How to Start a Blog -A Beginners Guide
Blog defintion - A shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies -source www.thefreedictionary.com/blog
Blogs are also known as web logs and Weblogs, but because of their confusion with with server log files the term Blog is becoming common.
Although initially used for posting personal information on anything from hobbies to recipes, to personal news from war zones, they are also increasing being used by companies to inform their customers.
Although Blogs can be difficult to define they are instantly recognisable as they all have a common form.
They consist of a web page with new content at the top ( ordered by date of entry latest on top) and links to older content, and/or other sites on the side.
Weblogs can be used as a way of providing current up to date content on an existing website or can be used as a website on their own.
Most importantly Blogs allow for easy visitor interaction, via a comments form.
If you are Interested in making a personal or hobby website with the minimum of fuss then you may want to consider a blogging website.
However despite all of the hype blogs aren't for everyone. What they are ideal for is:
Presenting time sensitive information i.e. news
What they aren't useful for is:
For presenting static information e.g. A product Review.
However because blogging platforms where designed to be very easy for novice users to add content to they have grown from their traditional use, and are used for presenting all types of content. See Blogs vs websites for more details
Starting A Blog
The first choice you need to make is whether to host your own blog or use a free hosting service like blogger.com or wordpress.com.
I don't recommend using the free hosting option as there is no guarantee that it will continue to be offered in the future and if you invest a lot of time and effort into building it you really don't want to run the risk of losing it.
The better option is to host your own blog.
To implement this option you need a domain name, hosting package and blogging software.
The most poplar blogging software is WordPress, it is free, used by many of the top bloggers, and it is the one I would recommend you use.
For running WordPress you will need a hosting provider that supports it.
I recommend Blue Host
-USA
Sites
and 1&1-UK sites, but most hosting providers support it.
Although adding content to a blog is easy the setup, configuration and maintenance require some understanding.
You can find more in Building Websites and blogs with WordPress.
- website vs blog video on YouTube
- How to add a Blog to a Website
- A Blog By Any Other Name is Still a Website by Lorelle