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WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

December 4, 2015

blog_post_wordpress.com_vs_wordpress.org

Since 2003, WordPress has become one of the world’s most popular website-building software. Known to be extremely versatile and robust, it is used by individuals and businesses of all sizes. An important point to note is that there are two versions of WordPress – one which is WordPress.com (fully-hosted) and WordPress.org (self-hosted).

There are many articles out there that do a good job in comparing the technical features between the two versions of WordPress to help you choose the right one. However, they may not be very useful to read if you are the kind of person who goes glassy-eyed when you have too much tech jargon thrown at you. Here I will be providing a different perspective – which is that you will need to know which part of the blogging journey you are at right now to decide which WordPress platform works best for you. I will also be suggesting ways to guide you on moving forward.

COMPLETE NOOBIE
• You are new to blogging and just want to do it for fun or curiosity. When it comes to tech, you are totally clueless – you do not know what a domain name or web host is.

Start with a WordPress.com Basic Account. It’s free and easy to set up, and perfect for people who just want to dip their toes into the waters. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the WordPress dashboard and don’t be afraid to try things out.

AMATEUR / ENTHUSIAST BLOGGER
• You are getting comfortable with blogging. You know how to write and post blog content, and know what themes and widgets are, or even plugins! You enjoy blogging and have a growing desire to make your blog unique by having your own domain name and customizing your blog design or adding new features.

There are two routes you can consider at this point. One is to stick with your WordPress.com Basic Account but upgrade it to a Premium Account for US$99/year. This will provide you with more options to customize your blog. However, do know that you will be facing a lot of potential restrictions in the future such as a small number of widgets and plugins to choose from, limited file storage space, no premium themes or eCommerce.

To take it to the next level, you can consider upgrading further to a Business Account for US$299/year which I find is quite an overkill for a blogger given its substantial price increase. You will have access to even more features this time but again, do note that there are limits that are likely to frustrate you as your blog needs evolve with time.

Last but not least, if budget is important, sticking with WordPress.com is probably not the most value or cost-effective method in the long run. Which takes us to the next alternative –

SEMI-PRO / PRO BLOGGER
• You are getting tired of WordPress.com/Blogger and would like to step up your blogging game. You have plans to build a popular, highly-trafficked blog or even to monetize it. You are keen on learning how to take full control and ownership of your website.
• You are not afraid to get your hands a little tech-dirty, knowing that there is a huge global WordPress community out there for support and resources, or you are able to hire people to help you. Or perhaps you are tech savvy and enjoy tinkering with websites under the hood.
• You may even be a new blogger who is ambitious and ready to dive into the deep end straight away.

The self-hosted WordPress.org route is the way to go, my friend! The first thing to do is to find a reliable web host provider such as Siteground. Then register your domain and buy a basic web hosting plan which will generally cost less than WordPress.com upgrades and can go as low as US$68/year. A good webhost provider will be able to provide you with an easy one-click 5-minute WordPress Installer as well as a tech support team to assist you. Once the WordPress software is installed, you are free to install any theme that’s out there (Don’t forget to browse through our Blog Spa themes!) and have unlimited access to a world of widgets and plugins to help you build the blog of your dreams. Hiring a professional web designer or developer can also be a good investment to help you in ways you can’t do on your own.

While all bloggers may not fall neatly into the categories above, I hope this article can be useful as a general guideline. I would love to get some feedback from you. Do you know which part of the blogging journey you are at, or do you have any questions? Please feel free to drop me a note or leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: wordpress.com, wordpress.org

Why Blog?

December 2, 2015

Welcome to my first post about blogging! I like to start with a basic but important question all bloggers need to ask themselves…and that is, why do you want to blog? Having observed hundreds of blogs and browsing through their “About” pages, I’ve discovered that the reasons for blogging generally fall under two categories – personal and business.

why_blog_03
Source: @jianjunnnn_, via #AppleAndCoffee

PERSONAL BLOGGING
I believe this is how many of us have begun, including myself in 2008. Here are some common reasons for hobby blogging:

• For Inspiration : A lot of the blogs I’m attracted to belong to creative people looking for an easy outlet to share inspiration. These could be sharing anything the blogger finds interesting and cool from clothes to design to cafes to music – the sky is the limit.
• For Portfolio : A blog is a great way to display your creative work and the behind-the-scene processes. It makes it easy for clients and friends to keep track of your creative journey and it’s not uncommon for bloggers to get approached by other brands or companies this way as well.
• For Fun : A blog is a creative playground that allows self-expression which can be fun and even necessary when you are stuck in a boring job routine.
• For Finding Yourself : A blog can feel therapeutic as it offers you a safe space to pen down thoughts and ideas which can lead to more clarity about your life and who you are.
• For Journaling : This is how I’ve personally started, treating my blog as a cyber-diary where I would post random personal thoughts and inspirational quotes. It’s as if your blog is a good friend whom you can confide all your secrets to and is definitely cheaper than a therapist!
• For Documenting a New Chapter : Sometimes people blog to document a major transition or event in their lives such as moving to a new city or house, or to remember a round-the-world adventure trip.
• For Forming a Community or Finding your Tribe : With time, a blog would naturally attract like-minded people like bees to honey. These people may reach out by posting comments on your blog and this opens up opportunities for conversations and relationship-building.

BUSINESS BLOGGING
There are professional bloggers who blog to make money be it directly or indirectly. I shall briefly cover some ways of monetization below.

• Affiliate Marketing : This is a type of performance-based marketing where you help to sell a 3rd-party’s products or services either directly or indirectly and earn commissions for every sale made.
An example can be seen here on The Blog Spa’s website where I earn commission each time a blogger buys a Siteground web hosting plan through any of the links on this website.
• Sponsored Content : Once frowned upon, this is increasingly becoming a popular way to monetize your blog. A blogger gets paid for writing product reviews or tutorials. Other than blog posts, this can also include a pre-agreed set of social media mentions. As authenticity is highly valued among blog readers, it’s important that bloggers only choose to work with brands that they personally endorse and not do it just for monetary reasons to avoid being seen as “selling out”.
• Advertising : This is where banner advertisements come in, located at prominent areas of the blog such as the top of the website or sidebar. Bloggers get paid upon clicks or impressions. The amount you can charge depends on factors such as the size and location of the ad, who your readers are and most importantly, the popularity of your blog. So first and foremost, make sure your website is able to attract an exceptionally high number of daily visitors.
• Working with Brands : Brands often seek top influencers in their niche to collaborate on short-term projects such as campaigns or events.
• Selling Products or Services : Blogs act as a promotion platform for the product seller or service provider to demonstrate their authority and expertise by providing information and other original content. By doing so, they can win the trust of prospect customers which eventually helps to improve sales.

Reasons for blogging in the blogosphere can span widely from personal to business, and sometimes can even be a mixture of both. Do know that your reasons for blogging will ultimately affect the mindset and strategy that you take. If a blog is purely for personal reasons, you basically have total freedom to write whatever and whenever you want. On the other hand, if you intend to monetize your blog, it’s really about first understanding who your customers are, what kind of content they would want to read, and how to give them what they want. To be successful, always seek to educate, inspire and engage your readers as best as you can.

Filed Under: Blogging, Monetization

Blog Inspiration: Tuula

May 25, 2015

It’s time for more blog inspiration and today, I’ll be selecting one that combines two very popular topics – fashion and travel.

Tuula is an elegant-looking blog started by Jessica Stein and documents what she calls her “personal diary of wanderlust and an overflowing wardrobe”. Filled to the brim with feminine outfits and eye-catching locations all over the world, this is a blog that can easily induce envy and a serious style crush so be pre-warned! It didn’t escape my attention that many of her blog posts contain over 100 comments and a quick check on her Facebook page shows a staggering number of nearly 800,000 fans. Are you blown away by her blogger fame as I am? If you know any lifestyle blogger who is even more popular than her, pls let me know in the comments below.

Blog Inspiration: Tuula

Filed Under: Blogging, Inspiration Tagged With: Fashion Blog, Travel Blog

Blog Inspiration: KRAUTKOPF

May 11, 2015

Hi everyone, I’m curating a new series about blogs that I personally find to be both captivating and inspiring. I’m always on a lookout for beautiful blog designs matched with interesting content and quality photography. I thought it would be nice to start this off with one that encourages a healthy lifestyle through the food we eat.

KRAUTKOPF is a bilingual blog from Berlin that features seasonal vegetarian recipes. This food blog caught my eyes instantly with its clean, sharp and modern feel as well as its impeccable photographs which do very well in making me feel hungry. Not too surprisingly – other than being a resource for recipes, they also offer workshops on food photography and styling which I would gladly take only if I live in Berlin!

Blog Inspiration: Krautkopf

What do you think? Do you like it or have other food blogs that you love? Let me know in the comments below!

Filed Under: Blogging, Inspiration Tagged With: Berlin, Food Blog

Hello + Welcome

Hello + Welcome

Hello there. I'm Eva Lim, the founder of The Blog Spa. I'm so thrilled that you are here! In this corner of my world, you will find lots of blogging tips and creative inspiration, plus little bits of my personal life and things that wow and delight me. This blog is really about finding beauty and inspiration no matter where you are, as well as the joy of learning something new everyday. I hope you will stick around and let's enjoy the ride together. xoxo

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