While it is possible to make a blog using free services, this is usually not the best method, as the user doesn’t have complete control over his or her website. The best way to make a blog is by purchasing a personal domain name and installing blog management software. There are a number of software options, but WordPress, which is an open source content management system, is probably the most popular. Once the software is installed, the blog's appearance and function can be altered with themes and plugins.
One of the easiest ways to make a blog is by using a free service. There are a number of companies that allow a user to create a blog on their web servers. The blogs are usually created on a sub-domain of a company’s domain name, which means that although the blog is free, the user has less control over the website. Some free blog sites place adverts on the user’s blog, and there may be restrictions on the type of content allowed.
Another way to make a blog is to buy a domain name and web hosting account. While this costs money, i.e., an initial fee for the domain name and an ongoing monthly cost for web hosting, it is probably the best option because it gives the user complete control over the blog. Not only can the owner of the blog decide exactly what topics to write about, but he or she also has control over the appearance of the blog, including which adverts are displayed.
If a user decides to make a blog by purchasing a personal domain name, he or she needs to decide which blog software to install. There are many options available, but the best choice for basic blogs is nearly always WordPress. This is a content management system been built specifically for blogs and has a large online following. Given its popularity, there are a huge number of plugins available for customizing the way the software works and adding new functionality.
After installing the blog software, the user has a number of options for customizing the blog's appearance. Blog themes, many of which are free, can be downloaded and installed, allowing the user to completely change the design without having to know HTML or CSS. The user might also want to change options such as whether comments are allowed on posts, the title of the blog, and whether visitors need to sign up first to get involved in discussions.