The initial process of making any significant changes to your website design can be daunting and a tad overwhelming.  This is especially true when your knowledge of code is at an elementary (or preschool) level.

After moving my blog from Blogger to WordPress, the next step was to set up a new theme on my site.   After looking into DIYthemes website, I realized the Thesis Theme was a pretty awesome theme.  It is more of a community than just a theme, with tons of resources on how to get started and maintain your blog.

Although the road to setting up my theme was paved and marked pretty well, it was not easy, flat, or straight.  The process was challenging for someone (like myself) who is not a web design guru, or even a novice for that matter. BUT, it can be done!

To help others, I want to point out some important lessons I learned along this journey.

Always Backup Your Site!!

This is so critical. I learned this lesson about day three into the change.  Back it up DAILY! I messed up badly and could not figure out how to fix it.  I asked around the forums, did web searches, and everything.  So, I figured I would just go back to my last update.  Except my last update was the first day I changed over to WordPress – BEFORE I downloaded Thesis!  Yuck!  So, essentially I had to start over.  Luckily, I still had the files on my computer, so it was just a matter of transferring them back to the host via FTP.  But, still!

You can do this with the WP-DBManager plugin and customize your settings. This can be a life saver.  Your hosting site may only do a backup once a week. In the initial stages of the design changes, you may want to backup every hour with all the changes you will be making.

Use the Forums

The forums in WordPress are a great resource filled with web developer expert advice.  In addition to the forums in WordPress, DIYThemes forums are also helpful. These forums offers topics on installation, WordPress or Thesis tips, troubleshooting, design, or a variety of topics you may have questions about.  I forgot about this resource until I realized it was a viable information for help and information. You will have to sign in using your WordPress.org login or your DIY Themes login.

Download a Local Copy of WordPress

I mentioned this in my post about moving from Blogger to WordPress. The video tutorials mentioned there are helpful.  This is a mistake I learned early on.  It is better to mess with your local copy than the site live online.  When you are aware that no one can see your website due to the screw-ups you made, you stress just a little.  For minor changes, it is probably okay.  But, once you start messing with the code or getting deep into the weeds, use the local version of WordPress!

Consider Hiring a Web Design Expert

I got to a point where I was spending WAY too much time customizing my theme, so I decided to look for web designers (cheap!) that could possibly just fix it for me. You know – hire a professional when you can’t do the job yourself.  I could not afford thousands of dollars either, so I was not sure if this was even an option.  But, if you want just some basic coding done to set up a nice foundation, it is worth spending a couple hundred bucks.

I went back to the DIYThemes forums and perused the Classified section. There is a great deal of information there.  Consider soliciting your need for help there.  If you are an “expert” yourself, this is another way to drum up business. Another great resource is the Top 100 Graphic Designers listed on Sociable Blog.

Bookmark Great Tutorials or Websites

There is nothing worse than finding a great resource and then have no idea where to look for it later when you need it.  Bookmark tutorials and useful websites or blogs when you need to go back.  I found this helpful when I knew I could jump on YouTube and look under my ‘Favorites’ to find the information I was looking for.

There is so much information out there on the Thesis Theme. These lessons learned were from my initial design experience.  I am sure I will have more lessons learned as I continue on this road.  I know web design and switching to Thesis can be intimidating for some, but in the long run, it is worth it. Trust me, if my non-programming self can do it, anyone can.

Please share your tips and lesson learned in the comment section!

You may have noticed that I have drastically changed the look of my blog and decided to take it to the next level. I have been considering moving over from Blogger to WordPress for some time now. I decided to do this switch almost completely due to  the Thesis Theme for WordPress. The reason I have been putting it off for so long is I knew what a time-consuming process the switch would entail.

So, I took the plunge.  I was right, it took a lot of work to switch over.

Everyone will have a different experience in this transition. For some javascript-CSS-knowledgeable-geeky-technical-savants this may be a walk in the park. I did not have a clue.

My Migration Situation

Some bloggers may use a blogspot extension and others may have their own domain.  I had my own domain already and was switching from a hosted blog, like Blogspot.com or WordPress.com to a self-hosted blog like WordPress.org.  In addition, I decided to run my blog under the Thesis Theme. Lots of work and time!

Valuable Steps and Lessons Learned

Get a host for your “self-hosted” blog

This is a good first step once you decided to take the plunge.  Since you will no long have a built in host like Blogger, you will need to get your own host to utilize WordPress.  There is a monthly fee for this service. Yes, you are now crossing over to serious blogging.  The kind that costs money.

I had no idea which hosting company to use.  I have seen BlueHost, iPage, HostGator, and many others on various blogs. To see a side by side comparison of host sites, check out  WebHostingSearch, Hosting Review Center, and WebHostingGeeks. These get updated quite often, so ultimately, the choice is yours.

After reviewing the reviews, I decided that Host Monster would be the best choice!  It has worked out great for me. They offer professional web hosting for only $6.95. Many times they will run specials for even cheaper! Can’t go wrong!

What the heck is a FTP and why do I need it?

This is a new concept that is also not a requirement for hosted sites.  But, the good news is you can find one to download for FREE.  Bottom line is if you have your own host, there has to be way to get files from your computer to the host and vice-versa. This is where File Transfer Protocol (FTP) comes in. It is essentially a network protocol used to get files from one host to another over the Internet. You WILL need this if your site is self-hosted. There are a variety of options to choose from here as well. I use Filezilla.

Download WordPress

Once you have a host and a FTP solution in place, it is time to get the WordPress software. You can download this directly from their website, WordPress.org. This is a pretty easy process, just follow the steps. After you download WordPress, you are ready to go.

Note: If you have your own domain and want to keep it, change your own domain on Blogger to Blogspot domain BEFORE you transfer anything.

After you are set up with WordPress, you will have a basic theme on the site you can customize.  It is up to you whether you want to set your blog up using the Thesis Theme.  If you do, you can click on it in the sidebar of my blog and ENJOY!!

Resources for Moving From Blogger to WordPress

MamaBlogga maintains the Ultimate Guide for migrating from Blogger to WordPress. Lots of information here and she will respond to any comments you may post. This is old, so be sure you are aware of any updates Blogger or WordPress may have.

SEO Chat has good info on Moving from Blogger to WordPress using your own domain.

Clazh – Move from Blogger to WordPress and Maintain Permalinks and Traffic – This has a step-by-step guide, specifically by having a local version of WordPress (which I highly recommend!).

More great information in a three-part series from iBlog Zone.

Blog Bloke gives a Complete Guide on how to move over to WordPress!

Video Tutorials

Chris Arthur had a good tutorial on how to download WordPress locally or for Mac users, here is another option.  Having a local version allows you to mess with the code without messing up your live blog.

Lisa from 2CreateaWebsite has AWESOME tutorials on youTube, including creating a local copy of WordPress and a Filezilla FTP tutorial.

Sherple also has Thesis 101 tutorials for those that get Thesis.

Hopefully, loaded with this information you will not feel COMPLETELY overwhelmed like I did when considering this transition.  Good luck and look for future tips on WordPress and Thesis!

When I started looking into moving my blog over to the WordPress host, I discovered it is more difficult than I first imagined.  First, I did not even realize that there is a difference between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG.  Yes there is a difference.  And, THAT is where I became hesitant to change from Blogger.  At least for now.

The two main blogging platforms are Blogger (blogspot) and WordPress. Moving a blog from Blogger to WordPress is not a simple process and takes some time. I am going to compare Blogger and WordPress.com, but first I want to mention a few things about WordPress.org

WordPress.com versus WordPress.org

WordPress.org is basically the full version of WordPress.com.  WordPress.org allows bloggers to choose customizable themes and provides more flexibility.  However, these themes cost money. You also need your own web host with WordPress.org. WordPress.com does offer free themes to choose from, but editing CSS costs money.  Essentially, WordPress.com is developer hosted and WordPress.org is self-hosted.

Blogger versus WordPress (the .com version)

Blogger Pros:

• Google based and integrated with otehr Google applications
• Easily integrate Google Adsense
• Map to your own domain for free
• Can edit CSS for free
  

Blogger Cons:

• Have to understand CSS to edit theme
• The look is not as professional as WordPress
• Comment system could be improved

WordPress Pros:

• Better commenting system than Blogger
• More professional look

WordPress Cons:

• Can not advertise
• Cost money to edit CSS
• Pay to map own domain

Ultimately, I think Blogger is good for beginner bloggers because it is free and offers flexibility with themes.  However, if you are looking for a more professional look, WordPress may be the better choice.

Decision time.  I would love to hear comments from readers that have been down this decision-making road.

Almost on number five. I know it has taken a few days to reveal the next person on the list. Time caught up to me and I got busy! No excuse. I will tell you the 2nd to last person that has influenced me who I met strictly on the Information Superhighway, also known as the World Wide Web, the Internet, the Web, the Net, or… Cyberspace. As you are aware, this world is vast. I have met so many writers that have left an impact, it has been difficult to choose only five from such a long list. But first…

Update on my blog  journey since last post.

After resolving to put more energy into my blog, finding the tips from ProBlogger, and the inspiration from Zen Habits, I wanted to change the format to make it more my own. So, I shed the (dot) blogspot and bought my own domain. Then, I changed the background for my blog for aesthetic reasons.

I decided to focus the blog on writing inspiration and anything that is somehow related to the writing experience. It made perfect sense to me. Since I have changed the blog name from ‘Julie’s Journey’s’ to ‘Inspired to Write’, magically ideas came into focus. By simply changing the name, I felt inspired to also share my journey and find out about other writers and blogger’s journeys. This may be a great way for people to find that inspiration – change the name of your blog!

I still had many questions on what makes a good blog. I was also painfully and well aware that it was a tough, competitive world out there in the blogosphere. I wanted to deepen my education on creating good ideas while capturing new followers. I was still a beginner. So, I Googled “blogging for beginners” and there in my search results was my answer. It was as if I struck gold. Well, that is an exaggeration. But, it was a sort of treasure for me.

The Fourth Person I Met In Cyberspace

The blog post was titled, The A-Z Blogging Guide for Beginners. What else could a blogger ask for? A reference with 26 (yes, even Q and X) tips on managing a blog – for beginners! The author of Thou Shall Blog is Yan Susanto and that post is actually currently his featured article. What I liked about this blog was that it was for beginners and not for the people that were interested in making lots of money with their blog. That fit my description. So, I read on.

Yan describes his blog as a place for “sharing and learning.” This is where I was at (and still am) in my new blogging journey. I think it is important to share your experiences as a writer and / or blogger.

I also liked the posts on his site and noticed he had guest bloggers which can provide a different perspective. I left a comment or two on his posts and added him to my Google Reader. Then, I decided to contact him, first on Twitter, to ask questions and he was helpful and responded to me. Since Twitter only allows 140 characters, he gave me his e-mail so I could elaborate.

This is where Yan stands out, compared to the last two people in this mini-blog series. He reached out and communicated with me, and he even left a comment on my little ol’ blog! What else would you expect from “The Smiling Blogger”? This means a lot because many bloggers, especially busy and successful bloggers do not take the time to personally help us newbies. This earns points in my book and should in yours, too.