You’ve got a brilliant topic for your blog that fills a glaring void of online information. You have several post titles ready that are guaranteed to inform and entertain a wide variety of Internet users. Now all you have to do is sign up at one of the online blog places and begin reaping the benefits of your ingenious, well-written niche, right?

Wrong.

Why Share Your Blogging Glory With A Faceless Internet Company?

When you start a blog at any one of the online blogging platforms, you are not as much an individual entrepreneur as you are a partner. The company hosting your blog controls much of the content a visitor sees while reading your posts, and – even more importantly – the blogging company’s name is at least an equal partner with your own name in the page’s URL.

Your blog is comprised of your thoughts, ideas and creations. Why share this personal creativity’s recognition with anyone else? Buying your own domain name is the best way to claim your material as your own, and to be in control of your visitors’ experience while at your blog.

By purchasing your own domain name, your blog posts will appear to both visitors and search engines as a creation of your domain name, which, in turn, should be a direct reflection of the identity you wish to promote to the world.

Choose Your Domain Name Very Carefully

You might be thinking that the best domain name is something quirky and fun; a different kind of moniker that will be sure to draw a lot of attention. For instance, if your blog is about saving money, maybe you should try to buy something like preservingdeadpresidents.com, because that witty name will certainly bring in visitors, right?

Maybe, but they won’t be the ones who are looking to read your blog. A domain name like that will bring in a steady stream of people doing historical research on American political leaders, and possibly, embalming methods.

Your domain name should be a literal reflection of the main tone of your blog. What words would you expect a Web surfer to type into a search engine to find your site? Whatever your answer is to that question, those words should be the ones incorporated into your domain name.

Related

• The Effective Strategy For Choosing Right Domain Names
• 8 Quick Tips to Choosing a Domain Name
• 12 Excellent Tools for Picking a Domain Name

Buying Your Own Domain Name is Very Easy and Affordable

A lot of people shy away from the idea of purchasing their own domain name due to the false impression that it is a costly and complicated process. – The fact is, it is neither. – Buying a domain name won’t cost you much more than $10 for a year’s registration at the most, depending on the company used to facilitate the purchase.

Once you own your domain name, finding affordable hosting is rather easy. There are thousands of hosting companies, ranging from the monoliths that buy Super Bowl commercials, to little mom and pop operations. An Internet search will lead you to the doorstep of an unlimited number of potential hosts. Check them out and work with a company with which you feel comfortable.

Related

• Cheap Domain Hosting List & Reviews

Setting Up A Blog Myself is Too Difficult

No it isn’t.  Once you got your domain you can set up a blog/website using  a CMS (Content management system)which allows you to produce content without getting too much technical. Aside from a slew of online tutorials about this very process, you can find some of the best online  tutorial sites that can teach you the nuts and bolts of blog setup and design. If you do not want to/do not how to create website, there are lots of website that offers free templates. All you have to do is download the template and change the content.  Here are some more resources to help you learn how to set up your own website:

• Blogging 101: Which Blogging Software Do I Choose?
• 35 Excellent Websites for Downloading Free CSS Template
• Self-hosted Blog Options
• How to Start / Setup Your Own Blog Using WordPress
• Blog Setup: 40 Practical Tips
• The Ultimate Guide to Setting up WordPress after an Install
• How To Set Up A Blogger Blog Correctly
• How to set up your Blogger custom domain with GoDaddy

If you are looking to get into online design schools you find some information here.

(Lead image courtesy of Francesco Marino via FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Donald Lefford is a recent MIT graduate, who focuses on user interface and interaction design. Lefford is married, and on the weekends he volunteers at a local retirement home helping residents communicate with their families via new technology. Lefford also works as an advocate for online schools.