Top Three Blogging Platforms

For bloggers who have just gotten started, deciding which blogging platform to use is one of the most complex decisions they’ll have to make. Usually, bloggers choose among 3 top options: Blogger, Tumblr, and WordPress, because they are the most common brands. Of course, there are others like Jekyll and Typepad that have started making waves in the industry, but when it comes down to a branding and numbers game, Blogger, Tumblr and WordPress have it.

Blogger

When it comes to creating a new blog, you have many options to choose from when selecting a blogging platform. Each platform has features that are beneficial for all types of bloggers, but for a true beginner, Blogger is the way to go. You may be wondering why Blogger is the best blogging platform for beginners. There are many reasons, but the following are the main features of Blogger by Google that make it the best for new bloggers.

Ease of Use

If you are new to the world of blogging, you want to find a platform that will allow you to be creative without having to learn a lot of code and spend most of your time trying to figure out how things work. Blogger offers a platform that is enjoyable for beginners but with enough options to make it ideal for experienced bloggers as well.

Monetization

Many bloggers want to monetize their blogs so that they can earn via ad revenue and affiliates. Blogger features an easy monetization tab that lets you integrate Google AdSense and Amazon Affiliates programs. There are also easy to use HTML widgets that you can use to include other types of ads and affiliates.

Unique Designs

There are hundreds of templates available online for the Blogger platform. This lets you easily create a unique look for your blog. Download a layout template from any site that features free blogger templates and uploads it using the easy to manage dashboard in Blogger to make your blog design fit your vision of what you want your blog to be.

URL Freedom

With Blogger, you can elect to use a ‘dot blogspot’ URL for free, purchase a domain name on the Blogger site or use a domain name you already own. This lets you begin with a free URL until you find out how your blog is going to do, or whether it is a blog you are going to keep before you purchase a domain name for it. Changing your URL is easy as well through the settings options on Blogger.

Widgets

The widgets that Blogger offer include everything from a sidebar calendar to news feeds and social network links. These widgets are easy to use and access from the Blogger dashboard under the design tab.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a unique blogging platform specifically for bloggers who have the intention of publishing short-form content which includes micro-blogs, quotes, images, videos, and animated GIFs. Tumblr is also a group of users who are willing to promote and comment on each other’s work. It is free to set up as you don’t need to pay a dime. Tumblr hosts your blog for no extra cost. You have your sub-domain name by default such as goodliving.tumblr.com. You can customize your domain name to take off the tumblr.com address by buying and hosting on a hosting page.

Ease Of Use

No skills are required to start and run a Tumblr blog. Tumblr blogs are easy to set up and easy to run afterward. Their app is one of the easier ones to use on the go because Tumblr acts more as a social network than a blog hosting site.

Varieties Of Designs

On Tumblr, there are a lot of designs you can choose from, although most of these designs are for sale. If you were a Myspace user back in the day, I’d say that Tumblr is the Myspace of blogging platforms. It’s all about individuality and integrating your personality into the design of your blog, rather than it looking like a professional corporate website. You won’t find many businesses outside of the entertainment space using Tumblr for their entire site like you would with a WordPress site.

Plugins And Extensions

There is no need to apply extensions and plugins when you are using Tumblr. Tumblr is a perfect choice for individuals who have chosen to blog as a hobby. It can also be used for blogs that are renowned for publishing various types of content such as quotes, posts, images, videos, etc.

Tumblr is the blogging platform for you if you’re not planning to turn your blog into a business project, or if you don’t care about advanced features and extensions.

WordPress

However, when it comes to creating a professional blog, the most rock-solid choice is the WordPress blogging platform. Unlike other blogging platforms, many things can be done with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

The biggest advantage of a self-hosted WordPress blog over other blogging platforms is that they have no limitations. A cost-efficient blogging platform might seem like a good choice for bloggers who have just started their blogging career, but in the long run, WordPress is undoubtedly the best option.

Ease of Use

I’m not going to pretend that WordPress is some easy breezy platform for just any beginner. Honestly it’s not. The good thing is that with all the templates available, the bones are all there. You will have to occasionally ask their support folks for help, read a forum discussion, or contact the theme developers for help with their platform.

Customization

One of the best features of WordPress is the amount of customization allowed without coding and with coding. Even as a beginner you can customize so many features of your page like adding banners, left or right sidebars, full-page themes, infinite scroll themes, you name it. If you are a developer you can customize even further. There are even companies like Divi Builder who allow you to completely customize a WordPress site. I use Divi Builder for my clients who want to create a completely custom site, but anyone can purchase Divi Builder via my affiliate link and use it on their self-hosted WordPress site.

Templates

One of the best things about WordPress is the availability of templates, both free and paid. The free templates are not your bottom of the barrel, boring looking templates. They are fantastic starting points for any blogger. If you happen to hate the great free options or want to select an option that is more unique to your business (or one that not every other new site is using), there is also the option to pay for premium themes.

Plugins

The great thing about WordPress is that has features such as plugins and an active support community. On other blogging platforms, such features have to be added, and bloggers often have to edit their theme to show related posts. With WordPress, things become a lot easier since there are simple plugins available for everything that might be needed. Anything can be achieved by using plugins available on WordPress and custom code can be obtained from the WordPress support forum.

If you’re going to start a blog, then you really need to consider the blogging platform. While Tumblr isn’t for a serious blogger, you’ll quickly see why artists like Taylor Swift take their Tumblr presence so seriously. Being backed by a company like Google has to give Blogger some major advances in SEO, and with the site being so easy to use, it’s a blogging beginner’s paradise. But if you want to turn that blog into a business, you really have to go with WordPress. It’s not a blogging platform that you can get on and use instantly without doing a little research and trial and errors, but it is the best platform for running your business blog.

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