I made the decision to switch my blog over to a WordPress.com Business Plan and now that it’s been awhile, I thought I’d walk through the different features and what the process really looked like…
This post is sponsored by WordPress.com but all thoughts and words are my own
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Why I Made The Switch
For several years, my blog has been running on Blogger. When I explained to people why I chose Blogger, I’d often say that I liked how easy it was to use and that it was free. But in the same breath, the usability and navigation along with the appearance and even the views were never where I had hoped they would be. And then through different updates and constant glitches that I was left to navigate alone… suddenly any perks were no longer very “perky”. I knew it was time to switch– but where should I switch to?
I chose WordPress.com’s Business Plan for multiple reasons (linked in this blog post here) but the top draw was knowing that I would now own my content when I really didn’t before! The WordPress.com Business Plan also was the complete opposite in how I previously had to handle updates and changes alone without help: With WordPress.com’s Business Plan, not only do they handle the updates and tech things for me– but they offer 24/7 support where I can talk to a REAL person! Who actually helps me!
How The Switching Process Went
Once I made the decision to switch to the WordPress.com Business Plan, I was expecting a headache of transferring content and a complicated process. From what I researched online, transferring your blog server involved hiring experts who mastered coding and would do all of these complicated steps, costing a ton of money, and taking up a ton of time.
Spoiler Alert: None of that happened.
WordPress.com had a flawless transfer process where I could complete the process within a matter of minutes while having my hand held by an actual WordPress.com expert! First, I went onto my Blogger blog and downloaded the content and data to save to my computer. WordPress.com then had a simple “upload” button and minus a few tweaks and changes, it was as simple as that.
A couple of characters were uploaded in error from how Blogger had apostrophes coded, and the experts at WordPress.com were able to apply mass fixes to quickly solve any issues.
Within a total of 30 minutes all of my content was successfully uploaded onto WordPress.com with my new theme and an updated look. Zero extra cost, zero outside help, and truly zero stress added to the process.
The helpful WordPress.com team who now has my back
My Favorite Features of WordPress.com So Far
One of my top favorite features of WordPress.com is clearly their amazing team of experts. I have so much more comfort in the blogging process now that I know I can hop onto a support chat and get help immediately with any questions I have.
While I originally chose my blog server off of being free, it’s apparent to me that “you get what you pay for” is 100% true in this sense. I didn’t realize that WordPress.com also offered a free account, but when I think of all I’m getting from the WordPress.com Business Plan, the cost of $300/year is a bargain.
Other features that I have been loving with WordPress.com include the ability to add-in plugins, or additional customized features from third parties… but also the fact that I don’t need many! There is a searchable Recipe format for my recipes now, something I’ve never been able to do before. I can already tell that the layout and features have dramatically increased my SEO and views!
On top of additional views and better SEO thanks to the site speed improvement, my blog just looks more professional now. It has an updated look that was a theme right off of the WordPress.com database, and the navigation is smooth and fast.
I used to brush any mention of my blog off to the side because I was embarrassed to direct traffic to it. Now I am proud of how it looks and functions, and I can tell that it’s going to continue to facilitate my growing my online career!
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Well… that’s not true. I don’t know why people think they don’t own their content. You are and were the owner of your Blogger content, because you could download it and transfer it here without any fees or legal consequences.
Paid services are often more extensive and have advanced 1:1 support, because If you pay, you become a customer. If you pay for google services, you also have access to help via phone / email. Free products have forums where you can also get answers to most of your problems.
The same goes for custom templates. Many of them are adapted to the content you publish and well optimized (and if you pay, you usually also have support).
It’s hard to compare a completely free platform to a paid one (wp has a basic free plan, but it is a bit limited compared to Blogger – custom domain, custom templates, gadgets/scripts, ads). People also have different needs, skills and budgets. For example: for $26/mo. you have “Fully Integrated E-Commerce” on squarespace.