I created my first and most epic blog in 2007 – widgetsforfree.blogspot.com. Well at least I thought it was “epic” at the time. The website was hosted on the google blogger platform for seven long years. Just like anyone else I was afraid that I’d lose google search traffic if I migrated to another web platform.
Think About Your Long Term Goals
I went back and forth debating on whether or not to migrate to wordpress. I knew that switching would help me tremendously in the long run but I was afraid about the short term results.
Finally I made the switch to a self-hosted WordPress platform and I was able to do it in a strategic way so that I DIDN’T lose all my search engine traffic. My google traffic stream was affected slightly but I’m about to tell you why it’s all worth it in the long run!
Beautiful Web Design Gets Better Results
WordPress looks stunning
I’m a killer for branding and good clean design. WordPress is used by thousands of companies all over the world because theres is more flexibility and opportunity for good design.
Presentation and reputation are important factors for gaining influence on the web. When people see that you’re using blogger, your reputation goes down. Many people figure out that you’re capitalizing on a free platform and then they are more likely to question your legitimacy as a reliable source. It’s relatively easy to spot a Blogspot blog while you’re surfing the web. Usually the website has a .blogspot address and the design is in many cases outdated, cluttered, and not very appealing.
“Did you know that 74.6 Million Sites Depend on WordPress?” — source
Blogger is mediocre in design
When I created my first blogger blog I spent way too much time trying to tweak the design so that I could get it to look perfect. I had little experience at the time and had no idea how terrible the site looked – no matter how much time I spent on it. Don’t settle for mediocre design. It will cost you in the long run.
Fortunately with WordPress you can get locked in with some professional and seo friendly designs. Check out the resources below and I bet you’ll be able to spot the difference between a blogspot and wordpress template.
WordPress Themes that work well
Here are a few different places where you can find some awesome looking designs! There are so many great themes out there – you should be able to find something that will match your industry and provide the custom branding that you need.
3) Themeforest
4) Themify
5) Wpzoom
6) WooThemes
More Control and Better Features
Just about everyone agrees that Wordpress provides with you with more options and flexibility. There’s a great community behind the platform that constantly pushes new plugins. Right now they’ve got over 30,000 plugins that will help you get just about anything you need done. With a few clicks you can get a contact form setup or even start selling products.
Blogger is limited in many ways. They don’t have as many web developers and so new features only come up every so often. WordPress is improving at a constant rate and it allows you to have more control over different elements of your blog.
Search Engine Optimization
We all know how important it is to rank high in the search engines. Google blogger limits you with their default settings and hence you may be missing out on some potential web search traffic.
Image credit: imavex.com
With WordPress you can customize your site and create a solid seo framework that helps you rank better in search engines. Millions of people are benefiting from WordPress’s seo capabilites. Check out the WordPress Seo by Yoast Plugin for example and see how your site can be improved.
Full Ownership and Rights
If you’re hoping to sell your blogger blog one day…well you can’t. Unfortunately Blogger does not allow you to sell your blog. Google can also shut your site down at any point in time since they’re the one hosting your content. WordPress is self-hosted and you own every right to your blog (that includes selling it).
Which Web Hosting Plan Should I use?
I use Hostgator Web Hosting for several of my websites and they’ve been great for me. Hostgator is offering our readers a 25% off discount for any of their plans, which is a fantastic deal. At checkout enter the coupon code: theblogwidgets.
Questions About Switching to WordPress?
I know that migrating to WordPress can seem like a daunting process. Feel free to comment below with any specific questions or concerns that you might have. I’m happy to help!
Cheers!
