Posted on: Thursday, April 25th, 2013

I used Blogger for several years for a personal/family blog and for the first year of my No Holding Back blog. Blogger is a fine tool for anyone just blogging about their life. But if you’re trying to monetize and build a business, or if you want to implement cool features but do not have the time, patience, or knowledge to do those things, WordPress.Org is definitely right for you.

These are my top 5 reasons why you should make the move:

1: WordPress.org is the premier blogging platform: Large agencies and businesses use it. As I looked at blogs that I liked aesthetically, I found that many use WordPress. On WordPress you are self hosted, which gives you endless options for customization, themes, and other desirables. You have the freedom to do many things that cannot be done on free platforms, especially with monetization opportunities.

2: Monetization: There are more (user friendly) options for Google AdSense, affiliate links, sponsored ads, and the like. If you are blogging to try to make money, the WordPress platform enhances, simplifies, and allows you to do more with the money making options.

3: Plugins: Holy moo cow, if you want to do something on your blog, there’s a plugin for that! Once I made the switch, I could not believe how many options I could implement with a click of a mouse that help me manage, design, and grow my blog faster and better. I no longer spend as much time on HTML and other hassles that take time away from my writing.

4: It’s easy to move: Don’t be scared or intimidated about moving! There are plenty of people out there who can help you, and a plethora of tutorials posted to guide you through the process, like this one: Moving A Blog: The Do It Yourself Checklist.

5: Sooner is better than later: I was bummed to start again from zero on my page views, but waiting would have made that more painful. I also was nervous about losing readers, but Google helped us all out by canceling the Reader. So now everyone is updating their Readers, making it a fabulous time to make the switch.

These are just five of many reasons I recommend making the move from a free platform to your own self-hosted platform at wordpress.org. While you will have to pay for hosting, there are always great deals offered and you can buy your domain and host it for several years for very little each month. I have been extremely pleased with the results since making my move and can almost guarantee that you will, too.

Alexa B. (who blogs under the name Kat Biggie) writes at No Holding Back. She started the blog in June 2012 as an outlet for her grief after losing one of her twin daughters two days after birth to complications from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). Since she has always had a passion for writing, it did not take long for her to begin to write not only about living after loss and TTTS, but all things to do with being a stay-at-home mother raising three children aged five and under. Prior to making the decision to stay home with her children, Alexa worked in Homeland Security and Counter Terrorism, and served over six years in the United States Air Force.  She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.