A Bloggers Delight: 10 platforms tailored for your blogging solutions

Choosing the right and best blogging platform is very important and yet tricky. In this article, I am going to give you detailed information about some free and paid blogging platforms.

There are many privileges the internet has blessed us with in recent times, asides the ease of doing seemingly complex things, we have been able to communicate with people on a larger scale. We can comfortably relax in the comfort of our homes and reach millions of people at the click of just one button – absolutely revolutionary.

Communication has been made easier and so much more fascinating than the traditional one on one conversations. Now, you can speak to a wide heterogeneous audience all my the same time without any hassle whatsoever. One of such tools through which we have been able to share ideas with many people in our world today is blogging. With everyone hopping on the fanciful train which is the internet, blogging has become a very popular way of connecting with the world.

People now own blogs about travelling, cooking, reading, trading and other activities that give them joy. The amazing thing is blogging can be done by anybody that has a particular area of specialization that wishes to give people insight on how to do things. Blogging contrary to popular belief entails a great deal of hard work, consistency, research and a blend of rich writing skills than will sustain readers. It will be futile to have a blog that no one reads so it is imperative to understand the many intricacies that are embedded in the profession. Yes, you read that right, it is a profession that many profits from. Although a lot of people have blogs that are mainly for leisure, I have a friend that blogs only about her new cooking recipes.

 However, there are some established blogs that have become an authority in sharing information, educating and entertaining people on a daily basis – this is why you are here. Blogging is far more detailed than it used to be, this mode of sharing information to the public has transcended normal writing and posting of photos to get a few comments. This is why understanding the kind of platform you want to use or very essential.

As a blogger, there are some vital decisions you need to make. One of which is choosing to pay for the features of the blogging platforms you wish to use. This all depends on your goal of starting the blog in the first place. If you are thinking of starting the blog for business purposes, I will strongly recommend getting the paid version of the platform you want to use. This will give you unlimited access to features that will make audience interaction a bit easier. You need to choose platforms that are peculiar and easy to use If you are looking to going into blogging, you should consider some of these blogging platforms that I will be showing in this review. This should surely make your blogging dreams clearer.

There are a plethora of blogs that are thriving richly, but some truly stand above the rest. Here are my top 10 blogging platforms that you should consider using to start up your blog. Bear in mind, these blogs are in no particular order.

Finding the platform that suits your needs is the first step to achieving your blogging dreams. Also, your readers and audience need to be considered when choosing the platform. Enough talk, let’s go straight into the list from the absolutely free to paid platforms.

1. WordPress

If at any point in your life you had been a writer, there would be a chance of the name WordPress ringing a bell. This blogging platform is available to people who wish to have full control of their blog or website. It also allows them to monitor traffic via Google Analytics and also to monetize their blog. It is a popular platform but it might be a bit complex for new bloggers but not worry there are varied options in learning WordPress. With this platform, you become Your own boss which is what most of you want anyway. WordPress allows you to install custom plugins and free themes that will make your blog truly portray your identity.

However, to use WordPress you will need to have your own web host to make the process a bit more simple. Bluehost is just apt for beginners and it provides a structured framework for support and helps with the WordPress installation. HostGator is another web host you can try if you are looking for options. WordPress has a large community with over 54,000 plugins you can choose from to give your blog the desired look. It is an open-source solution making it free to use but there are a few things you will need to pay for. Plugins, themes, domain name and hosting are some of the elements you will need to pay when using WordPress.

2. Blogger

Some might say Blogger has been around since the dawn of time and I might as well agree with them. If there is any blogging platform that beginners can enjoy thoroughly, it will be a blogger. This platform is easy and free to use, you can easily type your content and publish. It is as easy as Jackson Five’s ABC. Not many beginner blogging platforms allow users to add widgets to their platform but Blogger not only affords beginners such luxury but they can also edit HTML to give it their own feel. Since it is a Google service, users will need to have a Google account to operate.

However, some people tag blogger as that girlfriend you have but do not eventually marry. Don’t get me wrong, the experience of using blogger is thrilling but when beginners become somewhat skilled on the platform they leave – don’t you all have feelings? Also, ads are displayed on your blogs, some might be helpful while others are just plain annoying. Another bit of a downer when using this platform is the limited design options for your blog, as much as it is fun to edit your blog, you have a few options to choose from also. A lot of people compare Blogger to WordPress, although both are similar the former does not have the functionality and luxury of options as the latter.

3. Tumblr

The younger generation would have eaten me alive if this was not included,Tumblr is a popular blogging platform where users own a free website (subdomain) to share a wide variety of content to a large community of people. You get to interact with people who enjoy reading and viewing your posts, it is very easy to post images and navigate. The platform is completely free to use and hobby bloggers can use this for leisure. However, Backing up your files can be a very gruelling task as the platform has some limitations.

4. Drupal

Welcome to the big men’s club as my dad says to me when I complain to him about my girlfriend. Drupal is for people who have experience in blogging and website building as the platform incorporates a complete content management system that could possibly convince novices. It is great for building advanced sites despite it being free. platforms. There is also wide access to templates and features with custom content types for flexibility and freedom. You can use this site anywhere in the world, it has a multilingual support system that accommodates many different languages. The

Although, these are all great features Drupal requires you to get another host for your blog and the installation requires expertise from technically gifted people – hence the big men tag. You can learn the ropes in Drupal but it takes a lot of patience just like mastering great things in life. Does this show that this is my favourite platform? I guess some things are too obvious to hide.

5. Joomla

Joomla is an open-source blogging platform and has a complete content management system just like Drupal but it is more simplistic. Although fairly easy to use, Joomla has some bits of complexities than WordPress, however, many businesses still opt for this platform. It gives a wide range of content options, themes and templates that affords you the luxury of choice.

In contrast to it being free, for hosting and domain name, you will have to pay to get it. You also need CSS coding language and other skills to fully appreciate this platform in all of its features and functionalities. It is perfect for online stores, large businesses and other technically gifted people.

6. Medium

Medium is unlike any of the aforementioned blogging platforms, the idea behind this makes users enjoy the experience and the culture surrounding it. This is an online blogging platform where there is an in-built audience that makes communism sharing of ideas easy and more engaging. This platform works the same way Twitter, Instagram or any other social media platform does.

The aspiring blogger signs up for a free Medium account then sets up his/her account that would really represent their ideas when posting. The blogger can write stories and embed videos to those posts and can track how many people have read the posts you made. The fun side is you can get other ideas from other bloggers.

As smooth as this can be, it could be limited. You can link your stories to your domain but cannot sync these posts to your accounts. You also have limited or no control of the environment, I guess this is why people who take blogging as a hobby enjoy it here.

7. Weebly

The drop sound culminates in the basic feature of this blogging platform which is drag and drop. Weebly is simple to navigate as users can simply pick an option from the range of content available. It has unique web building tools that make it accessible across both desktop and mobile platforms. The platform incorporates a strong SEO with its own analytics tools to help users track how their blog is performing.

The free plan features Weebly branding which can make the efforts of bloggers a bit frustrating. It also has 500 Mb worth of storage but if you want more features like video backgrounds and others you might want to consider the paid form. Plans range from $8 – $25 per month but the e-commerce plan costs a little bit more.

8. Wix

With the way, I enjoy Maverick music and other gospel videos, you will think I practically live on YouTube – which is probably right. Occasionally, these catchy Wix adverts play before the video and I become so fascinated at the simplicity through which you can build your blog on the platform. It has a wonderful user interface that your readers will surely love and a host of third-party apps to help you design your blog. This is a lot more simplistic as most of the Hardwork is taken care of by the platform. You also have a lot of stock images to choose from, with a unique AI feature that can design your blog.

On the downside, using the free version of this platform comes with loads of limitations, as your features will come in Wix branding. Also, once you choose a template it is somewhat difficult to switch, the same thing with choosing a host – it’s like once you go black you can never go back. Wix paid packages to range from $5 a month to $25 a month. If you have little or no website or blogging experience, Wix would be perfect for showing you the ropes. Its aesthetics and templates suit musicians, artists and others in the creative areas.

9. Squarespace

Let me go right ahead to say that this blogging platform is remarkably easy to use when it comes to customization. You do not need to have any coding experience but you can completely change the settings and modalities on your blog. It also has its own analytics board that allows you to monitor traffic to your blog. If you are thinking of expanding your blog into a full-time business, you should consider Squarespace.

In as much as it has some pretty sound features, the themes and the plugins are not that great as there are some limitations to the platform’s features.

Squarespace has two pricing modes, you get the personal plan if you pay $16 while $26 gets the blogger the business plan.

10. Ghost

An open-source blogging platform that implements a clean and easy interface for users to build their blog. One peculiar feature I love about this platform is it allows you to preview the content you are working with on the go. So you can be sure of having a clean and structured post. On the flip side, Ghost can be very difficult to Install a first and you need a bit of coding experience to get the hang of it.

If you are looking for advanced blogging solutions, then you can check Ghost out. The paid form of this platform ranges from $29 – $199 depending on your preferences.

Let’s throw in one more for the professionals looking for a little bit of expansion, shall we?

Unfortunately, there are also limited apps and extensions that go with this platform hence the shortage of templates to choose from.

If you are not sure how to get started, read about how to start a blog in easy steps.

In conclusion, there are certainly more blogging platforms to choose from but these ones particularly catch my eye because of their simplicity – I am a very easy-going man. Pushing me aside, understanding the purpose of your blog and the target audience will make choosing a blogging platform easy. Try not to rush but make adequate research and practice, in no time people will throng to your blog daily.