Blog Marketing

Is free blogging platform recommended?

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This is a Guest post from Jerry Low of Web Hosting Secrets Revealed

It’s common to see bloggers face tough time selecting the right blogging platform. Some might suggest hosting blog on its own domain and hosting is the best; while some might prefer hosting free on blogging platform like WordPress and Blogger.

Believe it or not, there are more than hundred of solid reasons why you should, or should not, host your blog on its own hosting account. Fact is there are both pros and cons for the options and what’s right for your blog might not be suitable for the others. What I’m going to do here is to compare both given options and (hopefully) help undecided bloggers to pick an appropriate hosting method.

Free blogging platform
So what’s a free blogging platform?
A free blogging platform simply means a website that offers free blogging tools and hosting services for their users. Blog created in such platform normally owns a third level domain name, something like myblog.wordpress.com. WordPress and Blogspot are currently the two big names in the industry.

Why host blog on a free blogging platform?

There are several key advantages for a WordPress blog (or Blogspot or TypePad or any other free platform) when compare with those with its own hosting/domain. First of all, blogs hosted on these blogging platforms are totally free of charge. Bloggers do not need to worry about bandwidth cost or MySQL storage limitation as these are given free by the platform.

Also, free blogging platform generally provides tools that are simple to use and easy to maintain. There is no web hosting server to be maintained and you don’t need to be troubled by much back end maintenance tasks.

Successful example of blogs on a free platform

We are not lack of successful blogs (that hosted free on these platforms) that get thousands (if not millions) of readers and fans. These blogs often appear as the irreplaceable authority in certain industry and here are some of the examples
– PhotoshopDisasters.blogspot.com
– AntiGreen.blogspot.com
– MoBlogsMoProblems.blogspot.com (The Viral Garden),
– MarketingGreen.wordpress.com and TPZzoo.wordpress.com.

Blog hosting: Free vs Paid
You might ask: “If free blogging platform is so good, why take the hassles to host blog on its own hosting and domain?” Well the simple answer is that free blogging platforms are not perfect. There are various limitations in marketing, branding, and functions when a blog is hosted free on Blogspot or WordPress. A blog with its own domain name and hosting, on the other hand, is much flexible when it comes to branding and designs.

Generally speaking, marketing a free blog is tough. The long and ugly URL makes a blog address hard to remember; plus free blog projects the image of ‘part-timer’ or ‘amateur’. It is more difficulty to get other webmasters to treat your blog seriously when it comes to web partnership or joint venture. Blogs hosted free also have limitation in web functions and designs as use of cgi-bin and .htaccess are prohibited.

Which blogging options you should go for?
Back to our question, there’s no one-fit-for-all answer for the situation. If you are blogging just for knowledge/interest sharing and do not wish to spend much time/money; then a free blog on WordPress or Blogspot is right for you.

On the other hand, a blog with its own domain and hosting is good for those who wish to profit from their blogs. A blog on its own domain/hosting is simply better in term of profitability. More over, with hosting services getting cheaper and cheaper nowadays (cheapest web hosting cost less than $5 a month – read my web hosting reviews), I see no reason why anyone with a little extra cash and time should not blog with its own hosting and domain name.

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27 comments

Dennis Edell December 6, 2008 - 4:37 pm
TypePad is not free. Dennis Edells last blog post..UPDATED: Would You Like To Sponsor My *Best Blog Review* Contest?
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog December 7, 2008 - 11:31 am
Thanks for pointing this out I ve changed it ZKs last blog post..Is free blogging platform recommended?
Dennis Edell December 7, 2008 - 2:14 pm
Glad I could help. :) Dennis Edells last blog post..Your Link Just Got MORE Valuable!
Jerry Low December 7, 2008 - 8:30 pm
ZK and Dennis, thanks for pointing out the mistake. TypePad offers blog in 'example.typepad.com' but the service is not free. In case you're interested in learning more about TypePad's services, check out: http://www.typepad.com/pricing/ Jerry Lows last blog post..Does your blog need its own domain?
Blog for Beginners December 8, 2008 - 7:12 pm
Oh I didn't realize typepad is a paid blogging platform. Well, it's still considered free since you are not paying anything for your hosting, is it not? Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..To Follow or Not to Follow: That is the Question
JR @ Internet Marketing Strategies December 7, 2008 - 4:24 am
Good post, the way I see it, free blog vs. own domain is like remodeling a rented apartment vs. a house you own. It's a space that you will invest hard work, time and even money in but you don't truly own it, AND you never have total control. JRs last blog post..THE Tip to Staying Organized in Internet Marketing
Dennis Edell December 7, 2008 - 9:00 am
Interesting analogy, I like it! Dennis Edells last blog post..Your Link Just Got MORE Valuable!
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog December 7, 2008 - 11:32 am
Brilliant Analogy, makes perfect sense. Thanks for commenting and adding value to this blog ZKs last blog post..Is free blogging platform recommended?
aweber May 14, 2009 - 11:43 am
I do agree with Dennis that analogy is pure mind blowing when i first read those lines it gave me gossebumps because they meshed so well together I'm going to use it myself in a post or something and apply it in some way awebers last blog post..Review Of The Email Messenger “Mostly Known” As AWEBER
IronBlogger - Blogging Tips and Tricks December 7, 2008 - 9:05 am
I personally think that if you intended on going anywhere with your blog you should get your own domain and hos tit yourself. WordPress seems the be the industry standard and there are lots of great plugins out there for it. IronBlogger - Blogging Tips and Trickss last blog post..How to Increase Your E-mail Deliverability
Ben Pei December 7, 2008 - 10:30 am
Nah I would definitely not recommend free platform unless you're going experimenting something. Ben Peis last blog post..Blogging With One Hand
Tumblemoose December 7, 2008 - 12:15 pm
I would have to say that it really does depend on what the blogger has for his or her goals. If the blogger has no intention of truly monetizing then a free platform is probably ok. With that said,I think a lot of folks don't take a Blogger blog seriously. I think they are seen as dabblers in the art and not professional bloggers - which is ok for a lot of folks. Cheers George Tumblemooses last blog post..Are writing partnerships a good idea?
aweber May 14, 2009 - 11:45 am
well you can make money on free blogging platforms as they have done it in a way that you can but the chance of making money with them are rather low considering there's really no way to change the things you would like to those of your choice awebers last blog post..Review Of The Email Messenger “Mostly Known” As AWEBER
Jerry Low December 7, 2008 - 8:42 pm
Yup - ‘dabblers’ - that’s the right word to use! I don't accept link exchange offer from blogger blogs and I don't really trust an advertiser buying ads to promote his blogger blogs. A free blogs is quite a burden in web marketing and branding. As said, if you wish to make money online, just get a blog with its own domain and hosting. (ZK please help delete the duplicated posting above, thx)
Smart Path December 8, 2008 - 5:55 am
When i was into a business i used free blogs and later when i decided to make a blog for myself i went for paid blogging...It depends on our way of using.
JWRmedia December 8, 2008 - 2:43 pm
I liked reading this article, although I *almost* always suggest people to go with their own hosting. The only exception would be TOTAL newbies who have never had a website, a hosting account or a blog before, or those who just want to run a personal blog. For anyone looking to make money from their blog or if you offer a service or are a business, the few bucks for a domain name and hosting is well worth the professionalism and overall control. I guess the cheapest way to go is to have your free hosted blogging platform and buy a domain name and just forward it to your free hosted blog.
Blog for Beginners December 8, 2008 - 7:10 pm
Baring the issue of switching from one platform to another, it's perfectly fine to start with a free platform for newbies. When the passion and interest grow, it's then the time to move on to the paid version to take the blog to the next level. Yan Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..To Follow or Not to Follow: That is the Question
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog December 8, 2008 - 9:09 pm
You are absolutely right Yan passion, interest and visualisation would be key components to decide if one needs to go for a free blog platform or a paid one. ZKs last blog post..Is free blogging platform recommended?
Ron@Laptop Battery Ac Adapter December 9, 2008 - 6:42 am
Great post and also informative
SEO Wordsmith December 11, 2008 - 12:18 am
Some good points here. The blogspot URL is unsightly and unprofessional, but it only costs $15 to register a domain name on Wordpress and not have to worry about bandwidth issues. But you also don't get to use any plugins, which is half the fun of Wordpress. Also, having a web host is better for search engine optimization than being on a site where your blog is shared with a long list of other blogs on the same server.
Dennis Edell December 17, 2008 - 4:15 pm
Who's is over-charging you for domains? Never pay more then $10 my friend. :) Dennis Edells last blog post..$100 First Prize! The *Best Blog Review Contest* Is In Full Effect!
Shanker Bakshi December 12, 2008 - 2:00 am
I will not recomend free blogging plateform , specially if you are in my niche, thats make money online. on first place its very hard to get approval from Affiliate network with a fre blogging platform as it dose not show your seriousness about blogging, second you don't have much control over your "blogging stuff." Shanker Bakshis last blog post..Google is Dead Here is Another Unexploited Goldmine
Myhpfblog December 14, 2008 - 1:40 pm
Good post and interesting.. very informative :) Myhpfblogs last blog post..Company’s Background
Salwa December 16, 2008 - 8:14 pm
I will not recommend free blogging platform for one people just don't take you seriously with what you do. Salwas last blog post..Banishing Blogging Myths
Jason@Paint Sprayer February 24, 2009 - 2:15 pm
I am a huge fan of wordpress. I think it is the way to go, self hosted of course. Jasons last blog post..Titan LX-60 Paint Spray Gun
Brad Callen April 28, 2009 - 4:10 am
The long and ugly URL makes a blog address hard to remember and should be kept in consideration. Brad Callens last blog post..Best method for building a BIG Twitter following
aweber May 14, 2009 - 11:49 am
I certainly agree because many will see that and not take you onto a more serious level if you continue to do so I certainly understand that. awebers last blog post..Review Of The Email Messenger “Mostly Known” As AWEBER

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