Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

10 Reasons Why I Love WordPress

It took me a couple of years to figure out why blogging was so important.  I guess that’s because I didn’t fully understand how blogs can be used.  Back then I thought, “Why would I want to publicly discuss what I did from day to day?”  But blogs (web logs) are so much more than a journaling tool.  Blogs, especially WordPress, can be powerful content management systems capable of replacing old school HTML websites. 

I had always built traditional HTML sites and they were a lot of work maintaining the same look and feel throughout the site.  I’m the kind of person who gets an idea and whips out a standalone web page without linking it to the rest of the site.  Before I know it, there is no visual or contextual continuity.  Search engines don’t like that.

I started out playing around with the free version of WordPress.com.  Once I got the hang of it and how easy it was to publish content, I soon understood the power of WordPress.  But, I also saw how limiting the free version of WordPress.com was.  No selling was allowed and you can’t upload themes or plugins. 

I already had my own web hosting, so I installed WordPress on my own account.  I was hooked and haven’t built an HTML site since.

1. WordPress software is already free on your web hosting account.  If it’s not, you need a new web host, or you can install it the hard way by downloading it from WordPress.org.
2. Installing WordPress is easy from your hosting account’s control panel.  Just fill out a handful of fields and click the install button. 
3. Fire your expensive webmaster because WordPress doesn’t require a webmaster to install or run it.  If you can use a word processor, you can use WordPress.
4. Traditional HTML websites require expensive design software.  Plus, your source files are stored locally on someone’s PC and need to be uploaded to the server when edited or new web pages are added.  WordPress uses already developed themes, many of them are free.  And since your blog’s content is stored in a database on the web server and not in local source files, you can modify your blog from any computer with internet access. 
5. WordPress was designed to be loved by the search engines because WordPress developers consulted with search engine providers to ensure it would be search engine friendly.
6. Blogging is the easiest way to update customers with news about new products or how to use them. 
7. WordPress makes a great showcase for photographers, hobbyists, crafters, gardeners and more.
8. You can easily create tutorials.  Teachers can even post homework assignments online with ease.
9. It’s easy to find and install free plugins to perform specific tasks without having to touch any programming code.  If you need to perform a specific task with your blog, chances are pretty good there’s a plugin for it.  If not, WordPress is open source which means there are thousands of programmers capable of writing just what you need.
10. Create new users with only Author access and allow them to contribute posts to your site.

 I want to build up my own blog , but i am stuck if i should choose blogger or wordpress.
My blog will be about gadgets and reviews+unboxings of mine + gadget news.
I want to have some default templates , but with the ability to modify it to my own taste ( if i need to) . I also want to have a drop down menu / bar .

Also , is it possible NOT to have the wordpress.com in my website but only http://xxxxxx.com for free?
Also , tell me other reasons why i should pick one instead of the other if you wish to give an extra help
Thank you very much.

 

A Powerful Content Management System For the Web

By Michael S S

WordPress is mostly known as a blogging platform but with each version released the Content Management System becomes a more eligible platform for all different kinds of web platforms. The plugin framework also makes the software a prime tool for quickly creating websites that are easily managed and provide easy access to develop additional features.

WordPress is about to release a major update, Version 3.0, that will allow users more control over categorization of their content, management of their menus, and easier customization of the visual look and feel of the site. Like most of their other major releases, this is expected to significantly make the job of web designers and developers easier and provide more control to less technical end users.

While WordPress is easy to manage and extremely powerful, it does require some configuration and installation. Many hosting providers have made this easy for you through services like Fantastico but many of these providers do not offer the latest most secure versions of the software. If you’d like to install this software on your own you need to be sure that you’re comfortable setting up a database and following the provided instructions.

The best part about WordPress is that the core functionality and code is completely free. Anyone can easily and quickly put up a website. Website Design services are offered by many organizations and companies to help give your site a unique look and feel without the extremely high costs of building a complete site from scratch.

Once your site is up and your design is selected, be sure to check out the extensive WordPress plugin library that will allow you add features and functionalities to your site. Many free plugins allow you to dynamically make your site as functional as possible. There are also a considerable number of developers that are capable of supporting custom plugin development for WordPress should you need it.

Many of these developers are skilled at creating designs also, so don’t be shy to look for services that can get you the website you’ve always dreamed. Once the features, functionality, and design have been set you’ll be ready to manage your site through the intuitive WordPress admin area. Its a great option for building highly functional and friendly websites.

I’d recommend WordPress to anyone looking to put up a website, even to those less than technical users. The product is sound and is expected to offer even more through its future software updates.

For the best information on Website Design visit http://websitedesign.com

Great WordPress plugins and website design services are also available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_S_S
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Powerful-Content-Management-System-For-the-Web&id=4442437

Question:

I want to get into blogging, and I hear WordPress is the better way to go. However, I see that you have to download software from WordPress to create a blog with them. My question is, after you have the blog up and running, can you update the blog from any internet-connected computer or do you have to do it from a computer running the software?

See Answers Below…

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Deciding to sell affiliate products can be a very profitable business, but most merchants require affiliates to have a website. If you don’t know how to build a website, therein lies your first hurdle.

Not that long ago, if you wanted to create your own website, there were several skills you needed to get the job done like learning HTML and how to use web design and graphic editing software. Most of them came with a steep learning curve and that left you with some hard choices. Here are a few of them.

1) Take the time to learn it on your own

If you have a need to build a website, but don’t know how to use the tools to get the job done, it’s not impossible to teach yourself if you’ve a savvy student with the desire to learn. But, we live in a world of instant gratification and for that reason, everything around us revolves non-stop. Either you keep up with that merry-go-round or you’ll get left behind still trying to figure out how to use website development software while the other affiliates are banging out websites and making money. You’ll always need to have some basic understanding of how to insert the affiliate HTML code into your website, but if you don’t have the desire or time to learn how to actually build a site from the bottom up, you can always…

2) Hire an expensive web developer

A small straightforward site to promote an affiliate product can easily cost several hundred dollars. It also leaves you at the mercy of the developer’s schedule to build it and to maintain it. If you can make simple content changes yourself, you’ll still need a website editor and that involves that leaning curve thing again. Hopefully you’ll be a successful affiliate marketer and recover your programming expenses, but what if the commissions don’t come in as planned and you’d like another site to promote something else? Are you willing to spend more money to repeat that cycle for every new niche marketing idea you think of?

3) Use an online site builder

Most web hosting accounts come with free online site builders, but you’re stuck with the limited template selection in their gaudy greens, purples, and yellows. How can you promote bass fishing products when the closest outdoor template is one of kids playing on a swing set? Some of those templates make it impossible to modify header graphics, colors, and layout, and with good reason; they want you to pay for a professional web designer to build your site.

4) Free blogs

Free blogs are a great way to learn how to easily build a site, but some free blogs don’t allow affiliates to promote products. Some even go further and prohibit you from using the blog as a jumping off point to direct traffic to another site that contains your affiliate offer. Free blogs also don’t allow you to upload any plug-ins. There are so many wonderful free plug-ins that can turn a plain Jane looking blog into a stunning content management system.

So what’s an affiliate to do?

1) Start out with your own web hosting account that allows you to build unlimited websites and blogs. Better yet, sign up for a hosting plan from a green web hosting provider.

2) Buy your domain names cheap and take advantage of the unlimited add on domains feature on your hosting account. You’ll only need one web hosting account to host as many domains as you like.

3) Instead of building a website from scratch, install WordPress from your account’s control panel onto your new domains. You’ll be able to sell anything you like from your own site and not be at the mercy of some free blogging website.

Niche Marketing with WordPress

One of the most powerful features of WordPress is the ability to change the look and feel simply by installing one of the many free WordPress themes available for download, if you can find one with a header, color, and layout for your niche market. One caveat though, developers give them away for free for a reason. They usually contain a sponsor’s backlink in the footer and it must remain there.

The Ultimate Solution – Make Your Own WordPress Themes

So we come to the conclusion of this article with what I believe is the ultimate must-have tool in an affiliate’s arsenal; the ability to create your own WordPress themes without having to do any coding or pay someone to build a theme for you. If you can click a mouse, you can build your own theme.

You’ll be able to place the sidebars and navigation bars where you want and import your own header graphics to create laser targeted niche themes. Change colors, fonts, and layouts with the click of a button. Easily create a new theme for each product you promote, or create a master theme exactly how you like it, then only change the colors and header graphics. Download a fully functional free copy of Artisteer to see just how easy it is to create your own WordPress themes. I’ll give you fair warning, though. Artisteer is addictive.