In Business Since 2001 We accept Paypal
Home Article Directory
More from Bill Platt
"Bill Platt for Book Authors" Youtube Channel
Training for Book Authors
Other Resources for Book Authors & Publishers
FictionPlots.com (350+ Plots & counting)
Please Support Our Advertisers

 
D9 Hosting


The Top 5 WordPress Plugins For Business Blogs

Copyright (c) 2010-2023

After more than a decade of building websites, I have determined that the WordPress platform is an essential part of my online business, because it is so quick and easy to install on a new domain.

In this article, I am going to review the Top 5 Benefits of using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) and the Top 5 WordPress Plugins that you should consider using on your WordPress blog.

WordPress Benefits

The reasons I like the WordPress blogging software are many, but I can sum up my interest in WordPress in five key benefits:

1. Quick and Easy Installation - Most of the more popular web hosting companies have included "Fantastico De Luxe" in the Admin Control Panel. By clicking the Fantastico icon, you are taken to a page that offers several pre-installed Content Management Systems (CMS), from which you can choose. WordPress is one of those pre-installed software applications, and you can install it by clicking the WordPress link and answering a few questions.

2. Website Themes - If I don't like the appearance of WordPress, I can upload a new WP Theme to my website and be able to install my new theme from the WordPress Admin area with just a click. (http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/)

3. Website Functionality - Independent programmers have built more than 8,000 WordPress Plugins that will do almost anything that you want your website to do. If you find a WP Plugin you want, all you need to do is to download it, unzip it, then upload it to the appropriate directory on your website. Once the plugin has been uploaded to the Plugins directory, you simply need to activate the software in your WordPress Admin Panel. (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/)

4. Open Source - WordPress has put together a comprehensive set of documents on its website, to help anyone learn how to code specifically for the WordPress platform. The software has been designed in PHP, so anyone with minimal PHP can begin coding for WordPress immediately, after reading a few tutorials on its site: http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

5. Self-Updating - In recent revisions, WordPress has added the ability for the WordPress software and any WordPress Plugins to notify you of the availability of software updates. In many cases, you will only need to click a link to have WordPress or any of its plugins to self-update.

Many coders may stomp a fit after reading this article, because many tell me that "there are better systems than WordPress"...

This article was not intended to tell you about ALL of the various blogging platforms... Or to argue the semantics of why one system might be better than another...

Instead, I wrote this article to tell you about all those things I love about WordPress...

I will leave the arguments about which blogging platform might be better, to people who have more time in their days than I do...

The Top Five WordPress Plugins...

This list is based on WordPress Plugins that are accessible directly from WordPress (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/) and on the number of downloads that each plugin has had.

By a comfortable margin, the #1 most-frequently downloaded plugin from the WordPress website is, "All In One SEO Pack". I have actually used this Plugin for more than one year. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/

It allows you to customize the meta information on each and every page of your WordPress-enabled website. The advantage that this offers of course is that instead of having default descriptions on every page of your blog, Google and the other search engines will have the option of seeing page specific descriptions on your website.

If you did not have this WordPress Plugin installed on your blog, WordPress would show your default global settings on every page of your blog, and as a result, Google and the other search engines may the value of your individual posts, within its algorithms.

The #2 most downloaded WordPress Plugin is called, "Google XML Sitemaps", and as you can guess from its title, it will build an XML Sitemap for your website that is in the acceptable format for Google, Yahoo and MSN as defined at: http://sitemaps.org/ You can download the "Google XML Sitemaps" plugin here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/

The #3 most popular WordPress Plugin is called, "Contact Form 7". Once again, the name of the plugin tells the whole story: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

The #4 most popular plugin for WordPress is called "Akismet". Ironically, Akismet should be THE most popular, since it has been preloaded into the WordPress installation for a number of years now. Akismet is the comment spam killer. In order to use it, you must visit its website (http://akismet.com/) and register, in order to receive your API key, which you will need to be able to operate this essential WordPress Plugin. Akismet is free for personal use... Commercial licenses are available for companies whose blogs do serve lots of traffic - corporate websites. You can download Akismet here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

The #5 most popular WordPress Plugin is called, "WordPress.com Stats". Many commercial webmasters simply fail to appreciate the true value of a website's statistics. As far as I am concerned, your website's statistics is essential business intelligence, permitting you to see not only how many people have gone to your site, but also which pages they viewed most often, how long they were on your site, how many pages they looked at when they came to your site, and how they found your blog in the first place. By studying this statistical information, you can quickly assess what you are doing right, so that you can do those things more frequently and eliminate those things that are not bringing success to your website. This application also needs a free API, in order to be able to use it, but that takes only a minute. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/

Wrapping Up...

If you are like me, I would prefer to spend my time putting content on my websites that will more directly lead to more sales. I have zero interest in rebuilding the wheel, in order to get the job done...

Yes, I do have the skills to build websites from scratch and sometimes I do. But for the most part, I am more interested in creating the content that will close a sale, than in the glory of telling someone that I coded my entire website.

As a result, I am happy to let other people design systems that will allow me to focus on making money instead of on building websites...

That alone is the biggest reason I consider it worthwhile to use WordPress, for the initial launch of all of my new domains.

For quick and easy, functional and efficient, powerful and expandable, WordPress is the only Content Management System -- a.k.a. blogging platform -- that I will ever need to use.


About The Author: Shop Amazon - Top Gift Ideas
Barry Prouty writes about the WordPress blogging platform. He covers topics such as WordPress Templates, WordPress Plugins, and the WordPress Codex (for programmers). For anyone looking for free targeted WordPress content for their blog and inbound links for their blog posts, check out the free Back Links Magnet WordPress Plugin at: http://www.backlinksmagnet.com/blog/

VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >> 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 << Excellent Article

Tell our authors what you think about their article.



Top-Level Category: Business Online Articles || Related Categories: Internet Articles

10 Most Recent Articles Written by Barry Prouty

Top 5 Benefits of Using WordPress For Your Website
Written by: Barry Prouty | Distributed: 2010-01-18 | Word Count: 745 | Page Views: 4237 | Votes: 7 | Rating: 0.86
If you have never built a website before, one of the quickest and easiest ways to get your first domain live and operational in only minutes is to install WordPress on your website. WordPress is a blogging platform that allows you to have a pre-built website for free that will allow you to focus on the more important items like content, and if you desire it, sales and profits.

All of Author's Articles on this site:

Most Recent "Business Online" Articles

Four Tips For Creating An Effective Authors' Resource Box
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-08-27 | Word Count: 1669 | Page Views: 8142 | Votes: 18 | Rating: 2.50
In article marketing, there are many factors that will affect your articles' ability to promote your website in the most effective manner. In this article, we will briefly discuss a couple those factors, before we dive into how to create an effective Authors' Resource Box, also known as the About The Author Information.

Website Traffic Generation: Winning the Love of the Traffic Fairy
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-08-24 | Word Count: 1149 | Page Views: 9022 | Votes: 14 | Rating: 1.86
Some people still believe that all they have to do is build a website and customers will magically appear on their site... Once they have built their websites, they wait anxiously for the "Traffic Fairy" to come and sprinkle its magic dust on their website too, so that they can make lots of money like other success website owners.

What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-08-21 | Word Count: 439 | Page Views: 10081 | Votes: 23 | Rating: 2.74
I was in the Warrior Forum, and someone asked what kinds of Backlinks are worth pursuing. This is my answer to that query.

Understanding the Mechanics of Effective Article Marketing and Article Syndication
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-08-01 | Word Count: 1399 | Page Views: 6663 | Votes: 10 | Rating: 1.80
Visit several marketing blogs or marketing forums, and you will find dozens of people proclaiming the death of article marketing as an effective marketing tool. Before we start agreeing with them, consider this...

Top 10 Reasons Why Online Marketers Fail With Article Marketing
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-07-31 | Word Count: 1025 | Page Views: 7932 | Votes: 13 | Rating: 2.08
If you've been marketing products online for any length of time, you've likely heard people talk about the power and promise of article marketing for the promotion of your online business. Unfortunately, many online marketers have tried to utilize article marketing to benefit their online business and failed. In this article, I document the top ten reasons why people fail to find success with article marketing... And how to fix your article marketing campaigns...

Article Marketing Tip: Stop Trying To Sell From Within Your Articles
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-07-30 | Word Count: 1229 | Page Views: 6109 | Votes: 10 | Rating: 1.40
The basic premise of article marketing is to present people information that will be important to them, then at the end of the article, present information "about the author" and offer to the reader a means to see how the author can help the reader further. When done well, article marketing continues to be one of the most effective methods of promotion that one could employ online.

The Six Degrees of Internet Marketing
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-07-30 | Word Count: 991 | Page Views: 8535 | Votes: 14 | Rating: 2.43
The theory behind the Six Degrees of Separation is that all people on earth can be connected together in as little as six steps. Now, I know what you might be thinking at this juncture... That sounds fun and interesting, but what does that have to do with Internet Marketing? That is a great question that I am going to answer for you in this article...

How To Win More Eyeballs for Your Offers and Websites
Written by: Bruce Lansing | Distributed: 2013-07-29 | Word Count: 1373 | Page Views: 6022 | Votes: 11 | Rating: 1.45
Most people using search engines on the Internet are looking for answers to questions and solutions to problems. If you can give people what the answers they want, you will be able to position your business as one worth hiring today or tomorrow.

How To Increase Your Rates and Earnings As a Freelance Writer
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-07-29 | Word Count: 1191 | Page Views: 6043 | Votes: 11 | Rating: 1.55
Freelance writers fill a very important role in today's business marketplace. They create the on-demand, customized content that business owners everywhere need to push their businesses forward. In this article, the author explains what freelance writers should do to ensure that employers will pay them well for their services.

Promoting Your Business With Content:: Defining Your Writing Strategy
Written by: Bruce Lansing | Distributed: 2013-07-25 | Word Count: 677 | Page Views: 5747 | Votes: 11 | Rating: 2.00
Many people suggest that you should write articles on the basis of the benefits that people will get from reading your articles. I'd like to suggest that there is a better reason, and that is to write your articles on the basis of what problem people will be able to solve, as a result of reading your articles.

Most Viewed "Business Online" Articles

Attracting Readers to your Book
Written by: Alastair Hall | Distributed: 2006-05-18 | Word Count: 708 | Page Views: 46613 | Votes: 17 | Rating: 2.06
One of the common and obvious ways to market a self-published book is having your own website. The harder part is how to attract your target audience and then convert the sale.

How To Make Visitors Bookmark Your Site
Written by: Cheryl Miller | Distributed: 2006-10-10 | Word Count: 536 | Page Views: 38909 | Votes: 21 | Rating: 2.19
When visitors bookmark your site it is a sign that you have built a great website and are pleasing them. Visitors think highly enough of your site to want to return and possibly tell others about it. You are not only increasing traffic from your existing clientele you are encouraging new traffic by means of viral marketing.

Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda | Distributed: 2007-07-27 | Word Count: 472 | Page Views: 30406 | Votes: 33 | Rating: 3.33
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the following checklist to find out.

How I Got 70,000 Useless Visitors To My Site In One Day! (One Internet Marketer's Analysis of Social Bookmark Traffic)
Written by: Titus Hoskins | Distributed: 2007-11-06 | Word Count: 1545 | Page Views: 28416 | Votes: 10 | Rating: 1.70
Is social bookmark traffic useless? Is it even worth cultivating for your site? Can it be used from an online marketing perspective? Read to discover one Internet Marketer's analysis of social bookmark/media traffic...

Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt | Distributed: 2013-07-24 | Word Count: 816 | Page Views: 26149 | Votes: 34 | Rating: 2.79
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the benefits and challenges of using article marketing to promote an online business. Article marketing is about getting your sales message in front of potential customers and to get links to your website. Many interpret this to mean that an article should directly promote a website within the article, but that approach is wrong and will reduce one's success using this methodology.

Tips For Building Your First Website
Written by: Benny Tsabba | Distributed: 2007-05-30 | Word Count: 1511 | Page Views: 19471 | Votes: 18 | Rating: 2.11
New people are coming online everyday. And many of those people desire to turn their spare time into spare cash. So begins their journey.

The Importance Of Effective Follow-up
Written by: Kate Smalley | Distributed: 2007-01-15 | Word Count: 493 | Page Views: 14416 | Votes: 22 | Rating: 2.55
Marketing experts say that following up with clients is crucial to successful selling because most prospects do not buy the first time, according to Aweber, a leading autoresponder company. People must encounter a marketing message multiple times before making a purchasing decision.

Today's Google Bots and What They Do
Written by: Kim Roach | Distributed: 2006-08-02 | Word Count: 1061 | Page Views: 14110 | Votes: 16 | Rating: 2.63
Google currently indexes over 8 billion web pages. However, before these pages were placed in the index, they were each crawled by a special spider known as the GoogleBot. Unfortunately, many web masters do not know about the internal workings of this virtual robot. This article will attempt to reveal some of the most important Google spiders, their function, and how they affect you as a web master. We'll start with the well-known GoogleBot.

Ten Tips For User Friendly Online Registration Forms
Written by: Jim Romanik | Distributed: 2009-02-24 | Word Count: 775 | Page Views: 12748 | Votes: 15 | Rating: 0.93
Have you ever registered or attempted to register for an event and spent half an hour trying to figure out what you needed to do? Or have you used an online registration form that lost your data or was so complicated that it seemed like more work than faxing the form?

Successful Forum JVs and How To Get Them
Written by: Diana Barnum | Distributed: 2006-06-15 | Word Count: 648 | Page Views: 12486 | Votes: 19 | Rating: 2.11
The forming of common alliances, also referred to as a joint venture (JV), happens nearly every day in the business world. One of the most popular means of linking people up online of so that they can work together on their projects is via forums, where people of all levels of business and expertise post in common threads.

Highest Ranked "Business Online" Articles

Is Your Business 'Out Of Site'? Employ The Ultimate Marketing Tool
Written by: Rick Sloboda | Distributed: 2007-01-09 | Word Count: 445 | Page Views: 5516 | Votes: 21 | Rating: 3.76
With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the web site is conceivably the most powerful marketing and sales tool you can employ. Find out what a web site can do for you.

How To Use Your Race To Get Rich
Written by: Herbert Harris | Distributed: 2009-07-07 | Word Count: 1407 | Page Views: 5916 | Votes: 48 | Rating: 3.71
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the raw data. However, I am immediately reminded of a quote offered by an economic expert from the past... "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics!"

Why I'm A 'B-Level Marketer!'
Written by: Willie Crawford | Distributed: 2007-07-16 | Word Count: 917 | Page Views: 6772 | Votes: 26 | Rating: 3.58
At a recent Internet marketing seminar, I was sitting around the hotel lobby with approximately 20 other seminar attendees and speakers. The seminar's host was in attendance, and the conversation covered a range of internet marketing topics with extreme frankness. Our proximity to the hotel bar certainly contributed to our 'conviviality.'

15 fixes for a failing website
Written by: Rick Sloboda | Distributed: 2007-02-07 | Word Count: 593 | Page Views: 3490 | Votes: 25 | Rating: 3.48
Employ these 15 tactics to improve your search engine rankings, engage visitors and convert more sales.

The Most Important Ingredient for Info Product Success (is You)
Written by: Judy Murdoch | Distributed: 2008-04-15 | Word Count: 981 | Page Views: 5963 | Votes: 15 | Rating: 3.47
Last week I was attending a conference and mentioned to someone I help small business owners create information products. The other person was very friendly until I said "information products." Then the temperature in the room dropped about 10-degrees

How to Keep Your Article Content Fresh and Interesting
Written by: Craig Ritsema | Distributed: 2006-08-29 | Word Count: 699 | Page Views: 5504 | Votes: 25 | Rating: 3.44
Webmasters everywhere are constantly on the lookout for fresh and interesting content for their website. Along with these content qualities is the requirement that it be unique. Everyone wants their website to stand out above the others in the search engine results. So what is the trick for you to keep a steady supply of this quality content coming your way?

How To Build A Profitable Twitter Profile
Written by: Harold Hemmings | Distributed: 2009-08-06 | Word Count: 1357 | Page Views: 2662 | Votes: 8 | Rating: 3.38
Online marketers everywhere are finally starting to tap into the Twitter Marketplace. Marketers are getting involved in Twitter at awesome rates, but all seem to have one unanswered question: How do we actually monetize this marketplace? It is my goal that by the time you have read this article, you will have a clear idea of exactly how to monetize your activities in Twitter.

Increasing Productivity In Your Online Business
Written by: Willie Crawford | Distributed: 2006-06-14 | Word Count: 1407 | Page Views: 7364 | Votes: 40 | Rating: 3.35
Running an online "empire" of approximately 1600 websites and blogs, selling a variety of products, services and ideas, I have to be much more productive than the average person in a "regular job."

Turn A One-Night-Stand With Google Into A Long-Term Relationship
Written by: Diane Metz | Distributed: 2007-07-10 | Word Count: 882 | Page Views: 2648 | Votes: 6 | Rating: 3.33
Want to win the favor of Google? Then you've got to build a long-term relationship with her. Many new SEO strategies are simply recycled old-tricks. And Google is a smart gal who can see right through them. Position your website for the future by understanding what Google really likes â€" and what she really loathes.

Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda | Distributed: 2007-07-27 | Word Count: 472 | Page Views: 30406 | Votes: 33 | Rating: 3.33
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the following checklist to find out.











Download an eBook today
 
Directory Navigation
Locate By Category:

ALL Categories
Arts & Crafts
Arts & Entertainment
Automotive
Business - Offline
Business - Online
Career
Computers
Education
Family
Finance
Food & Drink
Health & Wellness
Home & Garden
Humor
Internet
Nature & Pets
Real Estate
Religion
Self Improvement
Shopping
Society
Sports & Recreation
Technology
Travel & Leisure
Uncategorized
World Events
Writing & Speaking

Change Number of Results:
50 - 100 - 200 - 500
Article Reprint Rights
Creative Commons License

This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License


You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
Article Statistics
Word Count: 1126

Total Views: 5010

Article Rating: 1.79 of 5
Votes Cast: 19

More Articles By Author:



Last Distribution Date:
2010-01-15 09:00:00

Internal ID: #7294





All Articles are Copyright © 2001-2023 of the Defined Authors.

All other material and images on this site are:
Copyright © 2001-2023, ThePhantomWriters.com