If you wanted to have a blog, there are several free sites where you can register for free and after a few minutes you can be on your way to blogging.
Sites that offer the ability to create a free blog include:
Blogger: http://blogger.com/
WordPress: http://www.wordpress.com/
TypePad: http://TypePad.com
LiveJournal: http://LifeJournal.com
And others!
Generally speaking, when you create an account on one of these FREE sites and create a blog, you will get a URL (website address) such as http://BlogName.blogspot.com or http://BlogName.wordpress.com/
This means that you will always have blogspot or wordpress in your blog address. To some people, that is ok. For others who want a more professional look or appeal, that is not ok. Some people prefer to have just the web address http://WebsiteName.com
It is important to note a couple of things at this point:
1) You would change BlogName with whatever name you wanted. Be warned that the name you have in mind MAY be taken (and probably is already taken)
2) These website addresses cannot be clicked in this document because they are for example only.
Using these blogging services only permit you to have a blog. It will not be a full-featured website that has multiple pages, or the functionality that a website will have. Services like Blogger and
TypePad will only permit you to have your blog page, and an About page. You won’t be able to have a sales page, or a Products page, or even a special page with directions! These sites provide minimal functionality for blogging. Period.
In fact, WordPress.com will suspend/terminate your account if you try to make it a commercial account. With that said, staff members have said that authors can sell their books on their WordPress.com site, but they cannot be a blog only about ‘Buy My Stuff Here!’ When the rules get a little fuzzy and if I want to be crystal clear that my site is not in violation, I stay away from putting myself in a potential fuzzy arena.
In addition, some of these sites will allow you to change the look of the site by selecting a Theme, a ‘Wrapper’, or a ‘Skin’. Installing these on the site will allow you to change the look and feel of your blog. In some cases, it will be the color you are changing. In other cases, you can change the font size, and maybe even more columns around.
One that that is not possible is the installation of ‘Plug-Ins’. A Plug-in in some additional website code that you ‘plug in’ to your website that increases the functionality of what your blog can do. For example, there are plugins that will send a thank you email to someone who comments on your blog. Another plugin example is the ability to include a Facebook ‘Like’ button on your blog.
Just to wrap up the idea of using one of these sites above – if you only want to blog and get your message on the web without incurring any costs, these sites will probably suite you fine.
However, if you want to bump it up a notch with your blog, you will need an alternative solution. One alternative to this free approach is to register your own website name and install WordPress on your site.
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