Why is it important to choose one of the best blogging platforms? A complicated platform or something which needs intricate troubleshooting methods would make the entire process more troublesome. If you start your blog with a wrong platform, it might become too difficult or even expensive to switch to a new one, later on. How to choose from the best blogging platforms?
Best blogging platforms in your budget
How much are you planning to spend on the platform and overall maintenance? If you are planning to stick with free, check the features available in the free version. Do you want to try the paid version? Companies offer monthly fee packages or annual packages with a different set of features. Remember that allocating your entire capital on the platform is not an appreciable move.
Controls in the best blogging platforms
Beyond features, how much control does the best blogging platforms offer? Can you control the type of audience, comments, and other elements on your blog? Can you edit the posts, comments, or alter the roles of your guests? In reality, if you are looking for platforms with a higher control level, the budget would be higher.
Monetization in the best blogging platforms
Does the platform allow you to monetize? If you plan to create a blog for just promoting your product, you need not worry about this feature. An individual who needs income to handle maintenance and hosting fees should look into the platform’s monetization options.
Expertise required for the best blogging platforms
If the best blogging platforms need PHP knowledge, it might not suit someone without that skill set. If you are new to this field, it is best to choose a platform, where programming knowledge is unnecessary. There are many platforms with simple drag-and-drop options.
Simplicity in using the best blogging platforms
Choose a platform that has a simple yet feature-rich CMS. Look beyond simple requirements like font styles and images. Can you insert a table? Can you switch to HTML to make alterations? Does the platform allow you to edit the images or add other features to increase your blog’s overall appeal?
Best blogging platforms for the search engine
Does the platform you are about to choose allows for SEO optimization? Non-SEO optimized platforms do not rank well in the search engine. It nullifies the whole idea of creating a blog. Check out the SEO-friendly features allowed in the platform.
Security factor of the best blogging platforms
How secure is the platform? Do you need to invest in security plug-ins? Most of the basic free platforms do not offer advanced protection. How much are you planning to spend on security factors? Beyond plug-ins, you need to invest in a good anti-virus package for your system, VPN, and a firewall.
Let your audience decide the right platform
In some cases, you can choose the right platform based on your business’s primary audience. For millennials, Tumblr is better. Choose WordPress for older audiences. Do you wish to cover the audience with a social blogging site? If you want a customized platform for your brand, you can choose Joomla and Drupal. But it is an expensive option for corporates. In some cases, the best platform depends on the geographical location of your primary audience too.
Differentiating factor of the platform
Thousands of bloggers can use the same platform. Does the platform allow you to create a distinctive image with unique themes, upgrades, personalization features, etc.? It would not serve a better purpose if your blog looks similar to hundred others, except with a different theme or color gradient. Moreover, how easy is the personalization work? Do you need to hire a third-party service provider or learn new skills to personalize the platform? Starters should prefer platforms with drop-down options for personalization.
Privacy decides the type of platform
How private do you want the blog? If you are looking for a journal type of blog, a private-style platform would be a better option. Do you want to post the content in all media types and allow audiences to comment or participate? It is better to choose a platform that flexibility changing the privacy and anonymity of the users and your information.
Troubleshooting and maintenance of the platform
If you are tech-savvy to troubleshoot and maintain the blog, you need a platform with good online communities to help you in the process. If you are planning to outsource the work, choose platforms that have many service providers. Selecting a niche platform will increase maintenance costs. Moreover, check how prone the platform is to such errors. Will a small change in theme or plug-in pull down the entire site? The perfect choice depends on your technical savviness and service options.
Mobile-friendly platform for better audience cover
There are two reasons why you should choose a mobile-friendly platform. The first reason is to cover the audience who surf the internet with their smartphones. There are three billion and more people using smartphones. Thus, from a marketing point of view, it is an imperative feature. The second reason is Google’s ranking process. A website that has a mobile-friendly view will get ranked higher in the search results.
Ownership of the blog
By choosing the platform of your choice, do you own your blog? For instance, WordPress holds the blog’s ownership and retains the right to suspend your blog if you violate their terms. Google holds the right to suspend blogs of many platforms like Blogger. Google has a history of suspending many platforms without warning.
Beyond all these factors, check the reviews for the blogging platform. The best blogging platforms are not the ones with no bad reviews. It is about how the support department handles the queries. Check out the top frequent problems with the platform. Now, make an informed decision based on all the factors.
