Why You Need Blog Hosting & How To Get It
Whenever I’m hanging out in my favourite Facebook Groups for bloggers, or chatting with people in my coaching programme about making money from their blog, the very first thing I tell them is this: stop playing around on free platforms and get a self-hosted blog.
I get it, the question always comes up:
“Is going self-hosted really worth it? And do I even need it as a new blogger?”
My answer? YESSSS! No hesitation. If you’re serious about blogging, this isn’t even a debate. You need a self-hosted blog from day one—or ASAP if you already have a free blog.
If you’re not sure what a self-hosted blog even is, check my post on What Blog Hosting Is. But if you’re ready to go pro, you can get self-hosted for under $3 a month. Yep, cheaper than your daily coffee.
So whether you’re starting fresh or already have a free blog, it’s time to make the switch. By the end of this post, I promise—you’ll be ready to go self-hosted.
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means if you buy through them, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me feed my dog and keep this blog alive.
7 Reasons You Should Go Self-Hosted
1. You Have Full Control Over Your Blog
The main reason bloggers go self-hosted is control. Full control. Everything is yours.
Your domain, your design, your plugins, your ads—you call the shots. No one can yank your content or show ads you didn’t approve.
Free blogs are fine for school projects or hobby blogs, but if you want to build a real business, free platforms are like trying to drive a car with no steering wheel. You can, but it’s messy and limiting.
And yes—you can migrate all your content to self-hosted without losing posts or comments. I’ll show you how below.
2. You Decide How Your Blog Looks
Free blogs? They all look the same. Boring. Cookie-cutter. Your creativity is trapped in a tiny box.
Self-hosted blogs? Unlimited possibilities.
WordPress.org alone has over 1,000 themes. Want premium? Buy one. Want something custom? Hire a designer. No coding? No problem. You can tweak everything and make your blog look exactly how you want.
Owning your own blog doesn’t make you a tech wizard—it just lets you give your readers the best experience possible.
3. 29,000+ Plugins at Your Fingertips
Themes are great, but plugins? That’s where the magic happens.
From sharing bars, SEO tools, newsletter pop-ups, to fancy homepage designs—you can do it all with plugins. And most of them are free.
Free platforms? Nope. You miss out on these simple tweaks that can boost traffic, subscribers, and even sales.
4. You Look Professional
Custom domain = instant credibility.
For example, my blog is www.mykeeducate.com. Compare that to www.mykeeducate.blogspot.com… see the difference? One screams “professional”, the other screams “just playing around”.
When I launched my online gift shop for bloggers, I got 200 inquiries for a PR campaign. I narrowed it to 20. Guess who got picked? Bloggers with self-hosted sites. Standing out matters.
5. Builds Trust With Readers & Brands
A self-hosted blog signals: I’m serious.
People (and brands) can tell in seconds if you’re using a free platform. Invest in your blog and others will take you seriously, trust you, and want to work with you.
6. More Ways To Make Money
Free blogs limit monetization and might even plaster ads on your site. Self-hosted blogs? Opportunity city.
Sell your products, offer services, become an affiliate, run a value ladder… the possibilities are huge.
I personally paid for 3 years of hosting and earned it all back in just 5 months. Self-hosted blogs literally pay for themselves if you play your cards right.
7. Better SEO Benefits
If you want people to find you on Google without paying for ads, SEO is everything.
Self-hosted blogs = better SEO. Google trusts custom domains more than free blogs. Hosting platforms like Bluehost even come with built-in SEO features to help you get discovered and rank higher.
How To Go Self-Hosted
Here’s how to get your blog self-hosted in 3 easy steps:
1. Get Hosting + Domain
Hosting stores your website on servers so it’s online. Bluehost is my go-to.
Bonus: Bluehost currently has a deal at just $2.95/month. Cheap, right?
2. Install WordPress
Bluehost does this automatically with a single click. Your self-hosted blog is ready before you can say “WordPress”.
3. Move Your Old Blog
-
Go to your old blog dashboard. Tools > Export > Download Export File (select All content).
-
Log into your new self-hosted WordPress. Tools > Import > Install Now. Upload your old XML file.
Done! Your new blog is live and ready to shine.
If you’ve been blogging for a while and are serious about it, go all in. Invest a little, and you’ll be even more motivated to grow your blog.
Post a Comment