Many of you wanted to know exactly why I switched over from Blogger to WordPress and what I thought of it so far. I’m still trying to figure everything out, but here are some answers to your questions!
Why did you decide to make the switch?
Many reasons, but the main one has to do with SEO which stands for search engine optimization. If you are someone who is trying to earn an income from your blog, you want as many people as possible to find your posts. You want it to be optimized with key words that others are searching for. (I’ve always blogged for fun. It’s a fantastic hobby that I am passionate about and I LOVE it. However my husband lost his job over a year ago and has been under-employed since. I use every penny I make from this blog to help pay a bill or two.) Wordpress allows you to tag your posts and include something called “meta tags” which help attach your keywords (tags) to your posts that search engines like.
I noticed you changed your blog name from The Stories of A to Z to Home Stories A to Z. Why?
Okay, this is going to get personal here, so I’m warning you up front. I started blogging 3 1/2 yrs ago with the sole purpose of keeping friends and family up to date on my life at home. I had just made the switch from working full-time as a school counselor to staying home full-time with my boys Asher and Zephan. The blog was about “the stories of A(sher) to Z(ephan)”. The first year I blogged had NOTHING to do with design, decorating, crafts or projects; it was more of a writing blog about my faith and musings as a mother, wife, woman, etc, and it was deeply personal.
Then something horrible happened in my life that silenced me. ***Updated to add: This “horrible thing” had nothing to do with my kiddos and nothing to do with blogging. It was completely unrelated but just changed me and changed what I felt I could share of myself.*** I didn’t feel like I could share anything personal on a blog any longer….and I didn’t want to. Around this same time, I discovered Buzzings of a Queen Bee which led me to Just a Girl, which led me to The Lettered Cottage, which led me to Nester, and on and on and on. Oh my goodness! Were there really people out there with my same interests and hobbies blogging about them and sharing them with everyone?! I can do that! And so I did. But I kept my old blog name which didn’t really make sense any longer.
When I made the switch, I decided it was time to have a name that reflected what this blog is all about…Home Stories A to Z!
I hate truncated (read more….) posts. Why don’t you have a more traditional format?
To truncate or not to truncate…it’s a big question with lots of opinions. I’m honestly not a big fan of the truncated post either, but not the type that I currently have on my blog. I don’t like the truncated posts where I read most of a post and then have to click on “read more” once already engaged. I get it. It’s annoying. However, I wanted my blog to look like a link party and wanted to give you all a plethora of clicking options. We all like to click around on link parties, right? On my old format, I crammed as much as I could onto the sidebar to highlight some posts of interest. This worked okay, but looked messy. So far I’m really happy with the format my programmer designed for me and I hope you’ll click around!
Did you do the switch yourself?
Oh my goodness no! I decided to switch back in the fall and contacted Ashley from My Front Porch Swing to help me out. She got me set up with Bluehost to host my blog. I purchased my new url name, and Ashley began the process of importing my content from Blogger to WordPress. But then I got scared. I couldn’t easily figure things out on WordPress. Ashley was very helpful in teaching me, but I wasn’t ready. Did I really want to do this? Am I ready for this? What if I lose all my followers? What if I can’t figure WordPress out? What if I don’t like it? Nope. I wasn’t ready. So there my “new” blog sat, half-imported until I got my nerve up to revisit it.
In December, I started working for Laurie Turk as the editor for Tip Junkie Decorate which is hosted on WordPress. I got a tad bit more comfortable with the format and more confident that I might be ready to switch. In March, I saw that Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect switched and it sealed the deal for me. I loved the look of her blog! I contacted her programmer, Tony from Evenpar Solutions, and inquired about fees.
Was it expensive to switch over?
No. When I initially looked into switching, I was quoted prices of $600-$800 for a complete switch and site redesign. Say wha???? I’m sure this is a fair price considering all the hours that go into a blog redesign but it was NOT in my budget. But at the time I didn’t know that there are programmers, designers, and designer/programmers out there for hire. A programmer will give you the elements you want on your site, but won’t make it look pretty for you. A designer will specialize in making it look cute with good graphics. If you’re able to do the graphics yourself, you can save a lot of money by just hiring a programmer. There are fellow savvy peer bloggers who can switch you over from blogger to wordpress for under $100. Ask around, do your homework, and have a very clear plan of exactly what you want and you’ll be able to switch affordably.
Is WordPress easy to use?
Uh…no. Blogger was incredibly simple for me to figure out. I could code in html and change anything around on my site on a whim. Now, I’m just trying not to delete my entire blog with a wrong keystroke! WordPress is not at all intuitive for me. But like all new things, there is a learning curve and it’s already getting easier. However, it’s still frustrating that I don’t “just know” how to do something on my own. Tony has been fantastic in answering all my questions and helping me figure things out and so have all of you!
I’m still having trouble getting my pictures right. On blogger, I was lazy and just uploaded a ginormous photo and then clicked the x-large button and was done. Now I have to fuss a bit more over the size of my photos before I upload them and then fuss a bit more once they’re uploaded. To get the little thumbnails to show up, I have to upload them in a different size. I’m lazy so many of the thumbnails look squashed :).
Are you happy you made the switch?
Yes! Blogger was definitely easier for me, but WordPress gives me so many more options for customization and organization. I have a very long way to go and I’ll be asking for some of you WordPress pros for help!
All of you can help me by letting me know if something isn’t working for you on my blog. Thank you so much to those of you who have taken the time to email to let me know of a glitch! I really appreciate it! Many are having trouble getting the blog to load and some of you have said the blog is freezing up your entire browsers. Not cool! I hopefully will have this resolved asap.
So how about some of you WordPress pros? Anything you’d add?
Bridget from Refined Vintage says
I have been thinking of blogging myself(I love design & vintage) for a couple of years, and reading all this helpful info has been good for me. I was going to use blogger because it seemed easier, but for the long term it just might make sense to start off with WP. I will be curious to learn if the extra SEO advantages really make a difference. Thanks for sharing.
Melisa says
I had the opposite experience. I used Blogger years and years ago and found it very frustrating because I could never do exactly what I wanted to do with it. I find WordPress easier!
Also, if you are even the slightest bit tech savvy it needn’t cost anything to switch. WordPress is free and comes with “plug and play” ease of setup on some hosts.
I’m not sure why you are having to resize thumbnails automatically. WordPress will resize images for you.
The site looks great. Very professional and so much easier to leave comments on than Blogger blogs.
sunshinequeen says
Ok- there is a WAY easier way to do pictures. I use a photo hosting site. (Smugmug starts at $30 a year and backs everything up for you- unlimited uploads, here’s a coupon code QPgXJGExMGLm2 to get $5 off if you want to try it, or enter my photography email: littled.tales@gmail in the referrer email) sorry back on track. To add ANY size picture click to add a picture in your post or page, then click the “From URL Tab.” In Smugmug you can “share” and “grab a link” and it creates a link for your picture in 9 different sizes- Tiny, Thumbnails, on up to original. I simply copy the link from smugmug and paste the link into WP. Literally takes seconds. This also cuts down on the storage limitations you have in WP and the time it takes to upload all the pictures. This works similiarily for videos too!
Not to dwell on smugmug, but it’s also super easy to add my watermark to all my photos in any folder rather having to individually doing it to each picture. To me it’s completely worth the time to invest a few dollars, plus there’s the peace of mind with added security and backup in the event something were to happen.
Here’s a few plugins to check out: All in One SEO, Akismet (SPAM protector), Similair Posts plugin, and Comment Luv
Your blog looks fabulous, and welcome to WordPress 🙂
April says
I like the way you have it set up now. I wanted to set up my blog this way when blogger started offering the newer veiwing options, but could never figure out how to make it work. I have been considering switching to WP, but couldn’t decide. Thanks for the info. I think I will stick with blogger. I like to be able to change things up and don’t want to have to learn a new system….Most of the people I have talked to on WP made it sound like it was every bit as easy as blogger plus offered more options. I apprieciate you sharing…you probably saved me a lot of headache!
Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking says
I’ve got a question for you… did you do the design on your own? If so, how does it compare to blogger in design? Is wordpress like blogger that you can tweak, etc. and get it looking how you want before it goes live? Thanks for your help Beth!
Beth @A to Z says
Hi Maryann,
I knew what I wanted my blog to look like and took screenshots of elements from other people’s blogs to give my programmer. I already had my header in place on my last blog so just told my programmer to keep it. The other elements were mostly program elements and he actually did help me with some design things that I couldn’t figure out. I was able to figure out fonts I liked but needed help importing them into WordPress. And it depends on what theme you’re using in WordPress but typically no, from my understanding you can’t see your work until it’s published on most themes. Many people set up a “test blog” to try out different elements before they publish it. Hope that helps!
Beth
Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking says
Thanks Beth… I’m just deciding if I want to be ambitious and try this on my own – eek!
Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking says
You really are tempting me! I’ve had WordPress on my mind for a few months now. I am really thinking of making the switch this summer, while I have more time.
Holly says
Beth,
I have followed your blog for quite a while, I think this is the first time I have commented though 🙂 Thank you for your amazing projects and inspiration. I am trying to start my own design blog, but for some reason I want everything to be perfect before I pull the trigger! I am wondering after reading all these comments, would you suggest starting with WP from the very beginning? I am new to all of this, so I figured Blogger would be easiset, but I don’t want to have to switch everything over in a year. Thanks for any advice you can share with brand new bloggers 🙂
Beth @A to Z says
Hi Holly,
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment and for giving me some encouragement. It is so appreciated! And yay for starting a design blog!
Hmmm. I guess if I’d just started out on WordPress it would have made things easier now, however blogger worked great for me for several years. It really is a tough call. You can most certainly monetize your blog and have a fabulous, organized layout with blogger. But if you want more options for organization and customization, blogger is definitely the way to go!
Blessings girl,
Beth
Lorie says
I may have a few dozen quesitons for you in the future…if I ever get up the nerve to switch!!
The enchanted home says
Wow fantastic post that obviously is of great interest to many of us…..since we have had so many blogger problems. This was so informative..just what I needed though I am still going back and forth as to whether or not I should ‘take the plunge”, every time things seem to be fixed, I decided against it but as soon as problems flair up again so does my patience with Blogger.
Lots to think about…and great advice!
Thanks for putting this together…stop by, for my newest amazing giveaway!
Sunday says
Thank you for sharing about WP. I’m in the beginning stages of putting together a blog and was planning to start with WP. What I love too, is that other gals are adding even more help – thanks ladies 🙂
Stacy@RedDoorHome says
I relly enjoyed reading about your experience. I have been going back and forth with the idea but have not taken the “WordPress Plunge” yet. You have some great advice here – thanks for sharing.
Susan says
I enjoy your blog and hope this change will be good for you. I also hope you include your family when you can. Their privacy has to be protected, but I was so touched by your posts about your Dad. He must have been a wonderful father. Thanks for sharing.
Laura says
Beth, first of all, I am so sorry for whatever it is that happened to you that changed how you felt you could share. But, I will say this, as much as you may protect your personal information, which I totally respect, you do a beautiful job of sharing and showing your personality and that is a key ingredient to why you are so successful at this.
As far as WordPress, someone turned me on a long time ago, I can’t remember right now who, to Windows Live Writer. It is the greatest and easiest way to post, at least I feel, EVER. Photos load easily, and are automatically formatted to the size, matting whatever, you set it to, including a watermark. I found loading photos into blogger and WordPress just took too long, it is so quick and once you set it up, it automatically loads. I would be happy to share more info if you are ever interested. Take care, Laura
Beth @A to Z says
Thanks girl ;)! Unfortunately LiveWriter isn’t compatible with Macs which is what I have. I’ve heard such fantastic things about it and actually recommend it to new bloggers!
Vivienne @ The V Spot says
Thanks for this post, Beth! I appreciate that you gave us these details and shared a bit about the journey that led you to this, including the names of the people you employed to help you do it. I think I’ll do it eventually… I feel better about the idea, knowing that someone I trust and admire (that would be you) has done it first.
🙂
Amanda @ Serenity Now says
So glad you decided to share about your switch! I think the new site looks fantastic. I know you had a programmer switch you over, but did he also do your design or did you do that?
I keep reading about bloggers mentioning WP’s benefits and great features, but I don’t understand what the “plug-ins” are that they talk about. Are plug-ins like widgets? It’s all so confusing.
I saw one of those “For Dummies” books on WP in Borders a couple of weeks ago…it was seriously the thickest one I’ve ever seen from that line. Freaked me out. I’ll stay with B for now b/c I am too scared to make a move and don’t particularly feel like my blog is “worth” the switchover, if that makes any sense. :s
Brooke @ The Crafting Chicks says
It looks great and what a helpful post to a lot of people! We switched over about a year ago and it scared the crap out of me because I did it ALL. BY. MYSELF. but it worked! And it has made a huge difference for us. It was definitely a learning curve at first but soon it became more natural. Your blog looks fantastic! Congrats! 🙂
Jen says
Thank you for this post! I have been contemplating “the switch” for a few weeks now (since B has been having some major problems that cannot be fixed in less than 24 hours). I get scared about the change though. I am annoyed, but comfortable with B and am afraid to start all over again. But I know it will be for the best and I know WP has so many more benefits and options. It just helps to hear it from others who have made “the switch.” Love your blog, have loved it for quite a while now. Thank you for all your inspiration!
jen
Scissors & Spatulas
Jeanine Okio B Designs says
Change can definitely be a scary thing. I know as I’m retiring OneCheapBitch.Blogspot and switching to OkioBDesigns. I had to essentially start all over which is terrifying. I had over 800 followers but I had to start again from 0. So I totally feel your pain.
I love the new layout of your blog and I haven’t had any problems commenting so that makes me happy. Hang in there, you’ll be a WordPress pro in no time and if it helps, I don’t think anyone can tell you’re still working out some kinks! 😉
Jeanine
Kathy says
Ohhh, Ahhhh, nice move, very cozy 🙂
Consider this your house warming gift 😉
Kim @ Cheap Chic Home says
Keep letting us know the ins and outs, I’m going to switch, it’s just a matter of when.
Diane@InMyOwnStyle says
Hi Beth-
Still no luck with Firefox, I switiched over to IE and had no problems viewing this post. Best thing that I learned about WordPress – is not to write your posts in the editor – use Windows Live Blogger – it is fast and easy and you can do it offline, add what ever you want- links and all then just press a button and it goes to draft or publish. The WordPress writing interface and uploading photos takes forever. I cannot tell you how much time using Window Live Writer has saved me.
MY best- Diane
Kristen at Hillside Hideaway says
Love the new design! Your site looks fabulous and I like the truncated “featured posts.” I do something similar; I think it keeps the page looking streamlined and easy to navigate. As for Blogger vs WordPress…I used Blogger for about 5 years when I had my beauty blog, and customized my template exactly the way I wanted it (this was before Blogger widgets and the more recent customizations they offer). I pretty much hardcoded all the custom stuff myself. But then I started to get frustrated and wanted more control…so when I started my new blog I chose WordPress. I was SO incredibly frustrated at first but once you get the hang of plugins and template customizations it really allows you so much more freedom than Blogger. It took about a month for everything to “click” for me, but now I absolutely love it! Good luck with everything and congrats on the beautiful new site! xo
Kelly @ View Along the Way says
Well your timing is spot-on, lady! 🙂 This is the day I decided to switch over to WP. I’m still getting it all set up and my WP site isn’t live yet, but I tried to post on WP and found it so much harder than it was on Blogger.
I’ll be interested to hear whether you get better search engine traffic or income now that you’ve made the switch. Thanks for this post!
Tracy says
I’m absolutely in love with WP. I switched from blogger to WP on my own domain a couple weeks ago. It is incredibly simple to do on one’s own without paying any money. Perhaps I should do a tutorial. 🙂
As to photos, yeah, the formatting was giving me some headaches, and then I remembered from my old html days of putting and as tags before and after the photos to center them. If the photo is too big, you can also put
The “200” can be changed to the pixel size width you want your photo to be.
It’s all a matter of practicing and having fun doing it. Just take some time and do a practice post and do all kinds of experiments, and you’ll find some amazing things.
Make sure your host company does regular backups so you lose everything should something go wrong.
Cheers,
Tracy
Beth @A to Z says
Uh…yes please! I think you need to do some tutorials girl!
Crystal says
Everything looks great!! It scary to me if you are having trouble with it. After I played around on scrapblog I decided you were a genius!! 🙂
Okay, not to get too personal, but I have been a little worried because I do post a lot of personal stuff on my blog as well. With whatever your experience was, would you advise against it? I see so many people that do, but then I also have that sick feeling that maybe I shouldn’t. Sorry if that is asking too much. 🙂
Crystal
Beth @A to Z says
Hi Crystal,
I’ve added an update to explain a bit more. This thing that happened to me was completely unrelated to blogging and didn’t have anything to do with my boys. If it had, I probably would have stopped blogging all together! I do however think that as protectors of our kids, we have an obligation to do all we can to keep them safe. It’s a tough call and I probably walk on the wrong side of caution more times than not.
BluBabesCreate says
Whoa! Blogger is fine for me right now.
Jenny says
I didn’t even notice the name change! LOL! Everything looks great.
Kim @ Sand & Sisal says
It was a brave bold switch but the results are beautiful! The site is professional, classy, and easily navigatable (is that even a word? I like it!). Ofcourse, I’m TOTALLY biased but love it!
Emily@Decorchick says
Ok, maybe this will help you a bit regarding the photos. All I do (from my mac), is export my photos from Iphoto(the photos I want to use in my post), and it exports them to my hard drive, and I save them under my projects folder and then create a new folder for whatever post the topic is on. When I export, there is an option to size them under “customize” and I always export at 550 or 575 and all of my pictures are then sized to that when I insert in my post. Then when you insert into post, you’ll see the picture there and choose which size you want, and the large size should be the size you exported them at.
And for the thumbnails on the truncated post (teasers on mine), All you have to do is go to your media file in WP (because those pics have already been exported), right click on the picture you want to use as your thumbnail, and choose “open in new tab” and then it automatically opens that photo in the new tab and sizes it as the 150×150 image. Copy and paste that link under “thumbnail image.”
Does any of that make any sense at all?? 🙂