Hey everyone! This is just a quick update to excuse myself for not publishing my promised weekly blog lately. Short answer: I'm making the Zero Waste Bystander an official website!
Is this current blog not a website?
Well, yes, technically you're accessing this post on a website. However, that little "blogspot.com" in my URL means I've been leeching off of Google's Blogger platform for a year and a half as opposed to owning my own domain.
Why haven't you had your own website to begin with?
Back in October of 2016, I started this blog as a way to vent about my crazy choice to go zero waste. I wasn't sure what it would turn into and I certainly had no idea how many people would be interested in reading my little rants. It was just a free, easy way for me to deal with the transition.
Seems like a sweet deal. Why not stick with Google?
As I alluded to above, I had no idea when I started blogging that it'd take off the way it has. Yes, Blogger is free, but:
- I'm limited with what I can do with the site. Blogger has a lot of fun themes and is a reliable platform, but that's not enough for me. My professional background is in content marketing and my beloved WordPress and associated plugins are not available through Blogger. That makes it harder for me to be creative with the blog visually and (ironically) to capitalize the blog on search engines like Google, Facebook, and others.
- I'm trying to take myself more seriously as a writer. I want to make writing an actual career and not just a creative outlet. Buying my website is like buying a business suit when entering the business world. Not only will it help me take myself seriously, but I'll look good doing it.
- I'm trying to get strangers to take me seriously as a writer. The sad fact is any professional that sees "blogspot.com" in my domain isn't going to take me as seriously as if they saw I own my own website. It basically looks like a LiveJournal.
So when can we expect the new site?
Sadly, achieving a new website is not the same as purchasing the domain. Moving content is time consuming, making it look good even more so. And I also want to make sure that when the site goes live, it does everything correctly. I don't have a definite date yet, but rest assured I am trying to get it done as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.
Before I get back to work, I'd like to say thank you.
Thank you to anyone who reads the blog or has encouraged me to stick with zero waste. Specifically, I'd like to thank my Ravenclaw bestie, Julia, for helping me take the plunge of buying a website (and for putting up with my extreme lack of knowledge in that journey). Lastly, thank you to my guest writers for writing such awesome pieces for my blog and saving me time during this transition.
Stay tuned.
Labels: announcements, beginnings, zero waste
