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Starting a Blog – Which Platform Do You Choose?
October 27th, 2010 | 
Author: By Ashley, Contributor, Just Another Mom of 2 (@AnotherMomof2)
You have things to say- that’s why you want to have a blog, right? Well, while it would be nice to simply type out our words and have millions of people read them, that just doesn’t happen. There are a lot of considerations when deciding what and how to blog, and one of the most common and significant of these decisions is what blogging platform to use.
The Basics
If you’re scratching your head and wondering what a blogging platform is, don’t worry- it’s not some super-secret blogging tool. Your blogging platform is what program you use to publish all of that genius inside your head. The three that are most common are WordPress, Blogger, and Typepad. I am going to go a step further and say that in my experience and obsessive blog reading, WordPress and Blogger are really the big boys of blogging.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
WordPress comes in two forms- the free, .com version and the self-hosted .org version. Here’s the deal; there are only so many choices we can handle before our brains explode, so I’m going to make this easy for you. If you want to stick to a free blog, where you are not paying anything, you should have a Blogger blog. WordPress.com is much more restrictive in what you are able to do behind the scenes and also does not allow ads. Monetization is a key goal for many bloggers, so if this is something you ever think you want to do, then wordpress.com is not for you. In addition, many of the fun plugins for wordpress.org are not available on the .com version.
To pay or not to pay
Blogging might be just a hobby for you- that’s how it all began for me. Monetization sounded more like a banking term than a blogging term and I in no way considered the idea of paying to blog. Who had any interest in that?
Ahem.
Within months of reading more and more blogs and connecting in the blogosphere, I was ready to move to WordPress (remember, the self-hosted one). I had decided that I wanted to have complete control over my name, content, and advertising and wanted to have all of the bells and options that WordPress has to offer. With Blogger blogs, Google owns you (well your blog anyway). I decided if I was going to do all this work and make all this effort, I wanted ultimate control. I did the transfer myself and have not regretted the move once and had a noticeable increase in traffic within just a couple of months of switching. WordPress blogs rank much better in SEO than Blogger blogs, and are generally regarded as more professional. I am happy to have made the switch and have yet to encounter anyone who has regretted the move.
That being said!
If you have no intention of ever monetizing your blog and don’t want to brand yourself/blog/name, etc., then Blogger is probably the choice for you. You can still create custom looks and designs in blogger, and Blogger has offered a lot more ability to customize in recent months. You can now even create up to 10 static pages as well. You can also have some advertising on Blogger blogs, though you can run into issues.
Not everyone has problems with Blogger and have, in fact, built large and successful blogs on that platform. While people often report having some downtime with Blogger, this can always happen with any platform (though it depends on your server). You can even purchase your own domain name for the low price of $10 a year- though keep in mind that even with your own domain, Google still owns your blog.
So what am I supposed to do now?
At the end of the day, you need to know where you want to take your blog. If you are not sure how much you want to take on or want to test the waters a bit, then Blogger is the better place to start. If you are starting a blog with business goals in mind, it is probably better to go for it right away and purchase your own domain and hosting and use WordPress. While your blog can certainly be transferred from Blogger to WordPress at a later date (which I happen to do if you need to hire someone), if you have certain goals in mind right from the start, it is easier to just go ahead and establish your presence from day one in WordPress.
More great articles about Blogger vs. WordPress:
http://theunexperiencedmom.com/2010/02/moving-from-blogger-to-wordpress.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Blogger-Vs-WordPress—Which-Should-You-Choose?&id=3723650
Ashley is a stay at home mom (and social media consultant) who is not always sure what state she is in. She has moved her family to what will soon be 5 states in 6 years- whew! She can be found blogging over at Just Another Mom of 2 and also offers affordable transfers to WordPress. Email her at Ashley @ justanothermomof2.com for details!
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What does that mean “Google owns your blog,” ?
With Blogger, it is owned by Google. As such, since it is hosting your content, it owns your content and database. If they do not like/approve of/etc of what you are blogging about, they can shut down your blog without warning. While you are able to purchase a domain name through them and own the name, your content is still subject to whether or not Blogger (ie google) finds it appropriate. It’s their service and you’re using it for free– so they have the ultimate say. I hope that clarifies!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Week of October 25 Menu Plan Monday
I’ve had terrific success with Typepad. It’s one that you have to pay for, but the customer service is terrific. I made the switch after getting frustrated with Blogger one too many times, and have never looked back. TP is easy, it loads up quickly, and just plain ol’ works! : )
Katie´s last blog ..The Army 10Miler
That’s great! It really is about finding the right fit for you and your blog- that’s what will ultimately make the difference!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
Okay Ashley, now I need you in the house next door so that I can ply you with wine
(have my husband cook fab meals for you) and have you work some magic on my blog (blogger) I love it for how stylish you can make it look without much effort … but now, oh now do I wish I had listened when told to go WordPress in the beginning …
By Word of Mouth´s last blog ..Wild and Crazy/Home Sweet Home
Hey, if I don’t have to cook and I have someone pouring my wine, I can create all the blogs you need. (Wait, you watch the kids too, right?) If you have a few specific questions, email me- I might be able to help and might be able to use them for the OMH blogging posts!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Davis, Michael Davis, Woodoo Prod, NeedMoneyLearntoBlog, Zlata and others. Zlata said: Tips on choosing the best blog platform for you! http://bit.ly/ad5Kts @AnotherMomOf2 #blogging #wordpress #blogger http://goo.gl/fb/rk3cU [...]
I sure wish I would have started on WordPress! I will make the move soon!
That’s great that you’re preparing to make the switch! I have never looked back
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
Well said. I made the switch & love WP! Blogger was okay, but I feel like I’m in the big leagues now
Jill´s last blog ..Blake8217s 1st day
The extra options alone make it fun- and perhaps more time-consuming! I’m glad you enjoy the switch!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
All the bloggers who have moved to WordPress, seem really happy. I tried the free WordPress and was NOT happy because I could not tweak HTML there, so I moved back to Blogger.
Maybe it’s because I’m cheap, but so far Blogger works for me! For now…
Suzanne @ Mommy Moves Again´s last blog ..The NY Times Questions Mommy Bloggers
Exactly- I hands down recommend Blogger over WordPress.com specifically due to customizing options. Blogger is great for those who have no desire to focus behind-the-scenes too much while still offering the ability to make the look your own. I think my feathers got most ruffled when I realized my content could up and disappear and that ultimately it wasn’t *mine*. But again, it’s all about comfort levels.
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
I also want to move to WP – but I’m making myself wait until my blogoversary to do it. I figure if I am still blogging after an entire year, I’ll be in it for the long haul
Natalie´s last blog ..Ms. L in the Box
That’s a great goal to set! I think that’s a good way to approach it, especially for bloggers who aren’t sure what they want to do or where they want to go with their blogs (not referring to you, but new bloggers in general). You should also contact me when you’re ready
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
You make very good points. I’m just a little blog so I have no reason to move right now — blogger works just fine for me. But I will almost definitely consider switching sometime in the future.
Venassa´s last blog ..Day of Silence for Daddy Butch
I myself started on Blogger, and it is a great way to begin- especially when you’re still figuring out what you want to do and where you want your blog to go. There are a lot who even stay there! But the switch has definitely been worthwhile
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
Where were you girl when I started???!!! Great post!!
Thanks Cori, that’s so nice to hear!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Guest Posting at Our Mommyhood
Great Points! But I am still confused over what I should do! Can you just make the decision for me (whining),
Thanks for all the information
Sure! You should switch to WordPress and contact me to do your move for you
. No, in seriousness, if you’re not sure, I like Natalie’s approach above; set a goal time of hitting a certain amount of time blogging (or a certain number of readers, etc.) and then re-evaluate. Sometimes we need goals like that to make up our minds for us!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Aloha Friday- Fall Edition
Having spent 2 hours yesterday dealing with Blogger screwing around with the formatting on a post I am ready to bail! But feel overwhelmed with the idea of moving everything over to another host so have decided to stay put until my blog is 6 months old, has more traffic and I’m ready to monetize it.
Such a great plan to have Anne! I love your approach, it’s a great way to decide if it’s right for you to make the switch.
Ashley @ Just Another Mom of 2´s last blog ..Aloha Friday- Fall Edition
I wish I would’ve started with WordPress. I love the clean, professional look.
I love the way posts can be stacked up…I love all of it.
BUT I”M SCARED.
I know blogger drives me crazy with how crammed everything looks.
I want to change over with the target date being the bloggybaby’s first anniv., feb 27.
Will you hold me then?
PLUS: oh, yeah, girl, you’ll be gettin’ a call..
Alexandra´s last blog ..Depends On Who You Ask
[...] back, I tend to need to search for it. A great example is the article I wrote last week about which blog platform to choose. I knew that Tamara of The Unexperienced Mom had a great article comparing Blogger and WordPress; [...]
[...] post about choosing a blogging platform convinced you to move to WordPress. Except, there are all these terms that sound like a foreign [...]