Blogging 101 before you even start a blog, the tips say to buy a domain name. My friend has been nagging me to buy for the longest time. I just didn't see the reason why I had to when my 'blogger domain' was working perfectly fine. Little did I know there are many benefits to having a custom domain name...mainly:


1. The site (and you) look more professional
Buying a dedicated domain (or if you're extra an email address too) for your blog boosts your credibility. It tells potential collaborators/clients that you're serious about your blog because you're willing to shell a little extra.

2. It can be used as part of your portfolio
Having your own site that can be referenced to you can help you with your job search or just your reputation as a professional in your field.

3. Some (PR/Advertising) Companies don't accept subdomains
Like domain.wordpress.com, domain.blogspot.com, domain.blog.com etc etc etc. You get the picture. And not just in the PR and advertising world, in general some companies prefer dedicated domains for their roster of bloggers and/or 'influencers'.

4. Page ranking will speed-up
As opposed to sub-domains. Period. Your site gets indexed better by the search engines.

5. Just buy a domain
You don't have to have hosting necessarily. You can have Blogger, Blog or Wordpress (or any other blog/site creation app) host your blog. Buying a domain is relatively cheap. A typical one costs about $10-20 (P500 - P1000) /annum so no excuses.

I finally bought mine a couple of weeks ago after blogging for years. My chosen domain provider? --  Pangalan.com because they were having a sale. I think it's P299/year so naturally I secured www.frommanilawithloveblog.com for two years.



Have you bought a domain yet? Which domain providers (or hosting) would you recommend? Comment below!

xx,
CJ

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