Should I Allow Visitors to Comment on My Blog?

Posted on April 30, 2015May 1, 2015 by sitemanager

If you're thinking about launching a blog, one of the decisions you'll have to make is whether or not to allow visitors to submit comments. There are both advantages and disadvantages to enabling this feature. Many newcomers assume the best solution is to disable visitor commenting, but the answer isn't as cut and dry as this. So, should you allow visitors to submit comments on your blog? Benefits of Visitor Commenting The primary benefit in allowing visitors to comment on your blog is the free content it creates. Each time a visitor leaves a comment, it adds unique, relevant content to your...

Mistakes To Avoid When Starting a Blog

Posted on April 30, 2015May 1, 2015 by sitemanager

Thinking about starting a blog? Doing so is a great way to establish a strong presence on the web, generate a following, and even promote your products and/or services. However, you'll want to avoid making the following mistakes when blogging. Wrong Content Management System There are literally dozens of different content management systems (CMS) available, some of which include Drupal, Joomla, BigCommerce, Blogger, Business Catalyst, Tumblr and WordPress. With so many different choices, how do you know which one to choose? For the purposes of blogging, most experts will agree that WordPress...

WordPress Releases Critical Security Update

Posted on April 24, 2015May 10, 2015 by sitemanager

If you have one or more websites running WordPress, you should check to make sure they are updated to the latest version. Vulnerability in Version 4.1.1 and Older Earlier this week, the WordPress security team identified a vulnerability in versions 4.1.1 and older that could be exploited by hackers to access websites. According to the security team, the security issue was attributed to a cross-site scripting vulnerability that allowed anonymous users to compromise a website. They didn't provide any specific details on how this vulnerability works, which is a probably a good thing since you d...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Blogging

Posted on April 22, 2015April 24, 2015 by sitemanager

If you're thinking about starting a blog, you probably have some questions you want answered first. In an effort to demystify the process, we're going to reveal some frequently asked questions and answers about blogging. What Do I Need To Start Blogging? Blogging is actually easier than most people realize. All you need is a computer with an active Internet connection and the will to succeed. Hosted content management solutions (CMS) like WordPress.com and Blogger eliminate the need for a dedicated domain name and web host. Just sign up for an account and create your own blog! Can I Make Mo...

How To Make Your Blog Stand Out

Posted on April 17, 2015April 19, 2015 by sitemanager

While the exact number remains unknown, it's estimated that there are more than 150 million active blogs on the Internet. This includes personal journals, political, entertainment, social, and even crossover e-commerce blogs. With so many blogs currently online -- and more being created each day -- many beginners struggle to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Why Your Blog NEEDS To Stand Out There are several reasons why you should create a unique blog rather than following in the footsteps of other bloggers. For starters, it gives visitors a reason to choose your blog over you...

How To Backup a WordPress Blog

Posted on April 16, 2015April 19, 2015 by sitemanager

As the saying goes, hope for the best but prepare for the worst, holds true when blogging. Hopefully nothing will happen to the server on which your blog is stored, but if it does you should have a copy of your data ready to get it back online. Failure to routinely backup your blog is a serious mistake that can cause you a world of trouble later down the road. Backing up traditional static websites is relatively easy. All you need to do is connect to your web host using a file transfer protocol (FTP) program and download your files. If you ever need to restore a static website, you simply ...

Subdomain vs Subdirectory For a Blog

Posted on April 14, 2015April 18, 2015 by sitemanager

Thinking about launching a blog to use in conjunction with your primary website? Unless you want to register a separate domain name, you'll have to choose between a subdomain or a subdirectory. While both methods can be used to create fully functional blogs, there are some key differences between the two that shouldn't go unnoticed. What's The Difference? The primary difference between a subdomain and subdirectory is the way in which the URLs are created. Blogs created as a subdomain feature URLs that are prefixed to the parent domain. If we created a separate blog as a subdomain on our site...

Is Your WordPress Site Vulnerable?

Posted on April 11, 2015April 10, 2015 by sitemanager

Powering an estimated 75 million plus websites and blogs, WordPress is the world's largest and most popular content management system (CMS). It allows people with little-to-no coding experience to create beautiful, fully functioning websites in just minutes. However, the simplicity of WordPress has also spurred a lack of training among its users. According to a recent survey conducted by the cloud-based data backup service provider CodeGuard, 54% of survey respondents said they installed the latest version of WordPress between once a week and once every four weeks. This is a troubling stati...

Choosing a WordPress Theme

Posted on April 10, 2015April 10, 2015 by sitemanager

One of the perks of using WordPress as your blogging platform is the wide variety of free and paid templates (known as themes) it offers. Rather than attempting to hard-code a new design from scratch, you can simply download and activate your preferred theme. This allows bloggers to instantly change the look and function of their blog without messing with code. But with tens of thousands of different themes available, how do you know which one to choose? Free or Premium? The allure of a free theme may sound enticing, but it's usually best to spend the extra money and invest in a premium the...

Easy Ways To Promote Your Blog

Posted on April 8, 2015April 10, 2015 by sitemanager

Traffic is a direct indication of a blog's success. Without traffic, no one will see what you are publishing, and thus your blog will fall into the abyss where countless others lie. If you're struggling to generate traffic to your blog, check out some of the following methods of promotion listed below. Submit Your Blog To Directories Before you start submitting your blog to thousands upon thousands of directories, it's important to note that there's a difference between between high-quality and low-quality directories. Submitting your blog to the wrong directories could actually hurt your ef...

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