Blogging is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website or simply express yourself. Plus, it will help you gain authority in your domain. Building a brilliant blog begins with picking the best platform that can benefit your business. So, how do you choose the best platform for blogging?
There are multiple platforms to host your website. However, only a handful of them can turn out to be truly helpful. Hence, it becomes vital to research and makes sure that you are not choosing the wrong platform.
If you do not have the time or patience to go through every blogging choice available on the internet, you are at the right place. This article will help you choose just the right platform. So, get started here!
Table of Contents
What to Look for in a Blogging Platform
To pick a platform that is perfect for your necessities, you have to assess certain things. You will have to make sure that its capabilities and features align with your short-term and long-term goals.
For instance, if you want to boost your online visibility quickly, you need a platform with built-in SEO. On the other hand, if you are going to publish more photographs or videos, you should choose a platform that supports high-resolution multi-media posts.
Ease of Use
The platforms should be easy to use, especially if you are a beginner who does not know how to code. As you gain more experience, you can choose platforms that fulfill your other requirements over ease of use.
Besides, it should be free of complications that can slow down your main focus— writing blogs.
Plugins
Plugins will allow you to customize the site’s functionality and features. Generally, all plugins will allow you to turn on and off specific settings.
They also help you save a lot of time and overall budget. For instance, WordPress offers several plugins such as multi-language functionality, e-commerce, and Yoast SEO. The availability of this vast number of plugins makes it one of the most popular blogging platforms.
Pricing
The blogging platform you use should provide you with value for the money you pay, among other things. It should offer more than one type of subscription. This way, you can choose to pay only for what you need in a tailored plan.
For instance, Squarespace offers two types of subscriptions: Annual and Monthly. It also comes with three different plans, they are:
- Personal at $12 per month
- Business (Most popular) at $18 per month
- Basic Commerce at $26 per month
- Advanced Commerce at $40 per month
Monetization Opportunities
You may not want to monetize your blogs right now. Nonetheless, as your blog grows, you may change your blog writing format to something that can make you money. Hence, it is crucial to ensure the platform provides an option to allow you to do so in the future.
Also, if you have been wondering how to write a good blog that can help you monetize, you can explore other options. It includes taking the help of blog writing services like WrittenlyHub.
Some practical ways you can monetize are listed below:
- Advertising
- Affiliate marketing
- Accepting donations
Top 3 Best Platforms for Blogging
Before you start wondering how to write SEO-friendly blog posts, it is essential to find an SEO-friendly platform.
To help you find exactly that, here is a review of the list of platforms to choose from.
1. WordPress – Best for Writing Niche Blogs
WordPress, the most popular platform for blogging in the world, is free to use. It provides limitless opportunities to create and maintain a solid place in the competitive digital space.
Many top brands use this expandable and scalable software. To name a few— BBC America, The Official Star Wars Blog, PlayStation, and the Walt Disney Company. Some celebrities that use this platform are Beyonce, Usain Bolt, Snoop Dogg, and Katy Perry.
Pros
- Over 55,000 useful plugins (some are paid while others are free)
- Thousands of themes (free and premium)
- Can control every aspect of your website
- A large community of experts
Cons
- Plugins can add bulkiness to your site
2. Blogger – Best for Writing Stories and Advocacy
Blogger is an excellent platform for individuals who want to share stories or advocate for causes. It can also be used for casual blogging for companies as well. Some companies that use Blogger include TeckStack, ChatWork, and SEO Check Rank.
Google owns this platform, and it is entirely free and free forever. Plus, it includes your own subdomain.
Pros
- Simple set up
- Free domain mapping and SSL certificate
- Easy to manage without any technical skills
- Secure and reliable platform since it belongs to Google
Cons
- No alternatives for built-in gadgets in blogger
3. Squarespace – Best for Building a Brand
Squarespace is a platform that can provide you with everything you need on a website. Besides, it is well-known for its aesthetically appealing templates. Hence, it is the best platform for a stunning brand presentation.
Further, the platform has a very responsive and client-friendly customer service that operates 24/7. Celebrities like Kevin Pollak use this platform. Also, Keanu Reeves used Squarespace to build and promote his motorcycle brand.
Some brands that use Squarespace are— Accenture, HBO, Avocode, and Wattpad.
Pros
- Various categories and tags
- Comes with in-depth analytics
- Has SEO, email marketing, and social media tools
- Professionally designed beautiful templates
Cons
- Limited to in-built features
Endnotes
From personal bloggers to multi-billion dollar companies, everyone needs to influence their target audience to stay relevant in today’s market. The best blogging platforms are a blessing for them all.
You can stick to the free or the least expensive version until your blog grows. Nonetheless, always make sure to pick a platform that allows space for expansion and growth in the future.
Now, are you on your way to finding exciting topics to write a blog yet? It is the right time now, especially after seeing the perfect platform for all your needs here.
Image Source: freepik.com