Moving to WordPress Update

Has it been really more than month since my move? Gosh, how time flies, really! I have meant to write about this move and surprised myself that I’ve delayed this post for this long.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move, at first. I mean, I have used Blogger for a very long time. I’ve gotten used to it. Very easy to use and not a lot of back-end work to be done. But, I also know bloggers who really say that WordPress is the way to go if you want to take blogging to the next level. I want more for this blog but just thinking about the work (and expenses), makes me want to just stay where I am. 

A few months ago, I decided that it is time to change the “look” of my blog. And that it’s time to pay someone to do it professionally. I mean, the blog is doing well. I’ve been getting more collaborations and slowly earning (not a lot, ok?)  from the blog so why not improve it, right? So I asked around. I checked my blogger friends’ blog designs and almost all of them were done by Fancy Girl Design Studio. I contacted Patricia for the redesign and the rest is history. 

In the middle of the design process, I had a realization. Why not combine both of my blogs?! Why do I have to support two blogs when I can just concentrate on one? So there. I decided to go for a rebrand. Instead of two blogs, I bought a new domain and asked for a design that would be a good fit for my blogs. Everything was going as planned until I read this (posted by Patricia on her FB page): 

 

Oh Crap! 

Right then and there, I asked Patricia if she can recommend anyone who can help me to migrate. Enter the ninja, Jen. First, I got my hosting done through Bluehost. Then downloaded WordPress, yada yada yada. Jen did her magic while I had to tell Patricia to “upgrade” the design to WordPress (of course that cost extra for me). The design is based on the Genesis Framework which I like because it’s very neat and clean. When the design was done and all the posts were redirected to the new domain, I got control over my blog again. Whew!!

The whole process shouldn’t have been long. It took a while because of me. So here are my tips when moving to WordPress:

1. Move first before contacting the designer. My design took a while because I started with a basic blogger design then added some add ons and then decided to go for a WordPress template. Not only it delayed the delivery a bit (just a bit, mind you. Patricia was very nice and helpful), I had to pay extra for the revisions and “upgrade”.
2. Buy your domain and host at the same time. Because I was planning to just do a rebrand first, I bought my domain from a different vendor. Then when I decided that I will self host, I got hosting from Bluehost. You see, Bluehost has a package where the domain is free when buying the hosting. Again, that’s unnecessary expense for me!
3. If you’re not sure, contact a professional. I’m so scared of messing this up that I actually told Jen (the migration expert) that I am an idiot when it comes to tech stuff. I only know how to write and publish. LOL. Sure, you’d have to shell out some money but it’s really worth it, specially if you don’t know what you’re doing!
4. It’s ok to ask. Ask your friends (who are using WP), I do! I ask what plugins they use, how to add stuff to widgets, how to upgrade plugins! 
5. Learn to back up. Now that I am self hosted, I need to learn how to back up my files. Thankfully, Jen (the migration guru!) told me how to do it. Now that’s after sales service 😀

There’s still so much I need to learn about WordPress and I am slowly getting there. I’m just so happy that I was able to upgrade my plugins and theme on my own (with a little coaching, of course!). I feel like a child with a new toy! My friend, Grace (Sandier Pastures) would always tell me, “You’re a big girl now!!” —

She has been bullying me to move, you see. 😀