What Is BlogPress? [Complete Review]

 

Welcome to my BlogPress review!

BlogPress claims to offer the perfect solution for would-be bloggers who want to earn some extra income in a way that’s quick, cheap and easy.

The company boasts that its simple solutions will let you spend your time blogging and earning money instead of being frustrated with technical problems or figuring out how to build an audience. So, does it live up to its claims? Let’s find out in this BlogPress review.

BLOGPRESS SUMMARY

Website Name:BlogPressFounder: Dan and Jennifer BaritchiService Type: Blog hosting and trainingPrice: Hosting $14.95-$297, Coaching & Training $47-$999Best For: Bloggers who want to make money from their blog

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Summary: ​BlogPress makes it easy to set up a blog, especially for new bloggers who don’t have extensive experience with WordPress. The coaching and training is in-depth and helpful for marketing and building an audience, but lacks extensive keyword training. Hosting options offer limited storage and add-ons such as domain registration and email are expensive compared to competitors.Rating: 7/10Recommended:Yes

WHAT IS BLOGPRESS?

BlogPress started out as Blogging Success Journal, in which founders Dan and Jennifer Baritchi shared their insights into what makes a blog successful. After launching their first blog in 2007 and finding success, the duo decided to share their knowledge gained along the way. As their blogs and business grew, Blogging Success Journal evolved into BlogPress with the original journal as one part of it.

The current BlogPress site offers two distinct but complementary services: hosting and training.

The hosting allows you to create your own unique blog based on WordPress, but using BlogPress templates designed to make everything simple. The idea behind the user-friendly templates and hosting is to make it easy for you to create blog content and not worry about the design or back-end functions of your blog.

The training teaches you how to promote, market and monetize your blog. Step-by-step modules offer the information in digestible pieces so that learning all the ins and outs of successful blogging doesn’t become overwhelming. It also makes it possible for individuals with limited time to dedicate to blogging an opportunity to learn while still building a blog at their own pace.

While BlogPress is mainly geared toward beginners, several different options are available for bloggers of all skill levels and blogs of all sizes. These include basic and premium hosting plans as well as hourly, monthly, quarterly and year-long training sessions. Monthly payment plans are also available for anyone who doesn’t want to invest too much cash at once into a blog that may take some time to begin generating income.

WHAT DOES BLOGPRESS INCLUDE?

Hosting

Both the basic and the premium blog hosting plans include:

• 5,000 MB storage
• Backups
• System Updates
• Security
• Free Setup Service
• 90-Day Success Plan
• Free Themes
• Video Tutorials

Basic Hosting

The basic hosting plan is intended to get new bloggers started without requiring an in-depth knowledge of WordPress, themes or plugins.

It includes plenty of storage space for a new blog, and BlogPress takes care of all the behind-the-scenes work, such as creating backups of your blog, updating to the latest versions of WordPress and ensuring your website stays secure.

The free setup service and 90-day success plan are where BlogPress stands out from many other hosting providers, especially for users with no experience. If you run into trouble or have questions about building your blog, not only do you have access to professionals to answer your questions, they’ll actually do some of the heavy lifting for you.

In other words, you don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out how to add navigation buttons, change your site menu or create a contact form. You can just let the team at BlogPress know what you want and they’ll take care of it.

Their 90-day success plan is a condensed version of the coaching and training program that helps get you started with your new blog.

As its name suggests, for the first three months of your new blog, you’ll receive step-by-step training on creating content that draws an audience, using pictures and videos to increase viewership, basic SEO techniques, and how to market your blog and eventually earn an income from it.

Besides training and set-up, BlogPress also includes free templates and video tutorials you can access at any time. While many hosting companies offer these options, the ones provided by BlogPress gear specifically toward bloggers.

Premium Hosting

The premium hosting package includes everything the basic plan does, with one important addition: it gives you the option to install any WordPress plugin or theme of your choice.

As an open source content management system, WordPress is home to thousands upon thousands of powerful plugins you can use to enhance your site. Having these available gives you complete control over how your blog looks, behaves and entices readers to stay engaged with your content.

That said, the sheer number of available plugins can be a double-edged sword. A lot of decisions have to be made with so many options available — time that could be better spent focused on blog content creation. Plus, using WordPress plugins not supported by BlogPress can also create difficult-to-resolve technical problems.

While BlogPress boasts more than 150 free themes, WordPress has over 11,000 themes. Much like accessing plugins, having a premium plan that allows you to choose from any WordPress theme opens up a world of possibility, but also a potential time-drain and technical issues.

Training and Coaching

Since BlogPress originated as a blog training site, the training and coaching products are extensive and go beyond what many hosting providers offer.

Now, there are four different packages available to cater to different needs, experience levels, and budgets. Except for the one-hour package, all training and coaching plans include:

• Skills assessment to determine what training is needed
• A customized step-by-step plan
• One-on-one coaching by video phone or telephone
• Priority support

The one-hour plan allows you to choose a topic most important to you and then receive in-depth training on that topic. These areas include marketing, setup, keywords and SEO, blog monetization, and effective writing techniques.

HOW MUCH WILL BLOGPRESS COST YOU?

Hosting

Basic – The basic BlogPress hosting plan is $14.95 per month on a month-to-month basis with no contract. You can also get the basic plan for a flat upfront fee of $97 for 12 months, which saves you $82.40 per year. The yearly plan also has no contract, so you’re not obligated to renew it the following year.

Premium – BlogPress’s premium hosting plan is $37 per month on a month-to-month basis with no contract. The annual premium plan is $297 for 12 months, also with no contract or obligation to renew. Paying upfront for an annual premium plan will save you $147 compared to paying monthly for one year.

Add-ons – BlogPress hosting plans don’t include domain name registration, email accounts, or extras such as pictures, logos, custom themes, or content creation. In most cases, they refer you to other companies for these services, but for $15 per year, you can use them to register your domain name.

Coaching and Training

On-Demand One Hour Training – This service costs $47 and covers a single topic. You can access it whenever you please and aren’t obligated to continue training or buy other topics, but extra training topics can be purchased as desired.

30-Day Quick Start – This training program costs $197, with no options for monthly payments. It’s customized specifically to your experience and needs so you can focus on specific areas where you need help with your blog. It includes a total of four hours of one-on-one coaching as part of the program.

How to Survive and Thrive Online – For a flat fee of $499 or three monthly payments of $197, this option offers you 12 weeks of training. And like the 30-day quick start, this plan is customizable. You’ll also receive a total of 10 hours of one-on-one coaching. The cost savings of paying the flat fee versus a monthly payment is $92.

The Whole Enchilada – BlogPress’s longest and most expensive training plan, the Whole Enchilada is a 12-month completely customized program that costs $999 for 12-months of training. Payment plans are available at a rate of $97 per month, which adds up to $1,164 or $165 more than paying the flat fee. It includes a total of 30 hours of one-on-one coaching during the training program.

HOW HELPFUL IS THE BLOGPRESS SUPPORT?

Users give BlogPress high marks for customer service. Even though requests for assistance and other support issues are submitted via a help ticket system, tickets get answered quickly according to customers.

That said, BlogPress support seems to lack in two areas: phone support and billing issues. Since customer support is ticket-based, it’s not available over the phone unless you’re paying for one of the three more expensive training programs.

Some customers have also reported problems getting billing issues resolved quickly. But overall, customer support at BlogPress is readily available and the company does a good job of resolving technical issues.

PROS OF BLOGPRESS

• BlogPress is good at making blogging simple, especially for beginners. What’s often an overwhelming process is broken down into simple daily steps so that even someone with only a small amount of time to dedicate to blogging can make steady progress. Different size plans and payment options make it affordable. You can start out with a small budget and invest more as your blog grows.
• The hosting service makes setting up your blog quick and easy, and if you get stuck professionals are ready to step in and set it up for you. All the themes and site customization options are designed specifically for bloggers, so you don’t have to wade through hundreds of options meant for retailers to find something that suits your needs. You’re free to focus on blogging instead of focusing on all the technical aspects of setting up and running a website.
• Coaching and training programs are customized so you don’t waste time on things you already know, or get bogged down trying to understand concepts you haven’t yet mastered. The one-on-one sessions let you receive exactly the training or coaching you need for your specific niche. Training is broken down into bite-size chunks so as not to be overwhelming or intimidating.

CONS OF BLOGPRESS

• Hosting options are limited and don’t include options for additional storage, bandwidth, email hosting, or complete customization. Experienced bloggers may not need or want the coaching and training included in the hosting packages.
• It’s not possible to use all the powerful functions of WordPress without upgrading to the premium package. This means that hosting packages that include such functionality are available elsewhere at a significantly lower price. The 90-day training included in the hosting packages is quite basic and similar information is available at no cost. It also doesn’t thoroughly cover keywords or certain aspects of marketing that could be vital to growing your blog.
• Coaching and training plans are pricey, especially compared to similar options offered by competitors. The training also focuses on a limited number of methods for generating income from your blog and doesn’t mention or provide any information about alternate ways to monetize your blog.

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SO, NOW WHAT?

BlogPress is a good option if you’re a beginner who wants a simple step-by-step plan and all-in-one concept for building and monetizing a blog; or if you’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available on the subject.

The hosting is reliable, customer service is good, and the training will start you off on the right foot. But is BlogPress your best option? No, not really. Let me explain…

No doubt, BlogPress offers a lot, but you only get to take advantage of everything by opting for their priciest plans. Thing is, you can get virtually everything BlogPress provides, plus more, for a fraction of the price elsewhere.

Not only does the platform I have in mind offer you fast and reliable web hosting, budget-friendly add-ons such as domain registration and email services, 24/7 customer support, and comprehensive step-by-step training on how to make money online legitimately, it also comes with a slew of other great features absent from BlogPress, including:

• An easy-to-use proprietary keyword research tool
• Ability to quickly receive site comments and feedback
• Live one-hour training sessions every week
• Live chat, allowing you to interact with fellow members and industry leaders
• A thriving community of like-minded folks
• Plus more…

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NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!

What are your thoughts about BlogPress? Did I hit the mark or am I way off base? Have your say below!