How to Start a Free Blog on Blogspot Blogger Platform
Blogspot has become one of the top destinations on the internet to start a blog. There are several reasons for this. The first being that it’s a free blogging alternative, and that it’s also owned by Google. These two reasons in itself are more than enough to make someone want to start blogging right away. However, there are several downsides to creating a blog on the Blogspot platform as well, such as not having complete ownership over your content and what you can put on your site, along with not having a professional domain name as the URL for your blog.
Even with all of that being said, millions of people are still creating new sites on Blogspot every single month — which is why we wanted to create this “How to start a free blog on Blogspot” guide. It’s easy enough to get started, but we will walk you through the process step by step, while also providing you with some details blogging stats, recommendations on how to get the most out of your Blogspot site, and also why it’s a good idea to consider upgrading to a shared hosting plan and getting a domain name for your site.
Blogspot – Why It’s a Great Platform for Begining Bloggers
Blogspot currently has millions of users on their blog hosting platform. It’s easy to use, there is nothing to install and all you need to get started is having a Google account, which is something most people already have. A great majority of users on the Blogspot platform are in countries like India, Africa and outside the United States. The reason for this is that most beginning bloggers are looking for a free solution, and don’t have the upfront money to invest in a shared web hosting plan.
This is why Blogspot has become a great alternative for anyone looking to get started with their first blog.
7 Reasons Not to Use Blogger, and Use WordPress Instead
However, as great as Blogspot is for new beginners, there are many limitations that come with using a free blogging platform. If you are at all serious about blogging and think it’s something you are going to want to do for the long term, I highly recommend you go with a shared hosting plan and registering a domain name of your own. With all of this in place, you can then install a free copy of WordPress and have complete control over your site at all times.
Here are just a few reasons why Blogspot might not be the best option for hosting your blog in the long run.
- Lack of Professionalism
When doing anything in life or trying to create something of value, you want it to look professional and represent you and your brand well. A free Blogspot blog is a great way to get started, but not something you want to keep for the long run — especially if you were trying to build a brand or make money online. For most people, when they see a Blogspot blog, it instantly lowers the quality of the content and message behind it. - Bloggers are Limited on Self Expression
When using any type of free blogging platforms, you are obviously going to be limited in what you can do or say. The same holds true with Blogspot. Since they are basically hosting your content for free, bloggers on their platform will need to abide by their rules and terms and conditions at all time. This includes the ability to write about whatever you like, what type of content you can post and how you market your site. - Inability to Make Money with Your Blog
Just like you bloggers are potentially limited on what they can write or do with their Blogspot blog, the same holds true for making money with their sites. This is something many bloggers would like to one day accomplish. If you start a blog on Blogspot, then build it up to something of value where you have an audience, what are you going to do if you want to monetize your site or start selling products or services? - Lack of Support and Guidance
With any type of free platform or service, you are likely going to be limited in a number of services or support you receive. The same holds true with Blogspot. Yes, there are tutorials and guides online, but getting in touch with someone to actually help answer any specific questions about your site is likely not going to happen. - Limited Customization and Site Templates
If you are going to create a blog, you are going to want to make sure it looks great and stands out from the crowd. This is something WordPress offers to all of their users, however, Blogspot is quite limited in this area. They do have some minor customizations and free templates available, but nothing like what is possible through WordPress.
I wanted to make sure I provided you with all of the important details and pros/cons of Blogspot before walking you through the process of how to get started with your blog on their site. It’s important to know what you are getting into, especially if blogging is something you plan to get serious about.
How to Create a Blog Using the Blogspot Blogger Platform
To gets started with the Blogspot creation process, the first thing you will need to do is head over to Blogspot.com and login using your Google account. If you don’t already have one, it’s free and easy to setup.
Once logged in, you can click on the “New Blog” link on the top left menu.
The next step in the process is to create a name for your blog. This will actually be the title of your Blogspot blog, and you will also be selecting an address for your blog to be hosted under the blogspot.com site URL as well.
When it comes to selecting a name, title or domain name, you are going to have a lot of options to choose from. I recommend you try any of the domain name generators to come up with something unique. (Again, you will not be getting a domain name with your Blogspot site. These tools will simply help you come up with a great name for your site.)
After selecting your title and site address, you can also choose from any of the free themes offered from Blogspot.
Once completed, simply click on the orange “Create blog!” button.
After clicking the “create blog” button, you will then be sent over to the Blogspot dashboard area where you can access all areas of your blog — which includes all of the settings, posts, stats and other features on the left side menu area. When you are ready to start writing your first post, simply click on the “Create a new post”. link.
When ready to start creating content for your new blog, click on the “create a new post” link and you will be sent over the blog editor, which can be seen below. You will notice is looks quite simple and easy to use — because it is! The top navigation bar includes everything you need to create and edit your content accordingly. The option is also there to view your content as is, or get custom with your HTML design. Changing text fonts, colors, sizing, header tags and adding images is as simple as clicking any of the buttons in the top menu.
Once ready to go live with your new post, all you need to do is click on the orange “Publish” button.
You can see a screenshot of what the live blog looks like below. It’s not the most beautiful blog in the world, but it was created in just a matter of minutes using the Blogspot platform.
Final Notes on Creating a Blog with Blogspot
Blogspot makes it extremely easy for anyone to gets started with a free blog in minutes. I just walked through the most simple and basic steps to going live with a blog on their platform, but there are other features available as well — such as playing around with your site theme, checking site stats, viewing the latest comments on your blog and also the ability to place Google Adsense advertising on your site.
As wonderful as Blogspot might seem, don’t forget that I always recommend going with a shared hosting plan and getting your own domain name. Nothing is better than having complete ownership and control over your website and blog at all times.
Follow my complete guide at Blogging.org and I will walk you through the process to make sure it’s done correctly the first time around.