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Everyone has started a website in some manner. Some started on a free host and others invested right away in their own hosting. However, what is best for you? This article will go over hosted blogs versus free hosted blogs and cover the pros, cons, and in between.

What is a free hosted blog?

A free hosted blog is one that you sign up with a service like WordPress.com or even Google Blogger and they automatically put together an account you can start blogging with right away. Of course, they are free, but you have to agree to their terms of service. Some of their basic services are limiting, and even some of their paid services if you wish to upgrade can be as well. Free hosting is great for beginning bloggers trying to test the waters and see if they would like to become a serious blogger.

Please note that in a previous post I did do a side by side comparison of both WordPresss and Blogger as free hosted services.

What is self-hosted blogging?

Having a self-hosted blog is where you have bought your own web hosting, your own domain, and installed your blog service of choice, like WordPress (WordPress.org), Joomla, Drupal, or any other type of content management service or program available.

You have more control over what you can put on your website in regards to design and content. This is normally a good idea to invest in for bloggers who have decided to become more serious about blogging and want to have more control over what they syndicate or even to monetize their site.

The Pros of Free hosting a blog

Blogging on a free host can be great because it allows bloggers to not have to shell out money. For startups, this is great as it can be a testing ground to see how the blog itself progresses. Of course, another is that most free blog hosts do to some extent have some great features that are just enough for newbie bloggers to be satisfied in using. For example, both WordPress and Blogger have some tools to add more functionality.

The Pros of Self-hosting a blog

Self hosting a blog gives the blogger a lot more control over what can be put on their site. There are more choices functionality to add, like more plugins and more theme choices. Aside from being able to download and install more pre-made themes, the blog owner can install their own theme or one they paid for that was made by a web designer.

Having a domain gives the blogger a little more search engine optimization oomph in comparison to free hosting. The domain itself adds more authority to the blogs that are mapped on free hosts to a sub domain. Most of the content management services are open source and actively worked on, so the scripts are always updating… and normally are free. Most of these CMS also come SEO ready out of the box, or if they do not, they have modules or plugins that can be installed to help.

The Cons of Free hosting a blog

The downside of free hosting a blog is that bloggers have to be actively aware of the site’s terms of services. Normally bloggers have failed to abide with these and have had their service terminated. Some of the most common violations have been: affiliate links, accepting and posting paid to blog opportunities, and even inappropriate content not acceptable according to the host’s terms of service.

Free hosting, as much as the price seems right for a lot of people, it can be very limiting- both as a user and for the reader. For example, Blogger has a strange comment system that many bloggers like to limit their comment system to only accept logged in Google Blogger users. In WordPress, some scripts are not allowed to be pasted into the widgets.

Not to forget, another con is that some forms of advertising are not allowed on some free hosts. Once an account has been flagged to be suspended, a lot of times it is difficult to retrieve old information. It is gone. For some bloggers, this can be alarming.

The Cons of Self-hosting a blog

Normally the cons of self-hosting a blog is usually cost, but that should not be bad if the right web host is chosen. The other is learning to install, and also use a content management service. For those bloggers not so savvy in HTML, it might be a bit overwhelming as it is needed from time to time. However, most CMS do have a visual editor and with some exploration and playing with the backend, especially in WordPress, becoming familiar with blogging comes with time.

While these are some of the pros and cons, I would love to hear your take on free hosted blogs versus self-hosted blogs. Are you self hosted or on a free host? In your opinion, what are some of the pros and cons?

So, you started blogging. For whatever reason it was (teaching, personal, entertainment, or other), you must have learned something. What has blogging taught you?

For me, blogging has taught me a lot. I am a person that has a wide range of interests. I started with one site and ended up with several. However, a couple of them, I ended up knowing that I loved to help and teach others where I learned practically by myself. No many taught me b2 or WordPress. Not many taught me how to create graphics.

I painstakingly read books, and experimented. Every success was shared and my readers exercised those between 2002 to 2007. In 2008, I started refocusing. I also was a little burnt out. I networked with a lot of bloggers and they were more into not engaging so much. The few who did actually still blog today. Those who blogged the old way fell into three results: either having several blogs for different topics, totally quitting the blogging scene, or moved onto the social network scene for personal and entertainment reasons.

It was also in 2008, a new breed of bloggers started. They were new and had the same goals in mind. Some with good intentions, and others still not quite at the point to be teaching… however their readers learned along with them. Since then, I have enjoyed seeing the blog community grow. Although I am practically an evangelist for WordPress, I was happy to see what others were talking about and their opinions no matter the blogging platform or content management system. It adds a unique twist to anyone’s day. It also encouraged my own drive to continue on.

Just shy of a decade, and I am happy to be where I am at. I do have ambition to be a better blogger, but I know this one thing.

A long time I drove myself to be the top in the blog world, in a time where social networking was not emphasized much. I did well and had a lot of traffic, a lot of comments, and even visited and commented at other blogs. However, my blog was everywhere and just was not where I wanted to be. I did not want to mix my extremely personal life in the midst of sharing my love for teaching. I was not happy with this as I climbed too quickly and some of my better friends got left behind. I had to go back recently to search and reconnect.

Blogging has taught me many things. I have learned to try to stay humble about my blogging and not seem ‘know it all’ or forgetting those who helped my site grow. I have learned how to write and express myself better. I have also learned exactly what I want to do with my blog… well, blogs.

I know there will be a lot more to learn, even after 10 years of blogging. Please remain on my journey to keep learning if you have been for a while. After all, I have learned a lot from my readers too.

If you are a blogger or have been in the past, what has blogging taught you?

When you first blog, you might be on the learning path. You are not sure what you want to target and often your site’s focus is not really honed in really well. Discovering your path in blogging takes time and a lot of bumps along the way.

With so many sites out there that try to assist their readers on how to run their own blogs, there are still a lot of mistakes made. This is okay. The fun part about blogging is that is really is a learning process. You learn how to use the software, how to write and express yourself better, how to engage with others online, how to promote your site, and in many cases how to make money from your blog too.

It is no rush for you to get to your goal. You will make mistakes and remember… as I said, that is okay. As your site grows, you will find what your readers are interested in and tackle those topics with zest.

Throughout the years I have seen a lot of websites. I have seen a lot fade away. I have mentioned this in the past. This is because the person did not have enough time for their site and really discovered that blogging may not have been their games. Others stopped blogging on one site, re-focused, and started with a fresh site to go with new topics.

And let me share with you – I did a lot of re-focusing. You better believe it. Almost 10 years of blogging and I had gone through a lot. I had a mega site of all sorts of stuff like my personal like, to WordPress and web design, and more. I divided and re-focused into three different websites: Blondish.net, WPAddict.net, and Mommy-Blogger.net. Each of these sites were me, but with topics to keep those solely interested in specific topics coming back. While some people liked my WordPress articles, they did not want to read about my personal life experiences, and vice versa. And some of my mommy blogger friends were just blown over by all the tech lingo too…lol.

While what I did was a little tedious and I may not flat out recommend, I am happy with how my blogging path has gone. I can blog about all the things I want, and where I want to without any hindrances. I never have to debate if I am out of topics.

I know there are others bloggers out there that have come to the point where they are not sure what to do with their website. It might be due to lack of knowledge or passion, or even lack of time to manage.

If there is ever a time that you are unsure of what to do, step back from your site and ask yourself:

• What do you want to do with your site?
• What do you REALLY like to talk about?
• Are you reaching the people you want to reach?
• Are you willing to re-focus your site and do what it takes to improve it?

The biggest thing out of that short list is – what you want to write about and share with others. It is important that after every time you tweak your site’s focus, you are happy with your decision and eager to come up with fresh content and topics to keep both yourself and your readers entertained.

Blogging ain’t perfect. Even journalists that step into blogging never get it right the first time. So dive in, have fun, and blog!

Occasionally I receive guest post inquiries from previous guest bloggers that want to submit a post under another name, even a fake one. I normally do not accept these types. I am very selective when accepting guest blog posts and encourage others to do the same.

Why?

Well, I want my readers to read posts from real people who they can connect with. There are too many available guest writers wanting to post that are actually using it as a way to make money. I respect that people need to make a living, but not when it may be the fact my readers are not able to connect with my guest bloggers.

Getting money to get a backlink on someone’s site, well, that means someone is making money off of me and I just gave kudos to their client in the person’s author bio. Of course, I do not publish guest posts, but I walk away knowing that my readers know who is writing and that they are eager to respond back.

I want real people to guest post, not middle men (or middle women.) I deserve it. AND…. so do you.

Even if you have a site that is fairly new, you should be selective about who you let on board. You want guest bloggers who want to interact with your readers, not someone there for just a backlink for a business. Of course, in some cases, and I say this is a not often, you may find a business who have relevant topics for your blog and wanting to interact. Great! That is what you want.

While I am sure you are eager to push out content, making sure it is quality and done honestly is just as important. You never know- you could be inviting plagiarism, spun articles that do not have much value, and much more. There is a big market out there in the freelance world looking for writers and article re-writers who will basically ghost write and allow their articles to be spun maybe a hundred times and sold to clients to disperse around the Internet.

Make sure when you are allowing guest writers on board to establish a set of rules and also, you need to follow up with them. Guest writers who are not actively responding to comments on articles they have written obviously have no care other than money. They do not even care that their client they represented got a backlink from your site nor are they held to any rules to respond to articles written.

I am sure there are quite a few people who may not agree with my thoughts on this matter, but it is a choice I made. I was tired of seeing it on other blogs and stopped it from continuing on mine as those posts in the end held little value to encourage my readers to engage.

Are you selective when accepting guest blog posts? What tips do you have from your own experience?

I love reading blogs all the time. There are so many people with different experiences and different reasons for wanting to blog. This includes bloggers with language barriers to overcome. This article will cover my series- Blogging Ain’t Perfect. I hope to address the language barrier issue.

I am not perfect when it comes to writing and English is my first language. It is not uncommon that I might have a grammar issue from time to time. In fact, every so often I get an email with a correction. I normally am happy to correct the issue and even grateful to my readers who care enough to send me corrections.

However, for those who do not write or speak English as a first language, I do know from working and speaking with people from many countries that it can be hard to blog. You know what you want to say in your own language, but when you translate it over to English, it does not always read the same way.

I have read some great articles from non-English writers/ speakers, but I have also read some pretty bad ones that had great potential. For some bloggers, this could be a problem, especially if parts of the article do not make sense.

Some common mistakes:

• Writing the opposite of what you intended to mean
• Wrong word
• Sentence is awkwardly written and makes no sense at all

How you can avoid these mistakes:

• Carefully proof your article
• If you are not sure, ask a friend to proof your blog
• Use a translation program (please note that you should proof what the program outputs)

Do not be discouraged if you have a hard time writing in English or any language that is not your native one. There is always a solution. And by the way, as time goes by, with practice, your writing does get better. Also, most bloggers and readers alike are very understanding and are more than willing to give you a helpful hand if you ask.

For those who have been blogging for some time in English as a second language or third (fourth, or more), what advice do you have to give to your fellow bloggers wanting to become better?

You hear it all the time.

“You have to be passionate about blogging.”
“You need to make sure your content is fresh and unique.”

Of course, there are many other tips out there that are re-hashed aplenty.

You might read a lot of repeat material. It can be frustrating, especially if you are really trying to learn something. And no, I am not talking about duplicate content. Everyday there are articles written by various bloggers, and the great thing is that each is written a bit differently and to the blogger’s own experience.

However, how can you make sure that your content is not the same as the next blog?

Easy – Do your research!

If you are writing about a topic that you think has been published over and over, do a search. Read those articles and think about what they are saying and if everything is being covered that should be covered. Sometimes the topic is about an ongoing issue or perhaps, like in web design, there are new techniques. In blogging and social media marketing, there are always new tools and gadgets to help give bloggers and marketers a leg up.

The same advice can be used for guest writers on your own blog. If they are not covering everything, amend the post with the necessary information. While the original author might have taken the time to write a great post, it is your job as the blog owner to make it the best it can be.

A lot of new bloggers are excited about blogging and often get fuel for blog topics from their own peers. Unfortunately, if their peers have not been long in the business, their topics tend to become repeated material. Not good if you are a blogger still in the early stages of building your readership.

In the case you are writing in reference to another blogger’s post, you will probably want to link to the original article, do a summarization of the post, and what your readers can learn from it. This is great for your authority and gives a little link juice to the original author.

Natural knowledge only goes so far. Be resourceful and research. It will definitely help your content is different from the next blog.

What resources do you like to use for your research? Do you like to link back to original articles?

Summer for some of us might mean you have some extra time, especially if your job is only during certain times of the year. However, on the other hand, sometimes it is so hot out, not only does it take your appetite away, but it might even make your brain want to dry up.

Never fear though- here are more than 40 summer blog post ideas for any niche: (please note I have grouped these generally, but they can be used for other blogs too.)

Blog Post Ideas for Fashion Blogs

• Summer Clothing Fashion tips
• Summer Makeup tips
• Tips for what to wear on a summer night out in the town
• Beach fashion
• What the celebrities are wearing during the summer time
• Thrifty summer fashion tips
• Thrifty summer finds that look high fashion
• Product (makeup, clothing… any type of beauty or fashion) reviews

Blog Post Ideas for Blogging About Blogging Blogs

• How to successfully connect with A & B list bloggers
• Interviewing influential bloggers (at least to you- they are influential)
• Advice to attract the extra available crowd to your site during the summer time
• Recapping fellow blogger’s post (linking to original article of course), say why you do or do not disagreeing, or perhaps expand upon any points missed.
• Small or large guest blogging contest
• Invite other bloggers to do a question and answer type interview on Blog Talk Radio and post a recap of the session on your website.

Blog Post Ideas for Business Blogs

• Summer business events
• How to start a business
• Recap on last 6 month recap on your business and how it is doing in comparison to your current goals
• Advice for the newbie business owner on how to get to the next level, especially when they hit their first plateau
• Business Case Studies
• New business marketing tips
• Online tools for business management
• Reviews or comparisons of business products or services
• Interviews with other business owners in same niche on specific topics that your readers have expressed interest in hearing about

Blog Post Ideas for Mommy Blogs

• Summer Recipes to keep the family cool
• Summer dressing tips for your child or children
• Craft tutorials to keep the kiddies busy during the summer
• Summer safety tips for children
• Tips for moms on how to become more efficient at specific house chores/ necessities
• New summer product reviews
• Interviews with other moms or even dads on specific topics your readers are interested in reading about

Blog Post Ideas for Social Media Marketing Blogs

• Social Media Marketing events
• Interviews with influential social media marketers
• Social Media Marketing Case Studies
• New tech tools for social media marketers
• Social media challenge for readers – make a contest

Blog Post Ideas for Web and Graphic Design Blogs

• Summer trends in web design
• Any type of tutorial on creating graphics (especially anything summer related)
• Any type of tutorial on coding (HTML, jquery, CSS, PHP, etc…)
• Feature posts on design work that is awesome
• Roundups on the best of any type of graphics (the cutest, the scariest, the best vector, etc)
• Interviews with web and/or graphic designers on topics that readers are specifically interested in reading
• Web and Graphic design case studies

I hope these help in the case you have run out of ideas. Some of these ideas can be used again and again, especially for interviewing different people. For those reading, feel free to comment and leave more ideas for others.

Many writers publish blog posts quickly, only to realize that their mistakes later – typing errors, broken links, wrong keywords used, and titles which have not been optimized. Obviously, there are many details that need to be checked before pressing the ‘publish’ button. The following are some of the things that you need to check before getting your post published.

Did you read your post after writing?

Though this sounds like common sense, many people fail to read what they have written before publishing it. Unless you read the article as a whole, you can’t really know if the post makes sense, if the sentences and paragraphs are in the proper order, and if the arguments are convincing. Therefore, before doing anything else, read what you have just written from beginning to end.

Is the post complete?

If you want to attract much traffic using backlinks, you need to ensure that your article is complete. When you have read through your post, you will be able to assess if you could add more explanations and sections.

Did you research the keywords?

Keywords are vital for search engines. To generate maximum traffic, you should use the keyword that most people commonly use. This will make your post more understandable. In addition, it will be useful for search engine optimization (SEO).

Is the title appropriate?

The most vital part of your post is the title. Unless the title captures the attention of your visitors, they will not read the post. First, give your title an emotional angle. For instance, you could arouse people’s curiosity by making unconventional statements or get visitors excited by offering a valuable product. Secondly, make sure you use the main keywords in the title. This will be useful for search engine optimization.

Did you proofread the post?

Once you have read through your post and confirmed that the paragraphs are in order and everything makes sense, you need to read it one more time to proofread it. The focus this time will be on identifying spelling and grammar mistakes.

Did you link to your older posts?

Linking to previous posts in your blog is useful for both search bots and human visitors. It enables human visitors explore your archives, thus expanding or complementing on what they have just read. In addition, it enables search bots understand your content and crawl your website more efficiently. Therefore, before publishing a post, find older posts which you can link to.

Did you include an eye-catching image?

Images are a great way of enticing visitors to read your posts. They can also be useful for search engine optimization, and attract some traffic through Google image search.