Is WordPress really the best you can use for blogging? Why, and when is another option better?

Well, for a start, I have to say that most of the time the best blogging platform is definitely WordPress. I will look later at when I think that other platforms are better than WordPress, but why is it the best? Why do I use WordPress nearly every time I create a blog, either for myself or for my website design customers?

Well, for a start, it is free! What could be better than a fantastic tool, available for immediate download without any need to register, that is totally free? Well, a lot. And WordPress, in my view, has it all and more.

I am talking here about the self-hosted version of WordPress, where you go to wordpress.org, download the latest version, buy some hosting space and upload all of the files to your website via FTP. OK, that sounds complicated and is how my hosts have me doing it, but that does not always have to be the case.

With a lot of hosts there are quick install options to quickly and easily install the latest version of WordPress. My hosts do not offer this, presumably because they are trying to sell their own blogging tool. Their paid for tool offers no way near the functions of WordPress!

What makes it beat the competition, hands down? Well, its size certainly helps. Because it is free and excellent, loads of people use it. A few of these people want customisation and, therefore, write their own pluggins. These are small applications that are easy to install and perform a basic function, such as extra search engine optimisation or a contact form.

A lot of these pluggins are free to install and use, and add a great deal of functionality to your blog. Only by using WordPress can you benefit from these.

Also, there are many free themes available to select from. These are basically templates that you can download, install and use for your blog. Without any design skills you can be showing off an excellent blog that looks great, does what you want it to do and offers a load of extra features.

But, when is WordPress not the best tool? Well, for some people buying hosting space is out of the question and unnecessary. If your interest isn’t money making, say you just want to record the run up to an event or make a personal diary, then a free tool such a blogger without the huge array of styles and extra applciations might be all that you need.

Also, there are communities of blogs here and there. WordPress.com is one such community and I have a blog, although very rarely used, that exists in a running community. These are great for personal blogs, such as my running blog which is supposed to record training and my charity fund raising. The community aspect means that other members of the community can quickly find your blog and you have an inbuilt audience.

But, for most people, whether wanting to earn a small income or blog for their main business, then WordPress is the ultimate in blogging tools.

Keith Lunt