment.

When I started blogging I didn’t want to spend any money on it either. Soon, however, I realized the value blogging had for me. It wasn’t just about making money either. It was about having a hobby that I enjoyed. One that allowed me to connect with women all across the country I wouldn’t otherwise. That let me have a voice from my living room in the midst of laundry and dirty diapers and toy cars. Once I went self-hosted it also allowed me start making money with my blog. The investment was well worth it.

How Much will a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog Cost Me?

I don’t want you to go crazy and throw thousands of dollars into setting up your blog. Not even hundreds. The actual WordPress software is always free, even if you are self-hosted. You can purchase hosting and a domain name for under $100 a year. That’s less than $12 a month. Skip a few Starbucks’ lattes, and you’ll pay for your blog.

Choosing a Hosting Company

Now that you’ve decided to go with self-hosted WordPress for your blogging platform, from what company should you purchase your URL and hosting?

GoDaddy, HostGator, bluehost and DreamHost are the main companies people host their WordPress blogs with. For the most part their packages and pricing are similar. There are loads of other companies out there. Look for a company with a good track record. You don’t want your blog going down all the time because your hosting company is inept. Also, look for a company that offers one-click WordPress installation, or one that will do the installation for you, especially if you’re completely new to WordPress and not using a blog designer.

Now it’s time to bite the bullet and purchase your URL and hosting from the company of your choice. After that, get WordPress installed. Follow the instructions on your host company’s site, or have customer support assist you.

So, you have your title, URL, a hosting company and WordPress is installed on your site. Congratulations! You just started a blog, and you’re well on your way to being Blog Awesome!

Next Tuesday we’ll talk about blog design, choosing a template and deciding if you need to hire a blog designer.

You can find Part 1: Choosing a Title and URL here.

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