Make$ Money$ Blog - Truth, no scam

Darren Rowse of Problogger asked the following questions which I am very interested to ponder – :

* Do you use a hosted or stand alone blog platform? Why?
* Do you wish you’d made a different choice when you started?
* What are the Pros and Cons of the two options?
* What would you recommend to a new blogger?

Do you use a hosted or stand alone blog platform? Why?

I started out with Blogger.com for six month and in that six months period, I gain quite a good traffic and readers. I am lucky I have a blog sifu (master) to rely on and he advised me to buy my own domain and hosting. Before that, I already have a non-profit breastfeeding and parenting website. So, transition is natural as I am already used to owning my own sites. Getting my name registered on the internet has its glamour and power.

Do you wish you’d made a different choice when you started?

No, I wasn’t an avid blogger in the beginning stage and if I had taken a paid hosting, I probably will not be able to sustain it. It is only when my blog has taken off with a good followers that I only start to take blogging seriously. So, nope, I had taken the right path of testing out my flair as a blogger first before owning my own domain.

What are the Pros and Cons of the two options?

Well, there is only pros for own hosting. Our blog gains more respect with our own URL. We have a lot more flexibility with the platform like WordPress.org.

As for free hosting, well, if one is just blogging for fun, then one cannot complain much. But if one is blogging with some intention to make a little money, then, it is definitely not worth it in the long run. Your free provider may shut you down like what happened to WordPress.com users who had their blogs shut down within a few hours notice when they were writing for PayPerPost. *Stay away from WordPress.com, folks. Go for Blogger*

What would you recommend to a new blogger?
My advice is to ask all bloggers who blog for money to get their own hosting and own domain. Otherwise, I see them as peddlers on the roadside and not a big shop owner. If I am an advertiser, I will definitely give this a miss.

Moreover, the small investment is worth it in the long run because the faster we buy and own the domain, the faster our page rank and other rankings improve.

But if you just want to test out if you are cut out to be a blogger and are just writing for fun, then by all means take advantage of the free meals available.

The answer – OF COURSE, HOSTED IS THE BEST! The rest are just juveniles. Blek. *trying hard to live up to Most Obnoxious Blogger image*