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My Blog Migration Story: Part 5

My Blog Migration Story - Part 5

If you’re just tuning in, click here to start at the beginning with Part 1 of My Blog Migration Story.

Today marks the fifth and final part of this blog series.  For those of you who haven’t deserted me after all of the techie jargon, thank you, thank you, thank you.

It has been over a month that The Thinking Closet has been livin’ and flyin’ over here at WordPress.org, and I just now feel like things are starting to get back to normal…or back to new normal, I suppose.  In this grand finale post, I’ll be answering your questions regarding blog migration.

But before we dive into the Q and A…

My Blog Migration Story: Part 5 | The Thinking Closet

Let’s flashback to Part 4 for a quick review.

Last time, I tackled the steps I had taken after migration, shared what I had learned about myself, my high point since migrating, and my low point.  You may remember my low point: Pinterest had flagged pins linked to my old blog as “suspicious” and potentially “linking to spam and other inappropriate content” simply because they were being redirected to my new url.  Quick update on that front: although I received one reply from a customer service rep. saying they would fix the problem, my pins remain flagged despited my repeated requests for help.  I’m moving on.

Since then, however, I faced an even lower low.  A “dark night of the blogging soul,” so to speak.  (Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending.)

On March 11th, due to a glitch in my Jetpack plug-in, my email and WordPress Reader subscriber counts were cleared to 0.  You can read whole saga in my creatively-titled post, How I Lost All of My Blog Subscribers.

How I Lost All of My Blog Subscribers | A Tragedy (or is it a Comedy?) by Lauren of The Thinking Closet

The update: thankfully, my WordPress Reader subscribers were never actually lost, and I was able to retrieve most of my email subscribers through an old csv file.  Rather than entrust my subscriber list to a plug-in again, I decided to sign up for a free account with MailChimp, transfered my subscribers to their system with a few clicks, and I’ve been living happily ever after ever since.

I have so much more freedom now when it comes to sending email updates, backing up my subscriber list, and viewing stats.  For example, for every email I send, I can see how many people opened that email, how many people clicked over to my site, and so much more.  It has been really eye-opening.  Oh, and their mascot is a really cute monkey.  So, yeah…I’m sold.

Mail Chimp
Image source: MailChimp.com

But enough about me and monkeys, let’s get to YOU and your questions.

Q: If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be? –Bethany

A:  Good question!  Well, in order to make the actual migration week less stressful, I would have pre-written and scheduled my blog posts, so I could devote all of my energies to focusing on behind-the-scenes work.  And in that same vein, I would have avoided having my first affiliate post (with Silhouette America) going live so soon after migration.  My post deadline ended up being the day we had planned for my new site to go live.  However, things are not instantaneous when it comes to migrating, especially if you’re switching domain names like I did and transferring blog subscribers, which puts you at the whimsy of WordPress.com.  So, my post ended up going live a day late.  Not a big deal in the light of eternity, but at the time it was knot-in-my-stomach stressful.  If I could do it again, I would have given myself more margin with those things!  #storyofmylife

Q:  Can you work on a new WordPress.org site while maintaining the original WordPress.com one if you’re keeping the same url? –Kelly

A:  My understanding is yes!  Although you may have your own url through WordPress.com, until you switch the domain name to your new hosting site (i.e. Bluehost or HostGator), you should still be able to blog on your current WordPress.com site while setting up your new WordPress.org site.  Check out this forum thread and this one for more information.

Q:  Are there any other safety precautions to take besides having a back-up of your blog and Akismet spam protection in place? –Gabby

A:  Yes!  With hackers and malware out there, it’s important to have security in place for your WordPress.org site, and once you’re outside of the WordPress.com bubble, it’s up to you to set up your own protection.  I’m still in the process of setting up security measures for my blog, but I highly recommend checking out this article by wpmu.org on WordPress security.  It is chock full of useful information that I have been poring over lately.  And rather than get overwhelmed by it all, I’m taking it one step at a time.

Q:  Are you a cat person? –Jessica

A:  Ha ha!  Well, the cat videos from Part 4 have given me away.  Indeed!  I am a cat person and proud of it.  Photographic evidence from my youth:

My Blog Migration Story: Part 5 | The Thinking Closet

In this photo that my Mom dug out of our album from 1993 {thanks, Mom}, you can see that I created some artwork in our cat, Christopher Columbus’s, honor as he was nearing the end of his life; he lived to age 19!  Apparently, I referred to him as, “Our good old man.”  And he was.  A good old man-cat.  He used to let me teeth on his ears when I was a baby, and he had bite-mark scars to prove it.  Also, my first word was not “mama” or “dada,” but “ki-ca”…the street term for “kitty cat.”  Now, that’s love.

Although I claim identity as a “cat-person,” I do have a place in my heart for dogs, too, and we’ll probably get one someday as Mark is allergic to cats.  My in-laws’ have a Portuguese Water Dog named Maggie who has stolen all of our hearts.  And in the meantime, we feed the stray cat that roams our back deck.  Probably not a good idea, but we can’t help ourselves.

Thanks for asking, Jessica!

Q: Sponsorship and advertising: where do you begin?

A:  Ah, the age old question.  I’ve gotten this question in various forms via email, and I’ll share what I wrote recently to one reader.

There is certainly not one formula to monetization, and I think it’s important that every blogger do some soul-searching on what she’s comfortable with and what aligns with their goals and philosophies.  Personally, I was really torn at first about sponsored posts and advertising.  I thought it’d be great to earn back what I’ve put into my blog with the migration and redesign; however, I didn’t want my blog to become just a billboard or for me to lose the trust of my readers with too many sponsored posts and giveaways.  I guess I’ve been on blogs like that where it seemed like every single post was an attempt to make money, and that just gave me a sour taste.

However, I have witnessed several examples of sponsored posts and advertising done tastefully…to the point where I think, I could do that, too!  And I’m also realizing that there are a lot of ways to go about monetizing beyond sponsored posts and advertising, such as affiliate programs, ebooks, product creation, and consultant work to name a few.   So, I’m committed to continue to research and reflect on this question and only make choices that I’m comfortable with and that allow me to maintain my integrity as a blogger.

For those curious to read more about sponsorship and monetizing your blog, here are some articles I recommend:

And to close, I’ll ask myself a question that perhaps some of you are thinking:

Q:  What would you say to those of us considering a migration?

A:  This is not for the faint of heart.  If you can be satisfied where you are, stay there.  It also isn’t right for everyone, even if you have all the gusto in the world!  For instance, take my bloggy buddy Gabby.  “Gusto” is her middle name (or at least it should be), and she even began the process of migrating from Blogger to WordPress.org on her own; but ultimately, she decided to stay with Blogger, which I think was a wise decision for her.  Here’s a link to her informative and articulate post on her experience: Why I Didn’t Move to WordPress (Even Though I Really Wanted To).

However, if you’re really struggling with the limitations of your current host and are in this thing for the long haul, then go for it!  Just know that it is going to take longer than you can imagine, it’s going to be harder than you imagine, and that you are going to wonder if it was worth it.  But for me, I can already say that it has been totally worth it and has opened me up to so many possibilities from a design perspective and from a business standpoint.  No regrets.

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.  Thanks for joining me on this rollercoaster of a ride.  I have a feeling this is just the beginning!

Oh, and one more thing!

I mentioned in Part 2 that I created a secret board on Pinterest as a space to collect ideas for my blog redesign.  Well, that board also become a place to collect awesome articles and tutorials that I have found on blogging in general, and there’s no need for those to be kept a secret!  So, I’ve moved them over to a public Pinterest board to be shared with y’all if you’re interested.  Click on the image below or click here to check out the board and follow it.  Many of these articles have been ones I have mentioned in past posts or ones I refer to continually.  I hope they’re a help to you, too!

My Blog Migration Story: Part 5 | The Thinking Closet

 Heart,

This is Lauren, signing off.

40 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this series Lauren! I don’t have a blog – yet (would like to 😉 and this has helped me immensely. I love your style of writing. I stumbled upon you via Kelly Paull’s (she’s a badass honeybadger) pinterest board. I’m in the process of taking a facebook course with her and it’s proven very helpful, even more so that it led me here and to the links you’ve posted (sorry my squirrel brain has a hard time remembering names, but I’ve already favorited the Etsy link – I think you know who I mean). Anyways, love your blog, will be checking it all out. I’ve got a Silhouette too but haven’t done much with it. I too am an extroverted introvert and a procrastinating perfectionist, although you wouldn’t know it with the disorganized mess I live in 😉 Thanks for a great read.

    1. Why thank you for this sweet as apple pie comment, Debbie! And I’m so curious what link Kelly Paull shared that led you here! I had actually never heard of her before, but thanks to you, I’m now following her on Pinterest. Ha ha. Love her obsession with the honey badger!

      And yes, I know which etsy link you’re referencing. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, though, Debbie, I’d start right away on either WordPress.org or Blogger…just bypass WordPress.com if you can. There are a lot of limitations on WordPress.com that you don’t have to deal with on WordPress.org and Blogger, and…well…I won’t go into it all here and now, I’m sure you already know a lot if you read through my series! Ha ha.

      I guess just knowing that you’re just starting out is really exciting! Please let me know if you get a blog up and running because I’d love to stop by and show you some comment love. We outgoing extroverts and procrastinating perfectionists need to stick together! 😉 HUGS.

      P.S. If you want some Silhouette motivation, I have a Silhouette FB group I run that might be of help! The ladies in the group are always sharing amazing projects that inspire me to pull out my Cameo. Not that you need another FB group to join…but if you think it would be helpful for you, let me know, and I can email you with more info.

  2. As I read this a couple months later, all of the stress and worries came back to me remembering that intense migration time. But there’s a peace now that it’s all over. And the results have been so incredible! And you are full of such intelligence now about this subject…thanks for sharing it with others. I feel like if I ever made the move someday, I’d have the best sister consultant ever!

    1. Ugh. It gives me a pit in my stomach to remember it all…but in the long run, it was definitely the right move for The Thinking Closet and me! Ha ha, not sure I’m “full of intelligence” on it all; I still feel in the dark about so much of it, but learning more and more every day. You know I’d have your bloggy back if ever you decided to migrate. 🙂

  3. I JUST made switch and became self-hosted as well. I could totally relate to a lot of your experience. My biggest worry was in losing all my followers and all my previous work. I actually ended up doing most of it on my own. Things could have gone really really wrong so I’m thankful that it turned out ok. However, I am totally responsible for everything that happens from this point on and that makes me extremely nervous! I still have a lot to learn and figure out. I’ll just have to take it one at a time like you! Your blog looks absolutely amazing!!

    1. Wow, I’m really impressed that you tackled the migration mostly on your own. You are a braver soul than I, and I’m sure you learned a ton in the process. That’s wonderful to hear that you were able to hold onto your content and followers; it definitely feels risky, especially as there are no guarantees that the process will go smoothly. But thank goodness it did for you! And I can relate to feeling nervous about what lies ahead. My trepidation has slowly but surely started to fade as time goes on, though I’m always half expecting my blog to disappear into thin air. That’s why back-ups are oh so important. Anyway, thanks for your kind words, Min, and I wish you the best as your blog spreads it self-hosted wings and starts to fly!

  4. Not for the faint of heart is right on! If I could do everything all over again I would have started my blog self hosted from Day 1. Then it would have saved everything. The name change. The watermarking. The whole transfer process. I am grateful that wp.com offered me a community to get to know people and get my blogging feet wet but man. The transfer. Like bring on tech support 101.

    1. You know, I thought about that Alex, but I don’t think I would have been up for dishing out money to start blogging on self-hosted WP because I didn’t even know if this whole blogging thing would stick. I figured I might abandon it after a few weeks. But nearly 8 months later, I’m still tip typing away…and I agree, if we had started out on self-hosted WordPress, it would have saved many a headache from all that tech support!

  5. Hi Lauren,
    I’ve just stumbled across your blog and can’t stop reading! Thanks for sharing your migration story – I jumped ship last year and have been trying to get to grips with going it alone ever since. Your information and helpful links have really given me inspiration.
    Good luck with your site,
    MissFeebs xx

    1. Thanks for the kind words, Miss Feebs! I’m glad to know you enjoyed your visit here. And congrats on the migration! It’s certainly not easy, and I cannot imagine going it alone. I applaud you for your bravery, girl. And after visiting your blog, it looks like your migration was a resounding success. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you out. Though I may not have the answer, I’d be happy to point you to someone who might! So wonderful to “meet” you.

  6. Love this. The entire series has been incredibly helpful and I honestly think you’ll be helping TONS of people with your story!!! And now you can look back and smile because you came out of this experience alive!!!

    1. It’s true! Alive…a bit battered and beaten, but alive! 😉 Happy to help. And Thalita, you have no idea how much it meant to me when you reached out to offer your help when I expressed interest in migrating. I’ll never forget that sweet email!

  7. Oh, I’m so glad you answered my cat question! Thank you! Sorry I’m a little behind. I have officially been hiding from the internet all week while handling a few curve balls life has thrown, but I’m glad to be back to get to see you with your childhood kitty. Oh…and all the migration stuff too of course 🙂
    Wish my kitty was nice to me. He’s nice to everyone but me. I am officially on his list of people who need stalking and attacking in the middle of the night.
    Thanks for the blogging tips, Lauren!

    1. Sounds like you’ve had a whirlwind of a week! I’m so sorry, Jessica. I hope that the days ahead are more restful than the previous have sounded. (20 hours waiting for delayed flights? Still in awe of that number. Sending you such a big hug.)

      And I’m sorry to hear about your kitty not liking you. Late night cat attacks in the dark are no way to live. I have heard of cats like these…but mine have thankfully only ever been cordial. Don’t give up hope on cats altogether! Come and meet the wanderer cat that hangs out on our back deck sometime. She’s more friendly than a concierge. 🙂

  8. This was an awesome series! I love that now I have somewhere to point people when they ask me about what it was like to move to wordpress. When I moved, it was pre-pinterest so there weren’t those redirect issues, and I’m so so glad I moved. I hope those issues work out for you! I have some friends who haven’t migrated for that very reason.

    1. Thanks for your kind words, Kelly! I, too, know a lot of people holding back from migration because of fear. And I think everyone needs to weigh the potential costs with the potential gains. For me, I had outgrown WordPress.com and was really fed up with its limitations, so migrating was a no brainer. Sure I had fears (still do!), but I was also really excited about what lay on the other side of the fence. Like you, I’m so glad I took the journey.

      And that whole Pinterest drama really threw me for a loop at first…but after the initially shock has worn off, I’m over it. It still bums me out and I’m hopeful that one day, they’ll decide to respond to my millionth email, but if not, “I will survive,” as the song goes. 😉

  9. Awesome series, Lauren! Can’t wait to check out your not-secret-anymore Pinterest board. I’m really excited for you and know this move will bring so many new and positive opportunities your way!

    1. You really impressed me so much by taking it on yourself. I’d actually love to read YOUR blog migration story and learn a thing or two from you about more of the behind the scenes work (with coding and all that jazz). You have quite a knack for it!

      1. Thanks Lauren! Yes! I was thinking of writing a little something about coding/design. ( I really enjoy that part!) It seems that’s where people get stuck or overwhelmed if they do not hire out. My migration story is a tad boring. Everything happened exactly like it should have. I have no drama. I can still talk about what I did though:)

        1. Do it, Tori! I’d love to learn from you. Even something as simple as how to go in and change a few of the design elements (a font or column width). And I think a successful migration story is really important to share…because it will encourage those who are terrified for fear of major disaster. It will show folks that IS possible to have a migration sans drama! 😉

        2. I would read it Tori. Between the coding and the security I haven’t switched over. I’m still on the fence. One day I think I’ve made my choice & then other days I change my mind.

          1. I definitely was on the fence for a while, Tracie, but I always knew that it would have to happen eventually (I just couldn’t handle the limitations), so I think it took writing my Blogging Dreams and Goals post and getting it into written word to motivate me to make it happen. I know you’ve been processing it a lot on your blog, Tracie. Hopefully that clarity about what the right decision is will come to you soon, friend!

          2. I was the same way Tracie! It just clicked one day. I caught myself rereading this article about moving to WP (for the 50th time) and was like why don’t I just do it already! I was a little nervous because I had no idea what I was doing. However, I did things in steps. I purchased hosting first. Got my self familiar with that…then downloaded WP but used a temporary address. So I got to play around for a couple of weeks before I made the final domain switch. If you ever need any help let me know!!

          3. Tori, I think you were so wise to break things down into steps like you did. Manageable chunks! Otherwise, it really would be way too overwhelming.

  10. YAY!! I have to say that I have really enjoyed your entire migration story Lauren! It is so helpful to have this as a guide for if and when I do the same process. (Still up in the air when I would want to do that). KUDOS KUDOS KUDOS!
    Kenley

    1. Thanks for your three cheers, Kenley. I really don’t know if I could have made the migration without the support of people like you. Positive comments like this one were what got me through a lot of the valleys of the migration process. Thankfully, I feel things are on the up and up now. And if you ever do make the migration, Kenley, of course you’ll have been on the sidelines, cheering you on at the top of my lungs!

  11. The picture of you and your cat; too cute! he lived for 19 years amazing! It must also be amazing having him around you for so long (& teething on his ears) 😉 You know, my son’s third word was “An..ge” “Angel” for our little white dog! Lauren, this is another great post! I’m glad you wrote this! these posts will help out a lot of bloggers I’m certain! when I decided to merge, there were so many articles online but nothing as fun as these ones! You have convinced me about “Mailchimp” , I haven’t done it yet because I’m scared of making mistakes and loosing all my followers again! 🙂

    1. Love that you latched onto the cat question, Ingrid! Yes, Christopher Columbus was a Siamese cat, which are notorious for living long lives. And I loved hearing that your son’s third word was “an…ge”. How precious!

      I’m glad you used the word “fun” to describe this series. I really tried to infuse as much joy and humor into this process as possible…because it can be rather dry, can’t it?!

      And I’m excited about the possibility of you joining MailChimp…mostly because then we can learn together. There are several ways to add subscribers to your free MailChimp account. One way is through adding a csv file, which you should be able to access from the files on your server. But if that scares you too much, you can copy and paste your subscribers manually or put them in an excel doc and then import that. You don’t have to delete them from Jetpack or anything. Let me know if I can help you in any way!

      1. Thank you very much Lauren for the info and tips! 🙂 I have to admit I’m a bit scared, don’t know why? but I guess, I will give it a try maybe next weekend! thanks so much for offering me your help; I might need it when I will be freaking out loosing the file 😉 ha!ha! thanks again Lauren, you are always so helpful and willing to help others! 🙂 Hope you will have a great week!

    1. My pleasure, Beth! Like you, I absolutely LOVE to immerse myself in learning about a topic through research. In working on research papers in college and grad school, it was always so hard for me to stop researching and start writing! 😉 Call me a nerd.

  12. Yay! I’ve been waiting for Part 5. Nice summary. I’m pinning this series, for future reference. You’ve been a great encouragement, and a treasure trove of information. Thank you for spelling it all out so nicely.

    1. You’re so welcome, Linda! And I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the series. It was a bit of a bear to write, truth be told, mostly because it was so detail-heavy, and I wanted to make it accessible and engaging. So, your feedback is really encouraging (as always)!

  13. Its amazing, since I started as a wordpress.org site I never had any idea just how different the two were or how painful the process was moving from one to the other. Your series I am sure will help so many. I’ve certainly learned a lot of new tricks! And if i haven’t told you already (which I think I have) I just love the new site, it looks so polished and its obviously all the work you’ve put in to it.

    1. When I started blogging, I really had no idea what would come of it, so a free WordPress account made the most sense for me. But you were really wise to start off at WordPress.org, Christina. It certainly saved you a lot of hassle and headache! 🙂

      Thanks for you kind words about the site. I’m feeling great about how everything panned out in the end (despite the bumps in the road). What doesn’t kill you…. Ha ha.

  14. This post (as well as its four counterparts) is so cohesive and informative. You are quite helpful and clear with the information you are providing. Admittedly, this all makes my head spin. Another great post, and the pinterest board is a great resource! I hope you added your migration blog story posts to this board as well. (I haven’t checked yet.)

    1. First comment award! (You have gotten that a lot lately. Love your vigilance…or perhaps morning bird nature!)

      Oh Christine, believe me, I know. It all can be a bit head-spinning; hence the need for random asides about cats to keep our feed on the ground! 😉 And I did add Part 1 of My Blog Migration to the new Pinterest board earlier. Thanks for the suggestion!

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