5 Creative Strategies to Stay Inspired to Write All Year [Infographic]

If there's one thing we know about inspiration, it's that it's not very good at giving advance notice of anything.
It crops up at the most inopportune time -- like when you're without a pen or a device to otherwise record a brilliant idea.
And other times, when you need it the most -- it's nowhere to be found.
It also has its very own version of low seasons, when writers are left without special events or holidays to stimulate creativity. Now that the holidays are behind us, for example, many of us are feeling deprived of prolific cheer?

Download our free guide here for tips to become a better writer. 

 But as it turns out, these claims are little more than excuses. Inspiration, it turns out, can be sought any time, anywhere.
One of our very favorite infographic artists, Henneke Duistermaat, knows this to be true -- and thus compiled her thoughts on the matter in the captivating visual below.
Have a look, and discover how you can find the inspiration to write and blog -- with consistency -- all year.
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Traffic Academy: Get In the Driver’s Seat! (Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of our guide to driving traffic online!
In Traffic Academy Part 1, we covered what online traffic is, why it matters, and how you can increase it using free methods.
In this section, we will cover the paid methods you can use including Facebook ads, banner ads, solo ads, and PPC advertising.
By the end of this series, you will have the knowledge to form a strategy which integrates both paid and free traffic methods to get the results you are looking for.
Let’s get started!

Paid Traffic Methods

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are available through the Facebook platform as long as you have an active Facebook business page.
Facebook offers a user friendly ad creation process that you access right from your profile page.
The native ads they provide can appear in the newsfeed of your audience so they blend in with other posts.
Alternatively, they can appear in the right-hand column of the desktop version of Facebook.

 

There are many objectives you can choose from depending on what your goals are.
You can drive traffic to your website, drive conversions, increase app downloads, increase video views, or even just boost a post to reach more people!

 

Once you select your objective, you can target your audience using very detailed options.
From demographics to interests to behaviors, Facebook really allows you to fine tune your audience.
They even allow you to create custom audiences through existing lists you have, and look-a-like audiences so you can target users who are similar to those on a list you already have.
For more on targeting and audiences, check out our Facebook Targeting 101 post here.
Once you target your audience, you will select your schedule, set your budget, design your ad, add in calls to action, and then place your order.
When you have ads running, you can track their performance and cost in the Facebook Insights section.
It is a relatively easy process and the ads have shown they can be very effective.
Facebook continues to focus on improving the experience for their users by limiting the amount of organic business posts in news feeds in favor of friends and family posts.
Facebook ads can help you to still get the exposure you need to reach your desired audience!

Best Practices

When designing an ad for Facebook, keep in mind that visually appealing ads do best.
Be sure to choose engaging media whether it’s an image or video.
You will also want to invest some time into strategizing your ad copy as you have a small amount of space to engage and interest the reader to click through.
It can also be helpful to create different messages to different audiences.
You can create an ad targeted at people who have never heard of your business before, one to retarget those who have previously visited your website, and one for those who have watched your videos, etc.
Lastly, once your ads are posted, be sure to always follow up to gauge ad performance and make adjustments accordingly.
Better yet, try out this tool to check out the ads that have worked for your competition and save yourself some of the guesswork!

Banner Ads

Next up are banner ads.
These are advertisements that you can purchase that will show up in rectangular displays horizontally or vertically on host web pages.
They are typically image-based with some text and can link to the destination that you choose.
You can pay host sites for these advertisements using 3 pricing models: views, clicks, and conversions.
If you are interested in investing in banner ads, you can buy them direct from websites (i.e. Waze), by joining an ad network, or by hiring an ad agency through a catalog type environment where you buy remnant from various publishers (i.e. Google Adwords).
There are various sites available for banner ads, but here are some options you can check out:
http://web.blogads.com
https://www.buysellads.com
http://valueclick.com/
http://www.bannerspace.com/
http://www.eads.com/
http://www.doubleclick.net/

Best Practices

When using banner ads, you’ll want to identify your goal, who you are targeting, and what websites your target audience visits.
Once you know, it is time to design your banner. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Identify what you want to communicate in the small space available
• Keep your message clear
• Include a call to action
• Use colors that match your branding
• Consider interactive elements to attract more attention
• Stick to standard sizes
• Create a hierarchy
• Forget flash

As far as designing the banner, you could hire a professional web designer, a freelancer off a site like 99designs, or create your own.
There are also services like envatostudio available which handle all the back end coding for you so you can just design it from the front end.
These can be a viable option for reaching a new audience and directing them to your desired destination.

Solo Ads

 

Above is an example of a solo ad vendor website.
Solo ads are another great opportunity for you to reach a new audience, particularly if you know your conversion rate based on past data.
With solo ads, basically you create an ad in the form of an email.
Then you find a vendor who has targeted lists of email addresses and you pay them to send your email to their list.
Now, to be clear, you are not buying an email list.
An email you create is sent out to someone else’s list as a way for you to reach their audience.
It is important to understand that there is a risk in solo ads because you are trusting that the vendor has a list of engaged recipients and that they are actually sending your email to them.
You will want to choose a vendor who is reputable to decrease your risk.
You will also want to look for a vendor that offers performance-based pricing models in comparison to fixed rates.
This will ensure you are only paying for click-throughs, opens, and conversions.

Best Practices

Once you decide you want to use solo ads, it is important to calculate your marketing budget in order to ensure your investment is profitable.
You will need to name your goal, for example: email sign-ups, sales, etc.
Then calculate how much each conversion is worth to you and how often conversions to your target audience occur.
For example, if you get 100 email subscribers and 5 out of every 100 subscribers buy your product or service which costs $150 a piece, then every 100 email subscribers is worth $750 gross.
Then look at your conversion rates from the solo ad.
If you can get 100 subscribers and still end up profitable after your costs then this can be a useful tactic.
To find reputable vendors, you can go to well-known sites like Udimi.
In general, just keep in mind that if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Lastly, when creating a solo ad, keep in mind you have a small window to make an impression.
Your headline must be eye catching, your copy engaging, and you need to include a strong call to action that directs readers where you want them to go.
For more information about solo ads check out our Beginner’s Guide to Solo Ads article here.

PPC

In section 1 of this guide we talked about SEO and how to increase traffic organically by using certain tactics.
While highly impactful, it can take quite awhile to climb up to first page rankings.
If you need results faster, that is where pay per click (PPC) comes in.
PPC advertising allows you to display ads and only be charged when people actually click on them.
This means you can be making impressions and increasing brand awareness without paying.
Paid ads show up above organic search results on the search engine results page (SERP).
Here is an example where you can see the top results are marked as ads:

While getting to the top of search engine results can take some time with SEO, paid ads allow you to buy your spot right away.
However, it has been reported that organic search results have an 8.5x higher click through rate.
So, paid ads have their place as a part of a joint campaign with organic SEO efforts.

Best Practices

When running a paid ad campaign, keyword research is of the utmost importance.
You will need to use a tool such as the Google Keyword Planner to identify the right words to target.
You will find that short tail generic keywords like ‘sweaters’ are searched more, have more competition, and cost more to bid on.

 

Long tail keywords like “hoodie sweaters for women” which are more specific to your product or service, are searched less and are more affordable.
Additionally, these long tail keywords often have higher conversion rates as the people who type them are further along in their buying journey.
So, your campaign should include a balance of both.
Once you have your keywords chosen, you design an ad which will be relevant and attractive so that searchers will click on it.
Then the ad should lead to a destination which is also relevant to the ad and keywords.
In choosing which ad gets shown, Google takes into consideration what is known as the quality score.
This is basically an analysis of how relevant and effective your ad is to the page it leads to as well as the results of the click through.
So the more relevant and effective your ad, the more it will be shown.
As your campaigns run, you should be tracking and analyzing results to find out which ads and keywords are most effective.
Over time, you can improve campaigns and earn a higher ROI.
The ideal ads will result in high click-through rates and conversions with a lower cost per click.
To learn more about PPC Advertising, check out our article on 8 Reasons to Try PPC.

Time for Action!

Now you have an understanding of the fundamentals of driving traffic!
It’s important to consider the benefits available from both paid and free methods and to combine them strategically.
For example, if you have implemented an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram paid Facebook ads can expand your reach even further.
Additionally, by implementing SEO practices on your website and blog you can climb the ranks of organic search engine results, while PPC advertising campaigns can give you visibility in paid results.
By doing both, you can end up with total domination of the search results page for your terms.
A combined strategy is the best strategy.
With this in mind, take some time to review your options.
Here is a quick overview of what we covered through this 2-part guide to driving traffic:

Free Traffic Sources

• Email marketing
• Blogging
• Social media
• SEO

Paid Traffic Sources

• Facebook ads
• Solo ads
• Banner ads
• PPC

By experimenting with the different channels available and tracking your results, you can gradually find those which work best for your business.
As a result, you can invest your marketing budget and time into those channels.
Also, always remember to strike a balance between free and paid traffic.
This will benefit your wallet and help your efforts since free and paid traffic methods drive different types of results.
Finally, don’t be frustrated if your results aren’t what you hoped for right away.
It is important to think of your marketing strategy as an ongoing process of refinement rather than one you get perfect on the first try.
The only way to really know what works is to research, plan as best you can, experiment, track and adapt.
Best of luck in your traffic driving efforts and if you have thoughts to share, feel free to comment!



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Take 5…Video Marketing Tips That Is!

We talk a lot on our blog about marketing your business through different mediums (email, blogging, social media,etc.). One medium that often gets left out of the discussion is video marketing. Video marketing has been gaining momentum due in part to the meme/viral phenomenon that has taken effect lately. Many businesses are interested in taking advantage of the rising meme popularity in order to emulate the viral effect. However, your video doesn’t have to go viral to be a powerful marketing medium. Why should you use video to market your business and how should you do it? Read on my friends…

Video marketing, like email marketing, is a great way to succinctly deliver information to customers. We are all used to taking in information from video (TV, movie, meme, YouTube). As a result, many of us have become more comfortable learning visually. Delivering information on a product, service or company through video can help to keep your audience’s attention longer and make what you have to say more easily understood.

You can also build rapport with viewers by introducing your CEO, a satisfied customer or other individuals within your organization and allowing them to deliver useful information. This puts a friendly face to a name and customers are able to meet who they are doing business with, making you and your company appear more accessible and present.

Now you have the why, let’s get to the how. Check out these 5 video marketing tips, then break out the smart phone, digital camera or other recording device and get posting!

1. Make it useful – Whether you address frequently asked questions, deliver a how-to, give tips, make viewers laugh or entertain them in some other way it’s important to add value to your video. There is no point in creating a video without giving customers incentive to watch.
2. Give it a purpose – Much like creating an email with a clear call-to-action, you’ll also want to give your video a purpose. Focus on one theme or purpose such as answering a specific question, delivering an “about us” or offering information on one of your products or services.
3. Keep it brief – We’re all crunched for time and looking for the quickest and easiest way to get the information we need. Video can be a perfect way to quickly and efficiently communicate; a good length is between 30 seconds and one minute. If you have more to say or are finding it difficult to keep your video succinct, break it into two parts or multiple videos.
4. Publicize – Link to your video in email (linking a screen shot of the thumbnail works well) and post it on your blog, website and social pages. And, set up a page on your website, a YouTube channel or any other video hosting account where you can compile all of your business’ videos for easy sharing access.
5. Identify – Title your video with relevant keywords and descriptive words both to make it easier to stumble upon in search engines and to make it easier for customers find and forward. Take advantage of built-in keyword suggestions, category selections and tags by hosting companies like YouTube. And, always include a URL at the end of the video to allow viewers to copy and save or share with others.

Do you have any videos you’re proud of? Do share. We’d love to see them!

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Traffic Academy: Get In the Driver’s Seat! (Part 1)

If you have a website, you have to understand online traffic.
Entrepreneurs who know how to drive traffic to their sites (and convert it), are the ones who are making 5, 6, and 7 figure incomes.
As for those who haven’t quite figured out the traffic formula…they are more in the 2, 3, and 4 figure range.
As you can see, traffic is a crucial piece to the online business puzzle.
So, we created this guide to teach new digital marketers owners how to use it effectively.
We’ll start by introducing you to online traffic and all the basics.
Then, you’ll learn tried-and-tested traffic strategies that work, so you can hit the ground running!
Since there’s a lot to cover, we’re breaking the training down into 2 parts:

• Part 1 (that you’re reading now) will teach you the methods of driving free traffic
• Part 2 will dive into paid methods of driving traffic

Let’s get started!

Online traffic basics

What is online traffic?

Online traffic or web traffic is technically the data that moves between online visitors and the websites they visit.
But, from a marketing standpoint, traffic really refers to the flow of visitors to a location online – whether that is a website, a landing page, a social media profile or anything of the sort.

Why is online traffic important?

For one, online traffic equals people visiting your website.
In the digital world, this is the equivalent of people coming into a physical store.
The more people who visit, the more opportunities you have to close sales.
More sales mean more revenue and who doesn’t love that?
Plus, traffic can provide great data and insights into a website’s performance.
For example, you can see where traffic is coming from, allowing you to invest more into the channels with the highest ROI.
Or, alternatively, you could see that a sign-up page isn’t as effective as it needs to be, and enable you to make edits to your copy – improving conversions accordingly!

How is online traffic measured?

Online traffic can be measured very simply.
All web servers generate a log file where traffic statistics are kept.
This data can be easily viewed and managed for free through Google Analytics or various other heat map/analytics tools.
When looking at online traffic statistics, the key metrics which you can learn from include:

• The number of visitors pages receive
• Average page views generated by each unique visitor. Higher page views indicate a visitor showing an interest in a site and looking at the various pages it offers.
• The duration that each visitors stays at a particular website. Again, the longer they stay on a website the more interested they are.
• The duration they spend on each particular page.
• Times when most traffic is generated.
• The most popular pages.
• The pages first viewed. This helps to show which pages are attracting people to your website.
• Exit pages. Those that cause visitors to leave a website.
• Paths. How visitors navigate through your site.

How do websites gain traffic?

Earning traffic can be done in numerous ways, some of which are free and others which are paid.
In this first part of the series, we will take a closer look at the following free methods you can (and should be) utilizing:

• Email marketing
• Blogging
• Social media
• SEO

Free Traffic Methods

Email Marketing

The first free traffic method we’re going to cover in Part 1 is email marketing.
Email marketing becomes a traffic source when you drive traffic from your emails.
By adding links and enticing copy to your messages, you can direct subscribers to visit your website, an affiliate offer or another place of interest online.
Email marketing traffic should always be driven by personalized emails that are relevant to where the recipient is in the buying cycle (i.e. new visitor looking for information, has shown interest in specific products or services, has made a purchase, long time loyal customer).
This way, the messages help to engage readers and nurture them further through the buying cycle.
How effective is email marketing?
It has shown to offer the highest ROI of any online marketing tactic!

Email Marketing Best Practices

Emails are a great opportunity to entice your audience with promotions.
A key to successful conversions is segmenting your audience properly.
You want to send the right message at the right time.
For example, a 10% off coupon would be a good idea when someone has left their shopping cart before checkout.
Besides promotions, you can stay at the forefront of your audience’s mind by sending regular monthly newsletters which share what’s new, links to blogs (more on those next), recent projects, or industry related news.
This helps to build the relationship and keep your audience engaged.
By choosing your links wisely, you can drive customers back to your website on a regular basis.
You can use Sendlane to engage your audience and send out timely, personalized emails right now!

Blogging

Next up is blogging.
You probably read a few blogs regularly but may not know they are a key tactic for increasing traffic to a website.
Research shows blogging can increase traffic by 55%.
Blogs provide an opportunity to inform potential customers about your company while sharing information that is useful and interesting to them.
Blogs work to drive traffic through SEO tactics and links.
In the example below you’ll notice this blog article has internal links to a variety of helpful resources available elsewhere on the site.
The author is sharing valuable content that not only teaches the reader about the subject, but also more about what the company can offer:

Blogging Best Practices

When writing blogs you want to think along the same lines as you use on social media which means quality, engaging content.
People want to be informed, entertained, or inspired… not blatantly sold to.
So write about topics related to your industry that customer want to know about and that they will find interesting.
You want to show users how your products or services can be used in daily life, and guide them through FAQs about them.
Once they are interested in the actual messaging in your blog posts, they may find subtly included links to your products and services helpful.
As far as optimizing blogs, keywords will come into play and long tail keywords are helpful.
You will want to optimize all posts with keywords, tags URLs, and Meta descriptions which work like the directions for search engines to find them.
Also, Google looks for active sites that are providing consistent content so you will want to plan a blog schedule with regular posts and stick to it!

Social media

Practically everyone is on social media nowadays, which means these platforms are senda great source for traffic.
In fact, you’d be missing a huge opportunity if you didn’t make efforts on the different platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc.).
To use social media channels effectively you will want to post content that your followers see as relevant.
This should also include links to your website, so customers can easily make the jump, like this example from the Sendlane Facebook page:

 

Most importantly, social media shouldn’t be used just to promote your website but should have content that will interest your followers.
For example, share relevant blogs, free eBooks, videos, online courses or webinars that will draw followers to your website – like the “Free Training” shown in the example above!
Post on a consistent basis about stories, thoughts, photos, and videos that relate to your business but are not just about your business.
Remember: People don’t go on social media to be sold, they want to be entertained, engaged, and are looking to interact socially, so humanize your brand and post content that people will find helpful. 

Social Media Best Practices

As we said, social media is a place to engage with people and it offers a broader reach than most any other marketing medium. (1/5^th of the world’s population is now on Facebook!)
One of the best ways to reach an audience of people who will likely be interested in your business is to look to influencers in your industry.
Who is making big waves and generating a lot of attention?
You want to target their audience and build relationships with them.
To do this, you can begin engaging with the influencer’s page with likes, comments, and shares.
You can also create infographics, tutorials, or whitepapers that offer value to others in your industry (not just your customers), add your name and link to them, and send them to influencers.
This can be a great way to get more exposure and build your network as others share your work.
After some rapport has been established, you can ask if you would be able to guest post on their page, channel, site, or blog, or if they would like to work out another type of collaboration.
Furthermore, you want to become known in your industry yourself and can do so by joining groups and participating actively.
Remember you don’t want to go in with a mindset of sales, but of positioning yourself as a thought leader in your niche with helpful and relevant information.
Comment on issues, reply to any messages, and participate in conversations.
This will build trust and credibility.
Once your audience starts to flock, be prepared with a call to action button on your page for those who are interested.
Also, continue to nurture your relationships with consistent valuable content.
A good practice is to provide 80% engaging content and 20% promotional on social media.

SEO

Next up is SEO, which Google in particular has made very important for businesses.
Just “Google it” is such a common phrase because search engines have made information so easy to find!
All you have to do it a quick search and a world of information is at your fingertips.
From answers to the most random questions to the “best of” specific products and services.
Because of that, having your website featured on the first page of search engine results is paramount!
It takes time but the first 3 search results account for about 65% of clicks!
The top results are often viewed as the most credible or highest quality, which is great for anyone who does the work to make it there.
Plus, when you get there organically, you have the added benefit of retaining your position longer than paid results.
Even if you stop SEO efforts, it takes about 3-6 months to drop off.
To improve search engine rankings for a website, you need to make sure your website includes a number of SEO techniques.
Of course, you need to start with quality content, but others include the use of keyword targeting as well as inbound link building amongst others.
In the screenshots below, you can see the landing page for Macy’s women’s dresses.
This page ranked #1 for women’s dresses so let’s take a look at what they are doing.

 

They display all of their dresses for sale first and then accompany the page with a keyword-packed piece of content at the bottom of the page.
These keywords shows search engine crawlers what the page is about and help it come up for a variety of searches.
This page would trigger results for cocktail dresses, little black dress, bridesmaid dresses, and more.

 

If you are unsure of how SEO works, take a look at our SEO 101 article to learn more.
From there, you’ll develop an understanding of how to be sure your website hits all the marks.

SEO Best Practices

While SEO is a very detailed topic that experts take years to understand and perfect, there are a few best practices that can help.
First, keywords are the bridge between seekers and results.
You need to perform an in-depth analysis of what words your audience uses when looking for your products or service.
Over time, you can track, test and optimize your keywords.
Also, functionality is very important as web consumers these days will leave after mere seconds of waiting for your web page to load.
This means anything that causes slow loading (rotating banners, clunky media, etc.) needs to be trimmed.
On the same note, mobile friendliness is a major ranking factor now so you need to be sure your website is responsive and designed with mobile customers in mind.
Build your site for speed, this not only means fast loading but easy navigation, content written for easy scanning, and have the most pertinent information prioritized.
Lastly, your website is on the world wide web, right?
The key word there is web – meaning the more connected it is, the better.
Links are the way you make connections.
Integrating them should be done to direct visitors deeper into your own website, as well as making connections from other sites to yours.
The more high authority sites that link to your site, the more valuable you will look to search engines.

Drive Traffic to Drive Sales

Traffic is what will make or break an online business.
But it doesn’t magically appear once you create a website.
Your website is just one piece of a larger puzzle which only attracts traffic when it’s all put together.
So is driving traffic to your website easy?
I wouldn’t say so.
However, it is very possible when you know what to do and have the dedication to follow through!
Plus you have these 4 methods to get started with right away!
Ready to learn how to drive even more traffic to your website?
The second and final part of this series which focuses on paid traffic sources will be available next week, so stay tuned for Traffic Academy: Part 2.



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5 Secrets to Drawing More Customers to Your E-Commerce Site

Effective and Affordable Online Marketing Tactics

In the current marketplace, there are a countless amount of e-commerce stores offering many different products and services. One of the common challenges many stores face is how to stand out from the crowd and attract business. Fortunately, there are many different ways to successfully draw customers to your e-commerce site. With a descriptive and detailed plan along with these five strategies, it won't be long before you're able to direct a large quantity of customers your way.

1. YouTube

If you weren't already aware, Google (the largest search engine) owns YouTube, making the second largest search engine in the world.
As a result, having a presence on YouTube will help your business stand out.

Depending on what the service is, your company should provide a variety of short, yet substantial, content. For example, you can demonstrate how to use the product in different ways. Just make sure the sound and picture quality is clear. No one wants to watch a grainy video with bad sound.

2. SEO

SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, is essential for helping online searchers find your website. Keywords and hashtags are the two common ways people find companies online. For example, if a company sells designer brand high heels on an e-commerce site, some of the keywords might include words such as designer high heels, and high heels designer. However, there's a lot more that goes into it than just two phrases.

There are optimal keywords to use for the best results. In order to figure that out, it's good to utilize the beauty of white label SEO. White label SEO involves two companies partnering to create the best SEO results. Once that's done, the two companies split the profit. This is a great way to get solid SEO value without having to hire an extensive in-house staff.

3. Blogging

Even though some claim blog marketing is obsolete, it’s still an incredibly powerful resource. Once people arrive at your e-commerce site, in addition to great products, a blog will provide another reason to have them stay or return to your website.

The content on your blog must be useful and relevant. It should also demonstrate practical ways to use whatever you're selling. Include high-quality pictures and graphics to make it more interesting. If you're not great at taking pictures, keep things clean and polished by using high-quality graphics through a stock photo website.

4. User Reviews

Nothing can seal the deal like a good review can. Word-of-mouth is an excellent way to attract more customers. When one person likes a product and tells their friends, you'll receive more visits, and hopefully, sales just from their testimonial or referral.

There are lots of review sites on the internet such as Yelp and Angie's List. You can even include ratings and reviews on your e-commerce site.

After people purchase your products and/or services, encourage them to leave a review. Sometimes, patrons don't review a product online unless you ask them to.

5. Social Media Campaigns

Whether you utilize the power of Facebook ads, a Pinterest business account or hire brand ambassadors for use on Instagram, it is important to be intentional in your social media campaign. Social media is a direct way to engage your customers and constantly place your product in front of your target market on a regular basis for little to no costs.

With social media campaigns, you can spend as little or as much as you want and get great results. If you decide to go this route, it would be wise to hire a social media manager if it is in the budget. Managing social media accounts is a full-time job. If it's not in the budget, uses systems and tools to help you save time, and consider making a goal to hire social media help in the future.

These are five of the best tactics to help you draw more customers to your e-Commerce site. With consistency and hard work, you'll see results and build a profitable, successful online business.

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How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform for You

Hey, soon-to-be-blogger! How’s it going? A little overwhelmed? I know when you’re just starting to think about blogging there’s so much to figure out. You have to decide on your core topic, how you want to be seen as an online businessperson, how you want to interact with your audience, what you want to sell, how you’ll sell it– the conceptual questions are never-ending and can give you a reason to hesitate. If you think you have to have all those high-level questions answered before moving forward, it’s possible you’re going to be stuck in idle for a long time.

I want to take your mind off all those big picture decisions right now and help you make one quick and very basic decision today. Let’s talk about what blogging platform you’re going to use.

How to choose a blogging platform

The first thing you have to figure out once you decide to build your blog is what you want to build it on. Tool #1 in your blogging handbag is your blogging platform.

You’ve probably heard people say that a professional blog has to be on WordPress or it has to be on Squarespace to be taken seriously. I don’t think so.

Bloggers, like anyone else you’ll meet in life, are individuals. There’s no blogger mold we’re cut from. We don’t all operate the same way. We have different levels of experience, creative processes, and goals we’re trying to reach. And because of our unique differences even blogging platforms, the most basic of blogger necessities, will vary between all of us.

Different blogging platforms are designed for specific niches of bloggers. For instance, a beginner blogger would need a different platform than a geeked-out, code nerd who wants customization and complete control of their blog’s format and style. And someone solely working on building their email list wouldn’t need a platform that joins blogging with e-commerce like a maker who blogs to help sell her physical products might.

Figuring out which of the many blogging platforms will work best for you involves some research. You need to think about cost, features, support, ease of use, integrations, design, and more. But to help you make this sometimes frustrating decision, I’ve gone ahead and done all that for you.

The pros and cons of 7 top blogging platforms

Ready to dig into the pros, cons, and blogging features of some of the top platforms? There are absolutely more blogging platforms out there, but these are the ones we get asked about the most at ConvertKit. So take some time and read through the list and find the one that fits you and your blogging needs just right.

WORDPRESS.ORG

Price:

Free + hosting and domain name

In a nutshell: 

With 60 million users, WordPress is the largest blogging community on the web. But did you know there are two different versions of WordPress? This first one, WordPress.org, is where you can grab the content management system software for free. With only the software, you have to put in a bit of up front work to find a hosting company and domain name. But once you have those in place, you’ll be set to have complete control over customizing your blog.

Pros: 

• Offers self-hosting
• Gives you the power for customization and usability
• Allows custom plugins and themes
• Many host sites offer a free single-click install
• Great support

Cons: 

• Need to buy a domain name and webhosting first
• You have to perform routine backups
• You have to maintain the blog on your own
• May not be easy for beginner bloggers

WordPress.org works best for:

• Serious bloggers of all genres.
• Bloggers who want complete control over their customization.
• New and experienced bloggers looking to maximize and capitalize on their site traffic.

sweetgeorgiayarns.com/blog • prcouture.com • writeandco.com

WORDPRESS.COM

Price:

Free – $24 a month

In a nutshell: 

With around half of the blogging features as its .org sibling, WordPress.com is a more simple, no-hassle platform. With tools and features that can be used as advanced or as simple as you want them to be, think of WordPress.com as a starting point and maybe move to .org when you’re ready to take on a more customized site.

Pros: 

• Offers hosting and custom domains
• Multiple plans to fit your budget
• Plugins for social media, polls, etc.
• Hundreds of themes
• Mobile friendly
• Paid upgrades available
• Simple blog creation
• Great support

Cons: 

• No custom themes, plugins, or HTML editing
• Have to pay for extras – custom domain name, third-party embeds
• Strict on their affiliate links policy
• Domain includes “.wordpress.com” unless you pay an extra fee
• Ads are placed on free sites- You can pay an extra fee to have them taken off.

WordPress.com works best for:

• Bloggers who want to create a simple portfolio site to accompany their work.
• Personal bloggers not looking to build a business site.
• Bloggers who want a basic introduction to blogging and will eventually move to something with more control once they feel comfortable.

veganyogalife.com • estiloaomeuredor.com • beingboss.club

SQUARESPACE

Price:

$12- $18 per month (when you pay annually)

In a nutshell: 

Squarespace is where bloggers go to create simple and elegant websites. Without needing to leave the site, you can create your entire website or blog using their professional templates and style editor. No programming knowledge needed here to build a blog that looks seamless and has all the tools you need to get the most exposure for your work.

Ps- Our Onboarding Specialist Matt Ragland made an amazing tutorial on how to set up a Squarespace website in just two days.

Pros: 

• Doesn’t require code knowledge to customize for basic setup
• Easy-to-navigate interface
• Drag and drop editor
• Offers an e-commerce platform
• Allows third-party embedding for content
• Easy to add team members
• Mobile-friendly

Cons:

• E-commerce addition costs extra
• Less customization
• Can be hard to learn if you’re an experienced WordPress user
• No free plan
• Only available as a hosted offering
• No Paypal integration – only Stripe is used for e-commerce

Squarespace works best for:

• Bloggers who put high emphasis on image-based content.
• Business owners looking to quickly create a website with blog and e-commerce capabilities.
• Beginner bloggers or bloggers who do not want to tinker with code to create customizations.

espanolautomatico.com • derekharvey.me • paintedsummers.com

MEDIUM

Price:

Free

In a nutshell:  

Medium was created as a simplified, alternative blogging platform for anyone wanting to express themselves online. The average post could be anything from a political soapbox diatribe to a personal essay of tragedy or triumph. Basically, it exists because its creators believe you have a voice and have the right to be heard.

However, because of how Medium encourages readers to participate in conversations, companies have begun to use this platform as another extension of their marketing strategies. So while you see posts from your neighbor, you’ll also see posts from companies like Buffer, REI, BMW, and even us now!

Pros: 

• Built-in audience and sharing with Medium readers
• Allows third-party embeddings for video and other content
• Publish on a custom domain or as a sub-domain of Medium
• Ranks and promotes content based on quality metrics
• Can tag up to three categories per post

Cons:

• Required to use the hosted Medium site
• Standardized template
• Limited control over branding
• Needs third-party opt-in forms

Medium works best for:

• Beginner bloggers who don’t want to deal with creating an actual website.
• Bloggers who don’t care about building an audience of their own and place a higher priority on getting their thoughts and opinions out in the world.
• Marketers looking for new avenues to create content.

clientgiant.us • medium.com/@sophiethomas • medium.com/@SNPhadke

BLOGGER

Price:

Free- Just need a Gmail account

In a nutshell: 

Blogger is Google’s free blogging tool that you can use to create up to 100 blogs per account. Because of its simple type-and-publish blogging process, as long as you have a Gmail account, you can create your account for free and have your first blog post up within an hour.

While its simplicity is a bonus for new bloggers, it also means you’ll likely grow out of the platform the longer you keep at it.

Pros: 

• Because it’s owned by Google it integrates well with other Google products- AdSense, Analytics, Google+, etc.
• Simple type-and-publish process
• Can edit HTML and add widgets
• Easy drag and drop options

Cons: 

• Have to pay $10 for a domain without a .blogspot.com
• Google owns Blogger: meaning your blog can be pulled and you have no say over it
• Can’t categorize posts
• Can’t self-host
• Limited design options
• Can’t structure links the way you want
• Not much support

Blogger works best for:

• Beginner bloggers who have no web experience and are happy to not be bothered by options.
• Bloggers who aren’t ready to start making money from their efforts.

francescabaldassarri.blogspot.it • creativelylauren.com • nadabutamor.com

WEEBLY

Price:

Free– $25/month

In a nutshell:  

Weebly is a DIY website builder with blogging and e-commerce capabilities. Created with the first-time business owner in mind, the true appeal of this platform is how easily you can build a quality site without any previous web experience. Weebly is great as a one-stop shop for business owners who need both a website and a blog.

Pros: 

• Quick to create and update without a lot of hassle
• Wide range of easy-to-use features like drag and drop options
• Free templates
• Free hosting
• Third-party integrations

Cons:

• Doesn’t allow for coding
• No self-hosting
• Does not offer a free domain option

Weebly works best for:

• Beginner bloggers who need e-commerce and a website.
• New business owners who need a blog and website but don’t have the technical skills for a platform like WordPress.

aimeemcnew.com • wishfulthinkingmom.weebly.com • amandawhetstone.com

WIX

Price: 

Free- $25/month

In a nutshell:  

Wix is a cloud-based website building platform with over 90 million users worldwide. Their user-friendly, drag-and-drop templates are built with specific industries in mind, making it easy for you to know which design will best work for your online business.

Pros:

• Beautiful templates with layouts for different industries
• Flexible drag and drop editing
• Offers text and other element animations
• Third-party integrations

Cons: 

• Your template is locked in. That means you can’t change your mind and change the template mid project.
• Wix places ads on websites with the Basic plan
• Lack of customization

Wix works best for:

• Artists, musicians, photographers, creatives who want a blog and a site to showcase their work.
• Small business owners of restaurants or online stores looking for industry specific website templates.
• Users with no design skills who want to build their blog from scratch.

sustainnutrition.ca • firstgencollege.me • livewell.live

Ready to choose your blogging platform?

Now that you’ve read through the pros and cons and compared features between some of the most popular blogging platforms, are you ready to decide? Making this first big step will hopefully create a snowball of momentum to keep you moving toward your blogging goals.

If this post helped you decide on a platform, let us know! Tell us which blogging platform you will or are currently using in the comments or share this post on social media to help other soon-to-be-bloggers get closer to their goals too.

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