Let’s dispel a common misperception about websites and blogs. The vast majority of people out there who think about it, believe that there are two very different types of destinations on the Internet, websites and blogs. They somehow view them very differently, probably due to the early structure of blogs. And, the free blogging platforms still perpetuate this misconception due to their format, very similar and lacking the flexibility of the static website.
Forget it! They are both “websites.” They both are “sites on the Web.” And, with a paid hosting version of WordPress, your site can be presented in a way that makes it virtually impossible to differentiate it as a blog to the normal site visitor. In fact, a great many of the websites you currently visit are very likely to be WordPress sites. You can create static pages, avoiding the listed-posts look of the less customizable platforms.
I’ll state it clearly and without hesitation: “Most independent business people, consultants, and professionals, do not need a static website, and would be much better off with a blog solution for their entire web presence.” This eBook will show you how to make it happen for you, and most of you will need no outside help in getting the job done. What is the job? Creation of a blog site that actually generates leads and business is Job 1.
Why WordPress?
OK, we’ve decided that a blog is absolutely necessary, and we’ve also touched on some of the great value of WordPress as the software platform on which to build the site. We know that WordPress can take on a look and design that makes it look like any website we want it to. It doesn’t need to look like a long list of blog posts.
To elaborate on look and display, there are hundreds of free themes you can apply to your Wordpress site to make it unique to you. There is one decision to make early-on that makes a huge difference in just how much flexibility and power you have with WordPress. It’s the free WordPress.com hosting or your own paid hosting solution. For me, it’s not a decision at all. You absolutely must use a paid hosting solution if you’re serious about doing business from your WordPress blog site. Here are the things you can do with a hosted solution that you can’t with the free hosting:
- Select from thousands of free and paid custom themes
- Implement your choice from thousands of plugins and widgets to extend the functionality and usefulness of your site
- Do more with video, Podcasting and the new things happening on the Web
The fact is, if it’s free hosting, there must be trade-offs. Since you can get WordPress hosted on GoDaddy.com for around $60/year, it’s really not an expense that should cause you to turn down the enhancements available to the paid hosting version. There are other WordPress recommended hosting providers for not much more money as well. We’ll get into the details of how to get it done in a later chapter.
Just know that a great many of the capabilities discussed in this eBook will not be available to the free hosted blog. One other thing to think about is conversion later. If you start with a free WordPress.com blog, and decide to go to a paid hosting solution later, it is a bit of a pain to export all of your posts and import them into the new site. This is particularly true if you’re going to a very customized theme.
Why not use Blogger, TypePad or some other blogging solution? Well, Blogger is free, and thus has very little design flexibility or anywhere near the power of WordPress. I liked TypePad when I used it, but it just couldn’t touch the power of WordPress either. I’ll just be clear. I have nothing to gain by recommending WordPress, as I get no cut from any product or service presented in this eBook. When we’re talking about less than $100/year, just use the best … WordPress.
The WordPress developers and the community that supports it is vast. There are tens of thousands of very talented people involved in the ongoing success of WordPress. It is updated regularly, with a great deal of concern for security.
The Independence Factor
Another reason for WordPress on your choice of hosts is your independence and ability to control your own destiny. I have learned the hard way that I do not want the Internet presence for my business to be dependent upon any more intermediaries than actually necessary. I don’t want to get into Internet server design, so I do need a host.
But, I don’t need TypePad, Blogger, or even WordPress.com between me and my online business. Anytime you’re working with an address like http://yoursite.theirsite.com, or http://theirsite.com/yoursite, you’re on their wagon. If a wheel breaks, or worse, the wagon gets destroyed or repossessed, you go down with them.
You’ll find an ongoing theme in this eBook. It is that you should learn as much as you want to learn, do as much as you want to do, and be dependent on as few entities as you want. I work with my clients to give them autonomy, and they use me until they no longer want to, or no longer need me. I do not get between them and their other solutions, nor do I want them as dependents for my income needs.
Get WordPress, get started, and get successful.
