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!!!