This is part one in the series: Blogger Vs. WordPress, and it does contain affiliate links.
“I will never ever move from Blogger to WordPress,” I told myself this time last year after reading several articles about the supremacy of WordPress and the inadequacies of Blogger. I resolved then and there never to be one of those kind of bloggers. You know the ones, right? They proudly make the move from Blogger to WordPress and then tell you that Blogger is worthless and WordPress is the only “professional” platform.
I’m holding true to my resolution, y’all. At least I’m going to try to.
Professionalism
Anyone who says that you can’t blog professionally on Blogger has never read, or at the very least gives little credit to Kelle Hampton, Kelly’s Korner, Living in Yellow, Danielle Moss, The Wonder Forest, Just Lovely Things, The Anderson Crew, and the Wiegands. Not only are these women “making it” blogging, but they’re doing it on the Blogger Platform.
There is no shame in blogging on Blogger. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
So why did I make the switch?
Content ownership.
Imagine if you will that the content on your blog is a beautiful grand piano. A family heirloom, in pristine condition, that you inherited from your great-great-great Aunt Gertrude. It not only holds monetary value, it holds sentimental value as well.
Unfortunately you have no room to put it in your two bedroom almost-an-efficiency apartment. So you call up your first-cousin-twice-removed-by-marriage Horace and ask him if you can store the piano at his place.
Cousin Horace has three sets of unruly twins, and a pot-bellied pig that lives inside, so while he’s willing to keep it (for free!) he can’t guarantee what may or may not happen to it while it’s there. You agree to leave your beloved grand piano with Horace (and the twins…and the pig) and as you drive away you have a sneaky suspicion that if Horace ever ends up in a financial bind, the piano might just disappear.
The piano is technically yours. But while it’s in the home of Cousin Horace (and the twins…and the pig) you’ve sort of given up most of the control of the piano.
You guessed it. In this little analogy, Cousin Horace’s home represents Blogger. And the grand piano represents your precious, valuable content.
You do own your content. You own the copyrights to your content, and if you discover that someone is plagiarizing your content you can even contact Google (who owns Blogger) and they will help you deal with it.
But Google owns the storage unit where all your content is stored, and according Google’s terms of service,
When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This license continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing you have added to Google Maps). Some Services may offer you ways to access and remove content that has been provided to that Service. Also, in some of our Services, there are terms or settings that narrow the scope of our use of the content submitted in those Services. Make sure you have the necessary rights to grant us this license for any content that you submit to our Services.
And there’s more:
We are constantly changing and improving our Services. We may add or remove functionalities or features, and we may suspend or stop a Service altogether.
You can stop using our Services at any time, although we’ll be sorry to see you go. Google may also stop providing Services to you, or add or create new limits to our Services at any time.
We believe that you own your data and preserving your access to such data is important. If we discontinue a Service, where reasonably possible, we will give you reasonable advance notice and a chance to get information out of that Service.
{Now would be a great time to point you towards How to backup your blog design and How to backup your blog content. Just in case you ever need it, you know.}
How WordPress is Different
Using the analogy above, imagine that instead of putting your grand piano in the care of Cousin Horace (and the twins…and the pig) you crunched the numbers and decided to rent a big indoor climate controlled storage unit at Public Storage. You invest the money to protect what is so very valuable to you, signing a lease that leaves you in complete control of what happens to Aunt Gertrude’s grand piano – so long as you continue paying your lease.
Having a self-hosted blog is sort of like signing a long-term lease on a Public Storage unit.
When I moved my blog to WordPress, I purchased server space for the next three years – from BlueHost – that’s sort of like renting a Public Storage unit for the grand piano. I also bought a framework – Genesis – that’s sort of like picking out the layout + options of the storage unit. And I bought a theme – Pure Elegance – which really has no correlation in this analogy, unless you paint and decorate the storage unit so the grand piano looked good sitting there.
The point is: I own this website.
Every word I write, every picture and document I upload belongs to me. I have exclusive access to A Royal Daughter 100% of the time.
Of course, being intangible and electronic, servers fail. (Remember a few months ago when that server up in the North East failed and no one had access to Pinterest, Amazon, Instagram, and a bunch of other websites? Those things do happen.) But barring server failure, a blackout, or a zombie apocalypse, I expect to have guaranteed access to my website. When I was on Blogger I didn’t have that guarantee. And I just reached a point where my agreement with Google wasn’t working for me.
So I made the switch. It was the right decision for me, but I know that it’s not the right decision for everyone. And that’s okay.
____
Look for part two next week: Blogger Vs. WordPress: Search Engine Optimization. And if you have specific questions, please leave them in the comments. I’ll be doing my best to answer them in part three or part four.
Latest posts by Amanda (see all)
- Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge - June 19, 2013
- Eight - June 18, 2013
- The Lord is close to the brokenhearted - June 17, 2013
I have been contemplating this move for some time now. I’m so glad I started following you yesterday (after seeing your post on Heart Shaped Sweat) because this was really helpful. I look forward to the series.
Hi Lindsay, and welcome! Thanks for letting me know how you happened across my little site, I love knowing that.
I hope the rest of the series is as informative as this one was. It’s hard coming up with analogies! HA!
FYI: I conducted a google search using the term: “blogger vs wordpress” and your blog post was first among the results. I have been reading your blog now, and I appreciate your insights. I did already make the switch from Blogger to WordPress and I’m glad I did so. I hadn’t really given thought to ownership issues, so thank you for pointing that out.
I am wanting to blog for our dental office. Im the office manager, and the parents in our office have so many questions about their kids teeth. I have been using facebook for the last two years trying to post article about teeth etc….but I need to move onto something bigger but not sure how to get started. I loved your anaolgy because I am too trying to decide wordpress or blogger. Any other suggestions?
I’m so glad you’re doing this little series! I’ve seen so many people make the switch but nobody could ever really say why they made it other than, “it’s easier to work with”….. “better content” and none of that made sense to me since I hadn’t seen/tried WP. I look forward to reading more!
Can you talk about the ways to follow/unfollow a WP blog! I’m so used to GFC and I know that WP doesn’t offer that, so would it just be through RSS subscription?
Hi Amber! I sure will address the ways to follow in WP! Thanks for leaving a question!
Beautifully written! You are right, ppl are muy successful on blogger. They have great functioning websites and well-designed, if they are lucky to have the $$ to pay someone to do it or can do it themselves. But content ownership is one of the key reasons I went with WP too! I have Thesis on mine. And didn’t install a skin. I like the full control over design, even if I am piece-meal at it. Anyways, great article. I can’t wait to read parts 2 and beyond. Could you address GFC? I know ppl are hesitant to move to WP b/c they want to display GFC on their sidebars and can no longer do so.
Yes Lisa! Several people have asked about GFC! Thank you so much!
Excellent post. I think it’s important that you made sure to mention “self hosted” . I appreciated reading this post and it is a great resource for those considering the change from blogger to worpress. I know I love being on wordpress. Hugs P.S. I invite you to add this post to my Thursday blog hop ( its still open) xo P.S. my new giveaway started today!
Thanks Katherine! Yep, being self-hosted was very, very important to me!
Oh, nice
I really like the new blog design! It’s the same exact one I use (except yours is way cooler with your mad blog design skills…I’m veeerrrry slowly working to make mine look prettier) Enjoy reading your blog and getting the emails.
Great post! I have the same setup (genesis/pure elegance), exept yours is way cooler with your mad blog design skills. I’m extremely slow going at mine, trying to turn it pretty. I enjoy reading your blog and reading the emails when you put up a new post – I need to do better about leaving comments though. Have a great weekend!
Ha! Thanks Kelly! I’m terrible about leaving comments too. Thanks for taking time to say hi!
Hi, there! Love, love, love the way you described this. You put it in terms that so that a “non-techy” blogger like myself could understand it. Here’s my question, and I may email you to get more feedback. I recently made the move to wordpress (I purchased my business name URL) – I am using BlueHost as well….anyways, the person who did my blog design used a “custom” set-up, so no genesis framework. What’s the advantage of using genesis? Is it something that can be easily changed on a wordpress blog, or do you have to start over completely? Interested to hear your thoughts, as I have no idea!
Hi Lena! I’m going to respond here and not in another post. I actually don’t know what would happen to your design if you installed Genesis, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Genesis is the framework (website coding) that makes my blog flow. Your designer built their own framework and installed the design on it. Are you able to add plugins like Yoast (for SEO) and Asikment (For spam protection?) If so, then I think you’re good to go!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Amanda! I am a brand-new blogger (meaning I don’t even have 1 follower…..yet.) and have a question since you are so knowledgeable. I have heard from a previous WP user that WP does not allow automatic links to direct selling websites (ie: I am with Blessings Unlimited, etc…). Is there a way around that? I just created one in blogger, then one in WP, but don’t know which to keep. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. God bless!
I don’t know about WordPress.com (I’m using a self-hosted site through WordPress.org) so that may be true, but I don’t know. With a self-hosted site like I have, I have all of the control to post and link to whatever I want, both in my posts and in my sidebar.
I hope that helps! Sorry to be so vague!
Hi, I used to use WordPress.com and they do not allow you to place your own ads. However, they have started using a service called WordAds. You can find more information at this link: http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/wordads/.
This is the best, most informative source I have found on the topic of blogger vs wordpress. To be honest, I did not understand the differences and while I am happy on blogger and have no intent on changing that anytime soon, this is valuable information to know. And who knows, maybe one day I will come to the point that I think wordpress is a better fit for me? You have done such a great job of making the switch..thank you for these informative posts! Now I am off to go learn about how to back up my blog posts! Thanks!!!
Erin, I’d say Blogger is definitely working for you! You got it made in the shade over there!
This is great Amanda! I’ve never really understood why WP may be better than Blogger before! It may be the worlds dumbest question but can you explain (or point me in the right direction) how exactly an RSS feed works? It may just be that I’m not as computer-literate as some, but when some blogs move over to WP, it seems that it’s more difficult to follow them using my existing platforms (I use Bloglovin’). But, others it’s no big deal – I didn’t notice a difference when you made the move or when Goings on in Texas (Pink Heels, Pink Truck now) made the move. My other big question is, what’s the bottom number (again, don’t feel obligated to share – just point me please
)
I’ll try and answer that question about RSS, Rebekah! I transferred feeds, so the goal was for there to be no interruption.
I’ve always used WordPress and I love it. I did think once or twice about changing to blogger, because I would be able to sell add space, etc, but I never wanted to give up what I had with WP. I don’t regret going with WP one bit.
This article makes it all clear. Great analogy with the piano.
~FringeGirl
If you’re self-hosted through WordPress.org you can do whatever you want to. You own it! Sell away, friend!
SO helpful, Amanda! Considering the switch! FringeGirl, have you looked at Passion Fruit Ads? Haven’t sold with them yet but I have purchased ad space. So easy! XO Ellie @ Creative Geekery the blog
I’ve been thinking about making the switch to WordPress simply for the fact that they layouts are cleaner and I really love the way comments work and the plug-ins they offer. However, I had absolutely no idea how much of a difference there was between “owning” your stuff on Blogger and OWNING your stuff on WordPress. Thanks so much Amanda! Can’t wait for Part II of this!
Great! I’m glad to be able to explain it so that it’s understandable!
Interesting topic. I’ve sporadically wondered what I wanted to do long-term with my blog. What once existed as only a means of sharing our goings on with distant family and friends, has well…taken a few steps further than that. I’m not making money on it. And I haven’t many followers. But the idea of being a pivotal part of the blogging community has surely enticed me to build my blog and grow it. I feel like I’ve hit my peak, however, and I’m not seeing a lot of traffic. For that reason, I’ve wondered if it’s Blogger that’s holding me back.
I need someone to hold my hand. Guide me. Mentor me.
“I need someone to hold my hand. Guide me. Mentor me.” <— is that a hint, Mandi? *wink* I will have mentoring available here at ARD very soon!
Well said! Exactly the same reason I made the move when I did. I hated the thought that at any point everything I’d written could just be gone! Thank goodness for backups and what not though.
Yep and yep. It’s just too valuable to me to risk losing!
First of all – LOVE the new layout – it’s so beautiful!!!! Second of all – thank you for this post. I’ve wondered about doing the same switch just because I’ve heard it’s “more professional,” but I’m so resistant to change that I’ve just been scared and worried about all the headache it would cause. But it does make sense – Blogger is free and so we are using their services as a free perk, but at the end of the day, they control what goes on. With WP it takes some investing, which most aren’t ready to do right off the bat. I think I need to do some dabbling in WP just to get myself used to it before switching over… but I’ll stay tuned for more of your info – you’ve got my attention Amanda!
Kristin – you leave THE BEST comments, lady! The transferring of content was not a headache at all – that was the easiest part! Figuring out a whole new framework has taken quite a bit of time, and I’m definitely still learning! It’s frustrating to not know how to fix a problem, especially since I’d become so proficient at Blogger. But I know it will be a valuable tool for me once I do learn it!
I have heard so many times that wordpress is better but I don’t think it’s as user friendly. It drives me crazy trying to manage my way around wordpress blogs and I leaving comments too (this is one of the very few times I have left a comment in wordpress). Too many extra steps. Although I have to admit the fact that google can just stop my blog whenever they feel like it scares the crap out of me.
Bonnie you crack me up! Commenting is one of the things I LOVE about WordPress for 3 reasons.
1. Once you’re registered with WP, you don’t have to enter your information everytime you want to leave a comment (much like in Blogger) but you get to select the website your comment links to. I always pick my blog, but if I weren’t a blogger, I could link it to facebook, twitter, etc. which facilitates community and connecting!
2. As the blog owner, I LOVE that I have all my commenter’s e-mails in one place in case I ever need to get in touch with them. Besides being helpful in contacting giveaway winners, it’s just plain nice to know I can interact with my readers easily.
3. I have a plugin that lets you know when there’s a response to a comment, whether it’s mine or someone else’s. That also promotes interaction and community, readers can keep coming back and actually have a discussion right here, if they want!
Anyway – WP scared the bejeezes out of me too, and still does a little bit! I’m definitely still learning.
This was a great post! I’m very unsure of WordPress, and all that you can do on there, because Blogger seems more user friendly but I prefer WordPress (although my blog would show otherwise!). I just don’t know how to move my Blogger posts to WordPress.
xmydearambellina.blogspot.com
Hey Amber! The transferring of content was actually the easiest part of the whole experience! There’s a plug-in that I downloaded and I just followed the step-by-step instructions!
Amanda, you are a fantastic writer! You really do make things super easy to understand. My “expiration” date with Blogger is coming up on the 12th and though I’ve considered a switch to WP in the past, this takes on new meaning for me. I’ve got a small following and I eventually want to build a DIY/Crafts/Interior Design brand for my blog using my upcoming home renovation as a launchpad while its still in the early stages. I would hate to see all my hard work credited to someone else in any way shape or form. I really appreciate this post! Thank you.
Thanks Marissa! I’m glad to be a help. If you have any questions about WP let me know. I’m certainly not an expert, but I am learning!
I enjoyed reading your post with so much useful information. I have been blogging since March, and am on Blogger. I have hear about “hobby” vs. ” professional” etc. I am a crafter and went with Blogger as it was very user friendly for me. I am thankful for the info you shared.
Thanks Winnie! Blogger is a great platform, and like I said, you can TOTALLY be a professional blogger and use the free service! Best of luck to you!
Thank you. This answers part of the line of questions I just asked you on Facebook. The piano analogy made sense out of a lot of other tidbits I’ve heard (but never really understood) over the years too. Will have to do some praying and pondering! Looking forward to the rest of your series.
Great, I’m glad to help, Jennifer!
Amanda, I knew the moment I started reading you were in texas! (me, too) i really appreciate your post about blogger vs. wp. I was on blogger, and chose to leave for that reason. however, because I have a techie husband and because he could, we went self-hosted and it sits on its own server at home now. Of course, i’m floundering a bit due to not knowing much of the ins and outs of website design. The only thing I’ve paid for so far was my domain name, so financially ahead of the game, but hubby doesn’t know blogging from birthin’ babies so it’s an interesting dance we are doing here, huge learning curve! I like your style and your willingness to share knowledge! N
Wow, I WISH I had access to a server! That would be even better, but alas, I don’t think that will ever happen!
The WP learning curve is HUGE, but it’s one I’m willing to make! Great to meet you, Nancy – heading over to check out your space now!
Hey Girl, just to clarify- the “server” is an older laptop that my husband wasn’t using and he made it dedicated to my blog site so there’s this notebook sitting in the bookcase unobtrusively chugging away! Thankful for his tech genius in that!
on another note: I thought your face looked familiar, but couldn’t place- old age- ha- but was on Stefanie Brown’s page this morning and lo and behold- there’s a pic of the two of you, I’m guessing at Mama Writes last August. I was there, but it was a fog being the first blog conference I’d been to and I hadn’t been blogging a year yet. Small World!
Thank my wife started on wordpress.com; but even without the obvious ownership issues, self hosted is ultimately the way to go. Using the freebie acct is still very cool; but limiting! Hopefully http://dancingonthedash.wordpress.com will be self hosted…. soon and very soon!
Great article!!!
Thanks David! I started a freebie account a few years ago just to get used to WP, but from what I can tell they’re fairly different.
Glad to be a little bit of a help!
You are most welcome Amanda, your notification system still points to a blogger link btw… kinda weird! This is the link it pointed to http://www.blogger.com/http://www.aroyaldaughter.com/2013/01/04/blogger-vs-wordpress-content-ownership/#comment-4187
Hi Amanda. Thanks for sharing. I am on blogger and get easily frustrated by those who say WordPress is so much better than blogger. I’ve also gotten frustrated that when I have enjoyed blogs that have been on blogger, but once most move to wordpress, bloggers tend to stop blogging about personal things and only blog reviews/giveaways. So, for these reasons I have been hesitant to make the transition over, but I’ll think about it more due to the content ownership issue.
Hi Sarah!!! (Thanks for sticking with me through the transfer!)
I completely understand your frustration about the whole “going pro” mentality. I have resolved (planned, purposed) to continue to blog about my life, my story, my journey on ARD. There will be some tutorials, DIY projects, and tips + tricks/mentoring type posts. But if you ever feel ARD is not staying true to who I’ve always been – feel free to let me know! I definitely want the accountability!
Layman’s Terms! I love you!
Yay! That’s what I was going for! (Layman’s terms, not the expression of love!) But I do love you, my friend!
I just made the move to WordPress from Blogger last week, mainly so that I had a little more control over how I share my content. Reading this post made me extra happy about making that decision. Thanks for sharing this.
How are you liking the change? It’s been QUITE a learning curve for me! Do you have the latest version of WP? It’s kicking my tooshy! So hard to find answers to my questions, because all of the forums are about the last version! EEK!
Okay, rant over.
I was totally confused at first, I played around with it for almost three months before making the switch, and It was definitely different from Blogger. But now that it’s set up and we’re switched and I’m using it daily, I’m in love. The best part for me is how easy it is to share the printables I make. They come direct from our site now, which is FABULOUS. I’m still stuck on a lot of things, (like getting the RSS to work! lol) , I still feel as though I’m muddling through a lot of stuff, and I’m thinking it would be a good thing to learn some HTML, but all in all I’m really happy with it. Finding answers has been really tricky. We’re on the new WP and I have to agree the forums are all for the old version. I think I’ve spent more time with my search engines than ever before, but in the end, I think it’s worth it. Hopefully new info will start coming into the forums now that the new version has been released.
Thanks for this post. I made the move as more of a design issue, but I’m really glad you pointed out the blogger fine print.
In His Grip,
Monica
http://happyandblessedhome.com
Great post! I moved to wordpress about a year ago and I LOVE IT.
And you blog is so beautiful too!!!!!
Thank you so much for doing this series, I look forward to the other posts. I do have a question. I have seriously considered moving to Word Press, as there is so much that Word Press can do (plugins) that I want and I am limited in Blogger. I dont have a huge amount of followers yet, but that is my fault for not being consistant. That is changing, now that it is one of my main focuses.
When I make the move I will have someone design it for me and get everything moved over, since I’m clueless. I’m currently paying for my address through Go Daddy, how will this work when I make the move. Can I keep it through Go Daddy or will I have to hope I can get my same address through another host?
Also, once everything is designed and moved over how easy is the day to day posting, adding ads or blog buttons, etc. I add buttons all the time and want to make sure that it is user friendly for us “non-techie” people. I dont want to rely on the person who designs my site to do little changes, etc. all the time when I need it. I dont know code, would this be an issue for me on self hosted WP?
Ok, so that was more then one question. Sorry!
Andrea, you can keep hosting with GoDaddy. Since I didn’t use their hosting services I can’t speak to how that whole processes would work. But I know GoDaddy has step-by-step instructions, so I’d just check those.
I haven’t yet figured out how to schedule a post!
Buttons are easy. I added a plugin that manages JavaScript + HTML so I add all my buttons that way. I’m not sure you can just upload a picture like in Blogger. I think it has to be entered as a text (so the basic HTML code for a graphic.)
Here’s a question, although may be off topic… what do you mean when you say “embedded comments”? Is that strictly a WP or Blogger thing, or both?
Blogger offers embedded comments as well. SO that you can reply directly to a comment. Here’s how to do it: http://www.aroyaldaughter.com/2012/11/06/how-to-embed-comments-in-blogger/
I just recently made the switch myself with a new blog and a new name. I was able to import all my previous content from blogger which was so incredibly nice! I made the move because I didn’t want Google to change the TOS on me. I felt I was at a point to do it. I wanted the “bars” removed. ha!
I did ask a few of the bigger (than me) bloggers why they were still on Blogger and hadn’t made the switch…the general consensus…why fix something that isn’t broke.
My only fear for that is…if it does break, it might be hard to make the switch at that point…especially bc it seems that a few of them are attached to GFC (not openly though).
Taylor, I think you’re right about the love affair with GFC.
Awesome article. I am a graphic designer and KNOW I should learn WP but, everytime I give it a go-go, I hate it! I’ve been a blogger for over 15 years on Blogger and I’m a total creature of habit. But. I had no idea about not owning my stuff. Dude. Me no likie. Your post has definitely given me thoughts about trying WP again. Keep on keepin’ on!
(PS, came here from CL on FB… that looks so top secret!)
Carrie! Thanks for the positive feedback!! Yeah, I no likie the content ownership thing either.
CL on FB is SUPER top secret! Shhhh…
I have wanted to make the move over to a self-hosted WordPress blog for this very reason, but have hesitated for two reasons: 1} the learning curve. Man, oh man, does WordPress intimidate me. I have tried to start one to “play” on and figure it out, but I haven’t practiced in a while. And 2} Cost. Right now, my blog is just a hobby. However, I do hope it grows into something more {Lord willing, sooner than later}. I’d love to switch, but I can’t justify the cost to my hubby.
I do adore your new site though. Maybe you’ll be sharing some “WordPress De-mystifyed” posts for people like me who want to switch but are intimidated to do so?
http://www.domesticblissdiaries.com
Hi Alana!
Cost-wise I’d say to plan on about $200 for hosting + domain + a framework. Just so you know in the future if you’re ever looking to make the switch!
I’m still a bit mystified myself – it might be a little while before I’m ready to do WP tutorials!
made the move the first week of the year…although I am still posting on blogger copy/cutting and pasting into my worpress because I haven’t taken the time to learn the ins&outs of WP..do you have any WP quick tips? or links to share?
Karmen – I’m using Genesis and there’s an option to copy + paste text from Microsoft Word. When I do that it keeps all the formatting (unless I have it justified – it reverts to justified left) including links + breaks. Then the only thing I have to do is add in the graphics. It’s SUPER easy.
I hope that helps!
I’m so very glad I found this! And a new blog to read! I’m in my “comfort zone” with blogger but have been contemplating switching for a while now. There are a few reasons why; ownership being the main one and also I just feel limited in general. I think I’ve pretty much made up my mind but now I’m a little overwhelmed with beginning the process. I think this is one of those “just do it” things.
Hi Brittany! I’m so glad to be a help to you! I was definitely in my comfort zone on Blogger too. The transition to WP definitely stretched me and challenged me, but it was worth it. Good luck for whenever you make the transition!
Hi there.. thanks for your post… I have actually been considering going the opposite direction ;-O, only because we are having our website and social media re-aligned by a web-designer. My wife and I have been using WP for the longest, but it is not as compatible with WIX as “Blogger”… your part 1 post certainly gave me something to think about… I value my verbage as one would value their “great, great, great Aunts Grand Piano”!!! Every blessing to you as you make the King smile!
Bob
Thanks Bob! I appreciate your feedback!
i have never had any issues with blogger…i’ve had one wordpress blog a long time ago and i couldn’t figure out how to work the damn thing.
BUT, i do like what you’ve presented here. can you just come to my house and switch it for me, because as far as the intranet goes, i know how to post a blog and check my email. i could NEVER do this on my own. ever.
Emily that would be fun!! We should hang out the next time I’m in Dallas!
I am going to study this series thank you. I erased my blog a year ago out of frustration. But i have been longing to start back up again. So thank you for taking the time to explain things very clear and to the point.
Glad to be a help! There are some great tutorials out there for starting a blog – I really like Tent Blogger and Blogging with Amy. They both have great resources for using WordPress.
hi Amanda. You have an amazing website here! I am actually in dilemma right now. Everyone’s telling me to switch to WordPress. But I am very used and overly attached to Blogger because of the sooo many features that I love that I could not leave it. I never knew that they had this policy. But Blogger allows to buy your own domain, right?what can you say about this? I am hesitant to transfer all of my content. How about the backlinks? and other things that have helped your blog increase its rankings? So, I have to start over again? super dilemma! >_<
Hi Lily.
Purchasing your domain does not move your content, all it does is take the .blogspot.com off of your blog address. It does give you rights to the url, but because all of your content is still hosted on Blogger (Google) – the content agreement remains as I outlined in the blog post.
This tutorial from Tent Blogger will walk you through migrating (if you want to do it yourself) so that you do not lose links or SEO standing. http://tentblogger.com/migrate-blogger-wordpress/
I hope that helps!
I did write quite a lengthy comment mentioning a number of my problems but it was wiped off?
Hi Maria! I wonder if it was possibly marked as spam? If you included several lengths, or possibly key-words that were deemed “spammy” it would have been automatically deleted. Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions: royaldaughterdesigns(at)yahoo.com
I am overwhelmed by the amount of time you put into answering all the posts that come your way. I’m an old hippie, a writer of 40+ years, and I’m in my third year of witing “From Bombs to Babies: Stories of a German Warbride” — basically my mother’s memoir. Nearing completion of the book and learning about marketing, I find I’m going to need a BLOG. I’m scared and jealous of the time. Owning a 200 acre farm, grandmothering, and churchschool teaching are all time consuming. At 63 I’m running low on that precious gift.
Hi Martie! It sounds like you have wonderful things to write about!! Balancing time is hard for me too – I sort of stink at it. If you have any tips, let me know!
I read this post about once a week to scare myself into switching to blogger. Hope you don’t mind I passed this and all the other Blogger VS. WordPress links onto my blog consulatation group email I had with Erin from LIY and Jenni from Story of My Life and MANY other bloggers. Thank you for breaking it down simply yet not making me feel like I’m an idiot.
Thanks for sharing it, Brin! I really appreciate that! If you have any questions let me know!
I’ve used blogger for a couple years now, mostly because I’m lazy. I think it’s very easy to work with. I am aware of the question of ownership of the content. It does bug me. I even tried recreating my blog on wordpress a few months ago. I thought I’ll give it a try. I kind of like the way my blog on blogspot look, I custom made it the way I wanted it to be. I started to do the same thing on wordpress and got a little frustrated that they wanted money for every little thing I choose to add. When it become around $150 and I still was in the starting process I gave up.
However, my photography is starting to become profitable and I don’t feel comfortable having so little control over my content on blogspot. I will give wordpress another try. Thank you for this post.
~Maria
You’re so welcome, Maria! If you have any questions let me know and I’ll do my best to get them answered for you!
Thank you very much Amanda! I appreciate it! Have a great Sunday
Thanks for the analogy and pointing out to this important topic of content ownership.
I am thinking of starting a blog, and being an amateur I would go for a “free” platform. However, I am very concerned about the copyrights ownership and use of the content.
If I understand correctly, you are describing the situation on blogger vs. wordpress.com (free), not the wordpress.org, where you own the whole hosting. Is this correct? if not, in terms of content ownership, which of both free platforms offers best terms on copyrights/content protection?
Thank you.
Hi Michau,
WordPress.com and Blogger.com are not self-hosted platforms, and therefore the content is ultimately owned by either WordPress.com or Google. WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform, which means that 1. you pay to “rent” your hosting space where your content is stored, and 2. you therefore own all of your content + have complete control over the content of your site.
I hope this clears it up for you!
Hi Amanda. I am about to start blog and I need all the help I could get from pros like you. First and foremost I don’t want to pay anyone for hosting or anything like that. So, which is the best to use Blogger or WordPress? I want the one that would allow readers to comment and all that.
Mnay thanks.
Hi Addy,
If you’re looking for a free platform I’d recommend Blogger. It is super user friendly + intuitive, and you have a little bit more control over content (for example, WordPress.com does not allow any 3rd party advertising, whereas Blogger does.) You’ll also find lots of tutorials for customizing your blogger account, there’s not quite as many for WordPress.com.
I hope this helps!
I was the same like you: I wanted to stick with Blogger. But I got worried by stories about Blogger suddenly deleting blogs, so I switched to WordPress. And after some tearing my hair out, I like it.
Isn’t WordPress great? I had a few sleepless nights, but it was worth it!
Hey, nice post. But by saying wp blog, you were saying about self-hosted wordpress installed sites. But what about .wordpress.com sites?
WordPress.com is similar to Blogger, in that as a free hosting service, the content ownership is not exclusive to the blog owner. I’m not familiar with their terms of service, you might read that to make sure it’s what you’re wanting.
Thanks for the info. Like everyone else here I am thinking of making the switch and wondering what the best solution is. I agree that the content ownership issue is a DEALBREAKER! xoxoxo to you.
You’re welcome, April! If you have questions please let me know and I’ll try to help!
very helpful post post thanks 4 sharing this ………..
I’ve used blogger for a couple years now, mostly because I’m lazy. I think it’s very easy to work with. I am aware of the question of ownership of the content. It does bug me. I even tried recreating my blog on wordpress a few months ago. I thought I’ll give it a try. I kind of like the way my blog on blogspot look, I custom made it the way I wanted it to be. I started to do the same thing on wordpress and got a little frustrated that they wanted money for every little thing I choose to add. When it become around $150 and I still was in the starting process I gave up.
However, my photography is starting to become profitable and I don’t feel comfortable having so little control over my content on blogspot. I will give wordpress another try. Thank you for this post.
Hi – we you able to keep your domain ne when you switched?
Hi Devon! Yep, you can keep your domain name! If you have questions with moving the domain from Blogger to WordPress, your hosting site should be able to help you with that.
I am thinking of changing. Is WordPress a “What you see is what you get?” style? I need a no- brainer thing to type in . Lately, when I type in my blog double spaced, it comes out looking horrid.
I just want my format to appear the way I typed it.
How easy is WordPress?
Hey Jenny! I’m not quite sure I understand your question. If it’s about formatting a post: I use the Genesis framework (link above in post) and it allows my to import posts from Microsoft Word. When I first switched I did all of my formatting in Word and then imported the post (it will import all formatting + links). Now I just write the post in WordPress, the formatting always works great for me. If you have more questions feel free to e-mail me: royaldaughterdesigns(at)yahoo(dot)com
WordPress provide two platform for blog wordpress.com and wordpress.org and both are free.
i have to use both blogger and wordpress platform but i would like wordpress because it is best tool for CMS.However, it does have more options and flexibility than Blogger.
Hi,
Are you still pleased with your decision? You did a great job explaining it to a visual learner like me.
Come and visit us if you’re in Atlanta! Check us out on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SteveMcKenzies
Thanks,
Jill
Hi Jill! Yep, I’m still very happy with my decision to switch to WP. It’s a great platform.
Thanks for the insight. I’m still not completely certain I’m ready to make the move, but I may in the next few months. Great blog!
Thanks for stopping by, Mike!
By using Blue Host with Word Press, are you able to use like Google Adsense and other paid and sponsored posts? I know that Word Press forbids those but offers the other hosts. I am trying to figure all this out and where to get a domain and it is confusing! Enjoying your blog!
Hi Emily! Yes, when you host with Bluehost (here’s an affiliate link: http://www.bluehost.com/track/aroyaldaughter) you do have full control of your content, including monetizing your blog. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Amanda,
Thanks for taking the time to explain this. I have been blogging sporadically for 2 years really just to make a record for myself because my brain is like a sieve. Anyway, I am interested in being more intentional about writing and would like to take a stab at making the blog more useful and informative to others and growing it if I can. I was wondering whether someone else made the switch for you or were you able to do it yourself? I’m not techie but can figure most things out with a decent tutorial.
Thanks
Hi Beth!
I made the switch myself. I followed tutorials from Tent Blogger (http://tentblogger.com/) and Blogging with Amy (http://bloggingwithamy.com/) They both were incredibly helpful to me. Whatever I couldn’t figure out I just googled and was able to get everything taken care of. There’s actually a wordpress plugin that transfers all your content for you in one easy swoosh.
Yes! Finally something about kid chat rooms online.
Hello Amanda! Thank you so much for this posting. I find it very helpful.
I have been wanting to start a blog now for about a month and really don’t know where to get started, any pointers/advice you would give me? I know what I want to write about but choosing a platform has had me stuck for some time, until now. I think I will go with WordPress. Even though I am a Google fan, I think WordPress is best for me knowing that I have complete control over my material.
Thank you again for your analogies! I found them very helpful. I can’t wait to hear back from you!
Hey Leandra!
I really recommend Blogging With Amy (http://bloggingwithamy.com/) she offers lots of helpful tips for starting a website/blog. Tent Blogger (http://tentblogger.com/) is really helpful too and has lots of tutorials for optimizing SEO, WordPress Plugins, etc.
I hope that helps!
Dear Amanda,
Thanks for the great review comparing clearly the advantages of using wordpress. I have been in doubt whether wordpress is actually a good blogging platform, but your review has reassured me. I am also glad that I stumbled upon your blog, because you write in such ease and humor, light and resourceful at the same time.
Great! I’m glad to be a help! Thanks for stopping by!
two months ago google had this thing where I could name my own domain name. So I did. I changed it from glutenfreemamafriends.blogspot to glutenfreemama1.com Yeah…now all of my extra stuff like pinterest, blogger, twitter etc… are all glutenfreemama1 Problem is I can’t do everything I want to do on blogger, so I want to switch to wordpress. They say my domain name is taken. But it is mine. I paid 10$ for it. So how in the heck do I switch all my content? It says my user name is already taken everything. So someone already has my username. But I own the trademark Gluten Free Mama so how can someone already have it? Any suggestions on how I can switch my blog without losing all my posts?
Hi Rachel!
Okay, so if you purchased your domain through google you should have access to your account through godaddy.com. Log into that and you’ll be able to see all your information. You can host with godaddy, that will save you a bit of headache, but I personally recommend bluehost. I used bloggingwithamy.com and tentblogger.com and followed their tutorials for starting a blog on WP, and tentblogger has tutorials on transferring from Blogger to WordPress.
If you use bluehost, for example, you’ll be given the opportunity to select “I own my domain” – and they have video tutorials on how to claim your domain and transfer it over.
I truly love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme.
Did you create this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my very own site and would love to know where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Cheers!
I purchased a child-theme for the Genesis framework and customized it myself. I used the Pure Elegance theme. You can find it here: http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=356728&u=750110&m=28169&urllink=&afftrack=
I’ve been on blogger for 5 years and hope I never have to change. I’ve been backing up my blog. So my question is, if Blogger closed down my blog or went out of business or something, would I be able to take my backup and use it to move to WordPress without having to completely start over?
I used a plugin to transfer the content from Blogger to WordPress. I think you would have to upload your content to a new blogger blog and then transfer it to WordPress. Definitely can be done as long as you’re backing up your content!
If some one desires expert view concerning blogging then i advise him/her to pay a visit this weblog, Keep up the
good work.
You have inspired me to build my own website, and not to use a blogger. Thank-you and congratulations on you site, it looks realy good. Very professional, may I say.
May God bless you always,
Namaste,
Greg
It’s a rare treat to read balanced, objective and rational posts like yours. I thoroughly researched the two options prior to starting my blog, and opted for wordpress. The reason you cite for your switch was the determining factor. I own my own domains, but keep it hosted on the wordpress system to benefit from the “internal” wordpress cross-polinization. Keep up the good work!
I was happy to read this as I have been contemplating on switching to WordPress for awhile now. I have been blogging for a few years and last year made the choice to stay with Blogger. I have weighed my options of what I can do on blogger with recipes in particular and I like what I can do with them on WordPress versus blogger. I can’t say that is the only reason for wanting to make that move, but your explanation here made perfect sense and I think I’ve made my decision. Thanks so much!
I guess things fall in our laps at the right time even though you published this little post back in January!
Thanks!
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