Wordpress

Adding Content to a WordPress Blog

Once you’ve created your WordPress blog, you will need to add content to it. Chances are you have something brilliant to share with the world but just don’t know how to add it to your WordPress blog in a compelling, engaging and accurate way. Although uploading to WordPress may seem complicated at first, it’s like snapping your fingers once you get the hang of it.

Content that is posted to WordPress may be in the form of text, links, images or video. To get started, you will need to know how to access posts in the dashboard in order to create a new one.

Add a New Post

Once you’re logged in as the administrator of your WordPress blog, you will be able to view the dashboard panel on the left. At this point, you may either decide to create a new page or a post. A post will simply be added to the page that you have selected. If you run a traditional blog, it will in a linear fashion and posts will simply be added above the previous post on a single page. In order to add a new post hover over the posts option in order to reveal a menu. Click on Add New to create new post.

Edit the Post

WordPress has a WYSIWG editor which means that the manner in which you format within the editor will be the final product that will be displayed on the blog. You can also simply copy text from an Ms Word document into the editor.

Links

Links can be added to posts within the editor. Make note that the link option does not become visible until you have highlighted the text to be hyperlinked.

The next screen will ask for the URL that the text will create a path to along with a title. Click on Add Link in order to create a link within your blog post.

The link to existing content allows you to link to previous blog posts made to the blog.

Images

To add images to your content, click on the Add Media button. This will open up a window which will allow you to add all kinds of media into the blog post.

At this point, you can select from existing media that you had previously uploaded, add a link to an image on the internet or upload one from your computer.

Drag and drop the files into the window or click the Select files button in order to upload them to WordPress. Once uploaded, click on Insert into Post, in order to add the image to the post.

Adding a new Category in WordPress

WordPress is the best and most versatile CMS software available today. What has contributed to the success of WordPress is the ability of amateur bloggers and website owners to create their very own custom website with complete features allowing them to provide features and options that can rival those of professional websites.

One such feature is that of adding categories to WordPress. Making a category is an extremely useful method of grouping together related posts. Categories work similar to tags but work in a much broader sense and make it easier for search engines to find your content. Categories may be displayed on your WordPress blog either at the top or the bottom, depending upon the theme that has been selected. Categories are highly effective tools to organize your content on your blog and provide it with a certain structure.

The very first step is to log in to your WordPress site as Administrator and access the dashboard.

The most basic method of adding categories or assigning them to posts is to do it while you are creating the post. This method works best if you have been using the WordPress site for a while and already have a pre-established structure and hierarchy to your categories.

You can even add a new category straight from the panel at the right. For existing categories, you can simply select the one which is most relevant to your post by ticking the checkbox next to it.

In case you have uploaded multiple posts onto your blog or site and neglected to categorize it, you can do so at a later date. In this case, you will have to access categories through the dashboard. Hover over the Posts options to reveal a menu which will contain the Categories option.

Clicking on Categories will lead you to a page where you can add a name and description to a new category. Once you have completed the required information, you will click on the blue Add New Category button. Existing categories will be displayed in a panel on the right of the page.

You can always manage categories from the panel on the right. Hovering over the category will display multiple actions that you can take on the category. You can edit, delete or view the category in question.

Clicking on Edit will lead you to another page where you can modify the specifics of the category. Changes to the category will be applied throughout every post that you have added to the category.

How to Install WordPress Manually

WordPress is perhaps the most popular Content Management System available for use today. The versatility, flexibility and customizability of WordPress is what has made it the most popular blogging platform today. WordPress can be credited with providing the local blogger with a platform to voice their opinions without the need to gather any knowledge about HTML or Web design.

Although a WordPress blog can be created entirely online, some web or blog owners may want some more control over the content of their site. In that case, WordPress allows them to manually install WordPress on to their computers and make changes to the content as they would to a website.

Install WordPress Software

The very first thing that you need to do is to visit the WordPress website and download the latest version of their software. Make sure to go to WordPress.org rather than WordPress.com.

Once you’ve downloaded the WordPress kit, you will need to locate the package and extract it to a new folder.

Upload Files to Server

These files will then have to be uploaded to the web server. In order to upload the installation files you’ll have to use FTP (File Transfer protocols). This will have to be done using a client application such as cPanel or Filezilla. Upload files to the public_html folder if this WordPress installation will be the main one for the website. A subfolder may also be created in order to run the website partially.

Set up the MySQL Database

Select the MySQL Database wizard which will guide you through the entire procedure.

Once you’ve followed through the instructions by the wizard about how to create a MySQL database, you’ll be required to enter the name of the database, the username and the password. This information should be kept somewhere safe since it’ll be required at a later point during the installation. Make sure that the user has all privileges assigned to the database.

Begin Installation

Open up your internet browser and try to access the new domain that you have just created. If you see an error message on the screen s follows, you have successfully installed WordPress.

“There doesn’t seem to be a wp-config.php file. I need this before we can get started.”

Click the Create a Configuration File button in order to proceed to the next step.

Enter you Credentials

The next page should ask for the credentials that you were asked to remember or keep safe. These include your Database name, username, password, host and the table prefix. Hit the ‘Lets Go’ button to proceed.

Enter the credentials in the form that will be displayed on the next page and click Submit.

WordPress will then verify the settings and make sure that they are accurate. If the information has been correctly entered in the previous screen, you will be shown a confirmation screen. Click the Run the Install button.

The next page will ask you for user information, email address and the password that you will use to log in to your WordPress account. The privacy checkbox in the end is to make sure that the website is completely ready before it start showing up in search engine results/. This option may be changed at a future date upon completion of the site.

Once you’ve filled out the user information, simply click the Install WordPress button to finish the installation process.

You should now be able to see a cheeky success page upon completion. Click Log in to begin customizing your site.

Migrating your Blog from Blogger to WordPress

There might be many reasons why you should migrate from blogger to WordPress. Once you’ve made the decision to migrate however, there are many factors that you must take into consideration. The main motive for successful migration is to have no losses once the migration is complete. This includes all information on the blog such as posts, comments and pages. You will also want to maintain and redirect all the permalinks for posts and pages. The main factor however is the retention of all subscribers of the blog feed. To maintain the appearance of the blogger blog however you might have to add a custom theme similar to your previous blogger one or select a new theme from the WordPress gallery. There are also many services on the internet which will create a custom theme for you according to your requirements for a small fee.

Step 1: Sign in to Blogger

If migrating for the first time, it is suggested that you do a test run with a dummy blog what you would not regret losing. Although this is a pretty comprehensive list, there is no saying which step or detail you might miss. Once the test run goes smoothly move on to the original blogger feed and redo the steps defined here. The very first step is to log in to the blogger blog as admin in another tab or window.

Step 2: Visit the WordPress Dashboard

The next step is to log in to your WordPress account and go to the dashboard. The panel on the left should now be showing you a list of options for modifying and customizing your page. Scroll down until you see the Tools option. Hovering over the option will reveal a drop down menu with three options. Alternatively clicking on the option will simply collapse all the options. Click ‘Import’.

Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Import’ button, you will be directed to new page with a list of blogging platforms. Blogger is typically the very first option as can be seen in the snapshot below.

Step 3: Authorize

Once you’ve chosen ‘Blogger’ as the blog to import into WordPress, you will be redirected to another page.

WordPress will then attempt to access your Gmail account in order to extract relevant information. Click the Authorize button in order to allow WordPress to access the account.

A Google page will ask you whether the third party element (WordPress) has the authorization to access your Gmail account. Although the decision is up to you, WordPress is an incredibly safe CMS platform, and importing will require you to grant it access to your email.

Step 4: The Blogger Importer

After granting access you will be redirected to a WordPress page. The ‘Blogger Importer’ on WordPress will list all the blogs that you own. If you own more than one blog they will be featured here. Click the ‘import’ button on the blog that you wish to import to WordPress.

At this point all posts and comments would be automatically imported from blogger to WordPress. The button will revert back and forth between ‘import’ and ‘continue’. You will have to keep an eye on it to make sure that you keep clicking the continue button in order to keep the process running without pauses. Once the import procedure is complete, the button will show the final ‘Set Authors’ option. One thing to note is that the WordPress importer will not import any pages from Blogger.com

Additional Authors will also have to be manually added by clicking the Add User option.

Using Fantastico to install WordPress

Fantastico is one of the most popular script installers available today that can be used in order to install WordPress software onto your hosting account. Fantastico normally appears as an add-on to cPanel as an extra service. cPanel itself is an essential tool for bloggers especially if they are serious about their blogging career. It gives access to a host of technical features

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

The very first step that you need to take in order to access fantastic is to log in to cPanel. When logging in, you will be asked to provide a username and password. The username will typically be a domain name followed by a forward slash and cPanel e.g. “abcd.com/cpanel”.

At this point you will have gained access to the cPanel main page as shown below. There will be a large number of options available out of which you will have to locate Fantastico.

Step 2: Locate Fantastico

You will have to scroll down until you reach the Software/Service panel in which you will see the Fantastico icon.

Step 3: Access WordPress

Once you’ve clicked on the fantastic option you will see a new panel which would display details about the current version of Fantastico. On the left panel however, you will be able to view a number f software available on Fantastico. Locate and Click on WordPress.

Step 4: Installing WordPress (1/3)

Once you’ve clicked WordPress you will begin the installation process. This installation will be a three step process. The first window will ask whether you want to create a new installation. Click on “New Installation” to proceed to the next step of the installation process.

Step 5: Installing WordPress (2/3)

Once you’ve clicked on ‘New Installation’, a form will be displayed asking for further information about the blog. The data required would typically ask for the following information;

Install in Domain

This will include the domain in which the blog will be installed. This is where you will designate the location of the WordPress installation.

Install in Directory

If this field is left empty, fantastic will automatically install WordPress in the root directory such as http://abcdomain.com. If you define the directory in which WordPress will be installed into the name will be displayed as “http://abcdomain.com/wordpress”.

Admin Access Data

This is simply the login information that the admin will use to sign in to WordPress. You will be required to fill in a username and a password.

Admin Nickname

The admin nickname will be the alias that will be displayed on the site as the post author.

Admin Email

You will be asked to link an email address to the blog. The email address is taken as a precautionary measure in case you forget your username or password. This is where you will be asked to refresh your password or change it in case you forget it.

Site Name

This will be the name of your blog and will be displayed in the Header of your Blog.

Description

This will be the Tagline of the blog which will be displayed immediately below the title header.

Once you’ve finished filling in the form, you can proceed towards the last step by clicking the “Install WordPress” button.

Step 6: Installing WordPress (3/3)

Once you’ve clicked the ‘Install WordPress’ button, you will be able to view a window which will be the final step of the process. This window will simply contain details of the created blog. The blog will be activated when you click the ‘Finish Installation’ button.

Congratulations! You have now installed WordPress using Fantastico. In order to access the blog and customize it, you will have to log in to WordPress and make modifications.

Creating a WordPress Blog: A Beginners Guide

WordPress is one of the most popular CMS (Content Management Systems) software available today. Not only because it is free for use but because of the versatility and flexibility that it provides to its users. Other than that it also provides them with a ready population of subscribers who are already using WordPress or follow blogs regularly. Whether you want a blog or site on WordPress, the initial steps are pretty much the same. In fact, the choice does not arise until after you’ve created your clog/site and gain access to the dashboard.

The difference between a blog and site is that a site contains a number of pages whereas a blog is in a linear format which consists of one page only.

Step 1: Sign-Up

The very first step when registering on WordPress is to visit the website ‘Wordpress.com’. This is not to be confused with WordPress.org which is a more technical site which requires installation in order to set up a site. The landing page will typically display two options for sign-up as illustrated below.

Step 2: Sign-Up Form

Once you click the sign-up button you will be redirected to another page which contains the sign-up form. This form will ask for basic information and the URL of the website or blog that you wish to create.

The options available in terms of domain names will be set at default to ‘Free’ with your site a sub domain of ‘wordpress.com’. There are however multiple options available on WordPress which will host your site with a custom URL and domain name if you pay an annual fee. These options are available when you click the collapsible arrow.

The most commonly used domain name on WordPress is the ‘free’ service. Once you’ve completed the form, scrolling down to the bottom of the page will show two buttons. The Upgrade button is simply there to create a premium account where you will have to pay an annual sum.

Clicking the ‘Crate Blog’ button will allow you to proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Verify Your Email

The next step is to verify the email that you inserted into the sign up form. Once you click the ‘Create Blog’ button, you will be redirected to a page which will notify you of an auto email sent to your email address.

In case you have not received the email, you can simply click the button “Didn’t get you email yet?” This will resend the email to your account.

Step 4: Activate Your Account

In order to activate your account you will have to head over to your email. There should b an email from WordPress already waiting in your inbox as shown below.

Open the email to view its contents. You should have one similar to the one shown below. Click on the “Activate Blog” to activate your WordPress blog.

Once you’ve clicked the activate button, you will immediately receive another email informing you that your blog has been created.

Step 5: Follow the Yellow Brick Road

You will be redirected to the setup wizard of WordPress which will guide you through the steps of setting the basic elements of the blog.

Step 6: Customize

Although part of the wizard, customization is an important step to take into consideration. You can select a theme from the gallery according to your own preferences or upload one that has been custom made. Themes in the WordPress gallery may either be free or premium. You will have the choice to customize the selected theme after selection. Themes may be changed at any point after you’ve created your blog.

Step 7: Connect to Social Media

You can choose to connect your blog with social media platforms to get subscribers.

Step 8: First Post

This will be the last step before you are finished with the wizard. Create your first post. This may be in the form of an image, text, video, quote or a link. Make sure it is witty smart and inspiring. Have fun blogging!

How to Install WordPress Plug-Ins: 3 Basic Methods

Although a relatively simple task, beginners often find themselves at a loss when it comes to installing plug-ins on their WordPress blog. Plug-ins are highly essential for the success of any blog and can become great tools which help the blog owner to manage and run the blog and provide links and other features which would normally entail a working knowledge of HTML. There are three ways in which you can install WordPress plug-ins which will be described below.

Method 1: Automatic Installation

This is the easiest method of installing WordPress plug-ins onto your blog. WordPress has a directory of pre-installed plug-ins which you can choose from for use on your blog. The directory however is often limited and more ambitious bloggers use other installation methods to get customer results.

In order to automatically install a WordPress plug-in you need to be logged in to your wodpress.org account. Access the dashboard and hover over the appearance panel to reveal the Appearance option. Under the appearance option you will have a “Plug-Ins” option followed by “Add New”.

In the search box you can type the kind of plug-in that you require or the name of the particular plug-in that you want to install. This will show you multiple results from which you can choose the plug-in you prefer.

When you click the preferred plug-in, a light box will appear on the screen where you will be able to see further details of the plug-in and an “Install” button on the right.

Once you’ve installed the plug-in you will be prompted to activate it. The install button will redirect you to the activation page as shown below.

Method 2: Uploading Plug-ins

Chances are that the plug-in that you require was not present in the WordPress directory. This means that the pug-in would be obtained from a third party. The first step would be to obtain the plug-in file from the source which may be another website or internet directory. This will typically be a .zip file. Go to the admin panel on your WordPress blog and follow the same steps as above and click “Add New”. This time however select the ‘Upload’ tab.

To upload the file, select the browse button that can be seen above and simply select the zipped file that you obtained from the source.

Once you’ve selected the file, you will need to click the ‘Install Now’ button. This will redirect you to a similar activation page as the ut0omatic installation.

Now that you have activated the plug-in it will be added to your blog and can be configured according to your preferences.

Method 3: Using the FTP Manager

Something that the beginners should avoid at all costs, using the FTP manager to install a WordPress plug-in is a method for the more experienced blogger. The first step is to access the host via the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) manager. Access the path (/wp-content/plugins/) and install the files in that location. You can also drag and drop the files in the destination folder. You must make sure however that files are unzipped.

When you visit the admin tab in the WordPress blog, the plug-in would be there already. You will now be required to simply activate the plug-in and the process will be complete.

How to Install WordPress Themes

WordPress is an extremely versatile content management system which has changed the face of blogging. WordPress used to be a platform for individual bloggers to upload and share their content with the rest of the internet. Gradually, it morphed into a great tool for small businesses to host their own sites. The versatility and ease of creating a blog or web page is what allowed business owners with virtually no knowledge of web development top crate and host complete websites for their products.

In order to customize your WordPress site according to your preferences or branding, it’s important to install a custom theme that reflects the personality of the brand or the blogger. A WordPress theme can be installed in three different ways.

Option 1: WordPress Themes

The very first method is the simplest one. The user can simply select a theme from the gallery of WordPress itself and select the theme that they feel best reflects their personality. These themes may either be free or premium, depending upon the level of features allowed. The steps that this method entails are as follows;

Open the Dashboard; go to Appearance and then Themes
Click the Tab that says ‘install theme’.
Browse through the gallery that appears below or type your keywords in the search box to look for themes according to your product.
Select your preferred theme
Click the Install button
Activate after installation.

The theme should have been successfully installed after activation.

Option 2: Upload your own Theme

The upload and install method is also a very popular method of installing WordPress themes. Companies usually make custom themes for businesses and provide them to the business owner for installation. The first step is to extract the files from the ZIP file received from the supplier. Go to the Dashboard > Appearance > Themes.

The Install Theme tab should have an ‘Upload’ button which will enable you to click on the desired file and then click install.

Option 3: File Transfer Protocols

This is a manual; installation in which a premium theme is provided by a company. Locate the ‘/wp-content/themes’ folder and then go to your FTP program. After entering the site credentials, drag the new theme into the ‘Themes Folder’. When you return to the Themes page on WordPress, you should be able to see the file. The theme will be successfully installed once you click ‘Activate’.

View this beginners instructional on ‘How to Install a WordPress theme’

Installing WordPress Themes from Angela Paige