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We’ve all heard it, haven’t we?
What about Wix?
If I was brand new to blogging, I can only assume I’d be wondering whether I should go with Wix or Squarespace.
Perhaps I would’ve landed on Blogger, or maybe Medium.
The thing is, all of the above are bad choices for anyone wanting to build a blogging business.
In this short post, I’ll share why, as well as show you how to start a profitable blog the right way in 2024.
If you’d rather skip the explanation and jumpstart your blogging journey today, enroll in my free blogging course below.
Why Hosted Platforms Are an Absolute NO
Hosted platforms such as Squarespace, Wix, Tumblr, Blogger, and Medium offer all-in-one solutions for creating and managing a blog.
They provide easy-to-use templates, built-in features, and handle all the technical aspects of running a website.
Sounds perfect, right?
Not quite.
While these platforms may seem convenient, they come with significant downsides that can hinder your blog’s growth and profitability.
Here are 4 reasons relying on hosted platforms is a mistake you’ll want to avoid at all costs.
1. You Don’t Own the Asset
On these platforms, you don’t truly own your blog.
While you might have control over the content you create, the platform ultimately owns your blog.
This means that your blog exists within their ecosystem, and you’re subject to their terms and conditions.
You’d be building on rented land.
It’d be like investing hundreds of hours and dollars into your landlord’s property, knowing it’ll never be yours.
Owning a blog isn’t more expensive than ‘renting’ one, so it’s really not a risk you’re forced to take.
2. Risk of Platform Changes
Anyone remember Myspace?
Vine?
How about Tumblr?
Just look at TikTok’s uncertain future or the changes YouTube has undergone.
Platforms can change and even vanish without warning.
I lost two successful YouTube channels thanks to updates which deemed my content unsuitable for monetisation.
There was no warning, whatsoever.
No heads up, no request to do things differently.
My main source of income was stripped away overnight.
This would not have happened if I’d owned the platform my channels were on.
Obviously, YouTube didn’t die, and I doubt it will anytime soon but it’s still risky to depend upon a platform you don’t own.
By all means, use YouTube, but it shouldn’t be your only platform and the same can be said about social media platforms.
If I could go back and do things differently, I’d build a blog I actually owned alongside my channels.
That way, I’d be able to stay in touch with the 100,000+ subscribers YouTube cut me off from.
3. Limited Customisation
Customisable options on hosted platforms are severely limited.
While you’ll be provided with a set of pre-designed templates, which may look nice, you won’t be able to install a theme of your choice.
My theme of choice for a long time was Divi by Elegant Themes, which comes with a wide range of professionally made website packs.
The website packs are completely customisable, which is not the case with templates provided by hosted platforms.
Additionally, advanced features will be limited to the plugins the platforms offer.
Whereas if you set up properly, you’ll have access to a huge selection of free plugins.
More about those in a moment!
Limited customisation will also impact the functionality of your blog, which can be frustrating.
For example, if you want to tweak how your site behaves, hosted platforms often don’t allow it.
This lack of flexibility can stifle your creativity and limit the growth potential of your blog.
Your ability to fully brand your blog will also be restricted.
Elements like custom fonts, colour schemes, and layout adjustments might not be as flexible as you’d like.
This can make it difficult to create the unique and memorable brand you envisioned.
Then there’s scalability issues.
As your blog grows, you might need more robust features and capabilities.
Hosted platforms can struggle with scalability, meaning your site may not perform well under increased traffic, which is your ultimate aim!
If you set up your blog the right way, which we’ll get to in a moment, you won’t face these limitations.
By avoiding hosted platfrorms, you’ll have full control over every aspect of your blog’s design and functionality.
This means you can customise it exactly how you want, add any features you need, and scale your blog as it grows.
Stay tuned to learn how to set up your blog the right way for flexibility and scalability!
4. Long-Term Costs
While initially cheaper, hosted platforms can become expensive.
As your blog grows, you’ll likely need more advanced features.
Want better SEO tools, e-commerce capabilities, or premium templates?
These often come with additional fees.
What started as a low-cost blog can quickly become expensive as you add these necessary features.
As you publish more content and attract more visitors, you may need to upgrade to higher-tier plans.
These upgrades can be significantly more expensive than your initial plan.
If you plan to sell products or services through your blog, many hosted platforms charge transaction fees on top of regular payment processing fees.
These extra costs can eat into your profits and make monetising your blog more expensive than anticipated.
Some platforms may have hidden costs that aren’t immediately apparent.
For example, certain plugins or integrations might have usage-based fees that only become noticeable once your blog reaches a certain level of activity.
When you compare the costs over time, you’ll often find that self-hosted solutions are more cost-effective.
The Right Way: Self-Hosted WordPress
Now you know where not to build a blog, here’s how to set up your blog the right way for success and growth.
Self-hosted WordPress websites are the best way to start a blog.
All 9 of my blogs are built on WordPress.
It’s FREE and gives you complete control over and ownership of your site.
While WordPress (.org and not .com) is free, you will need to host your blog so it can exist online.
You can host for as little as $3 per month on Bluehost.
Why Self-Hosted WordPress is Best
1. Full Ownership
With WordPress, you own your blog. You’re not subject to the whims of platform policies or algorithm changes.
2. Flexibility and Control
WordPress allows for complete customisation. You can use any theme or plugin to create a unique blog.
3. Better SEO
WordPress is built with SEO in mind, which helps your content get discovered more easily by search engines, driving more traffic to your blog.
4. Cost-Effective Start
Starting with Bluehost is budget-friendly. It’s like learning to drive with an affordable car and upgrading later. You can start small and improve your hosting and themes as your blog grows.
5. Endless Possibilities
You can turn your WordPress blog into anything: an online store, a membership site, or whatever else you dream up.
Join My Free 5-Day Blogging Course
To help you get started, I offer a free 5-day blogging course.
This course will guide you in picking a niche, setting up your blog, creating content, and driving free traffic to your site.
Plus, you’ll receive free one-on-one support if you create your blog via my course.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right platform from the start can save you time, money, and headaches.
While hosted platforms might seem appealing, self-hosted WordPress offers the flexibility and control needed for long-term success.
Ready to jumpstart your blogging journey?
See you inside!
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