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Posted On
Dec 12, 2007
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 I’m certain a lot of people would concur to the heaps of recommendation floating when you start a Web 2.0 blog to endorse your business. With a number of blog solutions out there, any one can simply get lost! So I think its very important to pick the right solution that implies to each business. Each and every blog service has their own set of benefits and drawbacks, each carry some basic characteristics that make blogging easy and fun, although some platforms may require more technical knowledge than others. There are on the whole three common blog platforms on can choose from:
Hosted weblog platform 
I consider this one to be easiest to start with. It's in fact similar to making a free service account online; where you are only required to enter your information into the sign up form and click submit. If you know how to create your own web mail account such as Yahoo! Mail, Gmail or Hotmail account, you know more than enough to get started.
This is the single blog solution that allows you to get up and operate in a few minutes. You don't need to install any type of software or script in such solutions. At times some service providers allow you use their hosting service for no money. All you need to do is select the options you want and start posting to your blog. The URL to your blog is usually in the following format:
- http://<user>.example.com/
- http://<blogname>.example.org/
- http://example.com/<blogname>/
As it shows the biggest advantage of using such platforms ffor your blogs leaves you with no responsibility other than posting your posts. The host providers organize everything so that no technical skills are required for it to operate properly. The platform hosts mentioned above are proactive and customer centered and they make sure their servers run smoothly and securely. They also upgrade new software and support you if you have problems.
Examples: Blogger, TypePad, Blogware, WordPress.com.
Standalone weblog software 
Such blog software platforms require software installation in your your web hosting account. Generally, these software need database and PHP or Perl support (scripting languages) in the web server. Most standard hosts already support those features out of the box. What makes this type of platform so accepted is the elasticity and control the user gets out of it. You can host the blog on your own domain with your existing web site; customize the template to inherit the color and navigation (look and feel) from the rest of your website, and so on.
Additionally you can have the blog software modified to suit your needs, and maybe even install some plug-ins to expand functionalities that aren't available on standard package. If the blog software includes source code and the term of use lets you modify it, you can even let a programmer fix something if you find a bug - and if you release the bug fix into the community, you have made a meaningful contribution back.
Obviously, this option involves more work than using a hosted solution. And unlike the first solution, if you need to add features then you have to upgrade it your own or hire people who know how to do it. Like a hosted blog, standalone weblog software usually has a management screen where you can conduct various administrative tasks using relatively easy interfaces.
Examples: WordPress, Movable Type, GreyMatter, PMachine, ExpressionEngine, B2Evolution.
Remote hosted weblog platform 
Current web and Internet technologies allow certain Web 2.0 blog platforms to expand flexibility, creating a hybrid of some of the features of standalone weblog software and hosted weblog provider. It takes the best of two worlds and bundle them into an elegant solution.
This is generally how it works: you create an account, post and manage your entries through the blog solution website, but the results are transferred to your own chosen domain.
You have to enter your web hosting (or a separate FTP account) login details for it to work properly, i.e. uploading content pages to your hosting server.
Example: Blogger.
I would suggest, if you developing serious blogs and have aspirations for it to be used on a professional sort of level (whether as a business or corporate blog, as a blog to build your own profile or a blog to earn income from advertising) I’d recommend you go in the direction of a stand alone blog. Even if you are not highly skilled in this area it’s worth spending a little money to get it set up with a designer or even better still, to learn how to do it yourself.
If you just want a blog for fun and to keep a record of your life for your friends and family and you don’t have the time, money or patience to put into it then a hosted option might work well for you too. They are instant (it’ll take 5-10 minutes to set up) and while they might not have quite the same level of features, in effect they may well suit you every need. Of course many hobbyists also go the stand alone option because tweaking their blog is part of their interest.
Some Related Articles:
Web 2.0 Blog Platforms
Picking the right blogging tool
Choosing a Blog Platform
Blogging for Small Business
Evaluating Blogging Platforms
Starting a new Blog?
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