Every blogging platform claims they are the easiest to use. If you google the title of this blog, Tumblr is the first result, but which one is really the easiest way to blog? In this post, I take a look at 6 of the most popular blogging platforms and rate the interface design based on form and function.

Squarespace (April 2003)
Alexa traffic rank: #1724     Market share: 0.2% (Source)
Notable sites: Marc Ecko, Daylife

 

 

 

The set up is very easy, with only four fields in one line to fill up. If there is an error preventing you from a successful sign up like if the site name is already taken, you are redirected back to this form.

 

 

 

Directly after the set-up you are redirected to your new blog with a toolbar at the top with mystery icons at the right side.
To post an entry, click the post new entry button in the middle. It doesn't redirect to a new page, the post entry function is a popup window, which you can resize to fit the whole screen. Other functions also show up in the same popup window.

 

 

 

The post entry form is done well but if you are coming from another page like the dashboard, it takes a minimum of 2-3 clicks to post an entry, which isn't very convenient.

 

 

Editing the page structure and style is very easy especially for those who are HTML challenged. You never have to leave the page. Making a change is automatically reflected in your blog.

 

 

You can also preview your website by clicking the eye icon.

 

 

 

 

To access all the other features, clicking Website management will expand into a bigger menu - all the details can be accessed from here.

 

 

The biggest thing you see on your dashboard is a graph on your site traffic. This is good for people who need to track their blog viewership.

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

The Squarespace interface is very elegant with its flashy black design and animation effects. It feels more like a program than a website.

Less sites use the Squarespace platform but these sites generate more traffic than Blogger powered sites. Perhaps this is a reflection of the kind of content generated by these sites.

For complete beginners, it might not be the most intuitive (mystery icons on the upper right) but it's not hard to get used to (text tips appear when you hover over them). However, I'm not sure if it's worth the $8 monthly fee.

Posterous (May 2008)
Alexa traffic rank: #537     Market share: < 0.1% (Source)
Notable sites: Codebutler, Tweetdeck, BBC Earth

 

Signing up is as easy as 1-2-3 (there's only 3 fields!). Your fields are automatically checked right after you type!

 

The first screen asks you whether you want a Site or a Group. The next one (after choosing Site) shows you how to make a post right away.

 

 

 

The default home screen is the dashboard page. From here you can see a list of your most recent posts and the number of comments. Other features of the site are easily accessible from here.

 

 

 

Posterous is known for the "post by email" feature. However, the "post by web" interface is also good unless you don't like full screen. The best feature of the post by web page is the ability to upload multiple files.

 

 

 

Changing the style redirects you to your blog page with a theme selector at the top and another menu bar at the bottom. Like the Squarespace interface, you can automatically see your new theme applied to your blog when you select it.

 

 

 

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

The Posterous interface is definitely a Web 2.0 site like Squarespace but not as flashy and streamlined. Posterous feels more like a website than a program. It keeps to its promise that you can "share it your way" with its vast array of posting options. Their biggest feature, makes their site a bit cluttered though which makes me disagree with their second promise that they are the "easiest".

Wordpress (May 2003)
Alexa traffic rank: #20     Market share: 55.2% (Source)
Notable sites: Mashable, TechCrunch, Smashing Magazine

 

   

Setting up a Wordpress blog takes only one step. I also love that it automatically checks your fields before you click sign up.

 

 

This is the first page you see after signing up. It took me a while to find the blog link on the upper left. It should’ve been obvious but I was distracted by the content in the center asking me to get another blog. Maybe it would be better if they focused on how to post as the first thing you see like the other blogging platforms do.

 

 

 

 

For someone new, this can look really confusing because there are so many fields and options. The default location Publish button is a bit hard to find especially if your setting is on 2 Columns because it's located at the side instead of below the entry text box. However, the good thing about the post entry interface is that you can actually hide or rearrange the elements. It could also be improved by having the multiple upload feature of Posterous.

 

 

 

There are plenty of themes to choose from but unlike the other sites you can't automatically see the changes. Using custom CSS is also limited to paying users or self-hosted blogs.

 

 

 

 
People have criticized the Wordpress dashboard for being too cluttered but I like that I can see everything important (the stats) and that I can make a quick post. I also like the fact that the post new entry page is easily accessible from the sidebar or the top bar. This attention to details makes the Wordpress interface very conducive to posting.

 

 

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

Wordpress has a lot of features and the most customizable. I think it does a decent job of making everything usable. If you're looking for a feature, you can find it on the organized expandable/collapsible sidebar on the left. The commonly used functions can also be accessed via drop down menu on the upper right. While Wordpress can look intimidating to newbies, it doesn't surprise me why Wordpress is one of the most popular blogging platforms on the list.

Blogger (August 1999)
Alexa site rank: #7     Market share: 2.7% (Source)
Notable sites: PostSecret, Google Blog, The Sartorialist

 
 

 

Setting up a blog takes multiple steps which could look harder in comparison to the other platforms.

 

 

The general interface is fairly straightforward with a simple text menu at the top. The post entry form is also uncomplicated with just the title and the main entry text box.

 

 

 
   

Blogger is finally catching up with the newer blogging platforms with their new style interface. Their older manual interface is also still available for those who are more used to it.

 
 

The Blogger dashboard is an overview of both your managed blogs and the latest updates from blogs you follow.

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

Blogger is one of the oldest and most used blogging platforms. The interface might not be the best looking one but it is very functional. Since a lot of people still use it, I can see why people are still sticking to it because Blogger keeps developing its interface to meet current standards.

Tumblr (2007)
Alexa site rank: #64     Market share: 0.2% (Source)
Notable Sites: The Daily What, Clients From Hell

 
 

The Tumblr homepage is very modern and straight to the point. It's easy to see why a lot of people initially join or transfer to this platform. You still need to prove you're human though.

 
 

The first thing you see is a popup over the dashboard telling you the different ways on how to make a post. Everything neatly fits in the screen with minimal scrolling. A nice touch is a progress bar when you create a post.

 

 

The Tumblr dashboard shows all the posts of all the people you follow. You don't have to individually click the links of your friends to see their latest posts. The Tumblr dashboard also allows you to turn on infinite scrolling.

 

 

 

 

A similar theme in the newer blogging platforms is the style page showing your actual blog so you can immediately see the changes being done.

 

 

 

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

Tumblr sticks to its claim that it's the easiest way to blog. However, I wouldn't say that it's necessarily the best because it still lacks a lot of important features like commenting. But since I'm only rating interfaces, I would call it a winner in that aspect.

 

Livejournal (April 1999)
Alexa site rank: #74
Notable sites: Oh No They Didn't

Like Blogger, it takes a lot of steps to set up a journal at Livejournal.

 
 

The Post Entry page is similar to Blogger with the form aligned left. The difference is that this one has more fields.

 
 

The Style page allows you to change your info, theme and page structure in the same page. The other platforms do it better by separating them.

 

 

The Livejournal dashboard is more focused on things the user might be interested in like a topic to write about or communities they might want to check out.

 

 

 

Ease of use 
Aesthetics

Livejournal is one of the oldest blogging platforms in this post and it shows. It hasn't changed much from its original look. I think that the interface needs a major upgrade but I don't see this happening. They are worried about too many users complaining when things change because they've already gotten used to the current interface. Another thing I don't like so much about it is the presence of advertisements. Livejournal is not the best platform but I think a lot of people still use it because of the community aspect of the site.

Conclusion

Easiest set-up: Posterous
Most newbie friendly: Tumblr
Most stylish: Squarespace
Most convenient: Wordpress

There's a clear difference between the interfaces of the pre-2003 platforms and the post-2003 platforms. Some of these platforms have different aims and target markets so it is a bit hard to compare them side-by-side and choose which one is the best overall. For example, the Tumblr simple interface works really well for it's sets of features but one can never fit Wordpress into this interface design.

Blogging platforms today are more powerful now because you can build more than just blogs. You can now develop whole websites with them with the new function that allows users to create static pages.

A good interface can be the reason why people transfer to a new blogging platform. However, it's more likely for people to stay because of features they need, an interface they are more used to, good service and most importantly, the feeling of community.