[Help] Custom switch: From .blogspot to .com
Hi,
I have finally decided to move my blog from .blogspot to .com [hosted on google]. I have been reading about it on the internet but since I dont understand much about these things, am a bit scared that I will goof the process up. So, I am here asking for your help. Request you to please take some time out for helping me do the switch.
Things that I understand (and, there is only one 
):
- I have to buy a domain name for my blog.
Things that I ask of you:
- From where and how to go about buying own domain name?
- Once that is done, steps (in non techie languange) to set the blog up and running through blogger.
- Any other setting to be altered like feed subscribers, etc.
If there is a comprehensive forum thread covering this topic, please drop in the link below so that I can have a look. Any other extra information / helpful links (only those that have helped you personally) based on own experience are all welcome and everything will be highly appreciated. Thank you. 
I am so happy, I honestly never thought I would be moving to my own domain when I started out. But here I am. Thanks to all of you, it is now up -- My blog is finally free from blogspot. Yay! .. And it is so close to Independence day and IB's b'day as well. Thank you EVERYONE for chipping in with your constant support, discussions, motivations and suggestions. Really means a lot to non techies like me. This place is simply amazing. Thank you so much.
Congratulations Arti! Awesome news...
@Ranjith / @anyone else who wishes to help >
I have a question:
Do I need to update my blog link in the various directories like alexa, bloglovin, etc. etc. where I have my blog registered? Or will the link juice be redirected automatically. IB and BlogAdda I will update. But not sure what else is to be done apart from these two directories. Also, any other place, besides the directories, where it is important to make the changes and update things so that they show the new URL?
Please help.
You have to update all Arti GA, WMT, Bing, Alexa and various directories. Google will index your old link not the new one till you update it
Also work to update your link on Bing Webmasters since a lot of people use Bing as well - Yahoo also uses Bing's results.
Other than that, Update your new domain on Facebook, Twitter, About.Me profile and all other social networks. Where ever you have a guest post, or a link to your blog that you can ask the author to update (except for Comments) do that - like the IndiLexa on which I asked Ranjith to change my domain after I moved just recently. In that way, you are rebuilding your backlinks from your existing ones.
As Aditya has already said, update your Google Webmasters, Alexa and all other directories. Do a quick backlink scan here, here, or here. The last one works a bit faster.
Identify sites were you can influence a change of link or let you go and do it yourself.
Or will the link juice be redirected automatically.
Link juice will be automatically redirected but a part of it will be lost. So, it's better to update all your url's wherever possible. And the most important place to update is IB. Your IB profile is PR 3. 
Whew! Guess, I have loads to do! 
Thank you, Vijay, Aditya, Hemal and Ranjith. I am off to implement all your suggestions now. But please do keep an eye on this thread, high probability that I will be throwing more doubts your way.
Haha.. I am going through the same Arti... so you definitely have company.
So here are some updates:
1. Changes done to Bing webmasters, Google webmasters, Google anaytics (just edited some fields from the Admin settings, I hope what I am doing is right). Also added a site map, thanks to this thread by AS.
2. About Alexa, do we need to add the blog again? No provision for editing URL? Do I need to add a new code in the source code? This one is still pending.
3. Most of the directories are dealt with. Except IndiBlogger. 
Guess, Renie needs a *wallop*
Not really, might be a slight variation but nothing that hits any bad. Is it because, I did this entire moving thing with google itself?
Reposting my reply from below as no one replied?
>>
So here are some updates and a question on Alexa (point #2):
1. Changes done to Bing webmasters, Google webmasters, Google anaytics (just edited some fields from the Admin settings, I hope what I am doing is right). Also added a site map, thanks to this thread by AS.
2. About Alexa, do we need to add the blog again? No provision for editing URL? Do I need to add a new code in the source HTML code? This one is still pending.
3. Most of the blogger directories are dealt with. Except IndiBlogger. Guess, Renie needs a *wallop*
%@$&^*#^*
Replied
.
2) Add again. Yes, you should add new code.
3)
Alexa should scan your domain all by itself... but you can manage it better by giving out your contact details..
You have an Alexa India rank of 48,703 which is quite good.. and I see that you have already claimed this site.. Add some information about your blog and you are done..
About changing of URL on IB, you will need to add your new domain as a new blog.. once that is approved (send an email to Renie to speeden up), you can remove your old blog.
Thank you to both of you!
@Ranjith What do those special characters mean? Are you mad at me for coming up with these silly questions time and again?
@Hemal Whoa! You checked. Thanks very much, really appreciated. I myself was not aware that I had already claimed my site. So nice to see my alexa working. 
About IndiProfile, I have not added new domain as a new blog because I don't want to loose my earlier reviews. Hence, I had sent a mail to Renie to do all that removing/adding bit. Seems he is busy or something, my mail has not yet been answered. 
What do those special characters mean?
You said that no one replied. So, I replied with some random symbols to cheer you up.
Seems he is busy or something, my mail has not yet been answered.
Hunt for him in Vineet's wedding! 
Woa! You could do that?
I freaking had no clue.. I just added my site as a new blog, and removed my older one.
Which explains the delay.
IMPORTANT - Did you say you yourself did not know if you claimed that domain on Alexa? Heck, someone else did then... login to Alexa with your existing user id and pwd (dont try to create a new one till you find out what went wrong) and check if your new domain features on your profile.
If not, well, lets hope it is, but still, tell us all here on this forum. Lets see what we can do about it.
@Hemal I checked my alexa dashboard. And, it seems like I have indeed claimed my site. I have been playing with so many sites lately that I actually forgot that I had added that code again in alexa. Sorry for the confusion, the alexa rankings are now being tracked for my new domain and it's all good. Thanks.
About the review thread, I am not sure if it is possible but i think it should be. In my case, I also added a little note of explanation in my email, just so that Renie also thinks it is. 
But IndiRanks will definitely vanish. How I wish there was some way we could retain them as well, it pains to let it go.
And yes, you could have sent in a mail as well. If you are really interested in getting the old thread back, you can try your luck by asking Renie for it. Perhaps, you might just get them back? if they have something like a backup of threads even after deletion.
@Ranjith
So, I replied with some random symbols to cheer you up.
Hunt for him in Vineet's wedding!
... Yeah. And, shoot him down! *Evil *
^^ [PS for Renie: This is what Ranjith is implying, not me. ]
But IndiRanks will definitely vanish. How I wish there was some way we could retain them as well, it pains to let it go.
Are you talking about getting a low IndiRank or no IndiRank at all which happens for new blogs?
@Arti yeah I know i could have tried, but anyways for me I am done!
Good you checked with Alexa! else could have been a tragedy :P
I let go my old review thread, and raised a new Blog Review request. Its been 3 days and no one has even reviewed. :(
Off late I have been revieweing more than 5 blogs a week at least!!!
Ranjith - yeah that is what my guess too is..
:)
Are you talking about getting a low IndiRank or no IndiRank at all which happens for new blogs?
A bit of both, I guess. No Indirank when it is first added and then a low one since stats have dipped from what they might have been earlier?
@Hemal:
Good job in the review section. And,
I let go my old review thread, and raised a new Blog Review request. Its been 3 days and no one has even reviewed. :(
Now, it's not like that anymore!
with a water pistol.
He'll have to go home in wet clothes.
A bit of both, I guess. No Indirank when it is first added and then a low one since stats have dipped from what they might have been earlier?
Yes rank will drop but not for more than 1-2 months. When Renie changes your domain name ( instead of you adding-deleting ) , it won't be a new blog. So, you won't get an N/A rank.
Thank you Arti! My first, very detailed, very thoughtful review ever on IndiBlogger :P (no one can now verify since the old one was gone :P )
He'll have to go home in wet clothes.
Don't be so sure yet, Ranjith. With the pistol in my hands, anything is possible -- It can be He, Me or even someone else.
.
Got the thing on the rankings, thanks.
@Hemal :)
hi guys, for free blogger blogspot to wordpress migration see this link http://geekspage.org/free-blogger-to-wordpress-migration-service/ we will also help those who got struck in the middle of the process.
- The topic of this thread is moving to custom domain and not blogger to wordpress.
- The link you gave is not a guide but a service where you charge money
Posting links in this way is not allowed.
Arti.. congrats..
Thanks, Aditya. That is sad to know though and a loss indeed. I loved my GPR, in fact I love all my blog stats. I hope Google updates it soon and in the meantime, I hope all my other blog stats can work up their way too.
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