This week we begin our series on getting a website of your very own. There are several routes you can take, some free and some not, and of varying complexity. This week we will discuss the simple and free solution of a blog. You won’t have full control over some of the more complex aspects of your blog, but if you’re looking for simple you probably won’t notice. Your blog will be hosted by a blogging company, you just make it look how you want and update it.

Pick a Blog Host

Two very popular blog hosts are Blogger and Wordpress. Because they host your site, your address will be similar to yoursite.wordpress.com or yoursite.blogspot.com. You can, however, purchase your own domain (ie. www.besttatsever.com) and use that (the host will have instructions on how to). Both sites allow you to find a template you like and install it to your site, which provides a very quick and simple way to outline the look of your site. An amazing collection Blogger themes can be found at http://blogger-templates.blogspot.com/. Hosted Wordpress accounts come with several template options, but you must host it yourself to use the wide variety of Wordpress template found on the web. Once installed, change the header, sidebar, and about page to fit your site and you are up and running with your own blog.

Writing Posts

Because they are designed for specifically for blogs, both sites also offer an interface to create posts that update on your front page. These posts let you keep adding content to your site and also to provide current information to your customers. You can use the posts to write about recent events you did and even include pictures. Also, you can list upcoming events, such as fairs and festivals, to let your customers know where they will be able to get a tat. If you do private events a customer may find your site and go back to it several times before deciding to call you for more information. If you routinely post with new information, pictures, and proof that you are an active tatist the customer will be more likely to trust you to be an asset at their party.

Drawbacks

Blogs are different from the traditional static website and are meant to be updated frequently. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on how you want to use your site. If the last post on your blog is from two months ago, a potential customer may just skip your site and move on. There are other free options available and we’ll highlight some of these in a future post. Also, blog sites are very simple and don’t offer many add-ons or additional customizations you may have envisioned for your site.

Next Week

Next week I will discuss both free and paid sites along with the site design software that is often included with it. As always, feel free to leave questions in the comments.