Are you thinking about a Squarespace To WordPress Migration? Check out these 5 easy steps to get started today!
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So it has officially been almost eight months since I started this new blog on July 1, 2020.
As I mentioned in the past I made the switch from Squarespace to WordPress when I decided to take my blog seriously.
One of the main reasons for the switch was I was denied for Google Adsense when I applied using my Squarespace account. After several months of building up this blog, I reapplied and was approved on September 24, 2020.
I could not be happier that I made the switch and in this post, I will share How to start a blog in 2021.
My process of how I chose my host and theme were covered in the past.
Today I will share my tips on getting started.
With Inspired Design Talk I was starting from scratch but with IQ Design I was moving existing content to WordPress.
There were a few best practices that I’ll share that may be helpful if you make a similar switch.
This post is all about how to start a blog.
Squarespace To WordPress Migration 5 Steps
Before we start here is a quick list of the steps I took:
1. Get A Good Web Hosting Service
2. Semi-Automated Migration
3. Choose Your New Theme
4. Set up a Staging Site
5. Check For Broken Links
Now let’s get into the details on each of these.
5 Squarespace To WordPress Migration Tips:
1. Get A Good Web Hosting Service
I am so grateful that I picked Bigscoots over the other choices. Yes, there are others I could have chosen BUT a major difference for me was the price for having two sites.
The other two I considered were Flywheel and WP Engine. The difference was I able to get the two sites for the price of $12.95 a month with a dedicated IP.
The plan I chose was the 155CC which looks like this under the Managed Web Hosting Tab then select the Shared dropdown.
Another super important tip about choosing your host is to make sure they have GREAT customer service and tech support.
All I have to do with Bigscoots is open a ticket with my question and help is on the way.
Virtual help that is. They message back right away and are super helpful.
Anything I don’t under stand I just need to ask and they explain it thoughly.
I HIGHLY recommend Bigscoots for web hosting!
Again my goal was to start off with a host I could grow into.
Bigscoots is robust and perfect for anyone pushing 80k monthly page views or higher.
I am nowhere near that but a girl can have GOALS right?!
2. Semi-Automated Migration
I chose to migrate my site myself as opposed to paying to have someone do it for me.
Was this more time-consuming? YES! Very BUT I learned a lot in the process.
If there is one thing I have learned recently it is this:
Taking ACTION and DOING will teach you so much MORE than READING how to do something ever will!
The first step in the process was to export my squarespace website and then import it into WordPress.
There is a limit to what Squarespace can export but here are some items that you can export during migration:
- All basic pages
- Single blog page and all its posts
- Text and image blocks
- Blog post comments
- Embed blocks, Twitter blocks, Instagram blocks, text
- Gallery pages
This is a great resource for the steps to export and import your site.
Tip: Make sure all your images are saved, optimized, and most importantly at a low resolution.
I have spent a ridiculous amount of time resaving images throughout my blogging journey.
I believe I finally have a system since I now follow the recommended size of my theme but the road to get here was quite the struggle.
3. Choose Your New Theme
This was something I spent some time on. There are so many pretty themes to choose from. You may be looking for something other than pretty but for me, that was VERY important.
This will help you establish your branding since the theme you choose will have fonts and colors already established.
The theme I use for both my sites is from Harper from 17th Avenue Designs.
A few of my favorite places to get themes are:
4. Set up a Staging Site
When I asked Bigscoots how the migration process would work they explained a staging site would be set up.
Since I had about two months until my Squarespace site was set to renew I had time before I had to cancel.
By having the staging site I was able to work on the new site without having to shut down the old one.
I also could reference back when I needed a visual of what old blog posts looked like.
After spending another week making tweaks to IQ Design I was ready to pull the plug on Squarespace.
Don’t get me wrong Squarespace was a GREAT place to start BUT I would never be able to reach my bogging goals if I stayed on the platform.
WordPress is definitely the way to go if you want to enter the Big Leagues of Blogging.
I have to admit when I messaged Bigscoots I was VERY nervous that I may have screwed something up during the migration process but I took a deep breath, felt the FEAR, and hit send.
Sidenote: An AWESOME life-changing book I just finished reading is The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead by Kristen Ulmer.
I promise it’s so good I plan to read it a second time!
You can hear her interviewed on the Gabby Reece Podcast also.
5. Check For Broken Links
I pulled the plug the day before my Squarespace site was set to expire.
It is actually recommended you make the switch 24-48 hrs before you cancel just in case.
Again I took a deep breath and hoped for the best.
To my delite it was a SUCCESS and there were no major issues.
I did have a 404 message on the menu links but after a day I messaged Bigscoots who got the site live in minutes.
Guess it was a glitch.
So I am now officially OFF Squarespace completly and on WordPress.
A common issue when you move from Squarespace to WordPress is broken links.
This is annoying and I have used a Broken Link Checker to find all the broken links.
I have had to do this before on Squarespace so it was not new for me.
You simply put your website in and the security code, hit the button and your broken links will come up.
You can do redirects but I like to fix the broken links.
If you have a broken link that is in on Pinterest for example and you don’t want the URL to be affected do the redirect.
Refer to this post again for details on this.
As I write this I realize I am going to have to do some redirects.
Ugg it’s a process!!
The are still many things I have to add and fix on both websites but I just do a little each day.
I know small steps each day equal big results over time.
I hope this post gave you a good idea of how to start a blog in 2021.
Recap
- Get A Good Web Hosting Service
- Semi-Automated Migration
- Choose Your New Theme
- Set up a Staging Site
- Check For Broken Links
As I move forward in my blogging journey I’m super excited to share valuable resources with all my readers that will provide inspiration and help you take action.
Let me know how your migration went and if this was helpful!
On another note last month I shared my sixth income report which is password protected. If you are looking to be inspired in your blogging journey sign up for my newsletter and I’ll email the password.
This information will ONLY be shared with fellow bloggers who are looking to build their blog income. If that sounds like you then sign up today!
Let me know how your migration went and if this was helpful!
Have an awesome day full of Unicorns and Rainbows!
xo Nicole
This post is about Squarespace To WordPress Migration.
LIST OF MY FINAL SELECTIONS:
- Namecheap– To get your URL domain name (car)
- Bigscoots– Site host provider (garage)
- WordPress.org– Web and blogging platform
- 17th Avenue Designs– Site Theme (Harper)
Recommended Courses
The following courses are recommended and will definitely help you learn all about SEO, keywords, content strategy, Pinterest and more!
Genius Blogger’s Toolkit 2020: $97(bundle of courses) I bought this 9-28-20 and plan to purchase it every year going forward.
Perfecting Blogging + Perfecting Pinterest Bundle: $220 I bought By Sophia Lee’s course bundle on 12-30-20 and it was one of the best investments I’ve made in my blogging journey to date!
You can buy the separate courses but I do recommend the bundle. If you buy separately I would start with Perfecting Blogging first.
After you finish I would then buy Perfecting Pinterest because the SEO and keyword research tips in the blogging course will benefit your Pinterest strategy.
Another Good Tip
Use the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer to help create catchy headlines.
Share your thoughts:
Let me know…
How is your Squarespace To WordPress Migration journey going?
Share your comment below.
Check out these related posts:
Why the new blog Inspired Design Talk
How to switch from Squarespace to WordPress!
How To Start a Stylish WordPress Blog
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