If you read yesterday’s post Have you converted your WordPress blog to your own domain?, you will know that I was considering making some changes to my WordPress domain name. Everytime I logged into WordPress, I was seeing the message ‘Be the master of your own domain….’ and I’ve been tempted for a while now. All the marketing/SEO (search engine optimisation) information I have read over the past few months implies that there are benefits of having your content against your own registered domain.
As far as I could see, I had a couple of options: keep WordPress as the host, but be the ‘master of my own domain’, or transfer my blog to an existing domain hosted elsewhere (there were probably more options, but they were the only ones I was considering). There’s also an option to go for the private registration at the same time which keeps your details secure.
I’ve done it…
I braved it and have just upgraded, keeping WordPress as the host – and it only took a few minutes. My URL is now https://mywritingnotebook.com/ and apart from the word ‘wordpress’ being removed from the domain name everything else has stayed the same. I still have my subscribers, my stats are still 5165, I think I can still be found in the search engines (as everything will be redirected) and apparently there will be some cool new features on the blog according to the WordPress team (which I will be looking into later).
Thank you to those of you that left me such informative comments on my blog yesterday, it really helped me make the decision. Also thank you to WordPress support who confirmed that everything will stay as is – and they were right.
I’ve had a fantastic day. Hope yours has been great too – only four sleeps until Christmas!
Until tomorrow… 🙂
Sandra
Freelance writer
www.sandramadeira.com
My Writing Notebook 
Sandra,
Was there a fee for this?
Bruce
Posted by Bruce Stambaugh | December 21, 2011, 10:28 pmHi Bruce. Yes there was a fee – that’s why it took me so long to decide. $25 a year in total – it was $17 for the domain registration and mapping, and to register the domain as private I paid an additional $8. The advantage is that I can now apply for ‘WordAds’, so there is a chance of earning money on the site (the application doesn’t necessarily get approved, but it’s worth a try). I couldn’t do this with the WordPress blog previously.
Kind regards
Sandra
Posted by Sandra Madeira | December 21, 2011, 10:35 pmThanks. I already have my domain, so maybe I’ll give it a try for the New Year, too.
Bruce
Posted by Bruce Stambaugh | December 21, 2011, 11:07 pmCongratulations Sandra 🙂
It’s just Soooo nice not to have ‘WordPress’ in the URL though isn’t it 😉
Xxx
Posted by Vikki | December 22, 2011, 6:43 amThanks. Yes, it’s a great feeling – and I went to sleep very happy last night. Should have done it ages ago 🙂
Posted by Sandra Madeira | December 22, 2011, 6:47 am