Preparing to Move from Blogger to WordPress – Get a Domain Name

The decision to move from Blogger to WordPress is a bit like moving from an apartment to a house. You don't just decide today and move in tomorrow. This article series looks at the short and long-term planning it takes for a successful move.

Starting a new Blogspot blog is like starting a new job. You set yourself up a cubicle or office and make yourself at home.  You happily churn out work, make friends and before you know it, you've been there for two years. Many new workers (bloggers) don't plan ahead for that day when they outgrow the job or the employer decides to take back that cubicle.

It's never too early to put some safeguards in place. Sure you may toss yourcha blog in a few months, but you may also become quite invested in your blog. But whose blog is it really? Sure it's your creation but Google owns the building! Let's start with the url name for your blog:  MyBlog.blogspot.com!  Your blog is a sub-domain of Blogspot.com. But you say there is no Blogspot.com. Yes there is, since that name redirects you to Blogger.com!

What is a Domain?

A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control on the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS). - Wikipedia

What is a Sub-Domain?

Subdomains are commonly used by organizations that wish to assign a unique name to a particular department, function, or service related to the organization. For example, a university might assign "cs" to the computer science department, ... or www.cs.example.edu. - Wikipedia

Stake out your Domain Name

Even if you have no plans to move to WordPress, it's a good investment to claim your domain name. Once you own it, you take it with you if you move to another host. You can even use it on Blogspot to brand yourself and make it easier to move your reader community with you. Blogger does not own your readers, but readers need a way of finding you if you move or get evicted!

1. Start saving for your domain name. Put aside a few dollars every month you blog. Before you know it you'll have enough to get your name. If you quit blogging, then you use that money for yourself!
2. Search for a name you want to own --- Godaddy's search software make suggestions if your first choice is already taken. It's amazing how most of your choices are already owned! Try .net instead of .com.
   If you blog at (not own)  http://flyinggigglesandlollipops.blogspot.com/ then you want http://flyinggigglesandlollipops.com as your custom domain name. and luckily as of today it's available, so Michelle what are you waiting for?
   
3. Buy your name for less than $1 per month (paid annually). You can purchase multiple years and must renew  when the time expires.  We use NameCheap.com and GoDaddy.com --- just don't accept those extra offers!
4. Link your name to Blogspot and start getting readers used to your real name!Using Michelle's PR2  blog as an example,  she has invested in about 1,000 posts over two years. If she changes the name now, she increases her chances of moving readers in the future.

How to Link Blogspot to Your Custom Domain Name

In this scenario you will continue to use Blogspot as a free hosting platform. Your custom domain will point to the Blogspot servers. All new posts will carry the MyCustomBlog.com/new post  name and indexed that way on Google. The older posts on Google will continue to resolve correctly.

1. Change your Blogger Settings, Publishing to point to your domain.
2. Press Advanced Setting.
   
   I don't recommend buying from Google. Based on experience it becomes a tangled web to go in months later and move your DNS to a different host!On this screen you'll see Blogger's commitment:
   We won't leave your readers behind!
   http://bpdesignchronicles.blogspot.com will redirect to your custom domain.
   Lovely! But that promise only works if you and Blogger part on good terms. But it can help build up your following until you make an amicable move to another platform.
3. Key in your domain name and confirm.
4. Now you must have your domain name registrar point the nameservers to Blogspot. See this help article for details, but basically you use the IP addresses below and tie your domain name with ghs.google.com :
   216.239.32.21
   216.239.34.21
   216.239.36.21
   216.239.38.21
5. Continue developing on Blogger until or if you decide to move.

Next Steps

Are you thinking and planning for your Blogspot retirement? Well I am. I already own my BPWebNews.com. Currently I use it for testing but will soon tie it to my blogspot blog, following my own advice. Right now I'm living dangerously!

If you migrated to WordPress,  did you purchase your domain name while posting on Blogger?