We have tackled the benefits of blogging to your business, but the real challenge is how to start your blog, especially the technical part. Topics and story ideas may already be floating in your mind, but putting it into a blog format may be a bit of a challenge for beginners. You can seek out an expert or someone with the know-how to help you through the process. However, when the budget is a concern or if you want to do it internally, you can begin by learning the best blogging platform for you.
Nowadays, there are plenty of sites that can help you build your blog. If you already have a website, you can have it in there or you can provide a tab or a link to direct visitors to your blog site. If you are tight on finances and doesn’t have the resources to have your own website, you can choose from the many free blog and website builders available online. The downside with some free blogging platforms is that there are many limitations and restrictions when it comes to customising your site. They can host it for free but it will be a subdomain of their site unless you get a paid plan where you can use the domain name you want. But there are free blog platforms that can offer this service; all you have to do is to explore each product thoroughly before you decide on the best one for you.
Wordpress
Wordpress is a widely used blogging platform. There are two kinds – Wordpress.org and Wordpress.com. With the second one, you can have the hosting for free, but the domain still has the wordpress.com in it. Plugins, customisation and monetisation are quite limited as the brands and ads all come from Wordpress. On the other hand, Wordpress.org gives more options and freedom to create a site you want, which is why many hobbyists, professionals and small businesses use this. You can have your own domain name, but you have to get it and host the site by yourself. The good thing is that there are also plenty of products that provide hosting services. Both have tons of plugins and support to help you out, and the newest version is more user-friendly, especially for beginners.
Wix
You can build a site and start a blog using Wix. They have free templates and drag & drop tools that make it easy for anyone without blogging or website building experience. It has mobile optimisation which makes it uncomplicated to view the pages and navigate around the site. You can enhance your site using website apps, although many are run by third-party providers.
Weebly
If you want to build an online retail site, Weebly is a good option because it is part of Square, Inc. It provides ready web designs that you can customise and fit according to your needs. There are tools that are simple to use especially for those who have no or little knowledge about coding. However, if you know some coding language and wants to make changes, you can also modify your site based on your expertise. It offers free and premium plans you can choose from, providing you with various choices according to your needs and resources.
Drupal
Having an open-source content management system (CMS), Drupal is best for developers, marketers and agencies. On the other hand, it may be a steep learning curve for beginners because of its sophisticated features. Also, you have to get a web hosting service for your site. Still, it can be used by those who have no programming skills. For those who have a bit of technical understanding of website development, they will find Drupal more flexible.
Joomla
Another free open-source CMS is Joomla. Although there are tutorials available to take you through how to use Joomla, one has to learn it a bit, unlike the other blog platforms. It values data privacy and has several features for developers, designers and integrators. It is multi-lingual with more than 70 translation packs available, which is good for sites that target a wide, international audience.
Blogger
One of the early players in the blogging platform arena is Blogger. It is mostly used for personal blogs because of its simple interface, which is why it can cater to beginners in blogging. Also, it is a Google product so one can easily use a Google account to get into Blogger. However, there are a few tools, designs and applications to allow you to play around your site.
Medium
If you love writing and you want your brand to be out there, then Medium is another option. While it has a built-in audience, you cannot tweak your design or customise your site. You cannot have your own domain. Rather, you are simply putting a blog entry into Medium. Still, the reach is magnificent, so you can utilise Medium to embed your content from your other social media accounts or promote your website through this platform.
Tumblr
Another free-blogging site where you can easily publish content is Tumblr. Again, features are limited in this platform and you cannot have your own domain name. It is more of a social media community where you can share your multimedia content. If you are concerned about reach, Tumblr posts can be reblogged or reposted within this platform. However, if branding and content ownership is your priority, then Tumblr may not be the best option for your business.
There are other free blogging platforms that are on the rise. However, you have to take into consideration your priorities and purpose for creating a blog. If it is to build a website, then go for the platforms where you can have more control over your content and design, including the domain name. On the other hand, if your intention is to bring your brand to a wider audience, you can choose a platform with available online community and SEO capabilities, and then embed your website and other social media content in it. Some of the platforms above offer both, but you have to learn to navigate around their site a bit to be able to do this.