Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

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

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/01/using-blogger-blogspot-as-your-blogging-platform/

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