Blogger (or Blogspot) is a free blogging platform run by Google. My opinion is that it’s a great platform for beginning bloggers who may be unsure about whether they are going to embrace blogging for the long-term or who may be unable (or unwilling) to pay for blog hosting.
The Pros of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform
Blogger is owned by Google so it integrates easily with Google Analytics, PicasaWeb (which gives you 1GB of free storage), and Feedburner. In addition it offers
- an easy-to-use set-up wizard. You can be up and running with your blog in under five minutes.
- intuitive software. Tabs and buttons are easy to navigate.
- the ability to easily incorporate RSS and advertising scripts if that interests you.
- the option to use your own domain (.com name) instead of yourblogname.blogspot.com.
In addition, if you are comfortable with HTML and CSS you can tweak your template so it stands out from the rest. There are many free and customizable templates available for Blogger.
Cons of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform
There are cons to using Blogger as your platform, though. The biggest one is that Blogger blogs are sometimes considered less professional than those using WordPress.org as their platform. However, by tweaking your template and using your own domain name, it’s becoming ever harder to determine which platform someone is using. The key to having a polished look on Blogger is to use your own domain name, use a unique template, and ditch the Blogger NavBar.
- Some people complain about the commenting feature and that it isn’t easy to use.
- Many schools and public institutions block the Blogger platform which could significantly limit your audience.
- I have found the Blogger Help files to be less than helpful. Even the forums are not as effective as the WordPress or TypePad help files. However, there are several blogs that explain the answers to common problems with Blogger. One of the most popular is Blogger Buster by Amanda Fazani.
Further Reading
- 10 Must Do Blogger Tricks via Bloggled
- How to Set Up a Blogger Blog via Blogging Basics 101
- How do I backup/download/save/transfer my blog files? via Blogging Basics 101.
- Blogger Help Videos via Blogger Buzz.
- Dummies’ Guide to Blogger
Related posts:
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- FAQs from Beginning Bloggers Melanie Nelson answers some of the most frequently asked questions...
- Beginning Blogger Checklist: 5 MORE Mistakes to Avoid Blogging Basics 101 explains 5 MORE of the most common...
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I am new at blogging, stumbled into Blogger because of its ease of use, realized the need to get my own dot-com name so I’d be taken more seriously….now I’m reading this! What does this comment (of yours) mean?:
“Remember…they own the content there, so they don’t just give you free reign with FTP.”
BTW, the word should be spelled “rein” not “reign” (I think “free rein” is a term from horseback riding). Anyway, I wanted to know what your comment means. It sounds rather menacing.
This whole bit with web sites owning what I send up gives me the willies. For example I haven’t registered with Blog-Her because they claim to own whatever I send up, including my username which would be the same as my blog name. So what you’re saying about Blogger sounds similar; maybe you can enlighten me. Thanks!!
There’s lots for a person to weigh out, that’s for sure. With blogs on both Blogger and WordPress using my own domains, I have to say I love the ease of use of Blogger without all the maintenance with cpanel, phpmyadmin, ftp etc that WordPress has.