Lately, I came across with too many “hot tips” whether you SHOULD host your own blog or do otherwise. Some tips are way beyond exceptional others are average and the remaining are just “garbage”. Well, I am here to at least decongest your mind and give you some of the glorious reasons why you should host your own blog.
First thing’s first, what is the purpose of your blog / empire?
Building your own blog/website is analogous with building a kingdom/empire. You have to lay strong and sturdy foundation, build a fortress and secure that empire for it to last hundreds of years. There are only 2 paths you could take, so choose “very” wisely.
If you have plans of using your blog for commercial purposes like making money, affiliation or advertising, it’s imperative that you should host your own blog.
If you decide to choose the path of a private blogger – someone who wants to share personal e-diary (a collation of personal experience)- and no plans of doing the said above then you Should not self-host your blog.
If those “if-conditions” aren’t enough to convince you, then you got to see these your “highness” 
Reasons why you should host your blog
1. Your kingdom can finally have its own name!
What is the meaning of having your own domain name? Well, it just means your URL (address of your website) is a slave no more! Say goodbye to johndoe.blogspot.com and welcome johndoe.com (or you could choose other domain extension to your liking)
It’s funny because someone asked me “how to delete the .BLOGSPOT in a domain?”. I just said to him, “Buddy, it’s time you need to buy your own domain…”
Have you ever heard of a kingdom that doesn’t have its own name?
2. It’s time to TAP the hidden beauty of your blog
What do I mean with the word “beauty”? Take this for example: You are only using a FREE wordpress account and you found this SUPER COOL template and you just “fell in love with it”. You hurriedly go back to your dashboard to install that “gorgeous” template but ALAS! to your DISSAPPOINTMENT, an error appeared saying:
Sorry [username], you are only allowed to install that template on a self-hosted wordpress account. You can download the self-hosing wordpress package at wordpress.org
Having a template that doesn’t suite your blog is like a king wearing rags on a royal banquet.
3. You are GODLIKE!
If you are playing DOTA (a popular map for warcraft III) you surely know what it means ^.^
What if your free blogging service says?
We will be having an emergency shutdown for 24-hours please be advised not to log-in at those times to avoid problems with your account
You will just be a “sitting-duck” all night-long wishing your BLOG is still there and haven’t been tampered. With a self-hosted blog, you decide when you want to have your own “downtime”.
GODLIKE!!!
4. Welcome to TONS of amazing plugins and javascripts
In case you tried to install a javascript or a new plugin in your FREE wordpress account, I am sure you experienced a Limit. Worst, some “must-have” plugins are even halted by wordpress.com.
Having these kind of DEFICIENCIES means like you are giving-up thousand of other ways to make your blog, “a more than just a blog” experience for viewers.
Without plugins, your blog-empire is like fighting the trojan war using fishing sticks!
5. Do you have dreams of earning using your blog?
If your answer is YES, then it’s implied that you should host your own blog. NO advertisers would like to post their website if they see you are just using a FREE HOSTED BLOG. Why?
It gives an automatic impression that your website is cheap and you are not willing to spend a single dime for a business partnership with them.
An empire is rich!
6. Marks the difference between an amateur to a professional blogger
I know that sometimes, it’s in the free hosted blogs you see some really brilliant writers. However, without hosting your OWN blog, it gives an impression that you are a “layperson”.
Why? I guess it’s in the genes of viewers that their barometer of “professionalism” also lies if you are willing to pay for your blog. Their mindset is much like
If your blog really contains “treasures” then you should guard it with real vault (own domain) and not with a rusty-padlock (free domain).
Does this make sense your highness?
7. No one can delete your account
Whether or not, you are planning to make your BLOG for WHITEHAT/BLACKHAT purposes, clean or dirty, for adult or general. Once the administrator of your blogging account didn’t like your post, it will be automatically deleted. Worst, some blogging services has stricter policies to content and once you violate it, pray that they would not delete your account too!
To these admins there are no ACCIDENTS, even you try to convince them in your support tickets that “IT’S JUST AN ACCIDENT!” for the hundredth time.
The word “delete” is never spoken in greek mythology
8. SEO (search engine optimization) issues
Imagine you have a blog that is named as “johndoeisgreat.blogspot.com” on the other side of this planet someone decided to create a self-hosted blog with a name “johndoeisgreat.com”, both of you used the same equivalent keywords, same content equivalence etc.
When a user type a query “john doe is great” on the search box, which website do you think google will favor to list in the top results?
Remember: Web crawlers values the authority of self-hosted URL too.
No kingdom is never known!
9. Free hosted site are easily forgotten
I know this one is debatable, but if you are just starting to create content for your blog and you want to be popular, the effort you have to give is doubled compare if you start your blog with your own domain (see 1-8 reasons). Also if your URL is seen with a “tail” (ex. helloworld.blogspot.com) viewers may tend to forget it. Logic will tell you that, long URL’s are hard to remember.
A kingdom is timeless and so is your blog!
10. PRIDE
Having a self-hosted domain name wherein you are the “super” admin and source of authority inundates you with a feeling of pride and self-contentment.
You can proudly say “THIS IS MY WEBSITE”. Just like a proud king says to his child who wins on an olympian race! I’m sure you’re imagination can picture it out.
To host or not to host: what its gonna be your highness?
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October 17th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
You have a great blog here and it is Nice to read some well written posts that have some relevancy…keep up the good work
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
Hi,
thanks for the great quality of your blog, every time i come here, i’m amazed.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Thanks man, btw you can use http or <a href tag to put your link instead of [URL tag.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I have been looking for a new host for a while now, I was thinking of using Godaddy but I have heard a lot of negitave things about them also, such a hard decission.
December 29th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Any idea when this was posted?
January 6th, 2010 at 4:51 am
There are downsides to hosting your own blog:
1) Maintenance – Upgrading platform software, plugins, themes, backups etc on a regular basis.
2) Cost – monthly/yearly expenses for hosting & domain
3) Security – If you don't know what you're doing, it could leave your software/server open to exploits
4) Community – No integration with users between blogs, such as at Blogger & Wordpress
5) Limitations – Depending on your web host and plan, your database/storage/email quota/bandwidth may restrict traffic.
Generally, if there's a problem with a blog you host, it's your job to fix it. With a hosted service blog, it's somebody else's job. If you're paying for a hosted blog, then you will get premium support.