Self-Hosted Wordpress Vs. Blogger.com: A Newbie’s Perspective

Let me start by saying that I am not a blog expert by any stretch of the imagination. That’s why I felt the need to write this post. As a relatively new blogger, I’ve spent a fair amount of time pondering (and researching) this question – which blogging platform is better for inexperienced bloggers – Wordpress or Blogger?

From a newbie perspective, Blogger.com (especially the newer beta version) wins, hands down. Really, what’s not to love? You simply choose your blog name, click on a template and “wa-la” you are ready to start posting. Sounds almost perfect, doesn’t it?

Well, *almost* is the key word here.

If you are thinking about starting a blog (or switching to a new platform) here are a few points you’ll want to consider.

1). Design. I am a design-nazi. No matter how well a blog is written, I will click right past it if the design is unprofessional or tacky. While Blogger.com offers many attractive templates that aren’t necessarily unappealing, they are exceedingly overused.

Most of your blog traffic will be generated from fellow bloggers. Experienced bloggers can spot a blogger.com template from a mile away. My first thought when I see a classic (even color-tweaked) blogger.com blog….BO-RING. My second thought, “this blogger doesn’t take blogging seriously”. Probably offensive to some of you…but true. Sorry.

Wordpress, on the other hand has a plethora of fun, funky and fresh templates to choose from. In fact, they are so easily customizable that the same template can look vastly different with a couple of simple changes to a stylesheet. While Blogger.com templates can be quickly and easily customized using the control panel – the template options are extremely limited.

2). Ease of Use. This is where Blogspot wins again (well, sort of). If you are a blogger that simply wants to write posts and share basic information in a quick and easy way Blogspot is the perfect place for you. I have a family blog where I love to share photos, videos and stories about my children. Blogspot works wonderfully for this use. On the other hand, if you want a blog that allows for growth and flexibly – you’ll want to start with Wordpress.

Now this “ease of use” issue is where this newbie’s perspective will certainly be useful for blogger wannabes. There is a bit of a learning curve with a self-hosted Wordpress blog. You’ll need to know how to register a domain name, obtain hosting, transfer posts (if you already have a blog) upload files, configure nameservers, add widgets and manipulate the stylesheet if you want to customize the colors, fonts and other design aspects of your site.

I was literally clueless when I launched my very first Wordpress blog. Thankfully, I was not alone. There are literally dozens of websites that offer a step-by-step tutorials on launching your self-hosted Wordpress blog. It took me about three hours (or so) to launch my first Wordpress site vs. five-minutes with blogger. Trust me, t overcoming the learning curve vs. taking the easy route (blogspot.com) was well worth a skipped afternoon nap.

3). Your Five Year Plan. Before you launch your first blog, take a moment to think about what you want to accomplish with it. Don’t hesitate to dream big.

• Will you use your blog to make money?
• Do you want to become an authority on an issue you are passionate about?
• Do you want to promote a product or service?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions than I would strongly urge you consider Wordpress as a starting point, or switch now. I learned this lesson the hard way.

I jumped into blogging without a plan and immediately became hooked. Within a few months, I had six active blogs with hundreds of posts on them. When I was ready to step it up a notch…I couldn’t. There were so many blogs I envied – they all had their own domain names, navigation bars and comment forms. They all looked like full-functioning, professional websites. No matter how hard I tried to “tweak” my blogger.com blogs to make them look unique and exciting…they still looked like a cookie-cutter “blah”g”. I was neck-deep in blogger purgatory. When I made the inevitable switch, I lost page rank and had to spend hours updating every blog directory I’d subscribed to. Many of my favorite bloggers insisted I start with Wordpress. But I was stubborn. Had I known then what I know now I would have started with Wordpress for my professional sites.

Is it time for you to make the switch?

Here are a few resources and recommended sites to get you started.

• BlueHost.com – When I started blogging I tried several popular hosting providers (GoDaddy, HostMonster & Yahoo to name a few) and as a designer I’ve had the opportunity to experiment with dozens of other hosting services. I have been happiest (by far) with Blue Host mostly due to top-notch customer support and a simplistic, newbie-friendly control panel.
• GoDaddy.com – While I would not recommend GoDaddy for Wordpress Hosting (due to challenges with installation) I have been very pleased with their pricing and ease-of-use for domain name registration and transfer.
• Wordpress.org – When it comes to conquering the Wordpress learning curve you can get most (if not all) of your questions answered on the Wordpress Forum.
• M-WA! – I offer complete blog installation packages (including custom header, template customization and Wordpress installation). For those of you who are ready to make the switch the quick, easy…and stylish way!

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