Why I choose the Blogger blog platform

This post will be short and sweet, it is only a post to highlight my opinion on the blogger vs. wordpress debate.

I have been a WordPress blogger, at one point Apothekayla was on WordPress. I felt constricted, as if I couldn't change anything for fear of messing up my entire blog.

I like Blogger because it is simple, a bit old-school, and once you know what you are doing it is fairly easy to customize without knowing a lot about HTML code.

I like "gadgets" versus "widgets" or "plugins" and overall I think it is easier to stay organized with blogger.

Yes *all mighty Blogger lords* it is probably time for an update to the platform, but for now I am happy with the "dashboard" and user-ability.

Some of the perks of working with blogger:

• Google owns blogger so you are working with a virtual powerhouse.
• It is  free, unless you want to buy your own domain name/ URL.
• Your hosting is free, and unlimited. *score*
• You don't have to worry about your server crashing because too many people are reading your blog at the same time.
• All of the themes are super customizable if you take the time to customize them, you can even build or download a new theme.
• Even though the platform seems old-school as compared to wordpress themes and is updated less often which is a perk because you know what to expect.
• Knowing what to expect means you can leave your "dashboard" and think about what you want to do with your blog, then return and try to find a way to make it happen!
• You can call yourself a "hipster" for using blogger because it's the "cool kids" are using WordPress!

Your dashboard is the backside of your blog that your readers do not have access to, the control panel if you will. A few years ago when Google updated Blogger I was so angry.. I had a hard time finding anything and wanted to quit blogging altogether.. but they knew what they were doing and made a dashboard that is still user friendly today!

With WordPress if you want to monetize (use advertisements to make money) you have to pay for your own hosting and domain name. This can be pricey!

On WordPress you also have to pay for your theme (the general design of your blog) or use a really dumbed down simple version that only has a few options for customization. While some people would rather not deal with the design side of blog life, it is a function that I like to have control over. 

You can adjust your entire blog width, and sidebar widths. Change the side of your blog that your side bar appears, or have a sidebar on both sides. You can even build you own gadgets, the blogger gadgets are a bit outdated sadly (I will talk more about gadgets in a later post).

If you know what you are doing and are patient with blogger you end up with a more flawless system of blogging, a more controllable design template, and mind that is less fogged by all of the plug-ins it takes to make a blog function like normal on WP.

& Yes, you can schedule posts with blogger. I have read/ heard several times that "I like WordPress because I can schedule posts," well I can schedule posts too. If all turns out well this post will be published on my blog while I am at the dentists office in the morning! ;)

Also, a HUGE thing that I love about Blogger. You can see your daily stats, without adding a special feature, when you log into to your blog you see how many people are looking at it, where they are in the world, which website directed them to your blog, or which terms they typed into a search bar that brought them to your blog.

(oops.. I said this would be a short post!)

So these are the majority of the reasons I prefer to use Blogger over Wordpress. I have also had Squidoo blogs and I didn't care much for those. Wanna see my very first blog ever? iammisskay.blogspot.com I have learned quite a bit since then!!

So!! Are you ready to start your blog yet? Have I given you enough information that you feel comfortable with the basic knowledge required to at least say you know what a blog is and why you would call yourself a blogger?

In my next addition to the #BlogLife101 series I will tell you how to set up your blog. Be patient with me, I am having two wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow so I may be down for the count for a few days.. or not.. I love blogging and I may get bored and decide to write the post out on time! ;)

Until next time, stay groovy!