When people buy a domain for their blog, it’s a clear sign they intend to stick around. I can become quite attached to a good blog, so I find myself more likely to follow someone with a domain because there’s a higher expectation they will continue it.
A domain is your online identity. If you own it, no one else can claim it. You can use it wherever you wish, and you can take it elsewhere if you’re not happy where you are. You won’t lose your readership because they follow the domain, not the platform.
In today’s age of data collection and privacy concerns, I prefer to pay for my blogging platform or hosting. Then I know that it’s my subscription and not my personal information that’s funding the development, server costs etc.
