To start a blog site, it can be very easy to open an account with a blog site platform such as blogger.com. However, it is recommended though, to place a blog on your own domain and server provider, to ensure full control of the site, and ownership.
A blog site is very easy to set up, to add to, and to manage, especially when compared to the alternative of working with a standard website. A blog site can also be made to look like a standard website, if required, for particular purposes, and we can look at those options in future posts.
Blog sites also rank better with the search engines than standard static websites, which means they are more likely to appear higher on results when someone types in the related keywords into a search. There are many other factors also which can improve placement in search results.
Wordpress is the recommended option for establishing a blog site.
If using the host provider recommended in previous post - For more details, click through here.
- just log into the cpanel of the hosting account, using the details that were provided by email when the account was set up. Then click on the button - Fantastico, and click on the button - Wordpress, and then select the domain name which is to have the wordpress installation added.
Most good hosting accounts will also provide Fantastico in the cpanel.
When wordpress has been installed on the chosen domain name, go to www.yourchosendomainname.com/wp-admin This is the area to use to log in to the back office of the blog site. This is the area to use to add blog posts and to add or change the presentation. Select the user name and password for access to the blog admin area and be sure to make a note of it. (It is helpful to keep records of user name and passwords in an excel spreadsheet and with a hard copy in a note-book)
The wordpress site will show the basic default display, with a blue header, when first installed on the domain name. There are many choices for design and presentation. The colour and display of the site is called the theme. A unique theme can be designed for a site, and this would be a good option for a business blog. For general use, and to get started, free themes provide excellent choices.
There are many free blog designs to choose from and they are easy to install. Go to http://wordpress.org/extend/themes and browse the themes to find one that appeals and suits. Check that it has a good star rating, and read the details to see that it suits your need.s. View it in preview for a better visual. Two column themes are often preferable, although it depends on your needs. When selected, note the name of your choice.
Go into your wordpress admin panel, click on “appearance” and below that, click on “themes” - at the top, next to Manage Themes, click on the button that says “add new”. Enter the name of the theme that you want. You will then upload, install, and activate.
If using a theme that is in a folder on your computer, such as a purchased theme, then you may use ftp software. First, if the file is zipped, right click and select- extract all, to unzip the file.
Next the file needs to be uploaded to the blog site
Ftp is File Transfer Protocol, which is the upload or transfer of files to the hosted site. For an easy and free program to do the ftp upload, go to http://www.filezilla.com and download the software. Open this program on the computer. When the software is activated and open, enter the details received in the email from the hosting account, to enable the connection.
In the ftp software, on one side will be the list of domains and folders present on the hosting account, and on the other side will be the list of files and folders on the computer. Locate the unzipped theme folder on the computer side of the software, click it and it will display the contents. Highlight the contents of the file.
On the other side of the ftp software, showing the details of the hosting account, click on the chosen domain name, which will display sub-folders. Click on - contents, then click on - themes, so that - themes - will be highlighted.
Then click the little arrow that points from the side of computer folders, to the side of the hosting account. This will initiate the transfer of the theme folder from the computer, to the blogsite.
For easy to follow camtasias showing how to use ftp to send data to a website, and excellent information on other aspects of setting up a site and monetizing it, go to http://www.creatingyoursite.com
When the ftp transfer is complete, the theme will need to be activated. Go to the blog site admin area, click on design, choose the theme, click on activate in the top right hand corner, and the theme will be active on the site. Themes can be changed as desired. There should be no disturbance to the site with a change in theme, but to be on the safe side, it is a good idea to save your material first.
As the wordpress platform develops, it is now also possible to access new themes directly from wp-admin - Go to Themes, and browse, select, activate the themes for the blog site. This bypasses the more tedious method of downloading the file, and then using ftp to upload it to the wordpress site.
To Your Money Blogging Success
Julie