A Bravo and a Boo ~ Read This Before You Switch!

Happy Monday, Friends! In the spirit of giving credit where it's due and being honest when it's not, today I'm sharing a Bravo! and a Boo! My Bravo! goes to a blogger some of you may follow. For my blogger friends or those who have been following the Feedburner drama from the sidelines, I'm sharing a Boo! and precautions about a few things you should know before you make the switch...

If you follow Rita from Panoply, you probably saw the lovely blog revamp she shared awhile back. In her post, she shared that she had hired Linda from Life and Linda, who also is a talented blog designer. Those of you who aren't bloggers but do follow blogs may find this more relevant than you might think because as many of us have scrambled to find a replacement for Feedburner email subscriptions that will be discontinued this month, it could affect what you receive in your inbox. I thought I had found a solution and posted an update at the end of June. 

I shared images of what subscribers could expect, and then before making the final switch from Feedburner to follow it, I monitored my own email feeds for a week to make sure they were consistent. So...imagine my disappointment when the first email that went out to all of my subscribers looked nothing like what I told them to expect, as you can see from the comparison images above. To say I am frustrated by follow it's bait and switch tactic is an understatement. While they advertise "free" service, it is actually only free if I am willing to subject my subscribers to emails that look like the one on the right--I'm not. I have since learned that in order for my emails to look like the previews I received before switching my subscribers, it would cost more than Mailchimp--even if I exceed the requirements for their free option. BOO follow it! Fortunately, this fiasco has a happy ending--BRAVO Linda, the Fairy Blog Mother! She graciously squeezed me in, imported my email subscribers to Mailchimp, and designed a beautiful email layout...

...and subscription boxes for a very reasonable price. I have DIYed the majority of my blog design over the years, but I was honestly just over it after my Boo experience, and I couldn't be happier with Linda's prompt and professional service. Readers selecting SUBSCRIBE from the toolbar at the top of the blog will be directed here: 

Here is the updated subscription box on the blog's sidebar: 

I'll leave you with a few final thoughts. My initial decision to choose follow it instead of Mailchimp was because I was trying to avoid monthly fees if I exceeded their free requirements. I now know that if this were to happen, I would still spend less than I would to remove the invasive ads from follow it. When I refer to ads, it is not my intention to criticize bloggers who rely on ads to offset blog expenses--many people have no idea of the time or financial commitment that is involved to maintain a blog. Also, I have heard from another blogger using follow it who includes her full blog post in emails, so the ads at the very bottom aren't near as visible. No disrespect intended if you happen to be using follow it and are happy with it. I am just hoping to spare anyone who is still making the transition the headache I experienced. Again, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the task, I highly recommend Linda!