Wizard's Place

Archive for the ‘WordPress/WPMU’ Category

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on various forums about the power of being part of a venue or community vs. having a stand-alone website. Often the thrust of the comments seems to be that a site like eBay is important because they bring millions of people to the site daily so your items will be seen, whereas having your own website leaves you out in the cold, all alone to find for yourself.

I beg to differ. There are advantages to communities and venues if they provide a way for your listings to be found easily by visitors but many don’t. Often venues are more about getting new sellers (their customers) to the site and less about providing a way for you to be found. I’ve seen venues and so-called community sites that have no mechanism for displaying a list of sellers or for searching for a seller by name, business name, or email address — all of these are important ways a seller could be found.

In particular, for most categories these days, eBay has so many listings and their search is so skewed in favor of key sellers (read “big”) that your listings are often never seen. It doesn’t matter how many visitors a site has in total. What matters to YOU is how many people actually see YOUR listing(s). Put a counter on your eBay listings and see how many hits you get. No one has have shown me a listing with a million or more viewers, or even close to that. Most listings are lucky if they get 100 hits. Sixty million, or whatever the daily traffic number is at eBay is meaningless.

So where do websites come in. Well, first of all, today’s websites are more affordable and offer many more features and functions. WordPress, my personal favorite, is a powerful, feature-rich, content management system for creating both information and e-commerce websites. But traditionally having your own website has meant being out there all alone. And that means little or no traffic.

Not any more. WordPress is an excellent base from which to build an Internet presence. It is very SEO friendly right out of the box and extremely easy to extend for top notch SEO response with an array of excellent plug-ins for the purpose.

But you can go one step further. Find a good, niche market, venue or community site that supports, and promotes, website categories and will help put your site on the map. Harness the power of a like-minded, product specific, group of sites to gain extended exposure and better placement in the search engine return pages (SERPs).

With the right package you can do better — significantly better — than you have done on eBay, and you can do it cheaper — significantly cheaper — than you have likely been paying for listings that haven’t been selling.

I’m interested in hearing from people who are interested in an affordable website that is easy to use and will be part of a niche-market or merchandise-specific community of sites.

With the release of WordPress 3.0 (now in v3.0.1 release) WordPress MU became an integrated part of the standard WordPress code base. At the time of initial installation we can now choose which style of WordPress we want to run: single site stand-alone mode or multi-site network mode. Along with this choice comes a little confusion in what we should be calling things.

We need some clarification in the terminology that has sprung up over the years as WordPress has grown and matured. Originally WordPress was a blog. That was easy. Then it gained the ability to add pages and other non-blog content. Was it still just a blog or was it actually a website? Then came extended content and the associated management facilities. Was it just a website or was it a true content management system (CMS)? Now it has single site or a multiple site capability withing the single installation.

So is it now multi-site or do we continue to think of each website as a blog? And what’s all this network stuff? WordPress now refers to the multi-user (MU) capabilities of the latest WordPress package as a network, as in “network of blogs or websites”. Sure, WordPress can still be installed and used as just a blog — some blog! — but it is more often than not installed as a complete multi-page, multi-function, website; a full content management system. And, when you expand the installation to support multiple,simultaneous, individual, independent, websites or content management systems, then the term network certainly applies.

The term website or just site is, I believe, preferable to blog for an individual installation. The term network is great for an installation comprised of multiple websites under a single WordPress umbrella. As we move ahead with the new structures these terms will become more common place and more comfortable in normal use.

But whatever you call it, WordPress is undoubtedly the very best choice for many varied website needs. I’ll be glad to help you decide how to best utilize it for your specific online needs.

If you aren’t already using WordPress v3 you should be!

From Andrew Nacin on the WordPress site July 29, 2010

After nearly 11 million downloads of WordPress 3.0 in just 42 days, we’re releasing WordPress 3.0.1. The requisite haiku:

Three dot oh dot one
Bug fixes to make you smile
Update your WordPress

“This maintenance release addresses about 50 minor issues. The testing many of you contributed prior to the release of 3.0 helped make it one of the best and most stable releases we’ve had.”

Download 3.0.1 or update automatically from the Dashboard –> Updates menu in your WordPress site’s admin area.

I’m often asked about a good beginner’s book for WordPress. There are so many good books that offer good information at so many levels that it is hard to pick just one. If you are just starting out, however, and want a good overview then Lisa Sabin-Wilson’s WordPress For Dummies is a good choice.

Generally I just don’t like the For Dummies series of books for the implicit put-down the title conveys but, getting past that, this book is a comprehensive guide to getting started with, and using, WordPress. It is well written and easy to understand.

The author is thoroughly versed in her subject and presents practical advice in an easy-to-follow manner making this book an excellent step-by-step guide to WordPress. It also offers a selection of places you can go to find additional resources.

Topics covered include plug-ins (extensions to the basic WordPress system), hosting your own stand-alone system, themes (both selection and development) and migrating your blog from an existing site.

You won’t go wrong with this book.

Free Blogs There are a number of online blogging sites — TypePad, Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal — which are not only easy to use but they are FREE. That seems to make them a great choice for blogging and all the good things a blog can do for your online presence. This may be true for the beginner but, as soon as you move even slightly beyond the level of novice, you will find many things lacking, not the least of which is being able to do everything you want with your blog.

If you want to do a little more with your site than just blog, perhaps offer items for sale, host banners or pay per click advertising, or any of a number of typical revenue generating activities, then you will quickly discover that you have pushed beyond the limits of either the functions or the rules of your host site, or perhaps both. If you are already blogging you’ll want to move up to a self-hosted or commercial blog. If you haven’t started yet you really should consider where you will ultimately like to take your blog and, therefore, where you really should begin.

Managed Blog Sites Both the single stand-alone and the multi-user installations of WordPress allow you to create powerful multi-page websites with integrated blogging support. The new WordPress extends well beyond blogging, offering the site owner all the features of custom e-commerce websites and then some.

Whether you install and manage a WordPress installation yourself, or hire someone like me to do it for you, having your own website with integrated blog allows you to control what you do, for both personal and commercial use.

A multi-user installation (WPMU) allows you to manage multiple independent blogs from the same control panel or sub-let blogs to others, passing along independent control of each blog to it’s respective user while still maintaining over all master control.

WordPress Themes Often called skins on other packages, WordPress themes allow for an easy way to change the look of your website. Free themes abound and can be great choices, though there is a very good chance you will run into many others using the same one you choose. Commercial themes will have a more limited distribution though some are sold many times. Custom themes are also available providing a unique image and identity for your site.

Be sure you check out your theme choice carefully as not all themes are suitable for all purposes. Some are designed just for single-page blogging sites. Some have limited support for multiple pages or other add-on features that you may want now or in the future. Some will no longer be functional on current WordPress releases.

I can assist you in choosing the right theme (free or commercial) for your WordPress site, I can modify a theme that doesn’t otherwise support the feature(s) you need, or I can create a custom theme specifically suited to your needs and plans for the future. I can also edit or redesign an existing theme to suit your business.

Contact me to discuss your needs. My rates are very affordable. Discussing your needs, and the solutions I can offer, is always free.

Over the years I’ve installed a few websites. A few hundred actually. And in those years, with all the different packages, pre-configured, and custom sites I have done, when it comes to features, flexibility, ease of use, and shopping cart, I have to say that this is the very best. I am now offering this package as my primary e-commerce solution for many online sellers.

Built on a WordPress foundation, using the Templatic WPShop e-commerce theme (shown below), this website offers as complete a range of features and functions as any I’ve seen and allows for extensive customization.

Because it is built on WordPress it has, of course, an integrated blog. And, because of the new WordPress structure, it has the ability to easily add pages which appear, as if by magic, in the already established menu structure. No confusing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript coding here. And adding content is easy too. Post a blog, add a page, type in text, drop in pictures, upload and re-size — it’s all controlled from the built-in control panel called a dashboard.

And the WPShop theme integrates a complete inventory management, shopping cart, and payment processor system. It’s feature rich yet not over-loaded. It offers the things you need but not a lot of fluff you don’t. And, best of all, it uses the familiar blog/page posting process to list items. Listing is as easy as posting a blog entry! Nice.

Here’s a screen capture of the home page of a recent installation:

One: A WordPress blog is easy to manage. Anyone, no matter how limited their online experience, can operate a blog with only the most basic instruction. It is easy to add new content or change existing information. Working with images is also easy. The control panel, called the Dashboard, puts everything within reach and makes it all step-by-step. Nothing difficult here!

Two: A WordPress blog is extremely user friendly. Ease of use is the holy grail of websites. WordPress blogs offer many options to present your visitors with an array of features that may be easily set up, clearly presented, and, like everything else, administered from the Dashboard. You present, and control, a structure targeted directly to the theme or concept you wish your visitors to experience.

Three: WordPress blogs receive the most exposure of any websites on the Internet. The versatility, extensive content, and continual updating, allow it to control your selected keywords in search engine results. Of course you are not the only one using a blog to your advantage so it still takes consistent application of the right stuff. WordPress blogs just make it easier.

Four: Your income potential with a monetized WordPress blog is pretty much limitless. If you have correctly targeted your blog content to attract a niche readership and you add the right offerings for them using AdSense, Amazon, and other affiliate programs, your blog can be working for you around the clock. It takes work and development over time but it is possible. Many are already doing it.

Five: A WordPress blog is affordable. The software, many pre-designed themes, and most plug-ins, are free so you can get started without much outlay. All you need is hosting space and your own domain name. You can even get started with free hosting and a sub-domain (someone else’s domain) but it is really best to start with your own if you are serious.

The Amazon affiliate program is fantastic and the astore opportunity is without equal on the ‘net, however astores don’t allow for much personalization and you can’t take advantage of things like blogging or niche content for SEO.

Free blog sites are okay and some of the free website hosts will allow astores but you are at the mercy of their “deal” changing without notice. Sometimes sites ban commercial use altogether (sorry folks, an affiliate monetized site is commercial!) and often those that do allow it will require an expensive commercial upgrade at some point. They get you hooked and then, if you are successful and don’t want to change, they get your money.

Even good deals tend to leave you out there pretty much on your own. The Internet can be a lonely place!

In conjunction with MSMOsites website community (http://msmosites.com) I have created a structured website, based on the WordPress website engine, that provides a home page, an astore page, an about page and an integrated blog. The site is installed and configured for you. There is no installation or setup fee and no contract period. The site rental is just $3.99 per month. You can cancel any time you wish.

You can add additional pages, easily add your Amazon astore iframe code to the astore page (see image to the left), and add widgets and other ads to the sidebars. You can have different sidebar content on each of the four included pages and the site will support other affiliate ads as well. Learn more here:

http://msmosites.com/astores/

This is a solid starting point, and a great base upon which to grow, for anyone seerious about building Amazon (and Google or eBay!) affiliate revenue streams. The website is not free but it’s eminently affordable. If you are not prepared to spend a little you probably aren’t committed enough to do what needs to be done anyway.

Oh, and one more thing: I provide tech support and marketing advice (by email) without charge to anyone renting one of these Amazon Affiliate Astore websites.

WordPress is no longer just a blog. It’s a powerful, feature-rich, website engine and content management system. It allows almost anyone to create a multi-page website and, with a little training, to use it effectively.

I’ve been so impressed with this product that I’ve been converting many of my own websites, including this one, to WordPress. Additionally, the WordPress Multi-User (WPMU) package is an excellent way to deploy multiple blogs and/or websites with a single, central, management panel. It is ideal for the entrepreneur who can see the value of a website business but doesn’t know any HTML or other web coding. With WordPress YOU DON’T HAVE TOO!

The key is to get the right information, the right products, and the right training, so you can get started right. And there’s the rub. The Internet abounds with advice, ideas, products, and offerings. You could literally spend the rest of your life researching, trying to figure it all out.

That’s where I come in. I’ve put together a package the gathers together everything you need to get started and backs it all with my many years of web design and marketing experience so you know you will be starting right where you should be.

I’ll teach you what you need to know to run your own website business, offering and hosting WordPress websites. I’ll set up the hosting server with WPMU, the multi-user WordPress core engine, and teach you how to use it. I’ll install the necessary plugins and a selection of ready WordPress themes that will allow you to immediately begin selling personal and business blogs and websites. I’ll teach you about domain mapping and more.

But more than that I’ll be there to help. Initial training will include telephone sessions, videos, web-based documentation, and email. After that telephone and email contact will be available. You will have a business of your own but you won’t be alone.

You can start your own website business today! CLICK HERE!

There are hundreds, indeed thousands, of old WordPress themes around. Most of them are free. A lot of the old themes were designed before many of the new WordPress features and functions existed. Some of them contain what were completely new concepts at the time which have since been incorporated into the WordPress core system albeit in a somewhat different way. The long and the short of it is that many old themes just don’t work — or don’t work completely — with the current WordPress structure.

Dan Therrell is a good friend of mine who owns a web services company called Zfish (formerly Blue Mullet Web Services). Over the years we’ve collaborated on a number of projects. He recently came across an impressive free theme called Notebook Chaos which he decided to use on his main Zfish.com site.

Immediately upon installation Dan discovered that the theme didn’t work the way he was hoping. Pages weren’t functioning as expected and some content wasn’t showing up where planned. It wasn’t that the theme was broken. It was just that it was coded in such a way that a number of typical (today) WordPress concepts either weren’t included or they were hard coded into the pages so they couldn’t be adjusted in the usual fashion from the WordPress management Dashboard.

I was fortunate enough to be talking to Dan about another matter at about the same time as he had added this theme to his site and he asked me to have a look at it. I found it to be made up of clean code that was easy to edit and between us we sorted out the things necessary to make an old theme work on a current WordPress installation. And sometimes the results are really worth the effort!