I recently got asked, “Should I switch from Blogger to WordPress?” The short answer to this often asked question I get is, “Yes” you definitely should. WordPress is a superior and much better blogging platform and content management system than Blogger. There are a lot more features and 3rd party supported plugins which make the functionality of WordPress 1000 times better than Blogger probably ever will be. Honestly I could go on for a long time listing reasons why you should switch from Blogger to WordPress.
Even if WordPress is a better blog software to use I don't' necessarily see a reason for everyone to make the migration over to WordPress. It sort of depends on your needs and goals with your blog.
Most people use Blogger for their blogs since they just wanted something quick and easy. Since Blogger integrates with Google and all of their products it definitely is simple to use. A lot of Blogger blogs are mainly for sharing family photos, updates, and happenings privately with a family and friends. Or it was something that was just needed for a short time period of time and it wasn't worth it to register a domain name to use and buy web hosting. Other examples would be classes, soccer teams, school projects community bulletins, etc. In my opinion if this is what you are using Blogger for you may not want to hassle with switching from Blogger to WordPress.
Blogger also runs in a cloud environment which makes it a stable software and secure blog platform. (WordPress.com does as but self hosted WordPress blogs depend on what host you are using.) While it definitely doesn't have as much functionality and there are not as much 3rd party development going on with Blogger it is still a great platform for those that want something simple.
If you've landed on this article I am going to assume you are considering switching from Blogger to WordPress and you've probably read about Google's changed Terms of Service. Google's changed ToS basically states you may not own the content you make, which some people don't really like. Even Matt Cutts, Google's head of WebSpam, uses WordPress over Blogger. I wouldn't be surprised if Google's ToS was one of the reasons.
Also if keeping up a blog and your website is taking up more of your time and you looking for ways to monetize it, than you definitely are going to have to switch. WordPress has a lot of plugin options and greater flexibility for you to try different ways to make money blogging. Blogger has Google AdSense for monetizing a blog and that's about it except for getting private banner ads. Keep in mind your theme would need to be able to handle placing them.
If you do want to switch from Blogger to WordPress Automattic, the company that developed and maintains WordPress, makes the process pretty straightforward and easy. There is a Blogger Importer plugin which should work without a hitch (most of the time.) There are a few issues I've had when helping clients switch over to WordPress to be aware of though. For instance high quality images can be a bit of a pain especially if the person is picked a bad web host. (Most of the time HostGator or an EIG company.) Usually even with a lot of images and posts there are a few plugins for grabbing images and pulling them which make the process easier.
If you are happy with Blogger and it fits your needs for a personal or family blog and you are happy with it I don't see a reason to spend time switching to WordPress. If you want greater functionality and flexibility a switch from Blogger to WordPress is probably in the cards for you.
I'd love to hear from my audience. Have any of my readers made the switch? Was it hard or easy for you? Have you switched a blog or website over from other CMS platforms? Let me know in the comments below.