WordPress.com or WordPress.org – the difference!

WordPress is free open source blogging software that enables you to easily start your own weblog (or blog as it is commonly called).

There are two options available, firstly WordPress.com and secondly WordPress.org.  Whilst the software is the same, with WordPress.com everything is taken care of such as hosting, whereas with WordPress.org you will need to install the software on your own servers (or with a third party provider).  WordPress.com is a good starting point if you are new to blogging and WordPress.org is ideal for those wishing to progress and have more control.

The benefits of WordPress.com is that it is free and easy to set up and there is a choice of over 70 themes.  You do not have to dowload software, pay for hosting or manage a web server. The set up, upgrades, spam, backups and security etc are all taken care of.  Posts are automatically backed up and your log in is secure (SSL).  The servers are also secure and are able to handle high volumes of traffic. You do not need your own domain name as you will get a URL such as “myname.wordpress.com”.

However, with WordPress.com you cannot use custom themes, change the PHP code, nor can you upload plugins.  What WordPress.com does allow you to do is to blog for free!

Once you have become an experienced “blogger” or if you want more flexibility with your blog then you can move on to WordPress.org.

The software is free, however you will need to install it on your own server and will need your own domain name.  Themes and plugins can be uploaded, the database can be edited and the PHP source code can be modified if needed.  You can even run adverts and GoogleAds to generate revenue.

WordPress.org requires a good web host.  More technical knowledge is required to set up and run it as you are responsible for stopping spam and handling backups. Upgrades must be done manually when a new version is released. If you get a huge surge in traffic your site may go down unless your hosting setup is robust. Having said that, hosting your own WordPress software can be rewarding as well as fun.

You can choose from a wide range of themes, many of which come with popular Wordpress plugins and other features such as social network links, etc.

Many themes are free, but remember other people may have the same one as you.  Free themes do allow you to change your theme as often as you like from the ones you have downloaded. Some free theme providers have a “donate” button so that you can help support them in their ongoing development of free themes; a dollar to the coffee fund is always welcome and shows appreciation for their hard work!

Many providers of free themes provide online support (some will charge for this) and will, for a small fee, tweek the theme to make it more personalised to you or your business.

Premium themes are ones that you pay for and usually have more features than the free themes; you will pay anything from $20 upwards.  They are available for everyone, so will not be totally unique to you, however premium themes will not be as abundant as free themes.

If you require a customised theme then that will cost you; you will of course be the only person with that theme and it will be more complex than free or premium themes, whilst still working on the WordPress principle.

You may like to design your own WordPress theme, or have it professionally designed.  If you do this, then the design will need to be programmed by a coder so that it will work with WordPress.

I hope this article has clarified some points with regard to WordPress.com and WordPress.org, as well as the different levels of themes available.

Happy blogging!

If you are brand new to Wordpress blogging and wondering how to find Wordpress plugins, and install them, this video is a great beginners tutorial.

Watch this video to find out how to easily and quickly install Wordpress plugins. They are a great way to enhance your Wordpress blog.

USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham interviews Google engineer Matt Cutts on how to get your site to the top of Google with 5 basic, common sense SEO tips. Matt Cutts guests on the USA TODAY Talking Tech web video show. New episodes air weekly at tech.usatoday.com

This is a very basic, yet very informative place to start if you are new to search engine optimization.

www.plr-niches.com This video shows you how to do On-Page and Off-Page Search Engine Optimization.

If you’re using WordPress out of the box, you might want to use a more unique theme that will create interest and connection with your visitors. After all, even the most valuable content gets boring if it’s set against a forgettable backdrop.

Anyone who’s interested in finding a niche WordPress theme is looking to appeal to a select group of people. As such, which WordPress theme you choose to use will affect how successful your business is.

So what are some general things to look for in a theme?

First and foremost, it’s the Google AdSense color and its placement.

Your niche blog is a business venture, therefore, you want it come off looking as professional as possible. Look for themes that match your AdSense so that AdSense looks like an organic part of your website. Seamless integration is what you should be going for.

But that’s not all you have to watch out for.

What about the specifics?

Niche WordPress themes, though already somewhat customized, can be customized further for easier integration with your business.

So prepare to customize!

…and get a little technical (or hire someone talented to do that for you).

Find niche themes that allow you to modify:

The main keyword phrase

This option is great because it allows you to put the keyword phrase in the meta title tags and headers of each page. It’ll also help you tell search engines that you want to be on top of results. Some business owners prefer to leave this blank, but they lose out on a way to promote their business.

Header images and text

Images and text are something that you obviously want control over. Make sure that you can easily modify both so that they can work for your business and not against it.

Fonts

How your text is presented is just as important as the content that it contains. Some fonts leave un-businesslike impressions in prospects’ minds, but it’s all relative. You wouldn’t set up a hospital blog and then use the comic sans font all over it, would you? Similarly, using a cursive script font for a blog dedicated to a kindergarten class seems out-of-place, right? Decide what font best represents your business and then implement it.

CSS

Let’s face it- not every pre-designed niche theme is 100% perfect. But if you’re allowed to modify CSS, you can help make it as close to perfect as it can possibly get. You’ll need a little bit of training beforehand, but CSS is far from impossible to learn. When you’re dealing with CSS, there really aren’t any limits. You have control of even the most minor details. Modifying CSS is great for perfectionists and those who have an exact vision of how they want their blogs to look like.

Finding a WordPress theme that offers all of these options can set you on the right path towards a blog that looks, talks and walks like you. Getting your brand out there will be a snap once you find a niche WordPress theme you like and can turn it into something unique that sets it apart from your competition.

Blogger used to be a good blogging platform, especially for beginners. It was easy to use and setup, and not much technical know-how was required. There’s one major setback to using Blogger, though. You can’t take advantage of social bookmarking sites, at least not as effectively as you can with using Wordpress. There are numerous Wordpress Plugins, and some take advantage these sites.

These social sites act as a “vote” for your website. When people bookmark your blog posts or articles, they are sharing them with others. Other people pick up on your content, and they might bookmark them as well. The more votes the better. Google loves content, that’s no mystery. Google will reward your site for that content and the fact that high authority social bookmarking sites are linking to it. This means more traffic! A lot more in fact.

So how do we take advantage of these social sites when blogging? The answer is Wordpress Plugins.  Blogger doesn’t give us any way to automatically bookmark every post we make. It has to be done manually. That’s very time consuming!  Services like OnlyWire or SocialMarker can make this a lot easier, but you still have to take the time to use those services.

There is a much easier way to drive this traffic to your blog. You have to be using Wordpress to take advantage of this. Wordpress is the most popular blogging platform, and it’s no wonder why that is. It requires a little more technical knowledge, but don’t be scared away. The benefits are far greater!

Wordpress makes use of Plugins. Wordpress Plugins are basically little applications that perform a function or process. There are numerous Plugins that were made for Wordpress, and there will be many more no doubt. They all serve a different purpose.

Here are some Wordpress Plugins that you DON’T want to be without so that you can utilize the power of social bookmarking sites:

ShareThis – Allows users to share and bookmark your posts.

AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget – This allows your readers to bookmark your posts.

ShareThis and AddThis are pretty much the same thing. It doesn’t hurt to have both. You want to make it as easy as possible for your visitors to bookmark your posts.

OnlyWire Autosubmitter – This will automatically submit your posts to your OnlyWire account.

Sociable – Automatically adds links on your posts to popular social bookmarking sites.

Tweet My Blog – This will automatically post a tweet to your Twitter account when you make a new post, bringing more traffic to your blog. You can sign up for Tweet My Blog at my blog; there is a link in the resource box. You’re also going to need a Twitter account. So grab that and start getting followers, the more the better.

This is just a small example of the Wordpress Plugins that are available. You want to make sure you have these Plugins installed so you get traffic from the social bookmarking sites. The potential here is huge, and you don’t want to miss out. If you’re not yet using Wordpress to blog, I suggest you get on board.

How to Change Install & Activate a New Wordpress Theme

Install Themes in the WordPress Dashboard.  This video shows how to upload a wordpress theme from your computer.  It shows how to activate a new theme once you find it or upload it.  WordPress themes come in the form of a .zip file.  You can buy “Premium Themes” and you can find thousands of free Wordpress themes using the Dashboard or by searching for “free wordpress themes” on the Web.

Google Site Command

Why is the Google site command useful and how do you use it? Find out more in the this search engine optimization (SEO) tutorial by Gareth Davies of GSINC Ltd.  For more SEO, Link Building and ECommerce tips visit www.gsinc.co.uk

Search Engine Optimization in Wordpress Blogging

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