Image by: Valerie Everett
By Tony Melino
So you want to start a blog, you say? Well… There are 2 major yet basic rules when it comes to creating a blog.
Rule #1: Know Your Topic
The first question I ask anyone; that tells me they want to start a blog, is what their topic is. You have to have a clear definition about what you want your blog to be about! I’ll say it again; before you even start setting up your blog, define what your main topic is.
Does it revolve around motivation, sports, travel, hobbies, your family, etc. No matter what it is; have a clear topic. You’ll get more traffic by specifying your blog than writing about everything under the sun. It will also be easy to create a URL from your topic.
Now that you know what you are going to be blogging about… what’s the next step? Well; this is why I’m writing this article. To assist in finding you a platform to host your blog!
Rule #2: Find Your Blog’s Platform
You’ve probably heard of them time and time again; but what is the difference between all of the types of formats? There are successful bloggers using each platform and it truly is whatever you feel MOST comfortable with.
So let’s go through the pros and cons of the 2 major platforms to help you decide which one is right for you.
WordPress Pros
1. The first thing to know about WordPress is that it’s incredibly user friendly. If you can write an email, if you can search the internet, if you can do anything on a computer… you’ll be able to figure out wordpress.
2. The second wonderful thing about WordPress is that it’s VERY customizable. If you know anything about CSS or web design, you can make it into anything your heart desires. If you know absolutely nothing about web design, that’s okay too!
There are tons of free website templates that you can customize (to an extent) without having to pay for it.
3. The last pro is that it’s very neat. The thing I love about WordPress is that it’s easy to find all of the widgets, navigate around the website, and feel amazing about the level of professionalism it gives my blogs.
WordPress Cons
1. The biggest con about WordPress is that you cannot use Google Adsense to the extent of what you can do on Blogger. I mean you can pay WordPress to have your ads on your blog… but you can also have your ads up for free on Blogger.
2. The last con about WordPress is that it’s not necessarily amazing for e-commerce. That’s what turned me off from it but other than that.. there’s nothing to harp about.
Blogger Pros
1. The reason why I love Blogger is because it is one of the most reliable blog platform. Why is this? Because it is run by Google itself.
2. You can customize it to your liking and posting a new blog is as simple as writing an email or surfing the web. It’s clear about the instructions of how to post something. Even a person who logs onto the site for the first time could figure out how to post a new post.
3. The last thing I love about Blogger is if you want to monetize your blog (but don’t necessarily know where to start) you can start by the dashboard as soon as you log on. It shows you how much traffic you’ve had this week and everything.
Blogger Cons
1. The biggest con about using Blogger is that there is a 1GB storage and there is no where to store your pictures. That’s why they make you use Picsa with a limit over 1GB.
2. The last con about Blogger is that there are no plugins available to enhance your blogging experience like they are on WordPress.
Ultimately; it’s up to you which one you use. I would test them both out (as they give you a free web address [yourname.wordpress.com/yourname.blogspot.com] and see which one you prefer. It’s always about personal preference. I’m just giving you money to base a decision off of.