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Why Switch to WordPress?

January 21, 2013 by 7 Comments

So, how was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Remember I said I’d be making the switch to WordPress?  :) Things are looking a little different around here these days and that’s because I flipped the switch to a self-hosted blog this weekend!

switching to wordpress

Yep, the switch to WordPress is complete! (aside from a little tweaking)  And just in case you got any weird emails or error messages from me – I completely apologize. Remember  when I said that I knew NOTHING about WordPress? I wasn’t kidding. :)

Thankfully, there are some awesome tutorials out there with step-by-step instructions for anyone wanting to switch to a self-hosted WordPress blog. I’ll be sharing those with you soon in case you are considering making the switch yourself. It can be done and YOU can do it!

So why switch to WordPress blogging? Everyone is doing it, so it must be the thing to do, right? WRONG. This is something I strongly suggest taking the time to research and decide if it’s right for you. It does cost a little moolah, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Don’t be scared of the change though. There’s lots of reasons to make the switch to a self-hosted blog!

7 Reasons to Switch to WordPress Blogging

  1.  Own it. - When you move to a self-hosted blog, you own your content. The thought that Blogger could possibly wipe out my blog all my hard work at any time just urks me. And if their server goes down, I am at their mercy. Who needs that stress? With a self-hosted blog, I pay to have my blog hosted on a server which means someone out there wants to keep me happy! ;) and I like happy.
  2. Support. - One thing that every blogger needs is support. WordPress offers just that through the WP Forums. You can pretty much bet that any question you might have will have an answer for you there. A great resource of information for WP newbies like me!
  3. Design Like a Pro. -  Wordpress allows you to choose a customized theme for your blog. There are a ga-jillion themes out there to choose from that will make your blog unique to you! You have more control over the content of your blog with WordPress and the flexibility to do just about anything you can think of. Which brings me to my next reason.
  4. Plug-Ins. – Flexibility = Control? Yes, WordPress offers plug-ins for your blog that allow you to add more widgets, more functions, more -more-more of everything and for FREE! Did I mention I have control issues? :)
  5. Comment Management. – Bloggers love comments! I strive very hard to reply to every single one but sometimes I get a “no-reply” comment and there is no way for me to reply to you with my current Blogger set up. With WordPress, I can use threaded comments with my current layout. Easy peasy! WordPress will also let you subscribe to comments on a specific post, and will help filter out all those spammy comments! = HAPPY for all of us!
  6. SEO Benefits Rock. – SE, what??? Search Engine Optimization. If you are a blogger, this can make a HUGE difference! In a nutshell, SEO is how easy it is to find your blog is on search engines like Google. WordPress has built-in code that helps boost this for you. There’s many more levels to it, but that’s the basic for you.
  7. It Grows With You. – With WordPress, it’s easy to make changes and updates. I have a tendency to change things around a bit. The more I blog, the more I learn, and the more I want to change and grow. I’m not real sure how far this blog will go, but I know WordPress will help me get there.

So is it easy to switch? Relatively speaking, yes. Step by Step tutorials are awesome.

Is WordPress easy to use? Eventually, it will be. I’m so used to Blogger thatI have a lot to learn. There oodles of things you can do that I’ve not even discovered yet.

You already know I’m not a patient person, right? :) I find myself sitting at the computer reading up on plug-ins and layouts until wee hours of the morning. It’s a bit unhealthy. I know. But I’m really excited about the change and the possibilities!

And remember what I said about bloggers needing support? You can help me be better by letting me know if something isn’t working right. If my site takes eons to load or if something just doesn’t load at all. I blog because I love it and in hopes to inspire you! So if something’s not working right, well you certainly aren’t being inspired now are you? :)

I hope you like the new layout. Anyone out there already using WordPress? Have you already switched or thinking of switching? Do you have any questions that I can help answer for you?

I’m hoping to share more tips and tricks with you as I learn more!

 

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  • Tracy

    Hi can I ask we’re you able tomtransferbyour other blog to here ?

    • Ellora @ Creatively Southern

      Hi Tracy,
      Yes, I moved all of my blog from blogger to this domain. There are some great plugins for wordpress that make it possible to transfer your posts, images, and comments. The only things that didn’t transfer were my pages. As you can see, I’m still working on those. Eventually I may update my theme to something more, but I need things simple until I get it all figured out. I plan to write a post to show you how I did it all.

  • Claudine Pender

    Dear Ellora!!!! I also made the switch, and the number one reason was the same as yours: own my content. I am also a bit impatient and I getting annoyed at how long is taking me to write my posts (because I don’t know how to do things at wordpress) but my web designer and friend promised it is better in the long run. I miss writing more often so I will write a post soon! I will let you know if I see anything “funny” in your new blog! Cheers. Claudine

    • Ellora @ Creatively Southern

      I think it would help if I had a web designer, but #1 – I’m too cheap. haha! There I said it outloud. and #2 – finding one is another thing. It’s good to know I have someone to share this learning curve with! ;) Thanks for your comments Claudine!!

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  • Kate.Fitz

    Hi Ellora! I am totally charmed by your intro – a DIY’er and a party planner, a mom – how do you manage to do it all?

    Thanks for taking your time to describe this process – I have been thinking about migration too, and now I finally decided and even found the right tool (I am too lazy to do the switch myself), so it looks like http://www.cms2cms.com is a good option in my case. Your tutorial only helped me make up my mind and I can’t wait to “find myself sitting at the computer reading up on plug-ins and layouts”, like you do!

    P.S. And I love the looks of your site.
    Have a great day!

    Kate

    • http://www.creativelysouthern.com/ Ellora @ Creatively Southern

      Hey there Kate! You know, some days I just don’t get it all done. ;) That’s what Starbucks and sweet tea is for, right? You are so kind! I hope your migration goes well. WordPress is so better… keep telling yourself that because the first month after the transition was the hardest. Just don’t put pressure on yourself to blog until you feel comfortable with WordPress and how it works. I promise it will be worth it. And it’s so worth it to have someone or something to help you make the move! Can’t wait to see your site. :)