WordPress is the most popular web software used for content management today. One of the reasons for this is the low barrier to getting started. WordPress is not only free, but it is easy to use and there are tons of resources available for theming and expanding a website. But, that ease of use and over abundance of resources can also work against the new user. While the first blog is quick to setup, where do you go from there? How do you make the site your site? How do you get people to visit, engage them once they are there, and get them to come back? And how do you even know about all this? These questions are what Paul Thewlis tries to answer in his book WordPress 3 For Business Bloggers. Note that this is a new and updated edition of his book that was published in 2008.
The publishers, Packt Publishing, sent me a copy of the book for review, and it had the honor of being the first book I read on my new Kindle. One of the things I really like about books from Packt is that they are available in multiple formats including print, PDF, ePUB, and Amazon’s MOBI format. But, back to the book itself.
WordPress 3 For Business Bloggers is well suited as an introduction to what can be done with a WordPress blog for most people. It succeeds in taking the new user beyond the initial install into the world of plug-ins and theme customization. While I am not really fond of the chapter on HTML and altering themes, I can see the necessity of familiarizing yourself with it. I just think that it is too much for most people and too prone to error. Seriously, you are better either in the hands of a real designer or finding a theme that doesn’t need behind the scenes tweaking.
I do find that the plug-ins covered hit most of the major ones most folks will need. From Akismet for spam to All-In-One SEO for search engine optimization, and many more, Thewlis walks you through not only how to install and setup the plug-in, but why you are doing so and what result should be achieved. That in itself is probably the strongest trait of the book – it goes into the “whys” behind the “whats” and “hows”. In fact, this is one of the only books I have seen that really asks you to think about why you are using a blog. Early on Thewlis says, “a successful business blog is achieved by identifying strategic goals and applying these to the type of blog you are publishing.” That is something a lot of people – even highly paid web developers – miss. What is your goal, and how is your website or blog supposed to help you achieve that goal?
Speaking of goals, there is also a very good introduction given to the analysis of traffic through tools such as Google Analytics, Alexa, and PageRank. These are all topics that can, and do, cover many books in themselves. But the introduction to the topics Thewlis gives here will allow you go on and do more research having a solid foundation beneath you. Or you will be able to talk intelligently with an expert or consultant if you chose to do so. Most people will never need to go beyond what is taught in this book, but if you do, it is nice to know you are prepared.
The one thing I would warn against is getting tied up in details, such as the aforementioned theming, where you really don’t need to. Just read through those chapters for the background knowledge and move on.
So, all in all I would recommend WordPress 3 For Business Bloggers for the people who want to take their blog or WordPress based website on to the next level but don’t know where to start. It can be intimidating when you don’t even know what questions to ask, and Thewlis gives solid exposure to almost all areas so you can know where you want to dive deeper.
Episode 6 of The Social Media Monster podcast is a conversation with my guest Tom Sliker on website platforms, the differences between WordPress and Drupal, and why a site builder might choose one over the other. Tom has developed on numerous platforms, has worked in all levels of IT operations, and has been my friend for about 15 years.
This is the presentation I gave at the Type-A Mommy Bloggers conference in Asheville, NC, last month. Unfortunately I only had about 45 minutes as I would have loved to have gone into a lot more detail. Additionally, the conversations around these issues with those who attended the session were fantastic. So, please don’t hesitate to leave comments and ask further questions. And always feel free to email me.
Next weekend I will be at the Type-A Mom conference in Asheville, NC. On Saturday, September 25, I will be speaking in the Dad Track titled “Building Blocks of Blogging”. I will be discussing the different blogging platforms, their relative advantages, and then some of the must-do steps to make sure your blog is noticed and secure. The session is currently scheduled for 1:15 pm in the Alexander Room. Please stop by and say hello. And yes, of course, I will be doing a give-away! That’s right – prizes.
I can’t wait to meet everyone at the conference. Well, first of all Asheville is one of my favorite places in the world and I will take any opportunity to go there. The scenery is beautiful, the food is good, and the people are warm and friendly. But seriously in this case I am really looking forward to networking with all the people attending the conference. I have been harassing many of them on Twitter for quite a while, so it will be nice to finally meet them.
Episode 5 of The Social Media Monster podcast is the presentation on Blogging for Business by Heather Solos at the Charleston County Public Library’s Small Business and Not-For-Profit Networking Lunch.
The slides for this presentation, which include the URLs for the resources mentioned, are available in a previous post and on SlideShare.
Blogs are more than pictures of cats and political ranting. Discover the difference between blogging, blogging professionally, and having a professional blog. We will also cover tips and strategies for utilizing a blog as part of your small business marketing strategy.
The presenter this month is Heather Solos. Heather has been blogging professionally since 2006, is author of Home Ec 101: Real Skills for People with Real Lives, and is on the founding board of the Social Media Club of Charleston. Registration is not required for this event.
WordPress 3.0, the thirteenth major release of WordPress is now available for download. Major new features in this release include a great new default theme called Twenty Ten. Theme developers have new APIs that allow them to easily implement custom backgrounds, headers, shortlinks, menus (no more file editing), post types, and taxonomies. Make sure to look at the new default Twenty Ten theme which shows off all of those things. Developers and network admins will appreciate the long-awaited merge of MU and WordPress, creating the new multi-site functionality which makes it possible to run one blog or ten million from the same installation.
I seek to empower people by making technology a vehicle for driving businesses and communities. Just as you drive a car without worrying about how the engine operates, I will take care of your information systems as a data mechanic. This lets you drive the technology, instead of it driving you. I provide social media, web development and PC and Macintosh support services for small businesses and not-for-profits in Charleston and the surrounding South Carolina Lowcountry.
expanding a website. But, that ease of use and over abundance of resources can also work against the new user. While the first blog is quick to setup, where do you go from there? How do you make the site your site? How do you get people to visit, engage them once they are there, and get them to come back? And how do you even know about all this? These questions are what Paul Thewlis tries to answer in his book WordPress 3 For Business Bloggers
Next weekend I will be at the 
