Difference between revisions of "Learn/Name-Your-Blog"
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Running your own blog server will give you the most freedom to manage your blog and accompanying web assets. Purchase server space and either set up the blog yourself or pay someone to do the technical heavy lifting. Free blogging software, such as [[WordPress.org|WordPress]] or [[MovableType.org|MovableType]], is highly customizable and supports a broad catalog of plugins. | Running your own blog server will give you the most freedom to manage your blog and accompanying web assets. Purchase server space and either set up the blog yourself or pay someone to do the technical heavy lifting. Free blogging software, such as [[WordPress.org|WordPress]] or [[MovableType.org|MovableType]], is highly customizable and supports a broad catalog of plugins. | ||
| − | If hosting your own blog is not an option, you can create an account at a third-party blogging service like [[Typepad.com|TypePad]], [[WordPress.com|Wordpress.com]] or [[Blogger.com|Blogger]] and pay for a service plan. | + | If hosting your own blog is not an option, you can create an account at a third-party blogging service like [[Typepad.com|TypePad]], [[WordPress.com|Wordpress.com]] or [[Blogger.com|Blogger]] and pay for a service plan. Worries about site performance and server maintenance will be lifted from your shoulders, and the purchase of upgrades can increase storage capacity, customization options and access to customer service. However, your blog will always be a blog. |
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Revision as of 21:34, 16 August 2010
Invest in Your Blog
Creating a blog can be as easy as typing words into a web form or as difficult as configuring software on a server. When deciding what resources to use in creating your blog, keep in mind that a little time and money invested will pay great dividends later.
Your Blog's Domain Name: An Extension of Your Brand
Before you bother with the details of setting up your blog, think about its domain name. What looks good in the address bar? What rolls easily off the tongue in conversation? What jives with your brand in a memorable way?
If your blog will not be your company's only internet home, consider connecting the blog to your main website. Visitors to the site will find the blog easily, and your brand will naturally carry over to the blog. Blogger.com (formerly Blogspot.com) is part of the Google.com suite of applications, and the the relationship is immediately apparent in the domain name of the official Google.com blog, GoogleBlog.BlogSpot.com.
You can do something similar by creating a sub-domain of your website, which would not require the purchase of another domain name:
Creating a sub-domain also has technical advantages for webmasters and systems administrators. We won't dig into those too deeply here, but you can read more about sub-domains -insert article name here-.
Another way to attach a blog to your website is by simply creating another page. The address will look like this:
If you hope for the blog to bring SEO benefit, having a page rather than a sub-domain may be a better option.
Naming Stand-Alone Blogs
If a blog will be your organization's main web presence, you don't need to call it a blog in the domain name. ReadWriteWeb.com covers internet industry news in blog format. Calling it "ReadWriteWebBlog.com" would be redundant, and an awful lot to type into a browser's address bar.
Be creative, but remember that it is an extension of your brand. Spring for a domain name that is memorable, not too long, and has you written all over it. If the name you want is already registered to someone else, don't be afraid to contact the owner and negotiate a deal.
Blogging Services and Domain Names
Third-party blogging services typically have their own domain naming conventions. One such service, the popular TypePad.com, assigns the domain name "Name.TypePad.com". You can override this feature by mapping a different domain name to your TypePad.com blog. Mapping requires some technical expertise, and is explained in a blogging service's FAQ section. However, domain mapping often isn't a free service -- it will cost you at least $8.95 per month at TypePad.com.
Host Your Own Blog for Greater Control
Running your own blog server will give you the most freedom to manage your blog and accompanying web assets. Purchase server space and either set up the blog yourself or pay someone to do the technical heavy lifting. Free blogging software, such as WordPress or MovableType, is highly customizable and supports a broad catalog of plugins.
If hosting your own blog is not an option, you can create an account at a third-party blogging service like TypePad, Wordpress.com or Blogger and pay for a service plan. Worries about site performance and server maintenance will be lifted from your shoulders, and the purchase of upgrades can increase storage capacity, customization options and access to customer service. However, your blog will always be a blog.