Finding the 'Perfect' Blogging Platform Comes Down to Compromise and Personal Choice

Finding the 'Perfect' Blogging Platform Comes Down to Compromise and Personal Choice

If, like many bloggers, you started out using a free hosting platform, there may come a time when you want the increased flexibility of a self-hosted paid platform.The question many bloggers ask is: "Which blogging platform is the right one for my needs?" but the answer may be far from simple.

For a start there will rarely be just the one best platform for you to choose but you will often be confronted with a range of options which could fit the bill.It may be that you just want to avoid some of the restrictions associated with your previous free blog such as limits over they type of content you can publish or restrictions on placing adverts on the blog.If that is your only concern then you may not be too fussy about your new platform and your only consideration may be how easy it is to transfer your old blog to the new host.

However if you are going to the trouble of changing blogging platform then you may want to give the matter a little more serious thought because you don't want to keep changing your blogging host every couple of months. Ideally you want to move from free to paid provider and then stick with that new host for many years to come.

Therefore before you take the plunge and switch providers you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

* What do I want to achieve from my new blog?

* What features do I require that I don't currently have?

* Do I need a blogging platform that is simple to operate or one which is more complicated but allows me greater flexibility?

* Can I choose different blogging templates to give my blog a certain look and feel' to fit in with my subject area?

* Do I need the flexibility to create a professional looking unique blog with all the latest bells, whistles and functions?

* Can I integrate my blog with a lead capture' form to link to my autoresponder?

* Can I add video and custom graphics and, if so, how easy is it to do so?

In fact once you sit down and work out exactly what you want from your blog you will find your own list of questions and you can then come up with a list of must have' features for your new blogging platform.You might also have another list of options which would be nice to have but which are not essential and knowing what you want will be key to choosing the most suitable platform for your needs.

In the end it will most likely come down to a compromise between flexibility and ease of use and the system you opt for will often be the one that feels right' for your needs.The last thing you want is to have the most flexible blogging platform known to man but find that it is so complicated that you don't know how to use it.

For me personally I love the self-hosted version of WordPress because there are so many different templates to choose from, both paid and free, that it is easy to find one to suit your requirements. The flexibility of various plugins to add features and functionality to a WordPress blog is another winner for me yet I know some people who find the whole concept of plugins rather confusing so WordPress might not be for them.

There are even blogs about blogging and these might be a good place to start your internet research to find the ideal blogging platform for you!However don't let anyone tell you that x' is the best platform or that y' is the one for you as what is right for one person may not be right for you at all.A blog is a personal thing and will have to reflect your main needs and requirements, not somebody else's.

If you use, for example, a lot of pictures in your blogs then you might want a platform that allows you to upload pictures easily and display them as a slideshow or photogallery. You might want to choose one picture from each post as a thumbnail image for the home page and allow some, or all images, to be viewed as high-resolution files.

In making your decision ensure that you have your list of needs and requirements and if the blogging platform meets those then add it to your shortlist and if it does not then cross it off the list.

Just as there is no one perfect cat or dog there is no one perfect blogging platform. Choose one you are comfortable being around and interacting with day in and day out and you will not go far wrong.

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