It sometimes seems that everyone and their dog has a blog these days. (Really! I have seen some blogs authored by dogs) If you are new to the idea of starting an online journal, you may be contemplating going with one of the free blog sites. Before making the decision to purchase a domain or go with a free blog host, there are some pros and cons to consider about the free blog sites:
Pros of Free Blog Sites
1. Price, obviously.
2. Quick set-up. With the limited flexibility of a free blog host, you can be up and running in no time. If you have 10 blog post ideas waiting to be published, there is little to no wait.
3. Newbie-friendly is another plus. If you have no clue what goes on in the back-end of a blog or website, free blog sites are a good place to learn the basics.
Cons of Free Blog Sites
1. SEO – If you want to (and you should) utilize keywords in your posts, keep in mind you are doing the free blog host more good than you are doing yourself. As the main domain, all of those juicy keywords go to them first. Not that you can’t make it to Google Search Result #1, but you will have to work twice as hard.
2. You have to play by their rules. Without owning your own domain, they can choose to shut down your new blog at any time and for any reason. They own your blog. If they don’t like what they see, they can shut it down.
3. Limited flexibility. Plugins and widgets can make your life a lot easier. On a free blog site, you are limited in how much you can optimize your blog.
4. The name. Your blog’s name is always going to be myblog.someone-else-owns-it.com. This can be difficult for branding and getting your readers to send referrals your way.
5. If you decide to change to paid hosting later, there can be problems. I have heard it has gotten a bit easier to transfer blogs to another domain. However, I still hear stories of lost subscribers, readers, posts, etc. You are also starting completely over with SEO and link building.
Those are the top pros and cons of free blog sites. There are always more things to consider than just price. It is a personal choice for every blogger, but take a little time to make sure it fits your needs.
If you are in need of a host recommendation, I highly suggest HostGator. They have fabulous support, are user-friendly and they have several hosting packages available at different price points.
I started out with free blog sites, but switched to self hosted at WordPress so I could control my internet real estate. Not sure if it’s true, but I heard that blogger deleted itself years ago.
Lisa recently posted ..Fisher Price Jeep Rubicon updated Sat Aug 14 2010 9-24 am CDT
I keep planning on moving over to WordPress, have my domain name, etc., but after all the stuff about losing so much, I’m not sure I want to do it… would have to move pictures, and everything… darn it, I hate procrastination… come visit when you can…
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I guess it comes down to what your ultimate goal and vision for your blog is. If it’s just a personal blog to share and update family and friends, then free hosting is fine and convenient. But if you hope to expand your readership and maybe even one day monetize your blog, it makes sense to look at other options – many of which are affordable.
Babes about Town recently posted ..Calendar- What’s Hot in September
Twitter: hajraks
says:
Hey Angie,
I started off with a free blog but then moved on to a self hosted one on WordPress. Even if one doesn’t intend to make money through their blogs and have it for personal reasons; it is best to go with the paid versions. Free blogs have been quite commonly told to have deleted themselves and no matter how much one tries to retrieve them, it is a tough task. It always makes more sense to go with the paid version; you are your own boss that way!
Hajra recently posted ..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?