So, yesterday I decided to switch to WordPress. You know how that goes, you hear all these wonderful things from different bloggers about how WP is so much better. Owning your content, better customization, more professional & all that. So after months of debating I finally decided to try it.
I didn't like it.
Let me start at the beginning. I got my hosting and installed WP. Then I found a theme that I liked and imported my posts & comments and saw how everything looked. Then I started to make changes... boy oh boy. I quickly realized that there was a steep learning curve to WP, and I am not one for complicated. Trying to get my sidebars how I wanted was impossible because you have to add plugins & widgets to do everything. Which isn't too bad except you have to find majority of these yourself. I didn't feel like doing that. I also didn't like that pages don't transfer over. So I had to create the pages & copy and paste the info into them. Which in turn created more work because they contained links that had to now be redirected.
I've been with Blogger since I started blogging a few years ago and have also created one on Tumblr as well. I have gotten spoiled by the ease & simplicity of these two platforms.On Tumblr you simply click on the type of post you want to add and it's automatically formatted. You just have to add the information you want & post. On Blogger you can easily write a post in 5 minutes and add pictures & videos to it from one bar. There's no searching for anything. I couldn't even figure out how to change the post font color on WP. Maybe I just wasn't ready or didn't give it enough time but moving to WordPress was just too overwhelming for me. People don't tell you that when you talk to them. You just hear the good things. This very quick experience made me more appreciate of Blogger's format. I redirected my domain back to blogger, cancelled my hosting plan & my refund is being processed. I have no plans to move my book blog from here although I MAY give WP another try in a year or two if I start a fashion. We'll see though. I may start that on Blogger or Tumblr.
I know I can't be the only one who has switched to WordPress and then come back to Blogger, but I bet there aren't many. I'd like to hear about your experiences and opinions on switching; whether you stayed or came back. What did you like or not like about either platform?
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I started on blogger, simply because it was the one I knew of at the time but I love it. I didn't really consider wordpress, I don't know, I can't say much because I've never tried it but it just feels more user friendly here and unlike Sheldon, I do like user friendly formats and stuff.
ReplyDeleteI also read somewhere that if you didn't pay, WordPress was very limited. But I have heard that is supposed to be more professional. For the moment, I wouldn't consider moving and hearing your experience, I think I'll stay with blogger.
haha loved your Sheldon reference! The Big Bang is a great show.
DeleteWhen I first started blogger was the only one I knew of as well. In my opinion it is much more user friendly. I did use the self hosted WordPress but I cancelled my hosting plan so my money is getting refunded. I feel now that the "professional" side of blogger is simply people who know what they're doing on WP. I have seen some really good professional & professional looking themes on blogger sites and some WP sites that look like kids did them. WP may be a bit overrated, but that's just my thought.
I'll be sticking to blogger though.
The good thing is you're getting your money back, so it's not like you wasted it for nothing.
DeleteIt is a great show, the big bang theory. Right when I was writing that I though of Sheldon and him saying that about Windows 7 lol
By the way, I like the design of your blog and the color is really cool
Yes I'm glad about that. Although I got a deal & only spent $24 I can use that money on something else. Not staying w/ WP will save me money anyways. It would cost $70 a year to run my blog. I'm paying $1 right now to have my domain name for a year & I can renew it for $4.
DeleteAnd thanks, I was searching for a new look after I switched back from WP and saw this. Turquoise is my fave color so I had to get it.