Why Transfer to WordPress.org?

I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz floating around blog-land. It seems everyone and their mother is transferring over to WordPress.org, to self-hosting, to the Genesis Framework. The biggest question in your head right now is: Why? Although I hate it (and I’m sure you do too) when someone tells you that you absolutely must do something…here’s a little bit on why you should consider transferring.

What’s wrong with free hosting sites like WordPress.com or Blogger?

• Theme limitations and design availability. Meaning you can only customize to a certain point and only download certain premade themes.
• Lack of plug-in options. I was on WordPress.com for a year, and to be honest they had nothing in the plug-in (widget) department. Blogger’s plug-ins aren’t much better as the selections seem somewhat dated. You have to outsource and use third-party widgets to add convenience to your blog.
• Limitations on ad networks. WordPress.com has a no-ad policy. Meaning you can’t make money off of any ad networks if you wanted to. On Blogger you can use google adsense as well as have in-post campaigns and blogher, however you cannot hid certain sponsored ads off your sidebar as required by some ad networks.
• You do not own your content. This is the most terrifying point. The fact that WordPress.com and Blogger literally own all the content on your blog, they can use it however they want to. Also, if they see fit, they can and will delete your blog. It’s happened twice now to two of my friends. Scary stuff!

Why WordPress.org (self-hosted)?

• You own 110% of your content. You pay for self-hosting. It’s yours forever!
• Unlimited design and customization potential. There are so many opportunities to make your blog amazing! HTML coding, CSS, Javascript, Themes, Frameworks, plug-ins…the list goes on and on!
• Full ad integration (add whatever you want, wherever you want)! Due to the fact that you can actually hide widgets on your sidebar and throughout your blog theme (wherever you have them installed), you can actually participate in multiple ad campaigns. It’s awesome and can earn you tons of money.
• An insane amount of plug-ins to make your life easier and more awesome. Plug-ins for speed, search engine optimization, post organization, sidebar design, nifty little sharing buttons, pinterest ‘pin it’ buttons, you will never see the end of the plug-in list. It’s constantly growing to accommodate what people want. It’s awesome.

What is self-hosted? Basically it means you have to move your site from it’s house (WordPress.com or Blogger) to a new house (yours). You want the ability be comfortable in your own ‘place’ and have the freedom to do all the stuff above! Hopefully that makes since. Now, self-hosting isn’t free, but trust me, it’s totally worth it. I use Bluehost.com for all my hosting, and it’s never failed me. Plus, they have incredible customer service! Once you buy hosting ($3.95-$6.95 per month), the hosting company be where you install WordPress.org. Your eyes are probably glazing over at this point, but that’s why I’m here for you…I take care of 99.9% of this (you have to buy the hosting and that’s it)! Sure transferring to WordPress.org will do wonders for your blogging career, but you can take it one step further with the Genesis Framework (on which I build all my WP.org themes).

The Genesis Framework

• Integrated SEO Optimization. Meaning people using Google and other search engines can find your blog ALOT easier by searching random things.
• Gorgeous Mobile Responsive Design. Desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone, your design will always look amazing and will be 100% user friendly. In an age where mobile browsing happens more than computer browsing…it’s something to take note of.
•  Fast Loading Time. No more waiting hours for all the images to appear on your blog, for posts to show up, or for comments to appear. It’s there almost as fast as you can say “www.yourdomain.com.” Why? Genesis developers use the shortest amount of coding possible so that your computer isn’t bogged down by a ton of useless coding when trying to load.
• Blogging Security. The Genesis Framework is updated constantly just to make sure your security is safe and hackers stay at bay. Older, never-updated themes are more vulnerable to cyber attacks as those that stay up-to-date. You may be surprised by all the updates with this framework, but I promise you it’s for your best interest!

Convinced and ready to transfer? I’ve been self-hosted since March of 2013 after moving my blog over myself. Since then I’ve been working with clients moving them over to the wonders of .org and giving them the help and support they need to get acquainted with their new hosting services. I’ve also taken online classes so that I fully understand all aspects of the transfer process, and I can ensure my clients’ transfers are smooth and without errors. If you’re considering transferring on over, check out the packages I have below. If you have more questions or are ready to get started, feel free to send me a quick email!

WORDPRESS.COM to WORDPRESS.ORG TRANSFER – $150

• Installation of WordPress on your hosting site
• Installing the Genesis Framework ($99.95 dollar value)
• Point your domain to your new hosting account
• Transfer your content (posts, pages, images, widgets, comments)
• Transfer your current design
• Redirect your RSS feed (if needed)
• Adding SEO and Speed  Optimization plug-ins
• Google Adsense and Analytics installation ($15 add-on service)

BLOGGER to WORDPRESS.ORG TRANSFER – $225

• Installation of WordPress on your hosting site
• Installing the Genesis Framework ($59.95 dollar value)
• Point your domain to your new hosting account
• Redirect your RSS feed
• Redirect old links to your new site -removing HTML so that your old blogger shared posts (example: via Pinterest or blog linkups) will redirect to your new WP site
• Fix broken links
• Transfer your content (posts, pages, images, widgets, comments)
• Transfer your current design
•  Adding SEO and Speed  Optimization plug-ins
• Google Adsense and Analytics installation ($15 add-on service)