The problem with free blogging is that you are very limited in the features you get and what you can do with it. For example, on the free blog host called wordpress.com you are limited to the predefined templates they offer without any customization options. This means your blog looks like a LOT of other blogs. Not a very attractive feature.
Also on wordpress you are limited to the plugins (which come in very handy) that they offer, and cannot add more yourself. This very much limits the functionality of wordpress.com blogs for the professional blogger. Last problem with wordpress.com hosting as I see it, and the biggest of all, they don't allow you to put any advertising on the page. This means you CANNOT make money with their hosting.
But wordpress isn't the only free blog hosting company out their. Another very popular blog host is called livejournal.com. Live journal is just under par! I can't stress that enough.
First of all its user base is largely made up of school ages teenagers making it of little use to a professional blogger (unless you want a band/artist/music reader base). Second they offer no traffic statistics features and no plugins or upgrades to get any.
If you are not a livejournal member you will also find it very hard to make comments on livejournal sites or get link trades going with livejournal users. Apparently linking offsite is not easy on livejournal.
In recent months livejournal has gotten a somewhat better interface but still has a long way to go for a true professional to use it.
I could go through the list of almost every free blog hosting company and give reasons why a professional in any industry should not use them, but its really pointless. Instead let me tell you the features you do need from your host!
First you need a host with GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. When you call them, or email them, you want replies within 24 hours or less! If your blog goes offline, you want it back up in a hurry. If something goes wrong, you don't want to be stuck looking for a new host at the last minute.
You also need a host that offers Domain Email Hosting! This is of utmost importance. When you register a domain name, you get full rights to that name, even to create emails like admin@yourdomain.com. You hosting company NEEDS to offer you email hosting.
Many directories and article submission sites (one of many great traffic building methods I will discuss in the future) will not allow you to submit with them, or create accounts with them from free email providers like gmail and yahoomail.
For example I received this very email today: Registering Error: sorry but we are not accepting email from free email services, your IP has been recorded ... if you don't have an email account that isn't a free one, consider using your internet provider account email
So you want to make sure email is handled by your webhost!. Also you want to make sure your webhost offers FULL support of PHP and SQL (offering you at least 3 SQL databases) and offers ftp (file transfer protocol) access.
PHP and SQL databases are required by most blog software, and the idea is to get a webhost where you can host blogging software. Its also required to install the number one blogging software wordpress (free software made by the same people who offer the free hosting).
FTP access is required to install the blogging software! DO NOT RELY ON AUTOMATED CLICK INSTALLERS OFFERED BY WEBHOSTING COMPANIES! Most click installers install out of date software and you end up have to manually update the software anyways. Its not worth the hassle of the install!
I have tried hundreds of freehosts. I have used blogger, livejournal, wordpress, blogsome, justfree, and TONS and TONS of others. NOT ONE compares to paid hosting!!!
Most bloggers use amateur Blogs as opposed to professionals, though I am not sure what a professional blog is. If you are blogging for profit, whether as an amateur or professional, then you are best advised to run your blog from your own website. This involves downloading the blogging software to your web space.
This however is a personal opinion, and many people prefer the simplicity of operating their blog from a blog host such as Blogger, run from Bloodspot, or Word press from Word press. There is little to do other than to register and make your posts. The only negative is a lack of individuality and formatting of the look of the blog and the tools that you can use on it. The majority of people who use the internet for fun, as opposed to business, believe that they have few opportunities to make money from their blog.
However, anyone who has a blog (reminds me of a Calla Black song) can use it to make money, or if that is against your ethos of using the internet for fun, then to a cover your expenses a as our councilors, governors and for more detail go to: www.greatblogbox.com.other governmental individuals like to express it! As they do, you can cover your expenses very, very well if you utilize the monetization possibilities of Blogs as they can be used.
To repeat, in order to do so to the maximum of your ability, you must run your blog from your own web host. Most amateur Blogs are created using Blogger from the Bloodspot site or Word press from Word press, but if you can run your blog from your own website, then you have a lot more flexibility in the content of your blog than otherwise.
In fact you get many more benefits other than the possibility of profit by uploading blogging software to your web space (I am now going to use the term a website a for web space since that is more familiar to most people, though the terms mean different things). If your blogging software is to your own website rather than that that of a blog provider such as Blogger or Word press, you have a lot more flexibility in how you want to format your blog, and in the features contained within it.
Another is the possibility of adding links to any affiliate products you are promoting, and in fact links to anything you want your visitors to link to. These could include your websites or other Blogs, for more help visit to: www.bloggers-guide-to-profit.com. in addition to adverts of various kinds. You can offer these in permanent pages, at the start or end of each individual post or even within posts, though the most effective adverts and Adsense blocks are those included in the sidebars and footers of each post.
Another significant benefit that many bloggers find they get by downloading the software is that they can upload any of thousands of page templates for their blog that are totally editable. You can use Photoshop or a clone to edit the graphics, mainly the header, to customize it exactly for you, and can also edit the entire html to render the template unique to you. That is not possible with a blog hosted by the blog provider.
Both Blogging For Bucks & Chaman Kumar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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