Moving to MrShadeed.com (A New Home)

[shadeed]

Readers, friends, supporters! I have found a new online home on another side of town that has more space, will provide me with the pride of ownership, and a chance to start fresh and continue to build an audience.

 

Since every event in life can be turned into an after-school special (learning experience), here are some of the reasons why the move made sense to me and some signs that it may be time to expand your own web presence for your business.

 

The Cost of Paying Rent Became Too High

I like the Ning platform. A lot. So much that I wrote an entire gazillion page manual/book/help guide that I chose not too release for specific reasons back in 2009. Ning's decision to roll out a paid offering was the deathblow for many Network Creators, not so much for me.

To operate a network on the Ning platform is very inexpensive. It's when you want to get serious and do things like make heavy branding customizations, and have your domain point to www.yournamehere.com

that you run into a monthly bill that can be steep if your goal is only to educate and enlighten from your blog home. As of today, monetizing my blog is not an immediate priority. Maintaining unique content that strengthens my brand's mission and focus is.

 

More Tools to Build Community

Blogging is hard enough, believe me. My number one rule of success online just happens to be my biggest weakness: If you build, you must maintain. If I'm taking the time to blog, I want it to be easy for you to comment, like my posts, share on Twitfacelinkedplus, you get the picture.The good folks at Ning have comments options but in today's online marketplace, there are several options that are simply easier to setup and manage.

 

 

I want to be a Homeowner: It's the American Dream, right??

In my real, actual, day-to-day life, I've been a homeowner since the impressionable age of 23. So "renting" my web presence to a shared platform is not a viable long term solution. I used my presence at Ning to get my ideas out consistently and give myself an idea of what running my own personal blog would feel like content and schedule wise.

Many experts, pundits within the world of web expertise would tell you to buy your domain outright the day you decide to blog. I disagree. Ning, among other neat features, offers you the option to export your site to a new home, which was one reason I started blogging here (besides the fact that I know the platform well)

I'm at the point where I feel that I understand who I'm targeting, why you guys read, share, and comment on my material and how that impacts me as a professional.

The result is: going in a self-hosted direction under my own domain.

 

Housewarming Party??

You can find my blog at www.mrshadeed.com which is being updated regularly with fresh new content including exclusive interviews and my observations, publishing schedule, and thought leadership pieces that transform me into the token philosopher at Speaker's socials and event Meet and Greet events all around the US. 

 

This site will remain around until all content is transferred to the new online home.

 

When did you decide it was time to change online homes?

Is your hosting, platform, and strategy in alignment with your financial objectives for your site?

Do you think I made a good or bad decision?

Leave your comments on www.mrshadeed.com where this post will also live.

Thanks for all your support in this transition. - Shadeed