Do I really need WordPress? Can't I just start with Blogger?

This question comes straight from the mailbag:

Is it okay to just start on Blogger? I tried WordPress but it frustrated the heck out of me.

I’m so glad you asked. It’s true that I’ve been hyping WordPress for its power, flexibility, and ease of use. But there are a couple of practical barriers to getting started:

Even though the WordPress software itself is free, you’ll need a web hosting account and a domain name, both of which you’ll have to pay for.
Even though WordPress can be very easy to use once it’s set up properly, you still have to figure out how to get it installed and configured, which honestly isn’t that easy if you’re just starting out.

Now, I’ve got the solution to the second problem: You can hire me to install and configure WordPress so you can start blogging without having to tear your hair out trying to figure out how to get your site set up.

But that doesn’t help with the first problem (in fact, it adds to it, because in addition to buying hosting and a domain name, you’re now paying my fees).

When Blogger is better

So, if your website budget is somewhere between hahahahahaha what budget? and $500 per year (I’ll break this down in tomorrow’s post), or if you’re simply a little — or completely — freaked out by the idea of having a hosting account and running your own blog, Blogger is an ideal solution.

Here’s why.

Blogger is free. As in completely free. No hidden charges, no paid upgrades for pro versions, no fees of any kind.
Blogger is totally web-based. You don’t need a hosting account, and to manage your blog all you need to do is login to your Blogger.com account. This also means that your site is backed up so it’s difficult to lose anything.
You never have to worry about upgrading or reinstalling anything, because Blogger takes care of all of that behind the scenes for you.
Blogger’s interface is completely visual (the jargony term is WYSIWYG, for What You See Is What You Get). Move stuff around by dragging and dropping, change settings by typing and clicking checkboxes, and never worry about the underlying (and scary) code.
At the same time, you have access to the code if you really want to get under the hood (see the flip side of this below).
Blogger is owned by the mighty Google, which means that it is seamlessly integrated with other Google-owned goodies like Feedburner, AdSense, and Google Analytics.

Be the master of your own domain

So, yes, absolutely, go with Blogger if that’s what works for you right now, especially if your budget is zero.

There are lots of free resources and tutorials out there, and I plan to add some Blogger how-to’s to this very blog (if you want to ask a question or suggest a Blogger how-to, leave a comment here or drop me a line).

That said, as soon as you can spare $10, you should immediately buy yourself a domain name. If you can spare slightly more than $10, lock in your domain registration for a couple of years.

You can use your domain name with your Blogger account (no extra fees from Blogger for this), so instead of yourblogname.blogspot.com, you can now point people to www.yourblogname.com, which is much much better for your business and also provides for a seamless transition if and when you decide to move to WordPress.

When you realize that Blogger is a gateway drug

You can blog happily along on Blogger for quite awhile. And if it’s working for you, there’s no reason to fix what ain’t broke. You can even skip the rest of this post. Honest.

But if you notice any of these symptoms:

You wish you could have a customized theme, because you can’t quite tweak your Blogger template to give you the exact look you want
You’re looking at a premium theme like Thesis or Headway, both of which are exclusive to WordPress
You’re considering paying someone to customize your Blogger template or design a custom header for you
You want advanced functionality, like setting up a membership site, a forum, or a complex online store
You want your blog to be a part of a “regular” website, or you want your site to have a front page that’s not bloggy-looking

…you might be ready to move from Blogger.com to a self-hosted WordPress site.

If you’re going to drop any bucks on customizing your site, you’d be better off going with WordPress where you have complete and total control. You want to make sure you have the resources to set it up properly and get the help you need, though. And that’s the subject of tomorrow’s post, so stay tuned.

Have a question for my mailbag? Leave a comment or drop me a line.

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