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[Liz Monte Contribution Level: 2]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the pros and cons of Blogger?

Liz

[Bob Firestone Contribution Level: 2]

Blogger has gotten dramatically better in the last year or 2.

Pro's: easy to work with, quick setup, free

Con's: there are limits on how much you can do, you don't own the domain

The con's apply to all the free blog hosts (blogger, wordpress.com) for free and easy there are always trade offs

[Jonathan Huie Contribution Level: 1]

I'm a BIG fan of Blogger.com - I have several blogs on Blogger, and have been very successful with My Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote blog. I have also tried WordPress and others, so I do have a basis for comparison.

There are 3 issues that set Blogger far ahead of the other free blog sites - and most of the for-pay ones.

1. No unwanted ads ever -- and I can run my own ads through AdSense

2. No extra charge for custom CSS - I can and do highly customize the look and feel of my blog. WordPress charges for that.

3. A Blogger blog automatically gets MUCH better placement in Google Search - after all, Blogger is a Google service, and they do favor their own. Why not start out with a free quick and easy boost to Search Engine Optimization.

4. Blogger supports custom domains at no extra charge. Get one for $10/year (from GoDaddy or other) and point it at your Blogger blog. Blogger makes that easy also.

Downsides to Blogger - in comparison to WordPress:

1. No pages. WordPress supports pages that are not blog posts. With Blogger, I need to put non-post stuff on another web site.

2. No Tag Cloud. Tag clouds are both cute and functional. I'm hoping Blogger get them soon.

[Liz Monte Contribution Level: 2]

I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to post on this topic. You've provided some very useful info. For someone who wants to get up and running fast, Blogger is sounding more and more like the best option.

Thanks all.

Liz

[Liz Monte Contribution Level: 2]

I agree with you, Dean. I always heard Wordpress was better -- at least if you're hosting your blog on a separate server and wanting to add a lot of plug-ins.

I think the reason some people here are recommending Blogger is that they feel it's easier for the beginner who doesn't need all the bells and whistles.

I already have a separately hosted Wordpress blog, but I brought up the question because a few other non-techie people have asked me what the best way to start blogging is. And for these folks, Blogger may be the best route.

Liz

[Jonathan Huie Contribution Level: 1]

with regard to installing WordPress on your own site...

My previous post was comparing Blogger with hosting a blog on the the (mostly) free WordPress.com

The WordPress software for one's own web site (available for free at WordPress.ORG) is another thing entirely. Yes it's flexible, BUT...

I have a very technical background, but I decided I didn't want to invest the time to maintain the PHP source code, MySQL database, etc. If those terms are not familiar to you, you do not want to even CONSIDER hosting your own Blogging software - WordPress or any other. Just looking at the effort to make the periodic effort to upgrade to the latest software version is mind boggling.

I am very happy to let Google Blogger keep my blog secure, backed up, and fully administered for free.

[Robert Nelk Contribution Level: 2]

I would have to say that I like blogger. That is how I started and I still maintain 3 blogs on blogger.
However, if I had to do it all over again and I had the extra money I would use Squarespace. I have created 2 blogs on it and I love the customization capabilities. Yes you pay, but it is worth it. I think it surpasses both Blogger and WordPress.

Robert

[susan coils Contribution Level: 4]

If you're new and not very 'techie' then Blogger is a much better option imo. It doesn't have all the fancy bells and whistles of WP but that's just what makes it so appealing when you're just starting out.

Sooner of later though (and it was much later in my case, lol) most folks will turn to WP because those bells and whistles can make a big difference. Just have to figure out which ones to use, and how to use them!

[Jonathan Huie Contribution Level: 1]

I would love to know which "bells and whistles" you folks find valuable that you think can't be done on Blogger. Please understand that this is a request for information - not argumentative.

[Dena Gottlieb Company: Marvalous Contribution Level: 2]

whoops. Double post.