If you’re still using free content distribution platforms like WordPress.com (not to be mistaken with WordPress.org) or Medium, there is no better time to start considering self-hosted blogging than today. There are just too many advantages to gain when you switch to a self-hosted blog. We are going to review some of them in this post.
Freedom
You can’t help but notice a few – well, a lot of – restrictions when you use platforms like WordPress.com. For starters, you will see a series of ads and suggested posts from other blogs at the end of your post. Instead of directing visitors to other articles you have written, you can’t do anything but watch as your visitors leave to other sites.
With a self-hosted blog, these restrictions are no longer there. You are free to determine what to show your visitors. You can choose to promote your own posts or even sell spots to other blogs looking for opportunities to promote their sites.
Ads are also free to use. While you can’t place your own ads on free blogging services – and can only rely on a very small portion of the platform’s ad revenue – you can do anything from place AdWords ads to connect with brands and working directly with them.
Better User Experience
User experience is one of the key factors to keep in mind when you’re trying to develop a blog. Users are pickier and are actively looking for a good experience when browsing the internet. Search engines are taking UX into consideration too. The best way to provide a better user experience is by taking control over all the elements. This means moving to a self-hosted blog using hosting services such as Certa Hosting.
With a hosting account, you don’t have to worry about adding your own theme or customizing the entire blog to your liking. Maintaining a consistent navigation, creating a responsive layout that works and even delivering custom web elements to visitors’ screen can all be done easily and without restriction.
Pay as You Grow
The best thing about using a hosting service to host your own blog (or several blogs) is that you can now find service packages that suit your needs and requirements perfectly. There is no need to overpay to get features you don’t really need either.
As the blog grows and you attract more visitors, you can easily expand the hosting account by adding more storage, more bandwidth and other features you may need. You can also keep your costs at a minimum, paying only for the storage space and features you need at the beginning.
Combined with the fact that you can use your own domain name and venture deeper into SEO and other internet marketing tricks, you’ll see that self-hosting your blog is a valuable move to consider. There are still so many other benefits to enjoy from self-hosting your own blog, but the three we discussed in this article alone should be enough to convince you to go out and find a hosting service for your blog today.
Do you have a self-hosted blog?
Don’t forget to read more of my informational posts on blogging in my Better Your Blog series.
