If you have a Blogger blog, no doubt you are aware of the 24 hours of downtime Blogger experienced last week. For many, it prompted some serious thought about switching from Blogger to WordPress. Over the course of the next few posts, I'm going to explain how I would go about moving from Blogger to WordPress if my blog was currently on Blogger and I wanted to switch.
Let me be clear from the start, though, that I do not think the move is ideal (or necessary) for all Blogger blogs. Every blogger needs to make their own decision based on their own situation. My goal here is to create a sort of "decision tree" type series in which (I hope) you will be able to decide what will be the best choice for you.
First, we need some background…
Before we get started, though, I think it's imperative to have a good understanding of how a blog works and what moving from one blogging platform to another actually means. Sometimes we blindly follow the crowd or react to an unpleasant situation and really don't have any idea of what exactly we're doing. I'm of the opinion that it's always best to have some general background before making a decision. For that reason, I'm starting at the beginning. I'll be speaking in the most simple layman's terms I can muster (so if you're a geek and think some of my analogies or examples are not precisely correct, remember I'm going for broad understanding here. And by all means, if you can help me make it more clear, leave your thoughts in the comments!).
What is a blogging platform and what does it do?
Blogger is a blogging platform. So is WordPress. (There are many blogging platforms like Tumblr, Posterous, TypePad, etc. but for the purposes of this series we'll talk about Blogger and WordPress.)
In a nutshell, a blogging platform is the software you use to create a blog (or website). Any blogging platform does (basically) two things:
- Provides a user-friendly place for you to enter the post, article or information you'd like to communicate to the world.
- Then, takes that post, article or information you've written and makes it available (i.e. publishes it) on the internet so others can read it.
And with any blog comes a host
Another vital component to the blogging process is your host. You may not realize it, but if you have a blog, you have a host. Your host stores your blog's files for you (on a server). So, you send your posts to your host via your blogging platform and your host "serves up" or, makes your blog accessible to the online world. Make sense?
Who hosts your blog?
If you use a free blogging platform like Blogger, Google (who owns Blogger) hosts your blog for you.
If you use the WordPress blogging platform, you have two hosting choices:
- Go to WordPress.com and sign up for a free blog. WordPress.com installs the free WordPress software on their server and hosts your blog for you.
- Go to WordPress.org and download the free WordPress software. Then, purchase your own hosting and install the WordPress software on your server. This is a self-hosted WordPress blog. (And if your host offers one-click WordPress install, you can skip the downloading part. It's simple.)
So if the WordPress blogging platform is so great and WordPress.com will host my blog for free, why don't I just sign up for a free WordPress blog at WordPress.com?
Well, you get what you pay for, as they say. And free always has trade-offs. WordPress.com will indeed give you a free WordPress blog, but in exchange, they will severely limit your ability to customize your blog and most importantly, they will not allow you to monetize — that is, make money with — your blog.
A self-hosted WordPress blog, on the other hand, has no such limitations since it belongs to you and you are hosting it yourself. It's absolutely the better choice.
Wondering how to switch from a WordPress.com blog to a self-hosted (WordPress.org) blog? Check out the tutorial in this post.
What are the pros and cons of a Blogger blog?
The pros of a Blogger blog:
- Easy to use.
- Monetization is allowed. Plenty of people make an income on their Blogger blogs.
- Google is generally trustworthy and has the resources to deal with unexpected hiccups in service.
The cons of a Blogger blog:
- You don't own your Blogger blog, Blogger does. They're providing you a free service, remember? They can (and do) remove blogs for unknown reasons more often than you think. (This happened to my husband's blog, in fact.) Granted, this is not the norm, but it does happen.
- If there's an outage, you're at their mercy (as we saw last week). Customer support is painfully slow at best and virtually non-existent at worst.
- Blogger is limited compared to a self-hosted WordPress blog.
What are the pros and cons of a self-hosted WordPress blog?
The pros of a self-hosted WordPress blog (remember we're not talking about WordPress.com blogs here):
- Expandable, customizable and flexible. I'm continuously amazed at what people can make WordPress do.
- A huge community coming up with useful plugins and resources all the time.
- You own your blog and maintain control.
- Because you are a paying customer, your host has a vested interest in keeping you happy. Therefore, support is only a phone call or chat away.
- The benefits are well worth the cost (which will run you about $10 per month or less for a starter blog).
The cons of a self-hosted WordPress blog:
- It costs. Personally, I think $10 a month is extremely reasonable, but I realize for some $10 is still more than doable.
- Because there are more options, there's a bigger learning curve with WordPress than Blogger.
There's no need to be intimidated by WordPress. Maybe this analogy will help…
When it comes to switching from Blogger to WordPress, the most common thing I hear from people is that they are afraid to switch because WordPress is so intimidating. Let me put your mind at ease with the following analogy…
Imagine you have lived in the same small town your whole life. You have done your grocery shopping at the same small, local market for years. You know where everything is. You know what to expect. You're comfortable shopping there.
Now imagine a SuperTarget opens up in your town. SuperTarget has groceries too. In fact, not only does it have all the same groceries your local market has, it has a bunch more stuff as well, like clothes, housewares, toys and greeting cards.
How would you feel walking into SuperTarget for the first time? Overwhelmed? Probably. Intimidated? Maybe. Do you know where everything is at first? No. But once you walk down a few aisles and visit the store a few times, you'll become familiar. You'll start to learn how the store is set up and you'll know where to find the things you need (and more). The point is, groceries are groceries, whether you get them at your local market or SuperTarget.
The same is true for blogging platforms. All do essentially the same thing. Sure, some are fancier than others. Some make blogging quick and easy and don't have a lot of bells and whistles. Others have more options.
Blogger is like your small, local market. WordPress is like SuperTarget. Sure, there's a learning curve. And yes, you'll have to get used to some new things. And things might not be where they are in Blogger. And it's true that for some people, WordPress might be overkill. But in the end, Blogger and WordPress are very similar in that they both do the same thing — help you publish your blog — just like your local grocery store and SuperTarget do the same thing — help you buy groceries.
There's no need to be intimidated by WordPress. Sure it's bigger, but if you're like many bloggers who have switched, you also might realize it's better. 
Next time we'll talk about whether or not the switch is right for you and if so, the resources I recommend to do so. Read Part 2 now…
Other posts in this series
- Moving from Blogger to WordPress, Part 1
- Moving from Blogger to WordPress, Part 2
- Moving from Blogger to WordPress, Part 3
Have you heard of there being a large difference in income using WordPress over Blogger?
That's a good question and I can't say I know the answer. My understanding though, is not so much that one blogging platform will cause you to make more money than the other. I think the issue is more of "outgrowing" Blogger. Of the bloggers I know who make substantial income from blogging, none use Blogger. That's not to say there isn't anyone making good money on Blogger! I'm sure there is, I'm just not aware of them. In general, I think moving to WordPress opens up more options for bloggers, thus making monetization easier (and perhaps therefore increased).
This is an elephant I've been trying to eat one bite at a time for about 2 months now. I even recently purchased an eBook discussing "step by step" migration, but I have already purchased hosting with GoDaddy and the eBook was based on another host company, thus leaving me with gaps in the migration process… do you know of a go-to resource for migrating with GoDaddy when the .com is already attached to the Blogger blog (meaning that I would need some sort of mirror WP until it I get it built)?
Hmmm…I'm not familiar with GoDaddy hosting as I've never used them myself. Unfortunately, the things I've heard about their hosting is not particularly positive.
I know with hosting companies like Bluehost, you can use a temporary URL which works nicely while you get your site set up and before you point your domain to your new site. If you think you might be interested in switching to Bluehost, I explain how to get it set up here.
I had someone switch mine from Blogger to WordPress last fall and I'm self hosted. I can't get the updates to work automatically though and everytime I try to figure it out, I'm completely overwhelmed. I have tried to talk to my host, but they consider WordPress a 3rd party application, so they said they don't offer tech support. I feel like I'm in a catch 22 and don't know how to move forward. Sometimes I can see the option to change the widgets in my dashboard, sometimes I can't. I feel like all the customization I wanted is beyond my grasp. If you can cover any of these issues or have suggestions, I'd love it. I truly want to learn, not just keep paying people to do fixes for me. Thanks!!
So sorry to hear that. I would recommend getting in contact with the person who made the move for you originally. Sounds like there are some bugs that might need to be worked out.
Thank you so much! This has been a mystery to me for the year I've been blogging. I'm excited to read the rest of the series!! I'm so intimidated by WordPress . . . but I love your analogy and am secretly jealous when I see people switch b/c I haven't had the guts to do it!
What a great post! Can't wait to read the rest in the series. The blog I contribute to on a weekly basis just made the switch from blogger to WordPress. I LOVE WordPress and right off the bat felt the flexibility of it. Looking forward to your next post on this topic!
I'd been thinking of moving to WP anyway, and the shutdown made me start to seriously consider it so I really appreciate this series. Thank you!
I started out on Blogger, decided to switch my blogging focus, and would have totally stayed on Blogger (being a clueless newbie), except that The Frugal Girl was already taken on Blogger.
I'm SO grateful that happened, because that made me start The Frugal Girl on WordPress from the start. Granted, I was on WordPress.com, but I think it's a whole lot easier to move a wordpress.com blog to a wordpress.org blog than it is to go from Blogger to WordPress.
So, yay for a taken domain name. I love wordpress SO much more than I loved Blogger.
I think I'm in the minority in that I actually find WordPress easier to use than blogger. I started out on wordpress.com and very recently moved to a self-hosted wordpress. I just love wordpress and how fun and easy it is to make changes/ customize / use plug-ins. I think starting out on wordpress.com for those that don't wan tot spend the money yet is also a decent option. It was super, super simple to import my blog from wordpress.com. I actually did the whole transfer in less than 15 minutes on my lunch break! Of course, you can't make any money on wordpress.com, but you can certainly build up a readership. Also, you'll get accustomed to using that platform.
Yes, switching from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress blog is definitely easier. I agree that WordPress.com is a nice way for people to get a feel for how WP works, although as far as long-term free blogging platforms go, I still choose Blogger above WordPress.com.
Thank you so much for this information, Amy! I am anxious to read the rest of your posts on this one! I have seriously thought of making the switch, but am nervous to do so! I look forward to you, breaking it down in simple terms for me!
I'm really glad you're doing this series (Cathy from CFO sent me)! I've been wanting to switch for a year now, but the learning curve does sound intimidating. I hear what you're saying, but I feel like I need TIME to make the switch, to have time to poke around WP and learn it all, so that it doesn't affect my blogging schedule/family life.
And for the person asking, you can make substantial income on Blogger, depending on what you consider substantial. There are some big blogs still on Blogger, and they make plenty by selling ad space and doing affiliate sales. I make a good amount, it's certainly "substantial" considering the few hours per week I work.
I'm still not sold. At this juncture, I'd be most worried about losing my existing URLs (links) and my search ranking in Google vaporizing.
However, I think that if you run a serious money-making blog and can afford to pay a designer to make something unique and pretty, and you require various plugins*, there's no reason to not be on WordPress and pay out for a reliable hosting service with a proven track record of support.
*e.g., there are customizable templates for webcomics, and even hRecipe microformats (for food bloggers) that aren't available on Blogger.
Except that you're at the mercy of your ISP (whether it's a small, local company or a larger conglomerate like Tucows). If you botch something, or servers are compromised, or there's a problem upgrading or patching WordPress, you'd better hope they have as many data backup resources and PhDs working behind the scenes as Google does.
Cheers
Dan,
There are wordpress plugins that make your links identical to the ones you have at your blogger hosted blog.
jen
I should've known that "there's an app for that"
I imagine it's quite critical, too. I know there are other technology hurdles in a migration, but that would be the biggest for me.
I don't remember it this is the one I used, but here is one of them:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/blogger-to-wordpress-redirection/
jen
There are plugins, but I haven't heard of any that fix all broken links. Joy, on the other hand, works her magic in the .htaccess file so all transfer over from the ground up.
I can tell you, Dan, that it is completely possible to make the switch without losing followers or Google Juice. In order to do so, I highly recommend Joy at Five J's Design. She's moved many people over completely seamlessly. She is truly a whiz.
Hi Dan.
WordPress offers the custom url set up option, so you can keep url structure similar to existing Blogger blog. Please see the 'Permalink' section of this Do It Yourself Tutorial http://bloggertowp.org/migrate-from-blogger-to-wordpress-best-tutorial/
Hope it helps fellow bloggers.
Cheers.
Love the analogy, Amy! I've been trying to find a way to explain it to some friends who are scared to move, so I'll be sending them this article. Most of them are frugal bloggers, so they'll get that perfectly, LOL
Blogger removing your blog may not be the norm- but I don't think it is completly uncommon, either. I think it depends a lot on the niche your blog is in.
As a deal blogger I had it happen to me twice- once very early in my blogging (2008) and my blog was restored and a second time in 2010 (not with my main blog) and that blog was deemed "spam" and never restored- I lost a years worth of work on it (as it was not backed up (my fault) and it took me a month to figure out WordPress and get it moved over. By that time the blog had lost any momentum of growth and I struggled with gaining readers until I just eventually shut it down 6 months later.
As a deal blogger I think I kind of had this "cheap" mentality and kept going with Blogger, too long. It was free and it worked.. until it did not. I know many, many other deal bloggers that had the same thing happen to them- it is probably because of the large amount of outgoing links in our posts that sent up a red flag.
I advice people that unless your blog is a personal blog or you just are making a small income you can afford to lose you should not be on blogger. It's too bad, because free is nice- but how many other businesses can you run and get free rent month after month?
jen
Sorry to hear about your experience, Jen. Ouch! I agree that if you're hoping to creating steady income, Blogger is probably not your best bet.
I've used both now and I like both. I'm glad that I started out on blogger, I learned many things before I made the switch to WordPress. WordPress is fun to me now, because there are so many options for customization. But, I never could have started out on WordPress, it would have been way too overwhelming.
Thanks for the explanation, Amy- this will be helpful to many!
Great analogy about the Super Target! I think that's very true… and now we can't imagine getting by without it.
It was fun to see your name pop up in my email — I hope my book has been helpful!
For those who have not used WordPress because they fear being overwhelmed , do consider the switch.
I've never used Blogger, but I've recently started following a couple blogs that use Blogger. These blogs are AWESOME, and I intend to keep following them, but there's definitely a difference in the overall look and feel and options I see on Blogger blogs verses WordPress blogs I follow.
**Most of all, I've been able to use WordPress with only minor frustrations. I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF TECH SAVVY, yet within a small time frame, I've become relatively proficient and am having a LOT of fun creating the look and feel of my gardening blog. My very first website EVER launched on March 1st, so that's NOT a lot of time. (Granted, there are many bloggers who have figured out how to do far more than me, but I'm happy… very happy.)
I've gotten stumped a few times with some particular WordPress plugins, but eventually it all came together nicely.
Having said all that, I could not have said ANY of that without the support of Blogging With Amy. That's mostly why it has been an easy learning curve for me.
Thanks Amy!!
Great post for us bloggers out there. Thanks Amy. Look forward to more.
Amy I just wanted to say thank you for what you do! It's not by coincidence that I found you. I've had multiple blogs over the years, and I love to write so it's awesome to know what else I can do with blogs. So thank you so much Amy!
I'm in the process of writing my first e-book!
You are awesome!
Love always,
)(ope*
Awesome! Glad you stopped by.
Hiya Amy
I am pretty frightened but love this post and slowly i will be moving to WP as i have my own Domain i bought from blogger etc… I am not that good with codes /html but am learning LOL… I shall get there in the end
Just one step at a time!
Thank you for this. I understood it perfectly.
Thank you so much
I want to move because Google+ is opening profiles to the public, and even if you don't use Google+, Blogger is changing to Google Blogs, and at that time we can expect our private lives thrown open. I am trying get out before that happens. I use Blogger for the virtual world, Second life, and don't want my real name attached to it. I'm very interested this topic of migration because it's daunting to me. My blog is very popular and don't wish to lose my hits. I own the domain. It was purchased through Blogger, which I think transferred domains to GoDaddy. I checked GoGaddy and they have no record of it so I assume Blogger is somehow still managing this (but doubt it…think this need more research). I am overwhelmed at moving this blog. But on the other hand I want to keep my personal life private from my Second Life. At this point, I'd pay someone to do this for me. Is there a company that will do this? Right now I am gathering information. Then I'll decide. I also want more control over the presentation of the blog. I just think it's time to move. Thanks for this post and keep us informed!
What about if you are switching from a free wordpress.com to wordpress.org? When moving from wordpress.com blog to a wordpress.org blog will I lose my followers/subscribers? will people be redirected to the .org site if they put in my old wordpress.com address? Thank you!
I am quite new to blogging and this might help me Amy. Some of the comments and help links provided by visitors were also very useful.
Can I switch over from a private blog, or do I need to make it public first?
thanks for the guide. I am planning to move my blogger blog to wordpress.
Hi want to know if it is possible and how to do the following
I will pass all the blog content from blogguer to wp
But I want to individualize each redirect as in:
On Blogger:
site.blogspot.com/2010/08/bad-nameee.html
And I want it to redirect to wordpress:
site.com/good-name.html
I've been trying to find out how to do this but have no clew so far
Can anyone help? Please?
I would definitely think about getting someone to help you make the move. I recommend Joy.
We are preparing to go live with our new website (through FatCow using Weebly Pro). We have been using Blogger in the past, but with Google eliminating their reader the first of July, should we consider moving our blog to our website as well?
Thank you,
Mandy
Google Reader is just a way for others to access your blog and doesn't have much to do with where you blog lives. As long as your current setup can provide an RSS feed, any readers can pick it up on Feedly or another reader. More here and here.
Great info, thanks! I'm about to make the move but I have a question; through blogger I bought my domain so I have my own email, will I be able to have that at wordpress? Same email address? e.i. myname@myblogsname.com Thanks!
Yep! Just set up your WordPress site and then you'll have to point your domain to your new site once it's ready to go. (Your host can walk you through.)
thanks a lot! im gonna try this on my blogger blog.