Getting Started Blogging: Why Typepad?

By on December 2, 2006 in Blog Coach with 18 Comments

Every so often, I’m asked why I suggest Typepad over other tools such as Blogger or WordPress.com

One of the first things I ask is whether they want to put their blog on their own server (in which case MovableType or WordPress.org may be an alternative, though I’m still suggesting Typepad even at that point).

Though I talked a bit about this in Putting Your Toes in the Water, I also recommend new customers to sign up for the PRO version of Typepad on a monthly basis. At that level, we can do anything with design:

  • We can emulate the look of your corporate site (see Drew’s Marketing Minute)
  • We can give it its own look (see Kemin Agrifoods)
  • Or we can make it your sole web presence (see Carpe Factum)

The difference in cost is minimal (PRO – $14.95 month, PLUS – $8.95 month) and the flexibility you get is well worth the $6 monthly difference. Plus, there is a 30-day trial.

Each of the services has the capability for you to practice in private before allowing search engines to index your site.

The reasons I coach my customers in using Typepad over other blog software:

  • Those I’ve worked with that previously used Blogger or WordPress like using Typepad better. It’s easier. Their words, not mine (though I heartily agree)
  • Typepad allows for more design flexibility than either Blogger or WordPress.com
  • Typepad makes it easy for domain mapping (yourown.com). WordPress.com just began this (and it didn’t work when I tried it) and Blogger doesn’t allow for it.

Disclosure: I don’t have a referral code. I suggest Typepad because it’s our preferred tool, not because of any affiliate marketing or kickbacks.

Related:
- Blogging With Typepad: Easy as Email
- Blogging With Typepad: Uploading Images
- Typepad Titles SEO Friendly?
- Purpose Driven Blogging
- A Blog Posting Mantra

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  • http://twopointouch.com Ian Delaney

    The easiest software is the one you have used yourself for a long period.
    Personally, I can’t imagine using anything but WordPress. Haven’t used Typepad, though I know it has a lot of fans, but dipped my toe in the water of blogging using Blogger. I found it too restrictive though I have heard good things about the new Blogger Beta.
    Back to the point, your own server is the way forward for businesses, I think, though a trial period with hosted blogging certainly makes sense while you’re deciding whether blogs are adding anything to your business.
    Why your own server? 1. Full freedom over the content; 2. search rating that’s about what *you do*, not your host; 3. flexibility to add other sorts of web content – wikis and galleries, perhaps – as you grow more ambitious.

  • http://www.OwnYourBrand.com Michael Wagner

    Ian, I am only guessing at the meaning of your second point above.
    Do you mean that search results are somehow different/better if you use an ASP like Typepad?
    I know you and Mike get this; but wanted to clear up my understanding.
    Thanks to both of you for your generous insights!

  • http://andybeard.eu Andy Beard

    One small correction
    With Blogger it is very easy to host a blogger blog on any website. Blogger can work with any HTML template.
    Thus you don’t have to map the domain, you just point Blogger to the ftp of any existing domain on any hosting provider.
    Plus a few additions:-
    Wordpress.com blogs are not intended to be used for any commercial activities.
    There are differences in scalability with different solutions. Whilst a company might start off with a single blog, quite often it is best to think of the future, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 or in some cases 1000s of blogs on one domain.
    Some of the blogging services do have unique advantages for SEO and traffic.

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    > Ian, great points on using a hosted solution as a trial and how serving your own can benefit other tools (such as ecommerce). Many of the folks I work with are not yet on the web at all – so we start with TypePad and (possibly) graduate over time.
    >Michael, your comment is sandwiched between two smarter heads than my own.
    >Andy, Right – and good correction. I’ve worked on Blogger using FTP previously – and it is quite easy (forgot all about that one). Thanks for that.
    Your point of thinking to a much larger scale huge. It’s one thing we’re trying to do for associations, chambers and other bizdev and econdev groups. An umbrella with several blogs underneath.

  • http://twopointouch.com Ian Delaney

    On SEO and hosted services. I’m really no expert, it’s just something I read somewhere that having blogspot.com or typepad.com as your address means that your keyword results could be affected by all the other sites on that domain. Perfectly happy to accept that may be an urban myth.
    One more reason to have your own domain, though: I think that, impressions-wise, it imparts a greater degree of professionalism.
    One warning to counter-balance that – shared servers and virtual servers often have quite strict limits on CPU time. If you are expecting TONS of traffic, then a hosted service might offer more reliability.

  • http://www.grahamjones.co.uk Graham Jones – Internet Psychologist

    Interesting isn’t it? The reasons you give for preferring TypePad are the same ones I give for preferring Blogger.
    Firstly, with Blogger you can use any design you like, there is considerable design flexibility since you can use any HTML and you don’t have to use any templates.
    Secondly, you don’t have to map domains, you simply host the blog at your own site.
    Thirdly, the new version of Blogger is so much easier to use than the old version.
    Plus, you get all this AND it’s free….!
    I have tested each of the main blogging systems posting the same entries and so on, in a side by side comparison. Not only was it faster to use Blogger, pages were indexed by Google more quickly.
    I therefore can’t find any reasons yet to move away from Blogger. However, I always keep an eye on things because software and services change.

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    >Ian, I agree – having a domain rather than blogspot.com or typepad.com is important going forward. There are some established blogs that don’t do this – but they are establishd. This blog was actually birthed as mikesansone.typepad.com, but with domain mapping – ConverStations throughout.
    >Graham, Great points and input. As noted above, I had forgotten that Blogger has an FTP solution. A good alternative for the experienced, but what of the inexperienced?
    I dig what you’ve done with Blogger on your site – doesn’t look at all like Blogger (or any templated blog). Great job there! Thanks for hopping in here.

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  • http://www.searchenginemarketingpro.org Konrad Braun

    Bob… that is very true too. I worked at a major bank here in Canada and the truth is that interest rates are lower the inflation is. In other words… unless you’re risking high… you’ll lose big!
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  • http://www.multinetting.com Eddie Wolfe

    Interesting, I always see wordpress being bandied about, so haven’t really looked any further. One of the advantages I see with wordpress / affiliate marketing, is that so much software being written, seems to integrate itself into wordpress…ie written specifically for it. I may be wrong, but this is one of the reasons typepad hasn’t come up in my travels.

  • Dan

    I can see the benefits of Typepad. Has anyone looked into BlogSmith?

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  • http://doublebrush.wordpress.com HawaiiVacationGifts

    I want to move my wordpress.com blog to typepad.com but so far typepad.com has been very UNhelpful:( or maybe it is just the person that was assigned to my email. Anyway, wordpress.com under “export” says:
    When you click the button below WordPress will create an XML file for you to save to your computer.
    This format, which we call WordPress eXtended RSS or WXR, will contain your posts, comments, custom fields, and categories.
    Once you’ve saved the download file, you can use the Import function on another WordPress blog to import this blog.
    So I asked typepad.com how to send it to them to receive the file, and she didn’t know, she gave me a link to a blog about self hosted wordpress!
    Does anyone know, is there an easy way to transfer to typepad? Thanks much!

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