How do I start a web site with a blog?

September 12, 2012

If you need to create a web site with a blog, you can get started quickly if you set up a Wordpress (WP) site or a Blogger.com account (or, a Google Apps site, also from Google). Both approaches give you:

• A web site with with a blog.
• Email account(s) - optional.
• Template based designs (many templates are free).
• A way to update your site instantly through your browser.
• Good SEO, based on the default structure of the blog, basically built in.
• The ability to add features to your sites with "plug ins."

Wordpress gives you more control, privacy, and customizability; Google's offerings are less expensive and easier to set up, but you lose some of Wordpress' control, privacy, and customizability

You may also want to set up your own domain name, or modify an existing domain name record, to use either option. Choose Google if you don't have a domain.

Wordpress

Wordpress is free, and all you need to host it is a basic PHP/MySQL account, available from most typical web hosts -- you'll usually get email with that, for under $10 a month from most vendors. That way you, not Google, directly control the content. You might want to hire a Wordpress consultant or firm to set it up. If you can find a template you like (and there are lots of good ones) you can have your WP guy install it and customize it with your information, set up an account for you & any one else you want, and easily add the first pages to the site. Then, you can easily post to the site from your browser. 

Wordpress supports plugins; during setup, add a backup plugin (free) and a Google Analytics plugin (also free). 

It's best to do this setup as a fixed fee job. It's pretty straightforward. If you provide the pages you want to start with, a good Wordpress consultant or shop can give you a bid. Save money by selecting, and possibly paying for, for a well constructed Wordpress template. You should also budget some moneny for maintenance and updates, especially if you are busy and don't want to learn all about Wordpress. Think of it as two costs: Initial setup and then an annual maintenance fee.

You can use this approach with your own domain, or set up a site under an existing domain if you have control over the domain name servers (or can request an update).

Google

If you have your own domain, you can set up a Google Apps account, or a Gmail/Blogger.com account, if you don't yet, and Google will host your blog, email, shared docs, etc. Using Google is very inexpensive, compared to setting up your own Wordpress site, and faster too, although Google Apps, unlike Gmail, is not free. Using Wordpress means you own your blog and you have to set up and run a web server too, but you, not Google, have direct access and control over your site content.

Pricing

Wordpress

• Setup: $300 - $1,000 (Includes consultant's time, all expenses, like templates)
• Annual maintenance $200 - $600 (updates to WP and site design, backups, hosting)

Google

• Setup: $0
• Annual fee, per user: $60?

You may wish to hire a consultant for Google, too, which could add $200 to $1,000 depending on how much they do.

Which one?

Google wins on price and time to setup, Wordpress wins on control, ability to customize, privacy. You can always move from Google to Wordpress, after you launch, too, so using Google is a good option if you want to get started quickly or if you want to do it yourself with little or no assistance.

Here's how, for free:

1. Create a new Gmail account, ideally one that reflects the theme of the site (like mynewblogidea@gmail.com)
2. Using your new Gmail account, Create a Blogger.com blog. 
3. Post to your new blog.
4. If you like your new site, tell your friends about it. 
5. If that goes well, promote using social media, email, online advertising.

Getting Started with Blogger.com

You can always re-map the Blogger.com addresses to your own domain for free later on. Google Sites has great permissions control and keeping versions of each page, so is best for an "intranet" type site for your team. Use Blogger.com for your public site to get started.

Both Google (Blogger.com) and Wordpress are easy enough to operate that you or, anyone who can use a web browser, can make updates to pages and post new blog entries, any time, so content updates are very cheap to do, if not free.

If you need to manage hundreds of pages, consider Joomla. If you want more control than Wordpress or even Joomla offer, consider a more complex CMS (content management system) like Drupal.