Characteristics of your Weblog Platform Choices

There is no more common question or concern among both new and experienced bloggers alike: what blog platform should I use? Aside from learning how to blog, it's an almost universal concern.

And there is no definitive answer. All bloggers MUST own their domain names, but platform choice is largely dependent on the specific blogger's needs. With that stated, I've compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of the two primary platform categorizations below.

Hosted Platforms

Hosted platforms refer to services whereby a service provider grants you access to their software, network connection, and hardware, and you create a blogging account for use on that platform. With a hosted blog, you have access to an admin panel for your blog, and nothing else.

Common hosted platforms include packages like Typepad, LiveJournal, and Blogger.

Advantages of Hosted Platforms

• Economical: most are free; some (like TypePad) are offered with multiple price points
• Simple to get started: just create an account and then quickly  learn how to create blog posts
• Automatic updates: you needn't concern yourself with keeping hosted software patched and updated.

Disadvantages of Hosted Platforms

• Inflexible: there are fewer cusotmization options with hosted platforms.
• Limited design options: you typically only get to choose from a limited number of mediocre designs, and you often can't make updates to them
• Generic URL: some hosted platforms don't offer the option to use your own URL
• Less control: you are at the mercy of the platform
• Migration issues: moving from some free hosted platforms results in a lot of effort and often the temporary loss of search engine rankings

Self-hosted Platforms

Self-hosted platforms consist of your own web hosting account with a data center, and the blogging software you install on the data center's server. With a self-hosted blog, you have access to a management panel for your blog, but you also have access to a server account and the blog software where you can do just about anything.

Common self-hosted software includes Movable Type, Drupal, and WordPress.

Advantages of Self-hosted Platforms

• Design flexibility: you have full control over design and layout
• Great software: the best software is available on self-hosted platforms
• Custom URL: custom URL's are common on self-hosted platforms
• Adaptability: your blog can change as your needs change
• Easy migration: should you ever want to move to a different platform or another server, moving is a snap

Disadvantages of Self-hosted Platforms

• Difficult setup: setup can sometimes be difficult, but this can be overcome with a good blogs how to
• Cost: while the blogging software is free, the hosting platform will cost you money
• Hosting issues: unless you choose a good host, you might have to suffer from down-time or poor support
• Upgrades: you will need to keep your software patched

The majority of my blogs are self-hosted, and that's what I usually advise anyone looking to create a professional presence. There are too many advanatges to turn down, and you usually have the option to host many domains and blogs on one account, driving the cost per blog down to a small amount.