I want to start a blog- where should I go to?

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I want to start a blog (an arts and crafts tutorial, hey look what I'm working on now type of blog, not too heavy of actually selling my items, but I want to be able to get them directed to my Etsy site, does any of that make sense?).

What sites have you found best for blogs? I really don't have the cash to pay for one, so a good free basic site is for me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Anyone. . . ? Thoughts on the best blog service provider out there?

[MariasWorkshop]

Hi Nikki,

I know absolutely nothing about blogs, but did a search and found this for you in the Internet:

http://www.theblogstarter.com/?t202id=21221&c1=binghowbeg&t202kw=how%20to%20start%20a%20blog

and this in the Etsy forums:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/16498357/

I am sure there is more, but maybe the above will get you started.

Good luck!

[MariasWorkshop]

…and more interesting information on Blogs from the Etsy Forums:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/16684450/

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/16810870/

[MaryKempStudio]

Hi Nikki
I have a blog using blogger. I don't have to pay for it and I can direct people to my Etsy shop from it. It's great fun to do. I would recommend blogging to anyone.
theartistsday.blogspot.co.uk
Best of luck!

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Thanks for the info. :)

[Former_Member]

I love blogging! I've blogged on both Blogger and WordPress over the past 5 years. I'm currently using WordPress.

I started with Blogger, which I would recommend if you want the site to be blog only. It's a very simply to use platform, and very strong for blogging.

I moved to WordPress when I felt that I wanted my site to be more than just a blog, but a full website. WordPress is a little more complicated, but I also find it to be a little more comprehensive, too.

I know you said you didn't want to pay for anything, but I would recommend starting your blog on WordPress.com if you do want to one day move to a paid option. This way, you can familiarize yourself with the WordPress world in case you did want to move to a self-hosted WordPress based site. My site http://simplystephko.com/ is run on WordPress!

Let me know if you have any questions! I LOVE talking blogging!

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Thank you so much, Stephanie! I've used blogger in the past. It was nice, but very basic.

I think I'm going to check out Word Press (I also know Weebly was out there too). I wanted something a bit more comprehensive than Blogger just in case if I wanted to do self hosted eventually. This helps. :)

I might hit you up for blogging advice in the near future Stephanie!

[Former_Member]

I like many started out with Blogger and have many great things to say about it because it is easy and there are so many widgets now that you can get it to do quite a bit. It is a good place to learn the blogging ropes.

I now use Wordpress and it still is a learning curve to me but I do think it gives me a more professional look. You can see my website here. www.embroideryit.com

I also like it that I can gather e-mails to send a newsletter to. My initial cost for everything was around $300 I believe for the hosting and theme. I had paid for 3 years hosting up front. As far as building the site I've done it 100% myself which I'm going to pat myself on the back for that as computers came on the scene after I was out of college and so I'm self-taught.

Wishing you the best of success.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Thank you all for your advice!

I just opened a Word Press account (the free one for now). I'll be setting it up over the next few days, and hope to have it officially up and running soon.

Thank you all again! I'll be reading all of your blogs and hope it gives me some type of inspiration for mine. :)

Happy blogging!

[Former_Member]

Hi Nikki,

I use blogger for my blog page because I can put Etsy Mini as widget on the page. Wordpress does not have that function. I thought you should be aware of it.

Best,
Tidewater Shopkeeper

[Former_Member]

I use the self-hosted Wordpress and have the etsy mini on the left hand bar. I also created a menu link directly to my etsy store. :)

[Former_Member]

Thank you, Amanda. I should have been clearer about my comment...for free Wordpress.com page, it does not have Etsy mini widget.

Wordpress.org or self-hosted Wordpress does have that function but it does cost money.

[Former_Member]

My wordpress template is free and I do pay a marginal amount for hosting. (less than $5 per month) so down the road it may be an option.

[Former_Member]

I recommend Blogger.

Its free - and if you're confident with HTML you can make it look as professional as any other website - www.megsyjane.com.au - you can check mine out for an example :)

Wordpress is also a good option for more complicated features; however, if you'd like to keep it simple Blogger is completely flexible and easy to use!

[ImprintsHomeandAway]

Hi there. I've used Wordpress for close to five years. In my opinion it looks more professional, offers lots of different templates, is very user-friendly and I like that there's a built in community of potential readers with the WordPress community. (not sure if Blogger has that?) There's so much you can do for free (I've never paid for anything and have uploaded tons of photos over the years). Good luck!