It’s been a year since I moved my blog from Blogspot to Word Press, so I thought I’d make a few comments on the pros and cons of the switch.
Before I get to the facts, I’ll try to remember why I changed:
First, Word Press blogs supposedly look more professional and get more views. One blogger wrote that when he switched, he went from a few hits to zillions of hits a day (or something like that).
Second, Word Press blogs are thought to be more versatile and offer more features.
Third, Word Press templates had the cool page tabs at the top. I really wanted those.
Forth, Blogspot blogs were mysteriously getting taken down, presumably by malicious liberals who don’t like conservative or Christian blogs.
And now for the shattering of my delusions:
Blogspot blogs can look just as professional as any with a little work. Just look around and see for yourself. And as for the visitors, they rise and fall with the frequency of posting and the quality of posts, just as always.
Blogspot templates are more versatile. They were a year ago, and they are more so now. The possibilities for your Blogspot design are limitless.
With Word Press, there are many templates to choose from, but you can’t do much with the ones you choose. For people who are web savvy and pay for an upgrade, there are more options. I don’t fit into the web-savvy category, so I haven’t paid for an upgrade.
Word Press does offer cool features. I like the built-in site meter, although it doesn’t work nearly as well as the one I had added on to my Blogspot blog. And I think Blogspot now has a built-in site meter too.
I also like the ability to add a Word Press “contact me” form without having to use an outside source. But, again, one can be added to Blogger with little effort.
As far as features go, I don’t think Word Press has much over Blogspot. Why, even the page tabs are easily added to the blogger blogs now.
And about those blogs being closed down—though it’s been inactive for a year, my old Blogspot blog is still there. And so are a million other Christian and conservative blogs.
My Two Biggest Complaints About my New Blog:
Don’t get me wrong. I like my Word Press blog. I’ve had few problems, it’s easy to use, and there is a great support team. I also like the templates that we have to choose from, so not being able to make major changes to them isn’t too bad. I’m not planning on switching back. But I do sometimes wish that I wouldn’t have changed to begin with. Here are a couple of reasons why.
Tag and category links in Word Press direct readers to related posts on other blogs, whereas tag and category links on Blogspot blogs take readers to related posts on your own blog. I’d rather not be automatically linked to anyone else’s blog, but there’s no option to change this that I know of.
Here’s my number one problem with Word Press: They put ads on your blog when you’re not looking. The ads are never there when you’re signed in. Nor do they display for “regular readers.” But they’re there alright, usually hiding in the comments section, lurking about like an unwanted street vendor selling used Rolex watches. I’ll give Word Press credit for trying to keep the ads related to my blog’s content. But “Christian” is a big category, and I’m not eager to promote everything described as such. There is a way around this. One can pay thirty dollars for yet another upgrade and have an ad-free blog. But alas, I’m too cheap for that.
Conclusion:
If you are blogging happily at Blogspot dot com, stay there. And if you are blogging happily at Word Press dot com, stay there. Both places offer great blogs that are easy to use. And both are free. So, while I would recommend Blogspot to a new blogger, I won’t complain about my Word Press blog.
