Are Blogging Sites Worth the Money?

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Are blogging sites like WordPress, Blogger, or Squarespace worth the money? It’s true that these are great options for getting your writing on the internet, but they can be very expensive. And some of these platforms have a very steep learning curve. So how can you make the most of these websites without spending all your hard-earned cash?

Community blogging platforms

Blogging platforms are software based tools that enable authors to publish and share content with readers. A platform can be a stand alone website or a social network like Twitter or Facebook.

There are many blogging platforms, some free, others cost money. However, they all provide you with a slew of tools for building a brand and for getting your content out to the masses. These include a host of themes, an easy-to-use content editor, analytics, and social networking features.

Choosing a good blogging platform requires a bit of research. The platform you select should offer a solid customer support system, an app store, and a free trial. It should also have a good search engine optimization feature. And, while you’re at it, you may want to pick a site that offers you a money back guarantee.

Some of the more slick community blogging platforms include Blogger, Tumblr, and Medium. While the free versions aren’t going to get you too excited, they do have their own merits. For instance, Tumblr has a handy feature that lets you post on multiple channels. If you’re looking for a platform that’s built to grow with you, you may want to check out the paid plans.

Weebly

If you are looking for a blogging platform, there are several options available. These include Tumblr, WordPress, Ghost, Squarespace, and TypePad. Each of these offers a simple interface and blogging tools.

The first and most obvious option is to choose a free blogging platform. While these can be effective, they don’t offer the advanced features and functionality of other blog platforms. For more complex tasks, you may want to choose a more robust blogging solution.

Weebly is a blogging platform that offers easy website creation. It allows you to create a website with a drag and drop builder. You can use a free plan with minimal options or upgrade to a paid plan.

In addition to its easy drag and drop builder, Weebly has a number of advanced features, such as SEO, media management tools, and third-party integrations. You can also install an SSL certificate in one click. This will make your site load faster, which helps with search engine optimization.

With Weebly, you can add a variety of customizable features, including a customizable navigation menu, a table of contents, and more. Additionally, you can schedule blog posts on social networks. And, if you’re ready to take your website to the next level, you can even build an ecommerce store with it.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a platform that helps you create visually attractive websites. Its drag and drop website builder is easy to use and makes it perfect for beginners. However, there are some things you should know before using Squarespace for your blog.

Squarespace provides a host of features, including a blog page, which is a landing page for your blog. You can add as many posts to the page as you like. Each post has its own URL.

You can also enable comments for individual blog posts. Moreover, you can choose which ad networks you want to integrate with your Squarespace blog. And you can even schedule your blog posts. You can also share your posts on social media. Lastly, Squarespace offers analytics for your site.

You can customize the templates in Squarespace to suit your style. There are over 230 templates available in the library. The options vary from simple to complex. In addition, each template can be customized from the top to the bottom. Some of them contain different content blocks and customizable branding elements.

Squarespace can be expensive, but you can try it out with a 14-day free trial. If you are satisfied, you can go with a subscription plan that starts at $16 a month.

Blogger

Blogger is one of the oldest free blogging platforms. It is designed for people who are looking for a way to get started writing and sharing their thoughts. But it also offers some tools that can help you reach a larger audience.

Blogger allows users to create and edit a blog without having to worry about hacking, backups, or ecommerce. However, it is not as advanced as other options. You can use the Google Adsense monetization program to place relevant ads on your site.

Blogger is a good choice for people who want to write about personal or topical topics. For professional bloggers, WordPress is a better option. With the former, you can build a full-blown website around your blog, and you can accept payments for your content.

Medium is a popular blogging platform. Many high-profile A-list celebs and public figures have used it to share their stories. The platform provides a free stream of content for readers, and you can earn money from ad revenue. If you want to grow your audience, you can accept submissions and create a portfolio of your work.

Ghost is another WordPress-like blogging platform. In addition to offering a simple editor, it has a sidebar with settings that can be customized.

HubPages

HubPages is one of the more popular blogging sites out there. As its name suggests, it is a multi-site blogging platform, allowing users to create and publish their own blogs in minutes. It also provides a plethora of other features, including a forum, a question and answer section, and social media integration.

HubPages offers writers a way to generate revenue via monetization programs like Google Adsense, Amazon affiliate links, and paid ads on their blog posts. HubPages also boasts of having an active community of bloggers. This gives writers the opportunity to interact with other members and get tips and ideas on how to improve their work. The HubPages forums also make it easy for people looking to get into the writing game to do so.

HubPages’ dashboard is user friendly, and it allows you to view all of your articles and content in one place. In addition, the site’s quality control team keeps spam to a minimum.

It is a good idea to learn the HubPages’ blogging etiquette before venturing out on your own. Once you have mastered the art of creating and promoting your own content, you can focus on developing a more robust presence on HubPages.

Medium

If you want to build your online presence, you may want to consider a blogging site like Medium. It’s an easy way to publish content. But, you’ll want to take some time to learn about the platform.

Although it’s free to sign up, there are some downsides to Medium. While it’s a great place to share news, it’s not an ideal platform for promoting your product. You’ll need to be creative with how you use the service to boost your brand.

It’s also harder to get users to sign up for your newsletter. That’s unless you’re willing to spend money. However, it’s possible to create a branded email list that can promote your other content.

Medium’s interface is clean and simple, which makes it easy to write and read. As an added bonus, Medium saves your links automatically. This means you can bookmark a story to check later.

Medium isn’t the most sophisticated publishing platform, but it has a number of useful features. For instance, it has an “in-built” editor that allows you to preview your post before it’s published. Another neat feature is the ability to add rich text functionality.

What’s more, you can connect your Google, Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts. In addition to posting, you can highlight parts of a post, bookmark it, and recommend it to your readers.

Strikingly

If you’re looking for a blog site for your business, Strikingly is one of the best options available. It’s easy to use, and it has a variety of useful features. In addition, it’s a great option for beginners and freelancers.

If you want to build a website quickly, Strikingly’s one-page design is ideal. You can add content to your website in a matter of minutes, and you don’t have to worry about hosting or coding.

Strikingly has a variety of templates to choose from. These can be customized according to your specific needs. They’re all mobile-responsive, so you can view your site on a variety of devices. Plus, you can customize your template by adding or removing elements. This includes text boxes, images, and buttons.

However, Strikingly’s blogging platform isn’t as powerful as some of its competitors. And if you have a large website or a business that grows rapidly, you won’t find all the features you need. Nevertheless, it’s still a good choice for small blogs and personal sites.

In addition to its blog tool, Strikingly also offers built-in analytics. The analytics feature shows you how many visitors are coming to your website, where they’re coming from, and how long they’re staying.