The WordPress platform is the best choice if you want to use a content management system (CMS). The flavor of WordPress depends on what you need from a website.
If you want only to blog and you don’t care if you have wordpress.com in your website address (or URL), set things up in wordpress.com. The WordPress platform is set up for bloggers. But you can also create a new website using wordpress.org. This site lets you use the WordPress platform on your own website with your own URL. WordPress also offers hosting services if you need them.
And WordPress is free to set up and use no matter if you use the com or org site.
WordPress does not come with some important features. There are many free plugins, which are programs that work with WordPress. Some plugins, as well as “pro” versions of free plugins, require you to pay to use them.
This series of three articles helps you set up the WordPress platform and make it work for you.
Setting Up WordPress
The first article in this series shows you how to create a website with WordPress. Many web hosting companies have the WordPress platform installed in their systems. And hosting companies are happy to set up WordPress for you when you sign up for their service.
Once you set up WordPress, you’ll learn how to log in and the first steps you need to take.
Finding the Right WordPress Theme
After you set up WordPress, the second article in this series tells you about how to find the right WordPress theme.
WordPress comes with a few built-in themes. There are several other companies that offer themes as well as support (for a fee). This blog uses custom themes by Elegant Themes, one of the most popular theme producers. This article tells you more about the themes you can use and some of the popular theme companies.
Making Your WordPress Site Searchable
As with any website, you need to make your site easy for search engines like Google to find. The WordPress platform doesn’t have any search engine tools built-in. You can get good SEO plugins, and this blog uses Yoast. This article looks at Yoast and others like SEOPress.
This series gets you started with the WordPress platform. The two WordPress websites say that WordPress powers 35 to 37 percent of all websites. So, you have a lot of help if you get stuck along the way.
These articles are coming soon, so watch this space.
Eric Butow is the owner of Butow Communications Group (BCG). Do you want someone to set up the WordPress platform for you? Set up a meeting with BCG!