Home

 

There is no more common concern or question among both beginning and experienced bloggers alike: which blog platform should I pick? Aside from learning how to blog, it's an almost universal concern.

And there is no stock answer. All bloggers MUST own their domain names, but choice of the platform is primarily dependent on the specific blogger's needs. That said, I've compiled a list of disadvantages and advantages of the two main platform choices below.

Hosted Platforms

Hosted platforms refer to services whereby a service provider grants you access to their hardware, network connection, and software, and you register a blogging account for use on their platform. With a hosted blog, you have access to a control panel for your blog, and nothing else.

Popular hosted platforms include solutions like Blogger, TypePad, and LiveJournal.

Advantages of Hosted Platforms

• Cheap: many are free; others (like TypePad) are offered with multiple price points
• Simple to setup: just create an account and then quickly learn how to create blog posts
• Automatic updates: you don't have to concern yourself with keeping hosted software up-to-date and patched.

Disadvantages of Hosted Platforms

• Rigid: there are fewer cusotmization options with hosted platforms.
• Limited design options: you usually only get to choose from a limited number of mediocre designs, and you often can't make improvements to them
• Generic URL: some hosted platforms don't offer the option to use your own URL
• Lack of control: you are at the mercy of the platform
• Migration issues: migrating from some free hosted platforms results in a lot of effort and often the temporary loss of search engine rankings

Self-hosted Platforms

Self-hosted platforms consist of your own web hosting account with a host, and the blogging software you install on the host's server. With a self-hosted blog, you have access to an administrative panel for your blog, but you also have access to a server account and the blog software where you can do nigh anything.

Common self-hosted software includes Movable Type, WordPress, and Drupal.

Advantages of Self-hosted Platforms

• Design flexibility: you have full control over layout and design
• Great software: the best software is available on self-hosted platforms
• Custom URL: custom URL's are ubiquitous on self-hosted platforms
• Adaptability: your blog can change as your needs change
• Easy migration: should you ever want or need to migrate to another platform or another server, migrating is a snap

Disadvantages of Self-hosted Platforms

• Difficult setup: setup can sometimes be difficult, but this can be overcome with a good blogs how to
• Cost: while the blogging software is free, the hosting platform will cost you money
• Hosting issues: unless you choose a good host, you might have to suffer from down-time or poor support
• Upgrades: you will need to keep your software patched

The majority of my blogs are self-hosted, and it's what I generally advise anyone looking to create a professional presence. There are just too many benefits to pass up, and you usually have the choice to host many domains and blogs on one account, lowering the cost per blog down to a negligible amount.

Jared is co-author of Blogging in Action, a popular package that helps people learn how to blog the right way. He is also the programmer of the Six-Figure Plugin Suite, used by hundreds of people to drive traffic to blog posts and sites.

More Resources for How To Blog

Back To My Resources