PLEASE NOTE: The current version of Wordpress is 2.9.2. As newer versions are released, certain information provided here may possibly become outdated or irrelevant.

For a new Wordpress user, especially one who has recently made the switch from the Blogger platform, the unfamiliar layout and plethora of available options can be quite overwhelming. This Wordpress Basics series will take you through many of the basic functionality of a fresh Wordpress installation. Please note that none of the theme-specific functions will be covered here since each theme is unique in its method of operation.

In part 1, I gave you information about the difference between .com (hosted on Wordpress’ servers) and .org (hosted on your own server) when it comes to Wordpress. Once you have decided which is best for you and set up your blog, you’re ready to get started! Read more

One thing I’ve found over the last couple of years is that working online often kills my productivity. Being that social media is a large part of my business and my blog, it’s not difficult to get sidetracked reading tweets, checking out the news stream on Facebook, or monitoring keywords I’m tracking in Hootsuite. Before I know it, hours are gone and I’ve nothing to show for them. Another problem I run into is that while my laptop may be superbly organized, my desk typically isn’t so keeping a written to-do list or scheduling appointments and tasks in a written planner is rather pointless. In an attempt to get things in order, I worked out a few things that help me do more business and waste less time! Read more

I have been shocked over the last few weeks to learn that many people are intimidated by Wordpress… I’ve always found it to be extremely user friendly, but then again – I’ve been using it for over 5 years now so when I began with my very first installation years ago, it was actually a very basic package so all of the features you see now were introduced to me little by little. However, I believe my first version was 1.5.1 in the Summer of 2005. At that time, you had to have at least some database knowledge and technical expertise to go self-hosted because there was no such thing as the 1-click install as there is now with most hosting providers. You had to manually set up your database, create your wp-config.php file to connect your installation to that database, and there was no searching for or uploading plug ins and themes directly in your dashboard either. All of that had to be found on the web, downloaded, unzipped, and uploaded via FTP then activated within the installation. Wordpress has come a long way since then! Read more

Logo:

Button:

Twitter Background:

Blogging has gone from being a hobby among journal-enthusiasts to being a business among… well, seemingly everyone with a PC. Most bloggers look to monetize their time in some way, whether it be sponsorships, ads, or people like me who – for the most part – appreciate the interest their blog connections bring to their home business, such as web/graphic design and professional consulting services (which happen to be a couple of my specialties). There are many categorical divisions throughout the blogosphere, each of which house several niches. Read more