Why You Need to Go Self-Hosted

So you started a blog and now aspire of growing your blog. However you’re still hosted through WordPress or Blogger (meaning you have .wordpress after your name). That’s great and it’s free, but if your blog is going to be more than just a little side hobby you may want to consider going self-hosted.

Let me rephrase that. If your blog is not meant to be private and is more than just a fling of the moment then I recommend you go self-hosted now!

Here are 6 reasons why you need to go self-hosted:

Claim Your Name// It is no secret that my former blog, The Blonde In Black , was taken as a domain name by the time I got around to buying it as a domain. Since my blog name was taken it was time to go back to the drawing board and thus Blonde Freedom was born.  So if you see yourself doing this blogging thing for awhile just suck it up and buy the dang domain name, so you don’t have to make up a new one.

You Own It// You own your blog. You own your name. You’ll truly feel like your blog is fully yours and not half owned by WordPress. I bought my domain and hosting through Bluehost and they have been truly great to work with so I recommend their service.

Plug-ins are awesome// WordPress is the platform I use for my blog and it is extremely user friendly! There are so many plug-in options that aren’t available to you if you are not self-hosted. Some of my favorites are an SEO plugin and Google AdSense. They are blogging game changers!

More opportunities// My post from last week of the review of Manitoba Hemp Hearts wouldn’t have been possible if I wasn’t self-hosted. I’m able to apply for other reviews and sponsorship opportunities. For example, I am now a social media influencer through BlogHer.

Grow your brand// Now that I have my own self-hosted blog I am able to start focusing now on growing my brand and therefore growing my blog. Since I know that this blog is here to stay I can focus on developing and growing my blog identity.

Freedom of Design// When you’re self-hosted there are many more blog designs available to you. You’re not stuck to using a wordpress template. You can now get someone to design your blog for you. For example  I went to Etsy and found Little Web Writing Hood. She was flexible and worked with me until my blog looked exactly how I wanted. She was also the most affordable. If you are looking for a design I highly recommend you check her out!

And this isn’t a reason, but you need to keep in mind that…
You Can’t Do it All// Becoming self-hosted isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Don’t be afraid to seek out help with things you are unfamiliar with. I was having trouble finding out on my own how to transfer my posts from my old blog to my new blog. After a few months of searching the internet I stumbled across a blogger who mentioned Heather at Desperately Seeking Sanity. I sent her an e-mail and she happily helped me with a few little things I needed to fix like transferring my posts! When I saw all the work she had done for me I literally jumped up and clapped for joy. She is amazing!!

Ever since I made the jump to self-hosted, I have been shaking my head wondering why I didn’t do it earlier. The wonders of being self-hosted are hard to explain until you finally see for yourself the abundant opportunities open up with it.  Yes, it does suck because it does cost money, but if you’re serious about your blog then your investment in it is worth it.

If you have any questions or need any advice or resources for going self-hosted please do not hesitate to contact me! Leave a comment or e-mail me with any comments, questions, or concerns. E-mail: blondefreedomblog@gmail.com