WordPress or Somewhere else?

You might consider opening a blog through platforms such as Wix, Blogger, wordpress.com or others.

All platforms have their advantages. Wix, for example, is excellent for landing pages. But if you want to start a blog (any blog- travel, lifestyle, financial) I would highly recommend you to go for the self-hosted option with WordPress.org.

Here are the different advantages WordPress.org has over other platforms:

Independence and ownership- when choosing wordpress.org the site you create is yours. You don’t have to answer to terms dictated by the hosted platform and risk having your site deleted if you won’t comply with those terms.
Visuals and design- designing your site is a crucial part of your readers’ experience and with wordpress.org the possibilities are essentially indefinite since this platform is an open-source system.
With many free platforms, any customization is problematic or required additional payment which is very frustrating.
Creating an income– monetizing your site is almost impossible with hosted platforms. You might not start your blog with this goal but you shouldn’t rule it out.
Control over your site and its content– a hosted blog might have to compromise and put up with ads placed by the hosting platform, rather than choosing profitable ads on your own.
Domain– starting a blog with a hosted platform would often force you to include the name of the company in your domain. My site under worpress.com would look like this- SugarTravelsBlog.wordpress.com. (wordpress.com does give you the possibility to purchase your custom domain).
Like good wine with dinner, WordPress pairs well with Bluehost and is free once you purchased your hosting plan with Bluehost (for a few bucks a month).

After researching online and reading the pros and the cons I reached the conclusion I prefer paying a few bucks per month and have my blog be mine.

Even though I started my blog as a hobby I preferred to go for an independent blog and keep my options safe.

If you’re really unsure about WordPress.org or interested in creating a landing page, a portfolio or any small website and don’t need too many options to consider using Wix.com.

It’s ok to start small but the last thing you want to do is “play it safe” go for a free blog platform and then, after you discover the potential of blogging (and yourself), start over with a self-hosted website like WordPress.org. Believe in yourself now, commit to succeed and save yourself a lot of trouble down the line.

Want me to make your life easier? Sign up for my Blog Set Up services and I’ll set up your WordPress blog for you for free when you use my affiliate link.

So, if, like myself and many other bloggers, you’ve decided to create your self-hosted blog with WordPress, you will need to find a hosting provider. All about hosting in the next lesson!

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