When I started blogging, I had a ton of options to maul over and deciding which format to pick wasn’t an easy one. Finding a web format that you can be comfortable with is the true mystery and if you have never used it, how would you know what’s the best blog format for you? So should you start with Blogger, Headway, Tumblr or WordPress?
If you started with Blogger and tinkering with the idea of migrating over to WordPress and have questions, you might wonder how difficult working with WordPress might be? If your pocket book dictates what your response will be, take heed to your decisions and really think about what you might be getting into.
1. What’s your motivation?
Why: Why do you really want to move to WordPress anyway? Make sure your reasons match your business needs and not the “want” to keep up with another blog you saw online. Blog envy is nothing nice and you could end up in a situation where you’re overwhelmed and frustrated.
Want: We all want a great design and presence, but I have seen this scenario too many times: You purchase everything and then get frustrated when you have no idea how to make anything work. I know the feeling of excitement and buying everything without thinking and end up extremely frustrated.
Need: Is your website in need of updating? Are you comfortable with your current format that you can take on something new?
2. What can you live with and live without?
What do you want to keep with your blog? If you currently use Blogger, you have no hosting fees and are free to add plugins and widgets with no monthly fees. Migrating over to WordPress (hosted) will come with monthly fees, where WordPress.com won’t.
What are you willing to give up if you go with a Free Version of WordPress? WordPress.com is free, but comes with very limited options. Everything isn’t always what it’s “cracked” up to be and jumping on the bandwagon because it’s free might leave you disappointed when you realize what you can’t keep.
What are the Pro’s of WordPress.com?
- It’s Free – If you don’t care for all the frills, banner ads and other sidebar widgets, picking this option might be up your alley. It’s great for those starting out and not serious about the direction they want to go in with blogging. If you’re pondering what blogging is, picking this option is best. The only investment made will be your time.
- Theme options – You can only use themes from their list of templates. You can’t upload any other free themes you find online.
- 24 hour Tech Support – No live support or support forum (don’t expect an immediate response)
- Your domain name for your blog will be (blog name.wordpress.com)
- No software to install
- No worries about backups
- Create a blog in over 50 languages
- Limited Widgets for WordPress.com
- Gravatar (you can sign up for this inside your WordPress Panel)
- Author Box
- Twitter /Facebook Sharing icon in comment section
- Post Rating
- Upgrade to Premium Themes for a nominal fee
- Ads on your site (that aren’t your own…sorry), but if you don’t want any you can upgrade for no ads an additional fee.
- Violation of any rules: will get you deleted. Please read their Terms of Service.
What are the Cons of WordPress.com?
- No ownership of content
- Use of plugins is not allowed
- No ability to load paid/highly customized layouts
- Must use Ad Control once qualified for selling advertising
- No access to custom design themes like Woo themes, Studio Press, or Elegant Themes etc
- No content ownership. Remember it’s housed (hosted) on their server
- Paid upgrades: If you want your own domain name add: $17.00 a year
- Paid upgrades: More space: $19 a year for 5 GB
- Paid upgrades: CSS Design $30 a year
- Paid upgrade: No Ads (Remove all ads from your blog) $29.97
- Or you can purchase blog package with: Domain & Mapping, 5GB Space Upgrade, No Ads, Custom Design and Video Press for $99.00 a year.
What you get with a Hosted WordPress site:
- Complete freedom to customize your theme
- Access to tons of WordPress themes online (outside the wordpress.com themes)
- Ability to add widgets and plugins
- Ownership of your content
- Monthly fee – there are many hosting sites that offer great low fees for hosting your blog
- You are responsible for updates and backing up your site
- Risk of being hacked (it happens)
- Adding additional optional security measures
- Complete control and flexibility
- Requires more time and work to maintain
What is your level of patience? Are you willing to put in the effort to learn how to manage a new epanel or dashboard? WordPress can be a huge learning curve to someone on another blog format wanting to migrate over. Some bloggers make the move on their own, only to get frustrated when they can’t figure out how to make their template look like the one they just purchased.
Wordpress Dashboard
I have been there, but asked questions and never gave up. Most of what I learned was by accident or simply asking the blog owner how they did something. Before you know it, most end up going back to what was familiar and don’t look back.
What can you afford each month? – A free version of WordPress is wonderful for anyone that isn’t too concerned with other ad ons and no frills. Once you go to a “hosted” format, each month you will be spending anywhere from $4.95 to $8.95 a month to keep your blog hosted on a server not your own.
3. Preparation: What you need to know before you jump
Look: Look at your finances and budget what you can and can’t afford. Each month you have to pay a monthly fee whether you like it or not, so be realistic with your finances.
Know the differences: Make sure you know the differences between WordPress.com / WordPress (hosted) to decide which direction is best for you. WordPress.com (limited options) vs Hosted with endless options. This will help you avoid sudden surprises when you try and add certain plugins or widgets that you have used before.
Practice before you buy: Sign up for a Free WordPress.com site and play around with it to see if it’s for you. It won’t be visible (unless you make it) and you can see and play with different options to at least give yourself a preview of the epanel and get use to its functions. Some areas won’t be visible, but the point here is to “practice”.
Example WordPress.com Template: Notice (Author Box, Ratings and (2) Social Media widgets you get)
Sample WordPress Template (WordPress.com)
Get help: If you are unsure if it’s the right thing, you can hire a web designer you’re familiar with for a nominal fee and they can help give you decide your best option.
If you’re Tech Savvy: If you think you can brave this on your own, then I highly recommend: How To Move From Blogger to WordPress, by Sharon Hujik.
Why get the book? The book gives you step by step instructions with detailed illustrations. This book makes it easy for newbies to be comfortable with a new blog panel. It will also show you how to set up a test blog, before you make the final switch. This book will also explain how to redirect your domain name so that your blog is never down (blogspot.com users too!). If you want to check this out, you can get a discount off $35 by using promo code time4wp to save 20%!
WordPress Beginner Guide
The WP Starter Guide is not only the perfect starter guide for anyone new to WordPress, but it will show you how to make the best use of the dynamic and static functionality so your content is organized in the most logical way for your visitors. This helped me tremendously and I know if it can help you too.
How to Create a Free Website With WordPress.com + Beginner Basics
How to Install WordPress (Hosted- Not Free) via Hostgator with Fantastico
In conclusion, if you try something and find a strong connection with its functionality stick with it, but if you’re ready to migrate over to WordPress, knowing the differences will help you make the right decision and avoid headaches later. Thanks Jan for inspiring this post and I hope you’re able to find the best option for you!
Now I open the floor to readers:
- What did you start out with and end up with once it was all over?
- Do you ever wish you started with another format versus the other?
- Are you contemplating changing formats now?
Disclosure: I am compensated for purchases made via the referral links in this post.
kita
Great tools I heard about blogger but I went straight to wordpress. I am still confused with wordpress but I am learning as I go. I think I did not like blogger because it had blogspot at the end. I wanted something with just my address. Thank you for the tips
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Sonia
That was what also kept me from going with Blogger. I didn’t like the idea of having something behind my domain name that looked the same like everyone else’s. For me the more different I can be the better. Glad you were able to get something out of this post. It took me forever to write, because I didn’t want to leave anything out. Thanks for stopping by as always.
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Ashvini
Hey Sonia,
) .
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Excellent post.
The comparison makes life really easy for people who are starting their blogs and sites.
I am of the opinion that if you don’t have money to spend or if you are testing the grounds, its a good idea to start with a service like blogger. However if you know that you are going to dive deep into the business, need to create a brand name then its a great idea to have your own domain.
With own domain however, we need to be careful as tech knowledge(php, asp, css) is necessary for blog customization. After all it is not possible to run after the developers for each small problem ( you know it
Thanks for sharing this
PS: I sent you message in your twitter box long time back about my new plugin. I guess you have not checked it. Let me know if you have any questions on it
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Sonia
ASH! That is exactly what I was trying to do. I have a fellow blogging friend that is currently pondering if they should change over or not and it gave me an idea after being asked if they should or not. It’s not an easy decision if most of your work is already created on on format, but if can be done. I just hope others get something out of this post and are able to make the best decision for them self. Thanks for the visit as always my friend!
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Carolyn
Wow, Sonia, thanks for this in-depth, balanced analysis of the different blogging platforms. I have a friend who is thinking of migrating and will find this post extremely helpful. Off to share!
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Sonia
Thanks Carolyn, I was going to post it without most of it and then went back and thought, I was cheating out anyone else trying to make a sound decision. Thanks for commenting and let me know what your friend decides!
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Brandon
Q: Do you like Blogger or WordPress?
A: Yes
Because I *DO* like Blogger or WordPress!
hehehe…
Thank you for this post. I had been considering weighing the options for a while now, because most of the neat plugins are for WordPress only. I’d like the flexibility, but am going to wait until my blog is a little more lucrative before I make the switch. I want to make money, not spend more of it, you know?
Speaking of, from now until the end of the year, Advertising on my site is ‘Buy one get one free’ for time. You buy 4 weeks of adspace, and it’ll be up for 8. And so on. NOW is the time to jump, for anyone looking to advertise at a great rate!
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Sonia
It’s no joke having to pay it monthly either. I am glad you were able to get the nuts and bolts of everything behind it. I think once you move over, you will find its functionality to be awesome. Hey I need to have my button redesigned because it doesn’t say anything on it.
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AtheTypist
This article was on time. Great info. I was debating switching from Blogger, and had decided to start another blog on WordPress, but I’ll “practice” first! Thanks!
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Sonia
Practice really helps you decipher if it’s the best choice for you and I am glad you found value out of this post. I hope whatever you choose it suits you and you’re comfortable with it. Let me know what you decide in the future!
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JanB
Right in time! Another great and helpful post.
I know there’s a lot of pros and cons. Blogger gives me a lot of freedom and there are some great templates available for layout and such. Blogger gives me freedom to play around with java and their latest active templates are not to bad.
I’m running a shadow copy of my blog on WordPress now, to familiarize me with the options and ‘look and feel’ of WordPresses user interface. I’m (for now) mostly playing around figuring out what theme best meets my needs.
I’m just trying to fit things in between regular work and sleep.
I’ll get it done. Sneak preview? I’ll send you a message in Twitter.
Thanks for the advice & help… again…
Twitter: janbierens
Sonia
Hey Jan, that is exactly why I wrote this post. I knew you were pondering around on whether to do it or not and it gave me an idea to create a post because I know lots of other people think about it too. It’s never an easy decision to make. Either you start out with it or not, but eventually if you decide to migrate in the future, it’s great to know your options. Glad you enjoyed the post and I am happy to see you didn’t abandon what you’re most comfortable with and end up disappointed and trek back frustrated.
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Marie
I just moved a site from Blogger to WordPress that I had “inherited” from someone else.
You definitely want to know what you want before you start as moving an established blog is no easy feat, especially from one platform to another. My blog had nearly 1000 posts to move. Hopefully, I won’t be needing to do that again.
I am definitely a WordPress fan. I love the control and the flexibility of it, as well as the SEO ease.
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Sonia
Welcome Marie! Some people don’t know what it all entails and only focus on the fact that it’s WordPress. It’s like buying a theme and not knowing how it all functions. I remember buying a few and got very frustrated because I couldn’t get it to look like the sample. WordPress is a huge learning curve, but it requires time and determination like with anything. I am glad it worked out for you and I will come over to visit to see what you did with it. Thanks for stopping by Marie and leaving a great comment that people need to see.
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Marie
Sonia, I agree with you on the themes.
I actually requested a refund on one (and got it, surprisingly enough) because not only did the theme look nothing like the sample, the documentation you might expect for a paid theme was horrible and impossible to navigate–and I’ve been techie for years. By the way, if you’d like a peek at what I moved you’ll find the old & new blogs at http://modernmollymormon.blogspot.com & http://modernmollymormon.com
Twitter: marierleslie
Sonia
I have been there Marie and the problem was with my last theme. I got tons of compliments, but quite honestly I wish I could of choked the developer instead. Eventually I got it to work, but it lacked when I wanted add certain plugins. It was like a “hot mess” and I would have to uninstall another plugin I actually liked. Lesson learned and the theme I am using now I am in love with “for the moment”, but it works. Thanks Marie for sharing and I hope to see you again!
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Gina
I like your post. Some parts are hard to understand for me, non-native english though… Do you know any good translate plugin for WordPress?
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Sonia
Hi Gina, no I don’t, but if you need any help with anything let me know.
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Peter
Hey Sonia,
I moved to WordPress about a year ago. Was previously on Blogger. While I did all the moving on my own, searching all the info, tips and advice online, it was nevertheless a fun learning experience. I’ve written 2 articles(Part 1 and 2) about my moving experience, hoping the articles would help others who are looking to switch to WordPress as well.
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Sonia
Hi Peter, I don’t know anything about the complete migration, but I think people need to really make sure it’s the right move for them or they end up doing allot of work for nothing and then go back. WordPress isn’t for everyone and if you are use to Bloggers interface, WordPress might seem intimidating. Either way, do what works for you! Thanks for your comment Peter and I am glad it worked out for you!
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Bev
This is very informational. I am still trying to decide. This is a great post.
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