Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Google Blogger

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I might get some criticism for this post, but I think it’s important to realize what exactly bloggers are getting into by using Google Blogger for their blogs. Like me, a lot of people initially join the blogging world because they found other blogs they love and wanted to join in on the fun.  I will admit, Google Blogger makes it very easy to get started with a blog and it’s completely free, which is a big incentive for a new blogger.

After blogging for a while though and realizing that yes, you are continue doing this blogging thing, you really need to take stock and think about your future plans.  It took me only 2 months to move from Google Blogger to a self-hosted WordPress blog because of the limits Google Blogger had placed.  I’ll also admit Google Blogger has come a long way since I left them in 2008, but there are still some limitations that concern me.

Here are just a few reasons why Google Bloggers limits you and your blog:

  1. Google can delete your blog - By giving Google control of your blog, you are giving them the ability to delete your blog at will.  They are notorious for doing this and have even deleted their own blog on accident.
  2. Limited to 10 static pages – This may not be an issue for you, but it is for a lot of people.  Here at Faithful Bloggers I currently have 24 active pages – I wouldn’t be able to have that with Google Blogger.
  3. Cannot use a page as a homepage - If you want to show something other than you latest blog posts on your homepage (http://example.com) you are out of luck.
  4. You cannot automate your blog backups – While you can backup your Blogspot blog and template, it has to be done manually.  This means it is something you have to remember to do on a continuous basis.  If something happens, like Google deleting your blog by accident, you need to have recent backup so all your hard work doesn’t get lost.

Of course, the reason why you blog play a part of the decision but ultimately if you want to have complete and total control you need to stay away from Blogspot.  If you don’t care what happens to your blog, then go ahead and use Google Blogger.  But if you want to make sure you have the most options available and that your hard work doesn’t go to waste, consider using the self-hosted version of WordPress.

If moving to a self-hosted WordPress blog is something you are interested in but don’t know how and don’t want to pay someone to do it for you, join me on July 24 at 6:00pm for a live workshop where I will show you how to make this move.  You can find more information about the workshop at http://upgradetowpnow.com.