Ditch Your Blogging Training Wheels
|8.Aug.2009Free, web-hosted blogs like Blogger, WordPress.com, LiveJournal, and Moveable Type have their place and are a painless and easy way for anyone to quickly begin self-publishing on the world wide web.
However, if you’ve ever had an itch to do just a little more; perhaps you’ve made some modifications to your current template, added a blogroll, a few buttons, or even a flickr badge to your sidebar(s), then it might be time to move beyond free blogging tools to something you can fully customize.
Now is as good a time as ever to ditch your blogging training wheels and start riding with the bigger kids on the block.
At Blogher ’07, Jessica and I walked several bloggers through the process of leaving their comfortable, but limited, web-hosted blogs during our lab segment, Taking your Blog to the Next Level. As Jessica said then, “Several of these bloggers walked away with a grown-up, shiny new blog at their own domain!” and we were really excited to watch those new blogs take off in the community and really gain speed.
Now, the same break-out session taught at Blogher ’07 is available via the links below. If you are already using WordPress as your blogging platform, I’ve written a few tutorials here and there for ways to pimp your WordPress blog.
Taking your Self-Hosted Blog to a New Level
A lab segment from Blogher 2007: Transitioning to a self-hosted blog (Intermediate)
- How to purchase your own domain name
- How to purchase web hosting
- Defining DNS, what is it and why do you need to know?
- Setting up WordPress using cPanel and Fantastico.
- Setting up Domain Re-Directs to your new weblog.
32 Comments
Mrs. Wilson
I followed this tutorial to the letter about two years ago and it worked perfectly for me. Thanks again Heather (and Jessica)!
Stephanie @ TimeSlidesBy
Thank you for the great post. I just took off my training wheels and purchased my own domain name and web hosting. This was quite a big step since I just got started blogging around thanksgiving. I still feel like I just learned to ride the bike and I off the training wheels went. Article like your post reassure me that I’m headed in the right direction. Thanks Again!
OMSH
Mrs. Wilson – Thank ya – glad it worked and is still working.
Stephanie – CONGRATULATIONS! Taking off the training wheels sometimes gives you bloody knees and scratches here and there, but YOU ARE FREE…oh so free!!!!
MammaLoves
Is this a hint?? But I’m not a design maven like you. [whine] I’m soooo ready for a new, clean, cool blog.
And then there’s the whole I barely have time to blog let alone build a new one.
Convince me lady!! Convince me!!!!
Jenn-Lee
Okay. so these tutorials are great. I want to take my training wheels off so bad. I hope to get this done soon. I also dream of hiring ya to design my site but that might wait a while. Thanks again! ps. do u have a new site on your homeschooling? Thanks!
OMSH
Jenn-Lee – I don’t have an entire new site on homeschooling, though I have been hankering for something along those lines. I am, however, writing about Homeschooling on Wednesdays now at http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling.
Jenny
I want to get off my training wheels. One thing that drives me nuts. Is how much everyones blogs start looking a like. Even mine right now does not look the way I truly want it to.
OMSH
Jenny – I totally get it – and it is the very reason I’m in love with WordPress; you can do nearly anything with it.
mon@rch
my problem is that my free site is ez and many of my worries like hackers and software glitches (like backups) are taken care of for me. I already have a domain but not sure if I can switch it over or not! I am wanted to switch but just don’t feel that confident is errors not happening!
Sarah Werrin
Hi,
thanks for all of the great info. I guess I’m a bit confused as to wether cpanel and fantastico and liquidweb are mac compatible, and if not, do you have any advice about what to use if I’m running a mac?
Thanks!
Sarah
OMSH
Sarah Werrin – cPanel, Fantastico and Liquid Web are web-based and can be accessed through any computer – Mac or PC.
Liquid Web is a web host, Fantastico is part of the cPanel software loaded on the Liquid Web servers.
I have both a PC and a Mac and do not have any difficulties with either operating system when it comes to accessing Liquid Web servers and their software.
Dina
Ok, I totally wanna do this! Hopefully I can make some sense of this when I have an afternoon of quiet in the house…it looks so simple and straightforward! Thanks for sharing!!
Annie
I’d really like to start blogging but I have no idea HOW to start blogging. I will read your tutorials up there but I’m a little skeptical. I’m not sure I speak that language.
Diane
Oh girl! I so want to do this… I really really think my blog could be so much more, especially since I am thinking of starting my own business and using my blog as a launching pad. I have fiddled and diddled around with my blogspot template, added an extra column which is great, but it still looks a whole lot like everyone else’s. I wanna be freee!
but I admit to being a wee bit of a scaredy cat…..
Calli Makes Do
So what do you do if your url name is taken by a squatter who won’t respond… I really hate those guys. I can’t wait to be self hosted, but I am stuck because I am stuck on my name.
I am also worried about loosing all of my stats when I switch. My blog is only 4 months old… but it has grown quickly.
Craig
Great Blog
OMSH
Unfortunately there is little you can do about domain squatters. There are many who have filed suits and spent a good deal of money trying to get a domain.
Yours is the #1 concern I hear from people switching; it is also the #1 reason to switch quickly before you build any more traffic.
Keith Davis
Thanks for your great tutorials.
Followed your step by step guide and have Just set up my site using cPanel.
It’s only a basic WordPress site but I’m going to use a brilliant theme from “elegant themes”, which I’ve been looking at.
Site is http://easypublicspeaking.co.uk/
Couldn’t have got this far without technical info and encouragement from you.
Loralee
That was RIGHT after Jessica helped me switch to my own domain in her kitchen. I loved the oh so very theme you both came up with. As a matter of fact, I only switched to a new design this week because some design firm approached me. I kept a lot of what Jess came up with though because I loved it.
Then I read about your session and wished to high heaven I could have attended. I had so many more questions! It also introduced me to the whole “BlogHer” thing. I totally remember wanting to be at BlogHer soooo much that I was DETERMINED to get there in ’08.
And I did.
Thanks to you guys!
xo
You’re a beeeuuuutiful designer.
Kate
Came here via Pioneer Woman. I was thinking it was about time my blog grew up and here is a post designed specifically to that end. Thanks for that. Great site you have here.
frances Robin
Heather, I love your site, I recently ditched my training wheels and let me tell you I am considering getting them back. I am having major problems loading photos. I don’t know what I am doing.
Susan
I am sooooo confused. :( I have purchased/registered my domain at GoDaddy, bought web hosting from Liquid Web and started a blog at WordPress.
I can see to get the 3 to meld together. I have done the DNS pointing also. I dont seem to understand how to get my website out of “under construction”.
help please!
OMSH
Susan – I responded via email with a screenshot. I think you might not have waited long enough to see the domain name resolve to the new server. I can see it though!
Lorie
I have a blog at Typepad, want to move to WordPress, sort of understand your tutorials, but not techie in the least, just a SAHM with a blog……..do you think an average person can make the switch all by themself? Without hiring anybody to do anything?
And if I can design my own banner do I have to have a web designer?
How long do you think it will take to be up and running again?
Nervous and wanting to make the switch and be done with it but I’m afraid I’ll get to a point of no return, then be completely overwhelmed and lose everything.
OMSH
Lorie – There are some things you need to know how to do to make the switch. WordPress has an import tool for Moveable Type and Typepad, but you will need a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, how to FTP to your server (web hosting space), and most of all, the “want to”. I have found those that WANT to learn this stuff, do.
That said, I do not touch on Moveable Type in my Tutorials, so you may want to check out Google to get a good grasp on all the things you need to do to move from Moveable Type and come back here after your import/export.
I DO believe this can be done by anyone; I taught myself. I also taught myself the extent of my knowledge and am careful to hire out when I find I need to do so (until I can learn whatever “that” is as well).
Keith Davis
Hi Heather
Seems ages since I first read your tutorial on installing WordPress using Cpanel.
Fortunately my hosting provider had Cpanel (lucky for me) and after what feels like forever, I’ve finally uploaded my theme and configured it.
Couldn’t have done it without your tutorials.
Thanks for all your help and have a great Christmas.
OMSH
Keith, thanks so much! I have a bit of cleaning up to do; need to dedicate a week to going through and updating screenshots, etc…(that WordPress – ALWAYS UPDATING!) heh heh
Blessings to you and yours this Christmas!
Nan
So far I understand:
1. Buy your domain name
2. Get a web host
…past that I am spinning wheels but no thread. I usually research everything on my own but it’s been a maddening year…trolls…witch’s spells…curses. Okay, I exaggerate, it’s my homeschooled daughter’s senior year and I am playing fairy godmother and such technology was non-existent when my wand was manufactured.
I need…The Simpleton’s Guide to Self-Hosted Blogging
Is it possible for someone who never set up a blog to put together one like Bakerella’s or Pioneer Woman’s….with visual archives and numerous pages? (And, does WordPress allow commerce?)
Or will I need to spin golden yarn to finance such talent?
Enchanted,
Nan
bethany actually
I am still sending people to this link when they ask me about blogging. Thank you for leaving it up here! :-)