At first, creating a decent blog doesn’t seem like a very difficult task. Given the number of online blogging services you can create your personal web presence while your coffee is hot. However, you should always think twice before taking your ideas online, since if you’re about to turn your personal blog into an online business one day, you might consider choosing the most feature-rich platform for your project.
Because there are dozens of blogging platforms available online (both good old, and recently launched), I’d like to narrow down the selection. In this article I’m going to describe the most helpful platforms.
#1 WordPress
WordPress one of the best and easy to use blogging platform used by many users worldwide. One can create a blog in less than 5 minutes. WordPress comes with a lot of features such as spam protection, full control over your blog, unlimited plugins and customizations, social sharing, statistics, mobile compatibility and much more features.
Benefits: WordPress blog is free, comes with hundreds of free themes,simple to use and you also add your own customized domain name and there are unlimited benefits.
#2 Blogger
This platform claims to be one of the most popular web services tailored specially for creating blogs. It helps users create and maintain their own blogs without a burden of technical aspects. On the one hand it is a nice, neat place to create a blog, but on the other hand, it has significant disadvantages that may bother you. So, let’s look at them closer:
Benefits: It is free. It is popular. It’s tied to your Google account (this simplifies authorization). It has an easy-to-navigate content management system.
Disadvantages: One of the most significant downsides of Blogger is limited customization (you can’t create a truly unique, exceptional blog there). What’s more, it’s not a platform that offers loads of perks – it lacks tools, plugins, and has a very limited monetization opportunity.
In fact, if you’re not interested in earning online, and you’re not going to explore your webmastering tools, you may opt for Blogger. But if you seriously consider running a full-fledged, dynamic blog, you’d better select a platform that offers more room for customization.
#3 Tumblr
Tumblr is another great place to start a free blog. The key benefit of this platform is its huge community (over 100 million users). It is also very easy in use. Unlike Blogger, it offers more room for customization (especially for those who have some programming experience).
However, there are also some disadvantages of using this platform: it’s great for image-focused content only; no RSS support; no comments; poor SEO.
Tumblr works best for those whose business is tied with image-focused content: photographers, painters, hairdressers, designers, etc. It helps make a great visual impression. However, it can’t be used for more serious purposes.
#4 uCoz
This platform differs from the aforementioned web services in that it’s not exclusively tailored for blogs. It’s a versatile website builder that allows you to create any kind of a website for free in a matter of minutes. Despite the fact that it’s not solely focused on creating blogs, it offers far more features than Blogger and Tumblr, especially in terms of design and customization. Some of the key advantages of using uCoz for your blog are as follows:
- It’s free.
- It is easy in use (it’s CMS is based on WYSIWYG and drag-and-drop editors).
- It has excellent technical support (live support, various manuals, video tutorials, etc.).
- It has a backup function.
- It offers more than 250 default designs and even more templates on their official store.
However, the most advantageous thing about using this sitebuilder is the modularity of its system. It allows you to expand and modify your blog by adding various Modules, most of which are available for free (Publisher, Site News, Polls, Mini Chat, Photo Album, Forum, Gallery, etc.). This means that you can improve your blog as its popularity grows.
On uCoz you’re able to attach your own domain even when using their free plan. This will increase your odds to build a professional-looking, and cost-effective website. Moreover, with your own domain you won’t face any monetization issues. Isn’t it enticing?
Summary
There are dozens of free blogging platforms where you can create your own blog effortlessly. However, it’s important to investigate the cons and pros of using these platforms before putting all eggs in one basket. As for me, I recommend using website builders. They are the optimal solution for those who plan to develop their website presence.
Victor Moore is a freelance webmaster, the founder and the editor-in-chief of Easy Steps to Create a Website. With his personal website he covers the most actual topics on site building, search engine optimization, and related topics. If you have any questions or suggestions, just drop a comment. You may also contact Victor via Facebook, Twitter and Google+.