Changes are Coming...

Back in April, I wrote a post musing about what my blog could actually be. A week later, that post was interestingly picked up and discussed on a financial podcast about how to monetize blogs. This inspired me to think that this could be something, maybe something big! But what? How?

In order to do more with my blog, I know I have to leave Blogger behind as a platform; I have formatting issues pretty regularly and I'm can't do very much in terms of layout or web design. It is great as a beginning writing platform (very user-friendly and intuitive), but because I've used platforms like Weebly, I know there are better options out there that give me more freedom.

I know how to create a website from scratch using a drag-and-drop format, but how can I move my posts over that I've already created? Who should I be paying for this privilege? How can I avoid spending dozens of hours on something that I then manage to screw up?

I contacted a blogger friend from mine, Liz Giertz, who runs an awesome blog site at My Messy Desk. I knew her when we lived in Texas, and I wanted my site to look like hers. Unfortunately, she couldn't help me with the tech side since she paid someone to set it up for her, but she directed me to another resource, a small company called Your Blog Consultants. Operated by two sweetheart Christian women named Melanie Redd and Alisa Nicaud, they use blogging as a ministry tool, and want to help other bloggers build their own brands and audience.

They had an "Influencer" program going when I stumbled upon them, where they were looking for a few bloggers to offer discounted services to in exchange for helping to promote their business. I applied and was selected! This is HUGE for me - it means I have people who know things. Ladies who will walk me through the tech and marketing side, and answer all my questions I have as I envision what hELArious Lizzy can be in the very near future, and with whom I can share my stories. They will work with me throughout this summer, helping me select color palettes and layouts and fonts, use Pinterest and other social media to gain followers, manage email lists, figure out WordPress, and answer any other questions I can throw at them in their sweetest southern-accent fashion. They have the heart of a teacher, helping me first figure out what questions I should be asking, and I am ridiculously excited to work with them.

I had an initial phone consult last week with Alisa, and since then I have signed up for hosting from SiteGround, created a WordPress account, and have selected a theme that I am going to be playing with. I think I've settled on a few colors that I will use consistently (this is especially important for Pinterest, I understand), and have been playing with fonts and new logos (see above!). WordPress has a plugin (I'm not quite sure yet what that is but I will figure it out soon!) that will enable me to migrate my 350+ posts from Blogger to my WordPress site. Very, very soon, you will come back to find hELAriousLizzy.com takes you to a different, but very professional-looking website. My goal is to do it myself with help, and learn quite a bit about web design in the process.

Alisa at YBC sent me to Design Seeds to find color combos

I am very thankful to all of you readers who have walked with me in my teaching and mothering journey, and my guest blogger friends who have shared their expertise! I am especially thankful to those of you I have quizzed over the last few weeks in person or on the phone as to what you like about my site, and what keeps you coming back. I'm trying to identify my target audience, and write content that satisfies both me and them. I am also thankful to Alisa and Melanie at Your Blog Consultants for getting me going on this new hobby-project! Stay tuned for more info soon!