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There’s one thing I don’t understand. Why do new developers think they can develop a blog platform that is worth using? I’ve seen this twice now with two of my customers.
I run a blog ghostwriting service and frequently will run into developers and SEOs who think they can do it better than the pros. Most often, they can’t. One of the things they try to do and which I think is utterly ridiculous is try to build their own blog platform. Why?
WordPress already has the market cornered on free blogging software. Why is WordPress so popular? Let’s take a look.
- No. 1, it’s free.
- It’s the absolute best blogging tool for great SEO results.
- Choosing a suitable theme is simple.
- There are a ton of WordPress plugins that can be used to customize your WordPress blog and make it run more efficiently and more profitably.
- It’s Open Source and therefore easy for developers to tweak for their own personal use.
Those are the big benefits. But are there any drawbacks? I can only think of two.
- Since it is Open Source, there are some security issues.
- Using WordPress means you’ll be hit with endless software updates and upgrades.
In light of the benefits to using WordPress, I consider these two drawbacks very small. With regard to the security issue, there are some things you can do to reduce your risks and if you are proactive in addressing the security issue you will have few problems. The frequent updates to the software is a minor nuisance compared to the benefits of using WordPress.
So why, in light of these benefits, would a developer spend precious time working on a proprietary blogging platform that will likely not match the benefits offered by WordPress? And I have never seen one of these blog platforms even come close to performing the way that WordPress performs in the search engines. One system I recently looked at didn’t even have the ability to ping the various ping services. That’s incredibly lousy development.
Let’s Answer Some Objections
I understand that not everyone likes WordPress. If you are one of the many people out there who don’t like WordPress, there are alternatives. They’re not quite as good as WordPress, but they are good enough that you can work with them. Just to name a couple, Serendipity and TypePad are both reasonable alternatives. And I don’t see any developer creating a blogging platform that will compete with either of those two, let alone WordPress. But let’s get to the FAQ any way.
I Need A Blog Platform For My Own Use
OK, fine. But why are you giving it to your clients when WordPress is better? It’s just poor business. I consider this vanity. You just want your name on something and thought it would look cool. I understand. But you’re hurting your clients.
WordPress Is Less Secure Than My Own Platform
Sure. But is your blogging platform good at SEO? Is it better than WordPress for SEO? If not then you are hurting your clients. WordPress can have its security improved with a few choice plugins and if you are any good at development then you should be able to create your own plugins and hacks to make WordPress more secure.
I Can Easily Customize My Blog Platform’s Design
I’m sure you can. You can also create custom themes for WordPress, which you can use for you and your clients as well as share in the WordPress community. If you are any good as a web developer, this would provide you with as many, or more, benefits than creating your own blogging platform.
I Can Sell Rights To My Blog Platform And Make More Money
No doubt. But I think you’d make more money creating premium WordPress themes like Headway. You’d have a lot easier time selling premium WordPress themes for $60-$90 than trying to sell a blogging platform for $200-$500. The higher price for the blogging platform will mean you’ll sell less; plus, there is a built in market for premium WordPress themes since millions of people use WordPress every day. Again, if you are any good as a developer then this should be a cinch for you.
Choose A Proven Blogging Platform
If you are ready to start a blog then make sure you use the right blogging tools. Use a blogging platform that is proven and tested. Choose one that professionals use and recommend. The only blogging platform that is recommended by Google, as far as I know, is WordPress. It’s free. Why use anything else?
