Seven years ago, I started my first ever blog after experiencing mid-career crisis.
Read: My First Post
Seven years later, perhaps another mid-late career crisis, and I decided to change my website from Blogger to WordPress.
It was over two weeks of hardwork, learning from many mistakes, troubleshooting, trial and error, and talking to techsupport of Godaddy, WordPress, Theme and Plugins creators. It also include help from Brian of 3F blog that I am appreciative. “Thank you Brian.”
When I first googled the web for the transfer of my blog from Blogger to WordPress, it really seems quite simple. For others it is easy, but for me, it is an onerous task.
Before I go into the list of major issues , I will like to clarify that I already have my own webpage domain via GoDaddy.
SIGN UP USING THE HOST PROVIDER AND NOT DIRECT TO WORDPRESS
My first and biggest mistake is to pay and sign up to WordPress.com instead of using my existing GoDaddy account to sign up the WordPress.org.
FYI – WordPress.com and WordPress.org is different.
I initiated transfer of my hosting from GoDaddy to WordPress.com and was rejected. I then continue to use my WP.com to work on my website draft which was a disaster.
After I realised my mistake with many hours of wasted, I proceed to ask for refund for WP.com. Fortunately, WP.com is professional and refunded.
I then signed up and paid for WP using my GoDaddy account.
TRANSFER FROM BLOGGER TO WP USING .XML FILE
Following what I googled, I thought that the transfer of entire Blogger to WP will be easy. I backed up my entire Blogger blog to xml file. and then went to WP Tools-> import WP to import the xml file using this link
It failed. An error message was shown:
“There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.”
GODADDY TECH SUPPORT ASK ME TO D/L FILEZILLA
I contacted GoDaddy tech support via chat and unfortunately, I was assigned to an incompetent tech support and was brought in circles. He told that my blog file was too huge and need to change the .ini php file, even though my xml file is less than 30Mb. I was told to change my .ini php file but without clear instructions. I was even directed to d/l Filezilla ftp transfer and had to pay for it.
In total I wasted 5 hours of time without success! It was stressful.
WP’S BLOGGER IMPORTER OUTDATED
The next day, I was lucky to have a capable GoDaddy tech support who directed me to change the ini.php file with clear instruction to increase the upload size to 128MB.
Still, the transfer was not successful. Problem is not the file size. The tech support identified that my default WP Blogger importer version is obsolete. My WP importer has a version as below and you can see that it was last updated 4 years ago. I reckon I have this problem because I did my first transfer already using WP.com and had updated my WP version.
INSTALL PLUGIN BLOGGER IMPORTER EXTENDED
So instead, I d/l plugin Blogger Importer Extended and paid for it at USD25 and the transfer was successfully done.
REDIRECT TRAFFIC FROM BLOGGER TO WORDPRESS
You wouldn’t want to lost the traffic of your historical posts and comments. So, you have to redirect Traffic from Blogger to WordPress. If you uses Blogger Importer Extended, below is the links with instructions you can follow.
https://www.pipdig.co/blogger-wordpress-guide/
https://support.pipdig.co/articles/bie-blogger-template-xml-file/
Otherwise if you use the WP default importer, you will have to download plugins WordPress to Blogger and follow this link https://bloggertowp.org/tutorials/blogger-to-wordpress-redirection-plugin/
ELEMENTOR TO CREATE WEBPAGE
The next major mistake I made to create my webpage using Elementor. Really a great deal of my time was lost. The problem is not with Elementor, but me not as good! I thought upgrading to Elementor Pro helps, but it didn’t. Has to ask for refund again.
The webpage result was just not as ideal and my mobile settings view is off.
I also installed a particular WP theme and use Elementor for my landing page and other pages. The text code was not compatible and “post and comments wordings were all jumbled”. It was too frustrating and too difficult for me.
Later, I then find out that you have to upgrade the Theme to Pro so that there can be code compatibility to Elementor.
DEFAULT WORDPRESS THEME
After two weeks of hassle, I decide to unsubscribe Elementor and revert back all the “Elementor edited pages” to “WP editable pages”.
I simply installed and activated a theme that suited me.
FINALLY…
After many hours of trial and errors for various theme, my webpage is finally almost completed now.
The new look is up and “live”.
Thank God for that.
If you are also interested to transfer your blogpage from Blogger to WordPress, and after reading this post, you still have difficulty of doing so, please drop me a note.
Within my limited means, I will try my best to assist.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. ” Henry Ford.
Haha, I was thinking to migrate mine before also, but after some tries, I gave up. It is not an easy task, salute for your persistence.
Hi Vince, you should try if it really matter. If not, you can give a pass because it can really gets frustrating.
I really spend many many hours learning and doing that.
Guess its easier if you just start it first time using WordPress.
Congrats for making it Rolf!
Aiyo, I went through the same problem as you. Called in GoDaddy to increase the size upload file but still failed and had to subsequently bought an importer extended plugin to make it happen. Should have use my activation key then you can also access it haha.
But all in all, good work and the hard part is now done. We can finally graduate and be proud of it.
Yes, congrats to you too! Finally…. we did it. 🙂
But still need to fine-tune things like stats(Monster Insight), Ads(Quad Ads) etc.
I am sure you are smarter and spent lesser time than me.
The WP importer is outdated. There is no way to import it now. GoDaddy should have know this problem. Instead they thought it is the size upload problem.
Congratulations, and welcome to self-hosted WordPress!
Keep learning new things and that’s the most important! 🙂
Thanks Kev.
Aiyo, I should have consulted you since the beginning, since you are the pioneer financial blogger who use WordPress!
I selected a lot of Theme, and my wife said they are ugly with my posts and layout.
Then, I show my wife your blog Theme and layout, and she said it is very nice. 🙂
Hi Rolf，
I think 4 or 5 years ago, I did the opposite. Transfer fr. wordpress to blogspot.
Btw, why the switch ?
Hi SI, hahaha.. why did you do the opposite? I thought wordpress is more powerful to have more functions than blogspot. Maybe I “Ka Ching Jiu”…. or perhaps just want to force myself to experience new things.
Hahahahha
Then i wanted to try to. Monetize the blog for ads. But wordpress didnt allow it. Simple. But i earn nothinh from. Adsense
Congratulations. Persistence succeeded. Kudos to you, Rolf.
Dear Andy, thanks. Something to break my comfort zone and routine!
Hope all have been great for you during the pandemic?