Becoming a successful blogger requires a lot of hard work and consistency. If you are on the journey to make a blog a success then you must be aware of the following:
- Picking the right niche
- Picking the right domain name
- Posting relevant and high-quality content
- Engaging your audience over social media channels
Yes, all these things are important to become a successful blogger, but one thing that newcomers neglect is choosing the right blogging platform.
The main reason behind this is that people think that a blogging platform is to manage and upload content. But, there’s more to it!
Different blogging platforms come with a different set of features and you must choose a platform that meets your requirements.
Now, there are two categories of blogging platforms:
Free & Paid Blogging Platforms
Free blogging platforms provide you with a chance to get into the world of blogging without spending anything. But, there are some limitations involved:
- No custom domain
- Limited themes
- Storage space
- Few software iterations
- Limit on ads display
But, still, there are some free options that you can use to start with your blogging journey.
Also, the paid options have become quite affordable. Gone are the days when you had to pay hefty fees to start a blogging website.
To help you with this, I have curated this blog post about the 6 best blogging platforms. You can refer to this blog as a guide to choosing the right blogging platform.
Let’s get into it!
6 Best Blogging Platforms: A Definitive Guide
1. WordPress
WordPress is the number #1 choice for blogging. Over the period, the platform has gained immense popularity.
By far WordPress is the best blogging platform and the most adapted one on the internet. WordPress accounts for a whopping 60.8% of all websites running on the internet.
When you sign up with WordPress, you get access to thousands of plugins that allow you to customize your blog. You can add email pop-ups, SSL redirect, custom theme builders, etc.
No matter what category, you will surely find a theme for your blogging niche. You can later customize the same as per your design.
Despite being feature-rich, WordPress is affordable with average prices starting from as low as $2.75/month.
Here are some of the pros and cons of using WordPress:
Pros:
- Highest blog customization options for the website.
- Plugins to integrate software & functionalities with your blog.
- Good customer support.
Cons:
- Manage everything on your own, even though everything is easy; but there is still a learning curve for this!
- Handle your security and take backups.
2. Squarespace
The second blogging platform on our list is Squarespace. The platform has gained high popularity these days.
The Squarespace platform is a drag and drop software for users to build a website without technical expertise.
It is a good option for someone without any technical expertise and who does not want to get into the practice of managing everything on their own!
Squarespace pricing starts at $12/month.
Pros:
- No technical expertise is required, the drag and drop does it all.
Cons:
- Limited on theme customizations and software integrations.
- Plugins or plans are expensive whe compared to other platforms.
3. Wix
Wix needs no introduction! If you have been active in the blogging space, then you must have seen their ad showing how easy it is to set up a website with Wix.
Yes, by far Wix is the best drag and drop website builder software. The platform offers you a free as well paid plan!
The free plan allows you to build your website on shared hosting with Wix. Although you will find the Wix domain name attached to your website address under the free plan.
The pricing starts at $11/month and above.
Pros:
- Easy to use; drag & drop website builder platform.
- No learning curve, everything is easy and well laid out!
Cons:
- Limited features & integration options.
- It is more expensive than the others.
4. Blogger by Google
Blogger is a free web hosting platform owned by Google. The main distinguishing factor between Blogger and other free platforms is that you can connect this with your Google Adsense account and earn ad revenue.
You can also connect this with the Google Analytics account to track all incoming traffic on your website.
However, the problem with limited software integration persists! Also, the updates are quite irregular; as a result, the interface looks quite outdated as well when you compare it with WordPress.
Also, you can’t have your custom domain name.
The platform is free! Any blog that you create via blogger will have “.blogspot.com” in their domain name.
5. Medium
Medium is more of a community of people who share information via their blog content.
It is free and open to everyone. There are different categories under which you can publish your content. The platform already receives its fair share of traffic, and if you can write good content then you can easily build your audience on the platform.
Here is a cool video on How to Get More Views On Your Medium Posts –
Keep in mind that the integration options with the platform are limited! You cannot engage yourself in activities such as email list building, etc.
Also, the platform has its content guidelines and you have to abide by the same for posting your content.
However, one strategy that you can implement is to use Medium as a start to your blogging journey. When your content starts to gain popularity, then you can invest and start your blogging website.
6. Weebly
Weebly is another drag & drop website builder software that is more suited for people looking for building a basic blog. The platform is not very popular, but there are not many features on offer.
The pricing starts from as low as $8/month.
Pros:
- Easy to use, drag and drop software.
Cons:
- Limited features and integration options.
- Expensive than others!
Wrapping Up…
Blogging is not easy, and you need to put in a lot of hard work and dedication to make it successful.
But, one thing that you must not miss is to choose the right blogging platform.
You can refer to my blog post as a complete guide for the same!
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog post.
Let me know your thoughts or suggestions in the comments below.
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My name is Sujoy Mukherji. I am an Internet Marketer, Entrepreneur & Professional Blogger. Founder of the Affiliate Hub Blog.