Many clients come to me and ask whether they should host a blog on their own server or setup a free blog via WordPress, Blogspot or other platforms. Since this question has been asked time and time again, I have decided to write a blog post on the topic. I literally receive 5-10 inquiries per week about such, and this will hopefully put the issue to rest once and for all.

Please find the benefits of each scenario below:

Hosting on WordPress.com
1) Hosting a blog on WordPress.com offers a free and easy way to setup a blog/website and instantly get things rolling.
2) There is no cost associated with free blog platforms, which makes them appealing to the masses.
3) Plugins and themes can be swapped very easily, no FTP connections required. This is also the case with most self-hosted blogs, but not always.

Self-Hosting a Blog
1) Site access is taken to an entirely different level and all aspects of the blog can be modified.
2) A wide variety of more custom plugins can be utilized.
3) In regards to SEO, hosting a blog on your own server is the absolute most important thing to do. The goal is to build strength/traffic to your own server/domain not blogspot.com or WordPress.com. This will ensure future sustainability and profitability.
4) In being able to fully customize a blog, advertisers (banner ads) are easier to acquire, thus making the blog more profitable in the end.

I hope this compare and contrast has been helpful. Be sure to check out my articles on Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing to get a better understanding of online advertising in general.

Until next time,

Aaron Schoenberger
(310) 876-0874 x1
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a top online advertising agency that specializes in strategic SEO and Social Media. He’s known for his work with celebrity clients, top restaurants, professional athletes and Fortune 500 companies. Feel free to Contact Us for more information.