Last summer I got brave and started to try to make it look better and monetize. I also took more time and enjoyment in sharing recipe posts, photos, and stories! The more often I posted and shared my posts on social media sites, I saw my audience grow. I doubled my audience monthly. It’s not a lot by professional blogger standards, but when I decided to transition my blog from Blogger to WordPress, I finally had hit over 10,000 views and could take a long desired blogging course.
Welp… here comes the leap of faith to get my own domain, use a hosting service, and create a blog on WordPress because I read so much about how awesome and easy it was to use. I also understood that my traffic would increase using a host.
So began the next steps. It took me weeks to set up the new blog in my spare time. I was frustrated, sweaty, and anxious! I began to have doubts almost immediately. But I was already over $80 invested in a host and about half way through cleaning up a botched import of my blog posts from Blogger to WordPress. I cried, in secret, but because I was so proud of myself for taking a leap! I wouldn’t have done this sort of thing even a year ago! Let’s not even talk about the loss of traffic and time setting up a matching Facebook page that no one is coming to either. Okay, I might mention it one more time in The Bottom Line.
I understand that there is a steep learning curve (now) and I am self-taught at this time. I haven’t had time to take any courses or watch any YouTube videos to learn what I am doing better, so the frustrations, I am sure, is self-induced. So my current evaluation is that I’m tempted to begin copying and pasting posts from my new WordPress blog, into the old Blogger blog so that when my hosting expires next April, I can resume my blog on Blogger. However, the next several months, give me a bit of time to learn more and possibly embrace the WordPress culture. One of my biggest desires with WordPress is to maintain the free template until I can afford a better template and have menus at the top and be able to change my font! I don’t think that’s asking a lot! Actually the main reason I changed to WordPress was to get a menu option that I couldn’t figure out how to use on Blogger. Pffft!
The Bottom Line:
Appearance: My blog looked better on Blogger. It needed improvement, but looked cleaner, brighter, more interesting. My current blog looks drab and I tried really hard to keep it simple and clean, bu the yellow color looks different on every computer. 2 of my 3 loyal readers did tell me they loved it though.
Ease of Use: Blogger is so much easier to use. You can work with your layout, change your fonts while you are in your draft, adding code, images, and videos are super easy. It was just quicker to get it done, make sure it looked good, easier on the eyes because I could use a different font, and easy to share on social media. WordPress is not impossible, but again I’m in the learning curve right now and had to take time off of learning to start working. I have not figured out fully to use plug ins so I can change fonts and I fear of more output of funds to make the blog look better. Adding images and video are not difficult. Images are super easy! Code… I finally figured that out so I am good there. Once the post is published, sharing on social media is easy and I have more options.
Overall Satisfaction: Blogger was free and easy. I was seeing consistent growth and interest and was earning a few cents here and there with adsense and affiliates. WordPress is costing e a few dollars a month and is not easy, but it’s not complicated. I have seen a significant drop in traffic and interest yet the content is the same. I’ve backed off on adsense and affiliates until I see significant growth.
I’m hoping this doesn’t come off as anti WordPress or even too complainy of a post. These are just my honest thoughts on how the transition has gone and the comparison of the two blog options that I have used. I know I’m a newbie and have lots to learn, but my main goal was to be an encourager and enjoy blogging. I’m not going to encourage anyone, if they aren’t reading my posts and it sort of takes the fun out of blogging sometimes when 3 people visit after you pour your heart out for an hour.
It’s all good though. I’m certain that after a few more months of practice that I will get the hang of WordPress and do a post later on singing it's p’aises! I’m also certain that the right person will get my blog and read it at the right time to find some encouragement or get a good giggle or a yummy recipe.
So if you happened upon this post and you are a fellow blogger, I truly welcome your suggestions of where I can find some not too complicated tutorials on how to use Word Press and maybe a recommendation of what hosting you are using, if any.
Update: This post was originally written on August 4, 2016. (in WordPress) Since then, I have gotten a bit more comfortable using WordPress, but still haven’t been successful with implementing some of the plugins or getting eyes on my posts. I am currently in the process of moving my posts back to this blog and giving up on WordPress. Blogging has slacked because it hasn’t been as fun or a relief of stress for me. It actually creates a bit of stress using WordPress. I also don’t feel like I’m fulfilling my goal as an encourager and a fun distraction for folks if no one knows my blog exists. I’ve actually had former readers of this blog tell me they miss my blogging. Uh… I’ve still been blogging but they can’t find me! So stay tuned and head back as I will be adding posts back and filling in the history gap. (I hope)
Update 2: I’m done with WordPress and back to blogger as I ease myself back into blogging (which hasn’t been easy)
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