Since we acquired the site BloggingMix.com I’ve received quite a few emails and comments from readers wondering about how we managed to set things up so quickly, why we decided to migrate content over to WhyDoWork, and how we plan on moving forward. This post was the tipping point in getting moving on covering some of the questions received and it’s a great topic to cover anyways.

I thought I’d make a quick post to address some of the concerns (which are valid) on how and why we migrated everything so quickly.

How the Heck Did All the Content Get Here so Fast?

WordPress 2.5 has a nifty little feature set called import and export (pretty self explanatory). The next step is to use a 301 redirect, which I discussed last week to point visitors and search engines to the new content. All the links that once pointed to content on BloggingMix, now point to that same content on WhyDoWork.

Are you Crazy? You’re Going to Lose All the SEO and Back-links!

To search engines, a 301 redirect is synonymous with “moved permanently“. For the most part, all the Google juice and links over time will be credited to the WhyDoWork Blog.

Don’t you think that a Slower Movement Would Be Better?

One reader had suggested possibly writing on BloggingMix for a month or two, gaining a following on that site, and then announcing the switch over would be a better solution to the problem. That is definitely a viable option, but I suppose it all comes down to how you manage change, and the anxiety associated with change. 

One important factor to consider when doing any acquisition is that most people are scared of change. 

Much of my previous corporate work has been within the realm of change management consulting so I’ve seen this effect first hand. At mention of the word “change” some shudder, some go in denial, some lash out, and a small few embrace the change. One of the most critical things I’ve learned about change is to be honest. While I could have written on the BloggingMix site for a month and transfer over then, I wouldn’t have the time to give both sites my full attention. As opposed to peeling the ‘band-aid of change’ slowly, we made the switch, and we’re ready to move forward with the change, facing risks and challenges with an open mind.

What About the Community?

Indeed merging two communities together is not an easy task. Corporations large and small struggle with blending two different cultures and it’s no different in the blogosphere. As a member of the WhyDoWork community, there’s little to no impact associated with the change. As a member of the BloggingMix community, if you’re not a change lover the change may seem extremely difficult to deal with.

We are not seeking to replace the community growth that has gone on at BloggingMix. We have our own community of loyal visitors and we are not forcing you to keep reading – we’re inviting you to keep reading.

Each of the almost 31,000 members at this site is an important asset. Why? Everyone either wants to know, or knows something about making money and succeeding with websites on the Internet. This is a wildly powerful collective group. Through the acquisition merger of BloggingMix and other such sites we intend on introducing more and more people to what we’ve all learned about making money online, have some fun, and help each other succeed.

If that sounds like a community you would like to be a part of, I invite :) you to stick around! 
 

p.s. If you have any ideas on what you’d do differently I’d love to hear them!

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