Choosing WordPress as your Blogging Platform
Since I recommend everyone wanting to do Internet Marketing should have a blog, I also recommend you should get it right.
The defacto standard in a blog is the WordPress platform. They do have a free version, but I’m not recommending that. What you want is your own website name hosted on your own hosting account. With this option, you do have to use a hosting company that will cost you a monthly fee. And, you must purchase a domain name and then install WordPress on your site. Don’t worry… this is a fairly easy process, and if you experience any problems, your hosting company can help you set things up correctly.
I have an ebook available that will also help you set up your first blog. You can download it here (SettingUpYourFirstBlog) and then save it to your hard drive for later reference.
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress is that you have numerous customization options. There are hundreds of WordPress themes to choose from. Many of these can be customized further by offering flexibility with header designs, color and formatting options.
WordPress also comes with something called “plugins”, these are items that you download to your theme and once installed, increase the functionality of your blog. Many of these plugins are free and with a simple search are easy to add to your blog. Other more advanced plugins have been developed which offer more advanced functions. These more advanced plugins have to be paid for, and are worth considering as you become more adept with WordPress and its capabilities.
Plugins make it easy to install contact forms, images and videos and enable you to share your content with various sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Digg.
For some beginners, they might find that WordPress is not as user friendly as Blogger. It’s normal for anything new to be a bit intimidating, but with a little effort you can overcome this disadvantage. Like anything, there is a learning curve and the sooner you get started, the sooner you will master it.
There are many resources available on the web to shorten your learning curve. Many of these are step by step guides, which incorporate text plus videos, and show you how to use your new wordpress sites including how to create posts and pages, suggested plugins you can use, how to add categories and links, and more. As I said before, WordPress is the defacto standard and as such there is a wealth of support provided for it. Again, download my ebook, Setting up your First Blog to get you started.
Nearly all serious internet marketers choose WordPress because they own their website, and do not want to run the risk of losing it. You have the ability to backup your theme, so you won’t lose any of your recent work should you ever wish to move your blog to another hosting company.