Free vs Paid Blog Hosting
Blogging has become like pop culture on the web. Almost everyone is doing it; if not for the money, just to have an opinion. In the early days of the internet, effective content management cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to achieve. Thanks to platforms like WordPress and Blogger, these dynamic publishing systems are now cost efficient and easy to use. The average non-technical user can find their way with a blog regardless of experience in HTML or server-side programming. Although blogging is not expensive by any means, enjoying success typically requires a small investment. With that being said, the question is, should you sign up for a free blog or paid hosting?
The Pros and Cons of Free Blog Hosting
If want to get started with a blog, rest assured that there are many options available. When it comes to free blog hosting, WordPress is clearly the most popular. Getting started is easy. Simply visit WordPress.com, sign up for a free account, name your blog, choose a template and stat posting. You get an administrative area to manage your categories and posts, built-in themes, widgets and other customizable features. Whether it is WordPress or any other platform, you can usually get up and running fairly quickly.
The downside to free blog hosting is that it leaves you limited. For instance, there are rules that restrict the posting of advertisements, a factor that prevents you from generating ad revenue. This is a crucial blow because many bloggers live off third-party advertisements, Google AdSense and other programs. Another drawback is that you can’t brand your name into the domain. For example, if you sign up for a free WordPress account, your domain would read something like myblogsite.wordpress.com as opposed to myblogsite.com. It may seem like a small difference but identity is vital for any website and it starts with a domain name. When considering that free blog hosting generally suffers from a lack of themes and add-on modules, it might have you thinking twice about what you’re willing to sacrifice.
Pros and Cons of Paid Blog Hosting
Paid blog hosting is the ideal solution for someone who wants to generate ad revenue, hype a particular product or service, and establish a long-term presence on the web. This is the type of service you get when signing up with a web host such as BlueHost. The blogging software comes included with your hosting account and can be incorporated into the environment in a few easy clicks. You get to use your own domain name and have access to a wide variety of themes and plugins. Even though you don’t need programming skills, a basic knowledge of HTML and PHP helps as you can write your own themes and plugins. The downside here of course, is that you have to pay for service. The key is finding a reliable web hosting company to host your blog.
Recommendations
Free blog hosting is great for getting started but can only take you so far in the long run. Therefore, we recommend Lunarpages and Bluehost for those looking to take blogging to the next level. These companies offer the one-click installation of blogging apps like WordPress, B2Evolution and Nucleus. With extensive help documentation and responsive technical support, you have all the ammunition you need to make it in the world of blogging.
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With the way that things are now with the internet I believe that a free blog is the way to go. When the internet started it was ALL free. That was the point behind the concept. now all adds,blogs,websites,want money . So lets try and keep certain things still free..
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