Which is the best best blog?

[Liam1981]

Hi all

I'm just about to start up a blog for my personal training business and I was wondering if you could advise me on which is best?

Do I go with Blogger or do I go for WordPress and take one of their hosting packages like DreamHost?

Thanks

Liam

 

[Bathead]

Why do you want it hosted, why not keep it with you site? A hosted blog can be shut and you are left high and dry. Wordpress is easy to install.

Mick

 

Wordpress all the way on some quality UK based hosting, Wordpress has the most themes & add-ons available IMO.

And if you need any quality UK based hosting...

 

[Codefixer]

As Bathead says it would look more professional to have your own domain name and it would save any decisions to move it further down the line. Wordpress is very versatile and I'd recommend that.
Some hosts have a simple install process for Wordpress.

 

[Liam1981]

Why do you want it hosted, why not keep it with you site? A hosted blog can be shut and you are left high and dry. Wordpress is easy to install.

Mick

I would love to host in on my own website - www.theslimcompany.com - but I don't think that my host, 123-reg supports PHP? Let me know if i'm wrong. If this is the case, would you recommend changing my hosting, and how would I go about doing this?

Thanks

 

[gnaldrett]

One advantage of using a hosted service is the ability to generate links back to your main site. These will then improve your SEO (if done carefully)! I am going to start a blogger soon, the way I see it it Google run it they are more likely to spider it regulary and pick up the external links...

Regards,

Gordon

 

[Liam1981]

so do I want to create a blog that isn't linked to my website, and use it to generate links back to my main website? Is this better than actually hosting the blog on my website?

 

[gnaldrett]

so do I want to create a blog that isn't linked to my website, and use it to generate links back to my main website? Is this better than actually hosting the blog on my website?

It really is down to personal choice. I have in the past hosted blogs 'in-site' if you like, as I thought that having a proper URL was important. But having recently studied SEO in more detail I now realise the importance of relevant external links to gain page ranking. Being able to provide external links yourself from a site with relevant content, at no cost is an easy and valid way to improve SEO.

Obviously external links are just a small part of SEO, but as a certain supermarket says 'every little helps'!

Regards,

Gordon

 

[Liam1981]

Hi All

Well my blog is up and running... www.theslimcompany.co.uk/blog - it's a bit bare at the moment but give me a chance!

Thanks to Carl from CS New Media, he has been incredibly helpful in getting it set up... really good customer service and highly recommended.

Liam