If you want to start writing a blog, free and without paying to get a publication, there are several possibilities, but the best solutions are basically two: Blogger and WordPress . Both services are easy to use and just sign up for an account to immediately publish a new professional quality blog. The advantage of these two platforms is that, from a technical point of view, there is almost nothing to know and configure, the only thing to do is to write and choose, through practical options in Italian, the graphic theme and the setting up pages.
We find out in this guide how to create an online blog with WordPress.com .
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WordPress is one of the most used platforms for blogging .
The service can use in two different ways, as an all-inclusive web application (site hosted on WordPress.com or as a CMS to be installed on a dedicated web hosting, so as to have a backend where you can write all the posts that will be published on your site.
The first option is recommended if you want to start a blog quickly, without having to worry about technicalities regarding the hosting and configuration of the program.
The second option instead allows you to open a real website, to be customized without any limitation and with which you can also earn through advertising.
In this post, we see how to start a blog with WordPress directly from the internet, without downloading anything and for free .
To get started, access the Italian site it.wordpress.com and press the Start now button.
Next you need to write the site address (of the pomhey.wordpress.com type), username, password and email address.
The address cannot be changed later so you have to be sure and make sure it is free; even before registering you can check if the domain is exploitable using the Find your domain button on the WordPress.com home.
If you prefer a personalized address like pomhey.com instead of name.wordpress.com, you can add your own paid domain (this choice can also be made later); the prices to have a personalized domain and many other advantages are visible in the Compare plans section, always in the WordPress home or from the link here -> WordPress.com plans and prices .
The plans start from € 4 per month up to € 25 per month (with annual billing) for those who want a site that is really well done and fully manageable in all its aspects, as if we were on a dedicated platform.
The various advantages available are listed under each plan, we can read them and choose the one suitable for our blogging activity.
Once registered correctly you must confirm your email to go ahead and start the blog.
To change the theme, you need to enter the dashboard and change the appearance by clicking on the link in the left menu.
Several pre-configured themes are presented which can be freely chosen.
If you want a custom design, you have to pay for an upgrade that also allows you to access the CSS file that contains the instructions for the graphics and the formatting of the blog.
Still in the Appearance section, you can add widgets, change the header by inserting an image or logo, add menus, change the background and activate the mobile version for mobile phones.
The second thing to do is to customize the title and description of the blog .
So you have to go to the general settings menu to change the title, the motto, the date format and other things.
The important settings are those of Scripture to decide the size of the text, Media for the size of images and videos, privacy to make the blog unsearchable on search engines, Sharing to add the connection buttons with Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin and let readers share comments.
If you click on your name at the top right, you can enter the Blog management page (it is possible to create multiple blogs) and connect them with your personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to advertise new articles and share them automatically.
The third step is adding content .
To write new articles just go to the Articles section, delete the first one which is self-generated as an example and start writing the various articles of the personal blog.
To add a new blog post, click on the " Add new " link in the top menu.
You can edit a post at any time by clicking on the Edit button that appears by moving the mouse over a title.
The writing page is very convenient and is like a word sheet in which you can add images, videos and bulleted lists.
You can also write in HTML mode if you want to keep the page code clean by inserting the various tags manually (see the basic html tags that you need to know if you take care of a blog or a site).
When an article is finished, you can publish it or you can save it in draft if you are still not sure that you have finished.
The free WordPress account allows you to save up to 3 GB of images and documents which is a huge space for a blog (unless you want to make a photo site).
To insert an image, click on the small Media button above the writing box. In the window that opens you can drag the image or upload it from your computer by selecting the file. For each image you can write a caption and a description and you can select the size and its arrangement. Videos can not be added with the free account but just upload them to YouTube and then embed them in the blog to see them on your WordPress pages. Each article can be assigned a category and tags that allow you to group according to similar topics.
You can also add Pages that are those that do not receive comments and are static pages like that of info or other general information.
Use WordPress as a CMS
If you have the technical skills to create a site from scratch we can also get external hosting and use the free WordPress CMS.
Once configured on the site we will have a complete and configurable tool (also for external paid skins) with which to create a well-made site from scratch, choosing each element of the final interface and the various pages that will make up the site or blog. In addition to the WordPress frontend, it allows you to immediately have a valid editor available to create content and optimize its shape and indexing thanks to the numerous plugins that can be installed above.
Conclusions
It only takes a couple of minutes to start a blog with WordPress which, from the point of view of the administration interface and functionality, is the best platform to create a blog or personal and professional site.
You can also add other authors to the site and, with the WordPress account, you can comment on the various other blogs without having to register again.
The differences with Blogger are very profound from a practical point of view.
WordPress is easier to use and allows you to create a nice blog right away but, if we want to expand it, we need to invest some money on it, especially after the first few months; Blogger might seem more difficult at the beginning but it is always free and does not limit its use.
I want to remember the article where we talked about alternatives to WordPress and Blogger to create a blog like Tumblr, ideal for microblogging.
