A blog is a valuable business tool that can help you connect with current customers and attract potential customers to your website. If you are ready to start blogging, you must choose a blogging platform that will help you organize your content and make sure everyone can read it. The blog platform that works for other companies may not work for your company, so it is important to consider your technical skills, available blogging time, and other factors when choosing the best platform for your business.
Technical Skills
If you know how to code in CSS or use PHP, you will have an easier time selecting a blogging platform than someone who has no coding experience. As you evaluate different platforms, keep your technical skills in mind. If the information about a platform seems confusing, using that platform may be beyond your technical skills. If you still want to use that platform because it has all of the features you need, consider hiring a small business blogging consultant to install and maintain the blog for you. A consultant can also train you to publish your own content so that you can maintain some control over your blog.
Free Blog Hosting Services
A hosted site is a blog that is hosted on another domain. Blogger is a popular example of a hosted blogging platform. All you need to sign up for this type of blog is an e-mail address. In just a few easy steps, you can select your blog address, pick a template, and start blogging. The biggest advantage of using a hosted blog is that you don’t need any technical knowledge to do so. Hosted blogs do have some drawbacks, however. One major disadvantage of starting a hosted blog is that you will have access to limited features. You may not be able to customize your blog as much as you would like, so it will look similar to dozens of other blogs. The generic URL assigned to your blog will also make it difficult for you to make your blog part of your brand. Companies that host blogs may also restrict the type of content you have on your blog or what you can do with your blog once it is set up.
Self-Hosted Blog Platforms
If you are starting a blog for your business, a self platform is really the best way to go. WordPress is one of the most popular self-hosted platforms, but there are several others that have advanced functionality. The biggest advantage of using this type of platform is that you can install the software on your own website, so you can choose a URL that includes your business name, your product name, or a keyword related to your industry. Another advantage of using this type of blogging platform is that you have more control over the type of content you publish. Having control over your content will help you publish information that is relevant to your readers. The only real drawback to using this type of platform is that you have to pay to register your domain and host your blog. However, domain registration costs just a few dollars per year, and there are also many inexpensive hosting packages available.
If you are ready to set up a blog for your business, talk to a small business blogging consultant before you do so. A consultant can help you choose a domain name, select a blogging platform, and customize your blog. Having a consultant handle the technical side of blogging will leave you free to publish high-quality content and connect with your readers.
