WordPress Blogging Resources
This is the list of my recomended plugins for first installers.
WordPress is the most popular blogging software used online today. This is because it is not only free to use, but has a huge support community that helps new and veteran users alike.
The biggest advantage to using WordPress, is that it is constantly being updated and improved upon. In fact, because it is open source software, there are hundreds, if not thousands of programmers constantly creating WordPress plugins.
These plugins are basically like bonus features you can use with the software, to upgrade its functionality (Making your life much, much easier).
You can view a list of these plugins at:
http://codex.wordpress.org/?pagename=Plugin
One major feature of the software, is that it automatically creates a RSS feed for your blog (The benefits of RSS will be discussed later on).
Each time you post to your blog, the software automatically updates your feed. This is a dynamic feature that will help expose your blog to a wider audience, and best of all, requires no extra work on your part.
Installing WordPress
The first step you will need to take, is to download WordPress here:
http://wordpress.org/download/ or most good hosting companies will have a quick link to add directly on your server.
You can then follow the detailed installation instructions. Should you run into any problems, don’t hesitate to use the support forum at:
After you have installed the software, you will want to change your theme. The theme is simply the layout/design of your blog. You can make it look as simple, or as creative as you wish.
To choose a theme for your WordPress blog, visit:
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ this can also be accessed in the Appearance Menu in the WordPress back office and I recommend doing theme selection here.
Once you have chosen your preferred theme, simply follow the instructions under the Install Theme Tab. The install theme section contains easy installation instructions for changing your theme in a few simple steps.
These are just the basics you need to get started using WordPress to power your blog. As you become more familiar with the software, you can slowly begin to use more of the advanced features and plugins.
Popular WordPress Plugins
As we discussed earlier, there are a vast amount of helpful plugins you can use for WordPress. Here are five of the most popular plugins available:
Fast Secure Contact Form – This plugin allows you to add a contact form to your blog in two easy steps. The contact form lets your visitors send you a quick E-mail message. Blocks all common spammer tactics. Spam is no longer a problem. Includes a CAPTCHA and Akismet support.
Click here to download this plugin
DBC Backup – Quickly and easily backup your blog using this plugin. This is the best tool if you need to make automatic backups only. The installation is extremely easy and requires no sophisticated actions. Only in some rare cases you will need to change the permissions for your backup folder, but it is likely that the plugin will succeed in creating this folder on its own with appropriate access parameters.
Click here to download this plugin
- Google (XML) Sitemaps Generator – One of the hottest ways to get your Website/blog pages listed on Google is by using a Google Sitemap.
Use this plugin to instantly generate your own Google Sitemap, and you should see a dramatic increase in the pages Google indexes from your blog.