Got a blog on another platform but you’ve been hearing great things about WordPress and are considering a switch? Does the thought cause you to feel a migraine coming on? Don’t panic! It’s less scary than it sounds.
WordPress knows how cool it is, so it’s got all sorts of built in import tools that allow you to move without having to copy over your posts or pages… one… at… a… time…
From most other platforms you can easily import all of your posts, categories, images, attachments, etc. Yay!
Here’s the official WordPress transfer page with directions on how to import from more than 3 dozen other blogging/CMS platforms: http://codex.wordpress.org/Importing_Content
But that’s just one step. It’d be the most time consuming if it weren’t automated, so thank goodness it is! Here’s a few more you may or may not need to complete:
- Copy over your header and theme (this may require your designers help if you have a custom theme and aren’t proficient in HTML/themes)
- Setup your sidebar with the widgets you want for any ads, blog links, etc that you have on your blog
- Repoint your domain name from the old blog to the new one
- Customize your URLs so your links keep working (if you have a lot of deep links to posts within your current site you’ll want to do this)
- Update your RSS feed subscribers (if you’re using FeedBurner this is super easy – just give it the new feed URL)
There’s a good, very comphrensive guide here if you’re moving from Blogger to WordPress: http://www.mamablogga.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-migrating-from-blogger-to-wordpress/
Here’s how to move from Typepad to WordPress: http://help.sixapart.com/tp/us/typepad_to_wordpress.html
So is it worth it? If you want a blog that you can control completely, that’ll grow and expand with you as you need more features, and have the option to move between hosts (WordPress is open source software so you’re not locked to any particular host) it’s great! The sooner you switch the better, as you’ll have less to deal with moving and fewer things to worry about. If your blog is very new, you probably don’t need to worry about customizing URLs and you may not have a custom theme to deal with moving yet.
Not sold on WordPress yet? Allow me to offer my two cents on why WordPress totally rocks.
And if you’re looking for a great webhost, please do consider Host Creo – yes, it’s my company – where we’ll even install WordPress for you free to get you started on the right foot. :)
Great tips! I recently had the nightmare to upgrade one of my wordpress blogs (DannaCrawford.com) to a newer version and I would of been lost without that site!
Keep sharing the good words!
Danna
Participant #blog30
oo, great great information! I know I’ll need to know this once I finally setup my hosting business! Thanks so much.
This is great information. If I have to migrate to wordpress, I wouldn’t know where to start. I looked at the other platforms and for me choice was easy. You’re right. WordPress rocks!
Great info Michelle! Thanks so much for hooking me up with WordPress for all of my websites. I love it and as a non-techie Business Strategist it is so easy that even I can figure most things out. LOL
Very cool, Michelle!
I’ve tried my best to hone in with my target audience on the value and the importance of hosting your own blog. In simplest terms – you’ll own it! It’s yours to do with what you want. If you want to be taken seriously as a small business owner, it’s the only way to fly.
Yet I still meet lots and lots of wonderful mompreneurs who love their Blogger blogs and resist the change over like the plague!
I just wish I could get them all over here to your blog so they could read this post, for starters, and eliminate the fear factor and make the doggone switch! If I decide to do a teleseminar on this subject, would you consider being my guest expert on the call? :-)
Thanks for another super-duper post,
Melanie
#blog30