New Pages Feature for Blogger - More Options for Niche Sites?

Wordpress users have long had a "pages" feature available to them which allows them to create a static page on blogs, typically used for About Me pages, disclosure policies, etc. This feature has been a frustrating omission from Blogger meaning that we have had to improvise by creating a post dated some time in the past and then putting a link to this post in a prominent place. This has always felt a little unsatisfactory, however, as the date of the post is visible which means that it never really feels like a true static page.

Finally, those clever people at Google having been trying out a new pages feature at Blogger in Draft. It is not known at this stage when it will be available in Blogger proper. It is very easy to use. Simply click on "Posting" and then on "Edit Pages".

 

Simply click "New Page" and then type away in the same way as you would a standard post. Once you have finished your first page, the Configure Page List Widget opens which gives you options as to where you want to put your links to your pages.

 

The main options are to put tabs across the top or links in the sidebar. However, you also have the option to put the links in manually if you want to do something else yourself.

The other common use for static pages in Wordpress is for constructing niche sites with a view to making money from affiliate links or from Adsense (or indeed both). For those of us new to internet marketing the chief concern here is that there is a cost (albeit a small one) involved here, both with hosting and domain names. However, this new Pages feature in Blogger raises the possibility of putting together niche sites cost free (and risk free)!! You are limited to 10 pages at this point, but this is sufficient for most simple niche sites. Wordpress fans will say that a Blogger niche will never match the capabilities of the Wordpress platform. Perhaps that is true, but it does provide a good opportunity for those of us new to niche sites to try out some ideas without having to spend any money!