I received a twitter question from @marika2motivate that asked (you can follow me on twitter @BloggerSavvy):

“Is wordpress better? and if it is can you explain why? Trying to feel my way around the blogging world!”

To answer, I think the best approach is to look at the pros and cons of self hosted (stand alone) versus site hosted (community) blogs. Personally I am biased towards a self hosted Wordpress platform as it allows for greater control and customization. Again, having said this, the real issue is how you are going to drive your content, do you require full control or are you going to hand off your blog’s control to a third party?

As most blogging platforms offer more or less similar tools; for those interested in the nitty gritty (comparing platforms) WeblogMatrix has a nice tool to help you compare actual platforms. Another nice link that Google returned was “Blog software comparison chart“.

In my (humble) opinion self hosted blogs are the best (and most professional) way to go. However, without further delay, here’s my take on the pros and cons…

Self Hosted Blogs

The good:

• Using open source software (such as Wordpress) results in an affordable installation (it’s free). There’s no payment for the downloaded code or licensing. Also, templates are free as well, unless you’re looking for a higher end professional branded look (requiring the time for a designer and/or developer to code). If you are able to design your own template, all the more cost effective for you.
• Better ability to offer or include specific interactive features. Most blogs are well supported by developers, who also provide valuable plugins, which you can install as needed. For example every feature of this blog is provided for free by other developers. Additionally, if you have the budget, a self hosted blog can be more adaptable as you can hire a developer to code a custom plugin and have it installed on your blog. Wordpress (as an example) has a huge repository of plugins that handle everything from Adsense to ZenCart (ZenCart is an ecommerce platform).
• Complete (full) control, is the best benefit (in my opinion). Nothing speaks louder and looks more professional than the ability to stand out from the crowd. Additionally the professionalism is also further enhanced by facilitating the use of your own registered domain name. In my opinion (and I’ll probably annoy some people by saying this) using a URL that contains yourname.blogger.com or yourname.wordpress.com is akin to using a hotmail or yahoo email address on your business card – It looks tacky and unprofessional.
• You can always backup the blog content automatically by having the hosting company configure the server to do this for you.

The bad:

• To properly host your own blog, you’ll need to obtain the services of a reliable web hosting company (that can provide support when you need it!). In my case I run my own business that hosts my blogs and those of my clients. Hosting will cost extra money. Also, the registration of your own branded domain name will cost a little bit extra.
• Sometimes the installation of the blog software can be complicated, but if you have a good rapport with your hosting company, they might set up the database for you and install the code – Then all you’ll need to do is configure the blog the way you’d like it.
• Updating blog packages can also be tricky. Most of them update their code regularly, if you are technically savvy, you’ll be okay. If not, you’ll need to retain the services of a developer to do this. The same can be said for plugin updates (however Wordpress is super cool and easy to update plugins in).
• Security can be an issue if you are not familiar with Internet systems and technology, however a reliable hosting company should minimize issues for you. Side note: ALWAYS have a backup of your blog current files and current database in your possession.
• These types of blogs depend on templates and it is easy for popular templates to appear on more than one blog. Remember, you need to stand out and be seen!

Site Hosted Blogs

The good:

• Usually the cost is free. All you need to do is sign up and provide the required details to start blogging.
• Software is updated regularly (as are any plugins), you don’t have to know how to do this.
• These blogs are easy to operate, there is a low learning curve.

The bad:

• Because the URL is not your domain, you’ll lack the professional (and easy-to-remember) URL. In my opinion, to some degree, your promoting the site that is hosting your blog with your content.
• Lack of control is an issue, remember, this type of blog is under another domain’s banner and your blog would be subject to it’s rules (not yours).
• Limited options are also an issue in that you cannot install plugins or other software solutions that are not already included in the package offering. As such, you have a reduced ability to adapt and customize features, etc.
• Speaking of customization, these types of blogs also are dependent on the default templates that come with them. Inevitably is can be difficult to distinguish your blog from the others (as I’ve often observed how similar they appear). In any event there will always be the branding of the “promoting site” on your blog.

While I’m sure that we could spend excessive hours (and pages) extolling the virtues for and against various platforms and the associated pros or cons, I think one pertinent point remains as a call to action:

If you are seriously considering a professional blog then you should (seriously) pursue the self hosted avenue (using Wordpress).

If you want to experience installed blog versions without installing them yourself, then you can visit the “blog” section of OpenSource CMS. I have been using this site for several years to see working versions of packages before I download and install them. Also, I quick Google search also returned the post “Choosing a Blog Platform” which should help further clarify not only my opinions but also reinforce some of the issues raised in my post above.

What are your thoughts? Any pros or cons I should have included? What’s your take on this? Comment below and let us know.