The Best Platforms For Starting A Blogging Site
Since it initially captivated the internet as the ‘next big thing’ over a decade ago, the popularity of blogging (which stems from ‘personal online journal’) has continued, whether for profit or just to have a voice on the web.
Some blogs are separate websites, while others are part of a bigger, corporate website as a more personal element.
A blogging platform is necessary to blog, as it handles the structuring of information in the form of text and photos, as well as providing a framework for putting it on a website. The blogging platform also makes it easy for a search engine to categorize blog articles and for marketing and advertising possibilities to be taken advantage of.
So, before you start churning out posts and greeting virtual guests from all over the world, you’ll need to figure out which blogging platform is perfect for you. Take a look at these fantastic possibilities.
WordPress
WordPress is a popular blogging platform that is said to be utilized on 41% of all websites. It strikes a good mix between ease of use and more complex features.
They can take care of all the technicalities, including the domain name, security, and hosting, making it a one-stop-shop. WordPress has hundreds of themes to choose from, each with its own fonts and customization possibilities. They also provide professional help, and a plugin that accepts credit card payments is accessible.
The Personal plan, which removes all WordPress advertising for $4 (€3.6, £3.1) monthly invoiced yearly, is the most affordable. There is also a free tier, which is perfect for a non-commercial site because WordPress advertising is there and there is no way to monetize it.
WordPress is an excellent solution for anyone starting a blog, including first-time bloggers. It is very easy to use and comes with thousands of different themes, some free and some paid.
Other features that make WordPress great include the ability to add your own code snippets, a built-in search engine optimized for blogging purposes, SEO settings integrated right into the dashboard.
You can optimize your content quickly, thousands of free plugins for adding functionality, an app store with even more free plugins, one-click install for popular apps like eCommerce or membership software tools, two-factor authentication security options, and many more.
Tumblr
While some blogs are well-developed, blurring the boundary between a blog and a full-fledged website, Tumblr is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It appears to be doing something well since it claims to have over 500 million blogs.
It concentrates on the shorter end of the range, with an emphasis on shorter information, such as only an image or a link, and can seem like a social media platform in its own right.
The content is clearly more concise, with articles containing a range of elements such as photos, jokes, quips, Spotify tunes, and video (just remember that adult content is no longer welcome). You may follow other blogs and repost content you like to your own blog, much like on a social networking site.
Tumblr has the advantage of being simple to use, free, and excellent for usage on a mobile device. However, because the material stays in the Tumblr environment and there is no way to commercialize it, this is not ideal for a highly developed site.
Even though Tumblr is not as popular as WordPress for blogging, it is growing in popularity. In fact, according to Alexa.com, as of July 2015, Tumblr was the 56th most visited website in the world and the 9th most popular site in the United States.
Truly though this statistic is a bit outdated as Tumblr has started to see a decrease in traffic due to rules it implemented that have led to more censorship.
Wix
Wix is one of the main website builder systems that can help you create the right blog for yourself, whether it’s a whole website or just a tiny piece of one. Wix provides advanced capabilities that are tailored to newbies who are just getting started with blogging, and it’s as easy as choosing a template from their extensive library and customizing it.
Even better, Wix allows you to preview your blog template on a PC and mobile device before committing to it. Wix’s blogging capabilities are designed for anyone who wants to market themselves or a company, expand their audience, or even generate money.
You can create a blog for free with Wix if you already have a domain name, and drive visitors to it with Wix’s sophisticated SEO tools like AMP and Schema, as well as a tailored SEO strategy to improve your search engine exposure.
The site also offers a scheduling tool, which allows you to compose your blog posts when it’s most convenient for you and then schedule them to go online at a convenient time.
Even though you can use Wix for free, the true benefits are in the pain plans. Wix’s premium plans offer more storage, bandwidth, and features like Google Analytics integration and a custom domain name.
Blogger
If you ask any veteran blogger what platform they used to start their blog, they’ll almost certainly say Blogger. To this day, Google’s blogging service retains some benefits, including the fact that you already have a Blogger account if you have a Google account.
Its free use will appeal to a broken starting site, and it will even supply the blogspot.com domain name as well as the option for a custom domain name. It’s also one of the most user-friendly platforms, with a variety of themes that can be easily customized.
Because it is a Google product, it connects easily with other Google products, such as Google Analytics, which can give information about your website’s visitors that can be utilized to assist increase traffic.
Additionally, your blog may be coupled with Google Adsense, which will evaluate your content and display appropriate adverts to monetize your site, allowing you to pay for your coffee while sitting in Starbucks and blogging late into the night.
Is there any reason not to utilize Blogger with all of these advantages? The concern is that when your site increases in popularity, its simplicity may cause you to outgrow Blogger. Furthermore, switching from Blogger to another platform might be tough.
Jekyll
Jekyll 4.2.1, the most recent version, is a “simple, blog-aware, static site generator.” TXT files are used to produce content, which is then organized into folders. Then you use Liquid language templates to create your site.
The content and template are then combined by Jekyll, and a website is created that can be published to a server. There is integration with Jekyll to host the website for free on GitHub for people that require a host.
While the Jekyll website has a thorough ‘quick-start tutorial,’ it lacks the simplicity of other rival blogging platforms that can handle anything from a web interface. Jekyll’s advantages, on the other hand, are its sophisticated capabilities, which include pagination choices, accessible plugins, excerpt rendering, templates, and community-maintained themes. It also allows you to migrate your blog from another platform.
The advantage is that the platform is free, but the disadvantage is that there is only community assistance, and the work is done in the Ruby programming environment, which will turn off many newcomers.
Medium
Medium is a platform that is designed for sharing stories and ideas. The advantage of Medium is that it has a built-in audience and the disadvantage is that it can be difficult to stand out among all of the content on the site.
Some of the best features of Medium are the easy-to-use editor, the wide range of templates available, and the ability to embed multimedia content.
You’ll find that Medium is a very creative design, and it is easy to post aesthetically pleasing content.
One of the best features of Medium is the Medium Partner Program because it allows web publishers to integrate their stories into your site with a single line of code.
Once you get signed up for this program, you get access to analytics detailing how many people visit your site from Medium.
There are six different packages that allow you to send visitors directly back to your website and track conversions at different price points.
You can also use custom domains on medium if you already own one and send referral traffic back to your site using one of four methods: basic URL redirect, JavaScript redirects, an iFrame, or a landing page.
Another great feature of medium is the ability for readers to highlight your articles, making them very shareable on social media.
If you want to use OIO Publish for anything other than sharing articles on Medium (i.e., collecting email addresses), then it gets more complicated. You’ll need to contact the service directly, as the developers do not offer any guidance on this process.
Medium is an excellent way to build relationships with influencers and gain exposure for new content, but it may be more of a commitment than some business owners are willing to take on.
If you’re looking for something simpler or less expensive than Medium’s paid program, there are some free alternatives out there that might fit the bill perfectly.
Weebly
You can signup for a free account on Weebly, which will give you access to a drag-and-drop website builder. This platform is perfect for creating simple websites, and you can use it to blog on your own domain (or a subdomain of weebly.com).
Weebly also offers a wide range of templates that you can use to get started, and there’s even an app that you can download to create content on the go. Some of the best features of Weebly are :
– Drag and drop website builder
– Lots of templates to choose from
– Can use your own domain (or a subdomain) or weebly.com
– Apps to create content on the go!
If you’re looking for something that’s more than just a blogging platform, Weebly is perfect. There are many other types of websites you can build, so it’s definitely worth checking out if this is what you need.
Google Sites
Google Sites *Sites lets you get started with a free account without having to give up any personal information.
Though Google Sites might not be the best choice for building blogs, it does offer some great features for publishing articles online. You can upload photos and videos, collaborate with others, and even create surveys or forms.
Some of the downfalls with Google Sites are that it can be a little confusing to use, and there’s not a lot of flexibility when it comes to design.
Strikingly
Strikingly is another option for building a blog site. It offers a free trial, and the basic account is only $4 per month.
Strikingly has a very user-friendly interface, and it’s easy to get started. You can create a professional-looking website in minutes, and there are tons of templates to choose from.
The feature you will like most about Strikingly is the ability to embed videos and photos. You can also add a blog to your site, and there’s even an option to create a store.
One downside is that you can’t password-protect your pages, so if you’re looking for privacy, this may not be the best platform for you.
Final Thoughts
The best platforms for blogging are the ones that make it easy to publish content, share with followers and stay connected. Blogging is a great way to express yourself, connect with others who have similar interests or create an online platform where you can sell your products.
But which of these platforms should you use?
There really isn’t one right answer because there are pros and cons for each option.
If you’re looking for something that you can cater and change to your own personal tastes then WordPress is the ideal solution. If themes/templates are not major criteria then Blogger can be a great option as well.
Take the time to go through each platform to see which one fits your specific needs.
Pick the best platform for your personal blogging style. You don’t have to write on every platform in order to be successful with blogging, but you should know which ones will work best for you and your audience.
