Why Host Your Blog on Your Own Server?

There are usually two options when it comes to deciding where to host your blog (where to store your blog on the internet): hosted on your Blog platform’s server or hosted on your own server.

Hosted on the Blog Platform’s Servers

Many people interested in blogging start with this type of blog because it is free (wordpress.com or blogger.com), cheap (typepad.com) and relatively simple to use. The blog platforms also makes software upgrades automatically. However there are many more limitations that comes with this type of blog hosting:

Less Control - Blogger.com does not allow you to create any categories while Wordpress.com does not allow for advertising. This is the main reason why people host on their own servers.
Standard Look - limited selection of themes (look and feel) that makes your blog look like every other free hosted blog.
No Design Customization - without knowing CSS, you cannot make changes to your design colors or structure.
Generic Domain Names - your domain name will be “yourname.wordpress.com” or “yourname.blogspot.com.”
At Mercy of Blog Server - although you own the content, you’re at the mercy of server down time.
Hard to Change Your Mind Later - if your blog gets bigger and you want to start hosting on your own server, you may lose traffic, readers and search engine rankings.
Inability to Install Plugins - plugins are tools that make blogs better.
Inability to Install Other Tools - Google Analytics, etc.

Hosted on your Own Server (or Stand Alone Blogs)

Hosting on your own server does require a little more technical knowledge as you will have to set up a hosting plan with your host server, set up the databases, install wordpress and establish ftp to your server for the transfer of files and for software upgrades. Luckily, this is something that can be down for you (or taught to you) by a design professional. There is a cost for hosting on your own server as well but these days, you can buy a robust shared server for as little as $5 per month. Like the top bloggers in the blogosphere, I host all of my blogs on my own server and here’s why:

Full Customization and Control - If you’re CSS savy, you can tweak any template to make it look your own. If you’re like most people and don’t know much about web design, there are many premium themes (design templates) that offer “dropdown” design customization that is easy and intuitive to use. There’s nothing that screams your own than a blog design that is customized to your liking.
Premium Themes - you can use any theme available on the internet including premium themes which have a more professional look and are customizable without coding.
Free Tools for your Blog - One of the reasons why I recommend Wordpress as the choice blogging platform is the availability of the best plugins (Read about the Top 10 Best Wordpress Plugins). Plugins can add functions to your blog beyond the basic install of wordpress.
Add Google to your Blog - you can easily add Google Analytics to track your blog stats and add Google Adsense to start making money of your content.
Your Own Domain Name - Imagine interactivewoo.com as interactivewoo.wordpress.com. Having your own domain name is having your own brand - professional and easy to remember.

To Summarize

In the words of Darren Rowse (top blogger about blogging): “If you’re wanting to develop a serious blog and have aspirations for it to be used on a professional sort of level (whether as a business or corporate blog, as a blog to build your own profile or a blog to earn income from advertising) I’d recommend you go in the direction of a stand alone blog. Even if you are not highly skilled in this area it’s worth spending a little money to get it set up with a designer…”

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