Ever since the birth of the Internet, blogging has become one of the best ways to get connected with the world. Whether you blog as a hobby or blog to promote a business. In this post we shall be revealing our best blog platforms tested by us.
Before we list the platforms, it should be noted that blogging is and means much more than just writing and posting a few funny photos, the platform on which you blog is very important and can easily determine the success of your blog. You need a platform that will let you customize and provide your audience everything needed to interact smoothly with your blog.
Unlike professional bloggers, as a newbie blogger you need to choose a platform that will be easy to learn and doesn’t involve a lot of hard coding.
Below are some blog platforms we recommend;
The .org version of WordPress provides many of the same features as its .com counterpart, but it also provides additional customization features for any blogger. This WordPress option works out well for folks who want to have complete control over the customization of their blog, but it is not a platform that is easy for beginners to use effectively but there are lots of free and paid options to learn WordPress.
WordPress.org lets you install your own custom plugins and themes to make your blog look exactly how you want. To use this platform for your blog, you will have to find your own web host, perform routine backups and maintain the blog on your own.
For people who are just starting their blogging journey I recommend that they use IPAGE as they offer an easy WordPress installation process, reliable up time, excellent support and A FREE DOMAIN NAME!
In fact, I use IPAGE for this site and many others that I own.
We have managed to secure an additional discount on high-quality hosting from IPAGE to just $1.99 per month. (Hosting plan of 12-36 months). Normally you’ll pay $11.95 per month, so jump on this deal now before it’s too late!
Drupal is a great option for blogs associated with businesses because it is not just a blogging platform, but a complete content management system. This means that along with your blog, web pages and other online content can be created and organized within this platform.
Drupal does not host blogs for users, so bloggers using this platform will have to find their own host someplace else. Drupal is also not a platform that readily accommodates beginners, so it is better for those upgrading from a free blogging platform rather than for the blogger just starting out.
If you are looking for a full content management system, Joomla is another great option for bloggers. In terms of the ease of use, Joomla may have more of a learning curve than WordPress, but can be much easier to use than Drupal. Many businesses and large corporations prefer this type of platform because it can give you flexibility with a wide range of content options.
Joomla, however, can be expensive. While the first month is free, after that a blogger can be charged anywhere from $20-$100 per month depending on the options and upgrades they want. For many novice bloggers, this can be a high cost unless the blog is attached to an existing business that already generates a profit.
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms on the Internet. Millions of users like the options it provides for simple blog creation and maintenance. The platform is free and offers services such as hosting, the ability to have a custom domain, integrating your blog with social media and popular features such as comments and polls are available without installing plugins. A number of paid upgrades are also available. The biggest issue with this version of WordPress is that options such as custom themes, plugins and editing HTML are not available. However, WordPress.com also has a sister site, WordPress.org that provides many more customization options.
Both WordPress.com and WordPress.org are also known for the detailed amount of support provided. Not only do these sites have the standard tutorials to get you started building on these platforms, but WordPress also has a large community of users that are more than willing to help out a fellow user with common questions and concerns about various aspects of blogging on WordPress. With all of the information available, it can be easy to learn this platform quickly so you can start customizing your site without too much trouble. I am a huge WordPress fan and recommend it for all my clients, check out my free tutorial if you want to start blogging with WordPress.
If there is one platform that is easy for beginners to use, it is Blogger. This is a free blogging platform that is simple to use for anyone just starting out with a blog. With this platform a user can just type their content, add photos and publish. Blogger also lets users edit HTML and add widgets to blog, which many blogging sites for beginners do not offer. Blogger is a Google service, so users will have to have a Google account and may find the Google-related add-ons redundant or useless for their blog. It is also one of the blogging platforms that many bloggers grow out of once they learn more about blogging since it does not have any upgrade options. Here’s a more detailed comparison of Blogger versus WordPress.
Tumblr is a blogging option that is very popular with younger audiences. The platform itself is simple to use. One of the best features of Tumblr is that it is focused on the community of bloggers, so it provides a variety of options for sharing and reblogging content. The downside to blogging on Tumblr is that it does not focus on text content, but photos and GIFs. Visual bloggers will love it, but writers may want to find another platform to use. The idea of reblogging content may also lack appeal with bloggers, particularly if you are blogging material that you want to have complete control over copyright and other such protections.
These are just a few options but the best way to find the right platform for your needs is to understand whether each platform focuses on beginners or experts, how much it costs to use and how much customization your audience will demand. Remember that it can be easy to upgrade to a better platform in most cases, so starting with an easy-to-use option is great for anyone.
Leave a comment below and tell us what your best blogging platform is.
