There are many free services out on the Internet that will help you get your feet wet with the daily ins and outs of blogging.  And it’s great fun to write your post and get your first comment.

Some sites even build little communities around your blog, so that you feel that you are part of a bigger group of people.  All of this is well and good, if you really want to spend all of your time writing something for someone else to use and have rights to.

Which leads me to five reasons you need to get your own domain:

1. You’re dying to try out your ability to find an unique name.

A lot of great names have been taken.  Yours truly has collected some that I don’t even have blogs on—like MidnightMusings.com!  So, this is your chance to try to define who you are and what you’re writing about as well as make sure that no one else has taken it.

2. You want full control of your site.

Nothing says frustration as not being able to use the plugins that you want, not be able to tweak your theme without paying, or not being able to slap your own advertisements on your site in all their gaudy glory.

3. You want total ownership of your posts.

While your posts lie on someone else’s servers, they are there.  That means that you are at their mercy.  They have the power to ban your blog, etc.

4. $7.00 a month is cheap when you’re earning over $20.00

You can make some nice money with one of the many programs that help bloggers make money.  And there are sites that help you find the best web hosting– best service, and best price—so that you can get the best deal.  They can even show you accounts that will give you money towards an AdWords account!

5. Did I mention the potential?

Your potential for growth is huge once you leave the cozy "gated community” of a a sub-domain site.  You can skin it, customize it, promote it.  It’s true what they say, the more the risk the greater the reward.

So, what are you waiting for?  It’s time to go find a domain name that you can be proud of and move your blog today!

Need help?  Just ask!