If you have a new business, a product, or a service you would like to sell to the masses, one of the best advertising systems in the world is blogging.
Of course, you might think a blog is only for overwhelmed mothers and golfers with a sense of humor, but you would be wrong. The top web development companies in the world have blogs about many different subjects.
Starting out, you might want to save money and start blogging on a free platform, but that is a bad idea, and here are five reasons why:
1. Looks Bad
If you are only seeking blogging as a hobby, something to do online without making money, then the two most popular free blog sites, Blogger.com and WordPress.com are a good place. There are no fees, and they will save all your information to their server or cloud.
But as a professional blogger, one that makes money, these free sites tell readers you are not a professional. The free sites may be good for practice or sharing with family and friends, but not as a business model that will bring in customers.
2. Violations
When you use a free blogging site, you are at their mercy. You will need to stay within their parameters, making sure you do not violate their rules and regulations. You may do everything correctly, but they can still find something wrong with your content.
This means that the company can close your blog, without warning, for violations. You could find all your content gone within one day. There is no backup or way to retrieve your content.
3. Ability to Make Money
Since you are not paying for the services, there are going to be limited video running times, memory, and bandwidth. Potential customers that visit your blog will have a poor experience because of the limitations and drive customers elsewhere. You will also be limited in the ads you are able to place on a free blogging site, thus limiting your ability to create income.
4. Your Reputation
If you have any type of violation, even unintentional, it will be hard to move your blog to a new site. First, you will lose all your content, but even if you have saved it somewhere on your computer, no one will trust you again. Your reputation is on the line when you start blogging, so it is worth the fee to get a blogging spot you have total control over.
5. New Possibilities
With a free blog site, you will have limited functions and themes. Anything above the free menu will be costly, therefore, if you are going to be paying for various options, the ones you really want, it makes sense to simply start with a paid blogging site.
To give your business the best starting point, as well as room to grow, you will want to search for a good blog host. You want one that is reasonably priced, yet gives you control over the content and ability to grow your business.