There are a lot of choices when it comes to the platform you choose to start a blog.
But I’m only going to recommend one: WordPress.
A self-hosted WordPress blog is the right choice here.
I’m not talking about starting on wordpress.com and doing things there.
I’m talking about having your very own self-hosted WordPress blog site on your own service.
Now there are a lot of alternatives to WordPress.
And some people think there is a steep learning curve when it comes to learning how to use WordPress.
But it’s worth the time and effort because WordPress is the industry standard for bloggers and has been for years now.
So from here on out, I’m only going to be talking about using a self-hosted WordPress blog site for your blog.
Most everything we’ll talk about can be applied to other platforms too, it’s just that the technical details are going to be a little different.
Self-hosted WordPress is the way to go!
How to choose a blogging platform
If you want to get started with a new website or blog, then choosing which platform to do so in is an important decision.
You need to make sure that whatever platform you pick will work well for you.
It needs to have all the features you want and none of the ones you don’t.
That’s why I’m recommending WordPress.
WordPress is free and open source software meaning anyone can download it and install it themselves.
This means you can customize it however they like.
You can add your own plugins if you want more functionality than what’s built into the core program.
Or you can even create entirely custom themes (like I do).
Themes give you control over every aspect of your web page including colors, fonts, layout, etc.
Plugins let you extend WordPress beyond its original purpose by adding extra functions such as social media sharing buttons, analytics tools, email marketing services, etc.
In short, WordPress gives you complete freedom to build exactly the kind of site you want.
Why should you consider WordPress?
Here are my top reasons why you should consider WordPress instead of another platform:
WordPress works great for beginners
If you are looking for a simple way to build a website, then WordPress is the best option. It is free and easy to install and use. There are many tutorials available online that can help you get started with this platform.
You’ll learn along the way
Getting under the hood with WordPress and building out your own self-hosted WordPress site will help you learn a ton about HTML coding, CSS styling, SEO, and much more. This knowledge will come in handy later down the road when you’re ready to take your skills further.
There are lots of resources available online
If you want to learn how to build websites with WordPress, there are plenty of free tutorials and courses available online. Some of these are paid, but many are free.
In addition, I’ve created an entire series on how to build your own self-hosted WordPress website that you can find here.
The community around WordPress is amazing
There are tons of helpful communities online (like my own) where you can find answers to any questions you might have regarding WordPress.
These include forums, Facebook groups, YouTube videos, blogs, and more.
If you ever run into trouble while working on your site, chances are someone else has already had the same problem before you. So finding solutions through others’ experiences is super valuable.
It’s easy to find help
When something goes wrong with your site, whether it be technical issues or design problems, you won’t always know who to turn to. But with WordPress, you can easily search Google for “how to fix X” or “fix Y”. Or ask other users on sites like Reddit or Quora. They may not be able to answer your question directly, but they could point you towards some useful information.
It’s completely customizable
With WordPress, you can build whatever you’d like, and design things however you’d like to design them.
You don’t need to stick to templates provided by the software; you can make everything look just the way you want it to. And because it’s open source, anyone can contribute new features to the system so you never really stop improving upon it.
It’s supported by most hosting companies
You can create a WordPress website using what many hosting companies call a 1-click install. That means all you do is click one button and your site gets installed automatically. Virtually all major web hosts support WordPress.
It’s free
Getting started with your own self-hosted WordPress site is free. All you have to do is download the software package from wordpress.org.
It’s SEO friendly
WordPress makes creating great content easier than ever. With its built-in tools, you can add tags, categories, images, links, etc., without having to worry about breaking anything. Plus, if you write good content, people will naturally link back to your page.
It’s mobile responsive
Virtually all themes you’d use to style your WordPress website are now mobile responsive. That means your pages load quickly no matter which device visitors access them from.
You can get automatic updates as soon as possible
Because WordPress is constantly being updated, if you enable the auto-update feature, you’ll receive those updates right away. This helps enormously with security and making sure your WordPress website stays stable.
It’s fast
If you’re looking for speed when building your blog, there isn’t much better out there than WordPress. Because it uses PHP, it loads faster than almost every alternative. In fact, according to W3Techs, WordPress was ranked 1 in terms of performance among CMS systems.
There are lots of plugins available
Plugins allow you to extend the functionality of your WordPress website beyond what comes standard. Some examples include:
It’s reliable
The best thing about WordPress is that it’s been around since 2003. Since then, millions of websites have used this powerful tool to grow their businesses.
It’s secure
As mentioned above, WordPress is an extremely popular choice for bloggers due to how well it handles security. The developers behind WordPress take security very seriously, ensuring that hackers cannot break into your account.
It’s scalable
One of the biggest advantages of choosing WordPress over another option is scalability. If you decide later down the line that you want more space, you can simply upgrade your plan.
It’s extensible
Another advantage of WordPress is that it allows users to customize nearly any aspect of their sites. For example, they can change colors or fonts on each post, upload custom graphics, and even set up different layouts depending on where someone lands on the page.
It’s flexible
With so many options, you can make WordPress work exactly like you need it to. Want to display posts differently? No problem! Just adjust some settings. Need to show only certain types of posts? Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
It’s powerful
When it comes to power, nothing beats WordPress. Not only does it offer tons of features, but also has thousands upon thousands of extensions. These help you build just about anything you could imagine.
It’s got tons of tutorials
There are literally hundreds of free online resources dedicated to helping newbies learn everything they need to know about using WordPress. From step by step guides to video tutorials, these resources cover pretty much every topic imaginable.
It’s easy to update
You don’t have to be a tech whiz to keep things running smoothly on your site. All you really need to do is log onto your dashboard once per month, click “Update Now,” and follow the prompts.
It’s highly rated
WordPress is one of the most trusted platforms out there. According to Google, it receives an average rating of 4.6 stars from its users. That means people love it. And why wouldn’t they? With all the benefits listed here, plus countless others, it’s hard not to fall head over heels for WordPress.
It’s used by millions of websites worldwide
According to Builtwith, WordPress powers approximately 30% of the world’s top 10 million websites. This includes big names such as CNN, Forbes, Mashable, and BuzzFeed.
It’s trusted
If you’re looking for something with high levels of trustworthiness, look no further than WordPress. In fact, according to Trustpilot, WordPress gets an overall score of 9.3/10 based on reviews submitted by real customers.
It’s supported
In case you ever run into trouble while working with WordPress, you’ll always find support available through the official forums. Plus, if you get stuck, chances are other members will jump in and lend a hand.
It’s safe
The last thing you’d want when creating content for your blog is to worry about whether or not it might end up being hacked. Thankfully, this isn’t a concern with WordPress. As long as you use strong passwords and stay vigilant, you won’t have to worry about getting attacked.
It’s proven
As mentioned above, WordPress powers more than 30% of the world’s biggest blogs. The maturity and breadth of adoption of WordPress are unparalleled and it’s become an industry standard for good reason.
It’s stable
One of the best parts of WordPress is how well-maintained it is. There aren’t too many bugs or issues cropping up anymore thanks to constant updates and improvements.
It’s mature
While WordPress was originally created back in 2003, it didn’t gain widespread popularity until around 2007. Since then, it’s been growing at a steady pace and now boasts nearly 40 million active installs each day.