You have decided you want to start a blog, and you understand that you have a certain amount to learn before it's actually up and running. Well, fear not, because if you spend just a little time looking at your options in blog tools you'll be surprised at just how far blogging software has come and how much you can do with it, in terms of both form and function. And while there is quite a bit to learn, most people think it is a price worth paying in order to establish a good-looking professional website.
Blogging software: The first decision you have when starting a blog is determining what blogging tool is right for you. There are dozens of blogging platforms out there: Blogger, WordPress, Movable Type, Expression Engine, to name just a few. Take a look at some examples of blogs that were created with the tool you're considering, as an indication of what each makes possible. One thing is for sure: while you can spend money on a high-end blog platform, you have plenty of free options that are more than adequate to create a good-looking blog. WordPress, for example, is a free tool that enjoys immense popularity and is even used by many large corporations for their online presence. I would encourage you to look closely at several before taking the plunge.
Blog themes: Most blog software uses themes or templates as a way to set the look and further functionality of a blog, once the basic installation has been completed. Design elements like columns and headers as well as fonts and colors that help to establish a blog visually, are largely controlled by the theme that you pick. The number of themes and templates from which you have to choose varies widely depending on the blog tool that you're using. Some web designers charge for themes they create, but as with your basic blog software tool, it is not necessary to pay for a theme to have a good-looking, bug-free blog installation.
Plug-ins: Plug-ins, or add-ons, extend the functionality of your site even further than themes. These are very small programs that are often created and shared by individual programmers to accomplish a specific task that they and others might find useful. A plug-in that adds a list of your blog's favorite posts is an example of a small bit of useful programming that you can add to your blog simply by pasting the code for the plug-in into your theme. I wouldn't want to sound too much like an advertisement for WordPress, but the available plug-ins for WordPress (in addition to the number of available WordPress themes) are almost endless.
Hosting for your blog: Once you have chosen a blog tool that you like, you have to determine whether you are capable of and willing to handle the hosting yourself. Some blog tools, like blogger and WordPress.org, offer you hosted blogging solutions, in other words, you set up your blog through their site and then simply start blogging! If you have no interest in the technical side of websites and would rather just focus on creating content, you should know that these free tools, as well as others, make it very easy.
One downside if you do not handle your own hosting is that you usually cannot use a unique domain name that you purchase, but instead will have a site URL that will include the word "blogspot" or "WordPress". If you do host your own blog you will need a little bit of technical proficiency at times to keep things running properly, although at least the initial installation tends to be automated nowadays through the web host you pick. Another downside of self-hosting is, of course, the cost. You can get basic hosting for just a few dollars a month, but for some people, even this amount might be prohibitive.
There is plenty to consider when you're trying to decide on what blog tool to use for your online presence. There is a learning curve, but the good news is that once you've educated yourself a little bit and decided on a blog platform, you can simply focus on writing and creating content. But take your time. It can be difficult to change your blogging software later on.
