Why I Built a Consulting Website on a Minimalist Blog Platform
Yes, I built my content consulting business a new website. You're on it right now. Welcome.
This website runs on BearBlog.dev, a minimal blogging platform.
It has no plugins. Its themes only change the website's colors and main font. No tracking exists beyond basic analytics.
Compared to platforms like WordPress or Shopify, this place resembles a technical desert. Why would I, a content professional with nearly 20 years' experience, use such a "basic" platform in 2023?
Plenty of reasons...
No barrier to publishing. I just write and hit Post.
Fast pages. Unencumbered by scripts, pages load near-instantly. You may have noticed it already.
No tracking. I don't need to track your every move on here. Can I? Yes, I'm familiar with Google Analytics, Clicky, HubSpot, and a few other analytics trackers. But I'd rather start up a conversation with you instead.
Simple backend. The maker boiled his platform down to the simplest UI he could. He did a great job.
Reasonable pricing. There's a free option if you want to test Bear out. The paid option is only $4/month. Tell me that's not cheaper than your hosting.
Content management, not 'design management.' I detest over-designed websites. Huge images, fancy effects...they may look pretty, but they do 2 bad things: Slow down the site's load time, and introduce too many distractions.
- You want visitors to take an action on your site, right? Quick tip from a longtime content manager: Don't put a ton of ooh-shiny obstacles in their way.
Good practice for content design. Without fancy layouts & complex formatting, I have to make sure the content's easy to read. Walls of text = not my thing. (Plus Bear Blog lets me try out simple CSS to enhance readability further.)
You may not like such a simple platform. That's okay; we all have our brands and related preferences. This makes keeping my own blog much easier for me, which makes more time for content work. Both yours and mine.
What do you think about minimal blogging? Look me up on LinkedIn to share.