Free Blogging Or Paid Blogging – Which Is Best? In today’s technological society, one of the greatest ways to express your opinions is through a blog. However, once you make the decision to begin blogging there are numerous further issues that must be considered. Firstly there is the problem of whether you use a free or paid blogging platform. Both of these are highly popular and have their own positive and negative features.
Before discussing in detail the advantages and disadvantages of the different blogs, let us consider what the blog actually is. A free blog is a blogging service that does not incur any cost. The most popular options are WordPress.com and Blogger. com. Of course, there are others such a Tumblr.com, but this platform is used primarily for younger individuals promoting ‘gag sites’ and fan pages.
Unlike a free blog, a paid blog requires a fee or subscription for use. Usually, this can be paid on an annual or six-monthly basis, but there are some websites that require a monthly payment. These paid blogs will usually be self-hosted platforms where one is allowed more freedom to experiment with your own designs and themes. The most popular paid blog site is Hostgater.com as they the cheapest subscription rates with the most positive reviews.
While paid blogs allow for more creative freedom regarding appearance, many individuals prefer free blogs. This is primarily because it is inexpensive, but also because the sites provide more support for the user. If you are a first-time blogger or do not know much about HTML or website design, this is a highly beneficial feature. Furthermore, free blogs offer more ready-made themes and designs for the blogger allowing for immediate set-up and writing.
As is mentioned, the paid blog does give you more freedom to create your own layout and web presentation. Once again there is the option of using ready-made, free themes, or purchasing the more intricate ones if you are unsure about manual website design yourself. The greatest attraction of the paid blog is the domain name. Unlike free blogs where you will be required to include the platforms name within the URL, a paid blog allows you a professional URL independent of the platform.
Unfortunately, paid blogs are not all advantageous. The one disadvantage is you will have to install an operating platform manually and complete SEO (search engine optimization) yourself, whereas the free blog does this automatically. The promotion of your blog is your responsibility.
In conclusion, while the free blog is the more simple option it does restrict creativity. All promotion is completed automatically, but one may only use basic designs unless you are willing to pay for the more defined ones. One must remember that by using these generic themes you will not be standing out from the crowd and there will be other blogs identical to yours. The paid blog requires more work, but it does allow for increased singularity. Which is best is based on personal preference – the decision is yours.
