It takes me a while to make a decision, but once I do, I go for it.
I’d been debating getting my own domain around here for ages, read up on other people’s experiences, but y’know, didn’t push the button.
Because I was comfortable with WordPress.com, liked them (still do), appreciated the community, (still do) and saw no reason to change the habits of a blogging lifetime seven years. (Edit: I’ve been blogging 8 years now.)
And yet.
When I started writing this blog I was looking for work in Edinburgh. Back then this blog actually helped me get a job that I loved, attempting to make the world a more accessible place.
I went to my office during the day, and blogged at night.
It was a groovy set up.
And now.
I’m at home with Isla losing freelance opportunities due to distance and travel expenses. I hope to create some new opportunities with the new .com
I’ve wanted to invest in my writing and this blog for a long time, and I’d been hearing that going self-hosted is a way to do that. And after 7 years, my original web address was actually giving me writer’s cramp, and it never fit on one line.
I’ve also been looking into ways I can make an income from the blog, (while still remaining true to myself and all of you groovy readers) and again a way to do that was to get my own domain.
And so, my ‘why?’ switched to ‘OK how?’
Two things helped me decide to make a decision:
1. Lyrical Host ticked all the boxes on the list I wrote down in my blogging notebook, a UK -based, independent company, that offered managed hosting (which basically means non-technical people don’t have to stress about the technical side of things) that was more about people than numbers.
b. It was Black Friday. And the fact that they offer free resources every month doesn’t hurt, either.
On Saturday, I picked my domain name. Bonus was it was actually available.
Then I booked a (free) migration for the next day.
Lyrical Host support transferred my content from one place to another and even installed my (now, previous) theme, all as part of the process. They transferred my subscribers and connected me to Jetpack, so I could get WordPress.com features on the self-hosted site.
Now there were some technical issues, but the support is very, um, supportive. And also patient with excitable bloggers (like me) who don’t know much about technical issues (also me). After some emails that were answered really quickly, it was discovered that the issues were mine, and not theirs. That happens sometimes.
More about Lyrical Host and their plans and services can be found here.
There’s even a quick video highlighting what makes Lyrical Host different (and also fun!)
Lyrical Host did not ask me to write this post, but if you do sign up and use GIN10 at checkout, I get a small commission, so there’s that. More on my disclosure can be read here.
I’m genuinely happy with this new chapter and I’m glad I found Lyrical Host for this part of my blogging journey. I would recommend them to anyone looking to refresh your corner of the web.
How are you going to boost your blog today?
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51 Comments
Excellent!
Thankyou for taking the time to talk a little bit about moving to a dotcom. I know I’ve been pointing out issues and I hope I am not coming across as criticizing or anything. That is not my intent. I am trying to be helpful but I know that sometimes I don’t come across that way. So be assured, I am trying to be helpful, not a jerkwad ๐
Seeing you go through this and the issues that have arisen has given me a much more realistic thought process of about going dotcom myself. I do hope you can use this place to further your goals and not just have it be a hobby.
No, I’ve appreciated it. If you went .com, you wouldn’t necessarily have my (minor) issues. I also hit ‘post’ at interesting times sometimes, and being distracted is all me.
This sounds really good, how much did it cost for the domain name? Do you get email addresses with the domain too?
It depends on the plan you choose, I think. Mine is 11.99 a month with 3 email boxes and one site.
Sounds like you made the right blogging choice – thanks for the recommendation! Best wishes for a successful new site!
Thanks, Barbara! It doesn’t feel like a new site, in a way. And I guess that’s why I appreciate that the hosting is so easy.
The links in the email version aren’t showing here…
They are there. I’ll change link text colours, but I’m on my phone at the moment.
P.S. Thanks for having a look.
Iโve been thinking about moving my blog to .com a lot but Iโm not sure if I should do it, at least for now, since I donโt have so many visitors yet. Hopefully in 2018 my blog would grow (or not) and guide me to make my choice. If I decide to move Iโd definitely come and read your post again, itโs complete and understandable.
Thanks for sharing your experience, itโs very helpful!
XO, Noelia
Sounds like you are in good hands! Iโd love to boost my blog in 2018, but donโt have the time to commit to that quite yet. At some point, when my memoir is written and life gets more boring. ๐
I feel I should say you can have a .com and an exciting life at the same time, ha!
Wow, I wish I’d read this before switching from WordPress com to org! What a serious headache! Would have loved someone to have transferred it all over for me, as like you, I am not the most tech savvy (I usually get there in the end but that end is usually a LONG way off!)! Good luck with your new venture in blogging!
It is great, and the learning curve is fun! And I’m sitting here hungry again because I’m looking at your recipes! x
I know nothing about all the technical stuff. I really should pay more attention. I’m lucky I have a friend that just deals with it all for me.
My husband is a software geek, but doesn’t want to work for me, ha! I like this because either I can have the stuff done, or can learn to to do it myself. The learning part is cool.
Congratulations! ๐ I’ll try to do this soon, too. ๐
Cool beans. I look forward to following your bookish adventures!
I haven’t thought of how to boost my blog for next year. I guess my only resolution is to publish more posts, I’ve been a bit slow lately. Hopefully I’ll be able to do more ๐
I aim for three or four posts week. But everyone is different. Have fun with it!
I’m so lucky I had some good advice when I started out blogging, as I think if I changed everything I’d be one big panic!!
I’ve never heard of Lyrical Host before, but it is always good when customer service is supportive ๐
Good CS tips the balance for me every time, in anything I look for.
It’s amazing how helpful they were when migrating your site. I had a complete nightmare with mine, ended up getting a refund and then paid a developer to do it all for me. It all worked out in the end though and I got to mess about with different elements of my site and add bits in. I think being completely self hosted give so much freedom.
I’m glad it worked out because your site is wonderful!
I had not heard of these before. They sound really good. I keep thinking about changing hosts but them i worry about what if I make the wrong decision. I think I am going to try and boost my blogs by not posting as much next year and more quality posts as sometimes I do rush posts.
I seriously debated for ages and then I found the right place, I’m so much more relaxed now! I’ve found that writing stuff ahead of time, reading it over and waiting a day to post helps me with my quality control, such as it is.
I am looking at moving my hosting so will look into this. Have not heard of them before
Cool beans. Hope it works out for you! I know they transfer existing domains as well.
Congratulations! Always good to give your blog an overhaul
Feels like a fresh coat of paint, ha!
What I’m going to do to get my blog ready for 2018 is finish updating old posts and creating images on Pinterest for old posts!
Hi Katy, I recently wrote about pinterest over here: https://ginlemonade.com/2017/10/02/how-i-became-pinteresting/ Might help you, too!
I changed mine part way too as well to .cm and wish I had done it to start with. Having your own domain can really help with opportunities.
There are advantages to starting on a hosted site, and I don’t knock it.
Sounds like you made the right decision. Good to hear that they are supportive with the techy stuff
That’s the best part for me!
How cool! Glad to hear it works for you and I completely understand having long urls which is never fun. I hope it’ll work out well for you in the long-run!
Lorna did you pay for your domain separately or all through Lyrical Host? How much has it cost you? I’m getting itchy feet to get self-hosted. Thank you ๐
Mine is 11.99 a month domain and hosting. And you can choose monthly or up front. If you want quote GIN10 for a ten percent discount.
So for both that’s really good I thought it was two payments of ยฃ11.99 thank you
Just checked my stuff and domain is 11.49 with hosting at 11.99. It’s the SSL cert and migration that’s free. Sorry for confusion, I paid a year ahead when I finally did it, so. However, if you’re transferring a domain the transfer fee renews it for a year. x
Ah great thanks Lorna thatโs really helpful. Thereโs just so much to think about!
Sorry you knew that, didnโt notice which one you replied to on the phone, ha!
thanks for the info lorna about lyrical in this post – I’ve just gone .com with them (inc your 10% discount). V pleased to find your blog too and will be reading more. Love Scotland – went to uni in Stirling in the 80s. Looking forward to reading more. Love Bec x
Hey, Bec! Thanks, and glad I could help! And you’ll love Lyrical Host. I went to Stirling Uni, too. Dundee as well, but yeah. Anyway, thanks for reading me. Welcome to the rambles. x
Ah brill ๐ what did you study at Stirling and Dundee? I used to go to Dundee often as we had mates there ๐ always freezing cold though. Looking forward to reading more ๐ love bec xx loving lyrical so far ๐
Psych and English. I s’pose I still use it some. Ha. What about you?
ah cool ๐ I studied History at Stirling (it was really Modern History 1789 french revolution onwards) – Loved my time in Stirling/Scotland – would definitely move back sometime – been 25 years in manchester.
I studied History at Stirling (it was modern history 1789/french rev onwards) Loved Stirling/Scotland ๐
Thanks for this. I tried self-hosting for one day and fled back to the safety of WP, having managed not to migrate my followers. Your process sounds simpler and saner than mine was.