You have decided to create a professional blog to highlight your activities or make yourself known but you do not know which platform to choose? Looking for a free blog that makes pro? You want a well referenced and evolving blog? Here’s how to create your blog inexpensively and make the right choice.
Which service to choose to create a professional blog
Creating a pro blog is one of the best ways to promote your business by providing content relevant to your readers. Many of you contact me to tell me that you would like to get started but that you do not know which system to choose. You do not necessarily want to invest a lot to get started, you hesitate between the different platforms of the market, and you fear to make the wrong choice without being able to go back.
In the field of blogs, there is WordPress and the rest of the world. WordPress is the most used blog engine for individuals and businesses of all sizes. We recommend this Monstroid for your blog because this template quite popular. WordPress allows you to have a simple blog to manage, well referenced by search engines and fully customizable.
How to start a blog in 4 steps
Step 1: The basis for your blog
If you’re managing a project or business, creating blogs about the services, products, and goals of the business is an excellent approach. In this way, you will attract people who are really interested in what you are doing. A win-win for all! If you want to create a blog as an individual, you have a wider choice of options.
Step 2: An online platform
The next step is to choose the platform on which you will do all the work. Since blogs are primarily content, you should consider using a content management system (CMS).
Step 3: A web host
You will also find many options to choose from, depending on the breadth of your blog project. Let’s see what’s on the table!
Step 4: A domain name
Every website has an address, as does your blog. Choosing a domain name can be difficult, but this step is essential.
wordpress.com or wordpress.org?
WordPress exists in two different forms. At the base, WordPress is a free blog management engine that you can download on a web server (yours or that of your web host). A little in the spirit of software that you download and install on your computer. It is in this form that you can download it from the wordpress.org website.
If you do not want to bother with downloading, installing and finding a web host, the WordPress editor has created a blog hosting platform and allows you to use WordPress without worrying about the technical aspects and administrative. It’s the wordpress.com platform. Create your blog on wordpress.com is done in minutes, it’s free and without commitment. This is the solution I recommend if you start from scratch.
Custom domain name or not?
When you create your blog, you associate it with a domain name (NDD). The domain name is the address of your blog without the www. The domain name of my blog is qirastudio.com/articles. If you opt for a blog hosted free on the wordpress.com platform, the domain name of your blog will include the mention of the host, for a example yourblog.wordpress.com.
This is an advantage to start quickly because you do not have to worry about buying a domain name. This is a disadvantage in terms of indexing in search engines and in terms of image for you. Having your personal domain name makes pro and blog address more easily memorable.
The wordpress.com platform has thought of everything! It allows you to associate a domain name (without the mention ‘wordpress’ in it) to your blog. For a few dozen euros a year, you can choose the domain name of your choice if it is not already reserved and associate it with your free blog. The blog is hosted free of charge, it is only the registration of the name and the mapping with the blog that you pay (be careful to answer the email requests of wordpress.com which offers renewal every year).
