Newbie Blog Questions

Hi Darla,

You can indeed have a stand-alone blog, which is not associated with a website. However, the next thing that you need to ask is if you want to host your blog with your own hosting plan, in which case you own the blog page, or conversely, if you want it to be hosted by someone else, in which case that someone else owns the blog page (eg. WordPress(dot)com, Blogger(dot)com).

I highly recommend that you host your own blog on your own domain, and your own hosting plan. This way you own your blog, and do not have to worry about losing your blog or losing the income associated with a lost blog.

Personally, I prefer WordPress over Blogger because of its vast array of plugins. However, you can use Adsense on both WordPress and Blogger.

The create your own blog with WordPress, you would need to upload the install from WordPress(dot)org. This can be installed automatically with most popular web hosts.

Keep in mind that if you were to create a blog on WordPress(dot)com, this would actually host your blog. Conversely, WordPress(dot)org provides the WordPress install for those who want to host their own blog on their own domain name and hosting plan.

Hopefully this helps answer your questions.

Brian

Great! If you have any more questions on the subject, feel free to email me. I am going to send you a PM with my email address. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

When I first read your question, my answer was NO, you can't have a blog without a web site. After all, it needs to be hosted somewhere...

OK, you could have a blog on your own computer, but only you could read it.

After reading further, I find what you appear to mean is can you have a blog without your own web site. I think you've answered that question yourself when you asked about wordpress.com or blogger.

Overall, you can use the free blogs like wordpress.com and blogger.com, but whatever you post there becomes theirs. (It's their site, and the terms of service typically indicate anything you put on their site becomes theirs.) This means that if you have a successful blog on one of the free sites, you are at their mercy relative to such things as adsense or other promotional avenues. Also, if you choose to leave them and close your account, (and the site is generating income) they can leave the site up and keep the future income. Also, if you happen to do something that violates their terms of service, your account can be suspended (and again, they can keep the income they haven't already paid to you.)

Far better in my opinion would be to have your own web site ($10 for a domain name and $10 a month or less). You can still use the wordpress blogging engine (which is free) on your own site, and there are tons of free plug-ins you can use on your own site. If you host with someone like Hostgator or other main line hosting providers, you can install wordpress from their (the hosting company's) control panel in a few minutes. You don't even need to go to wordpress to get it.

If cash is a problem right now, perhaps start with a free site, then get your own once you have some income. However, in the long run, you are better off with your own web site. That way, if you want to monetize your site a different way (or by using multiple methods) you can do what you want, not subject to the free sites terms of service.

Millions of blogs such as Smashing Magazine, Net Tuts and Problogger are stand-alone blogs and many of them make loads of cash. Some people are making money via autoblogs and niche blogs.

As one answer mentions, it's always good to have your blog on self-hosted platform such as WordPress or Text Pattern. Free Blogger plaatform isn't that bad if you can get or modify the template to have good SEO, but always have your own domain name. Don't go with xyz.blogspot.com

Better you buy domain an host after that install wordpress system.