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- This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 7 months ago by gregsandiego.
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06/07/2019 at 2:14 pm #63119
Hello fellow Scavengers.
I have been working on an eBay selling blog, but hit a roadblock. I put together some articles I am happy with, but I haven’t been able to format the free WordPress into a website that I am happy with. I found someone selling WordPress blog formatting over eBay with very positive reviews, so I thought that would be worth the $50. Once I started talking to him though, he explained that he uses custom templates, and that the free WordPress doesn’t allow for them.
Can someone with some web design background and a healthy frugality help me think through this? I found a reputable hosting site that includes WordPress hosting, bandwidth, and domain for something like $50/month. Should I just go through with it? I’m concerned that with a custom template, I won’t be able to migrate if I change my mind.
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06/07/2019 at 2:51 pm #63120
I don’t know that details of everything you are trying to set up or what service this person is offering, but his rate seems incredibly low and the hosting site seems incredibly high. Does that include the template or do you have to purchase a template as well? Unfortunately, any answer probably comes with some caveats. You should be able to move any template you purchase to any other provider, but it also depends on how you purchased it. Your content (posts, pictures, etc) should be yours as well, but the template is what will give the content the look and feel you are looking for.
With regards to the hosting, I’ve set my most recent WordPress client on SiteGround and been very pleased. Their customer service is top notch and have been very responsive any time I’ve had a question. Full disclosure, while I built the site and custom template, the client has not actually started blogging so there is no traffic and I cannot verify firsthand how well it works (or doesn’t).
Also, the link provided is an affiliate link and I am eligible to receive a commission if you sign up for hosting with that link. If this violates the terms or spirit of the forums, please let me know. and I’ll remove it. I don’t want to upset anyone but I would not recommend this if I didn’t use it myself.
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06/07/2019 at 2:52 pm #63121
Since you’re asking scavengers, Ryanne and I would suggest starting on a free template on wordpress.com. You may end up hating the slog of consistent blogging. Maybe no one will care and you’ll get discouraged.
We use blogger.com for free for this podcast for the first four years. It was only after we had enough people who wanted to talk to each other that we moved to a custom site that costs us $70/month.
If you’re blog ever became popular, it’s easy enough to migrate your WP database (with all your content) to a new template.
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06/07/2019 at 4:19 pm #63127
So I did just that, and with the same idea about migrating if I need to:
Shatnersoldtoupee.wordpress.comWordpress advertises easily workable templates, but I just haven’t found that to be the case. I haven’t been able to set up simple menu formats, and I don’t like that the articles just disappear out of site after new ones come in. I spent so much time trying to figure out how to edit the templates, that eventually thought it would just be worth paying someone the $50. Now with the thought of having to pay a yearly bill for a blog I’m just trying out, I’m back to being as overwhelmed as I was when I started.
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06/07/2019 at 4:47 pm #63129
our advice about starting a blog is to start free. what if you get sick of it? then you have paid $0. we were free on blogger for years and years until the community grew large enough to justify us migrating to a paid wordpress platform and forum. we paid someone to edit a template we liked. but it was pricey.
on ShampooAndBooze we’re free on blogger still. if eventually the community grows large enough to jusifty a fancier blog and forum, we’ll move to that. but for now it costs $0 (and our time) to create a podcast.
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06/07/2019 at 4:48 pm #63130
Using wordpress.com, it’s very difficult (if not impossible) to change the structure of a given theme. You can change colors, image and (sometimes) fonts, but you are limited to the underlying structure of the theme. The advantage is that you can switch between themes very easily to find one with the features you like. IIRC, they have a pretty good filter system and you can select a theme based on the features available.
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06/07/2019 at 4:48 pm #63131
the most important part is your content and posting consistently.
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06/07/2019 at 5:02 pm #63132
Once you decide to host your own blog, it’s tough to go back to free if you change your mind. For instance, if we ever decided to stop paying $70/month to host scavengerlife.com, it would disappear from the internet.
Hosting on wordpress.com or blogger.com means your blog will likely exist as long as those platforms exist without it costing you a dime.
But if you want more control over the look of your blog, then pay for hosting. We use https://wpopt.net/. Run by a nice Brit named Charles who lives in Sweden.
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08/17/2019 at 9:14 pm #66452
Hey guys, just wanted to thank you for your advice.
I canceled the paid option the guy was trying to put me through, and found someone on r/forhire to help me format the templated site in the way I wanted it. It’s looking very nice, and I’m finally able to start adding blog posts.
ShatnersOldToupee.Wordpress.com
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08/17/2019 at 9:17 pm #66454
Looks nice!
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08/31/2019 at 2:33 pm #67175
I may be a bit late here but I couldn’t agree more with Ryan to use blogger. I’ve used all kinds of hosts, including wordpress.org, wordpress.com, yahoo, others…
But the very easiest quickest way to get up a cheap website is to register the domain at Google Domains for $12 per year and then let them host it on blogger. (Which I believe they will offer to do after you register).
I think you’d need something better if you want it be a shopping site but otherwise these are great. Just go with some template you like to minimize time wasted over little details.
The only reason I might need something better would be to add a shopping cart.
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