Custom Wordpress themes

It is becoming increasingly popular and easier than ever to use a custom theme for your blog.  Up until now, you had to download and install a theme, that thousands of other people are using, resigned to the fact that it will not be unique.  Now, I’m not saying those themes are bad, of course, since some companies have truly specialized in blog theme creation and have incorporated a lot of nifty features that allow for easy integration with plugins, widgets, galleries, google checkout and more!  And if your blog is truly a blog, then these pre-made themes are probably your best and most cost-efficient option.

However, if you would rather have your blog site resemble a real website, with full branding and a custom layout, then you should look into custom Wordpress themes.  This will enable you to have a professionally designed website, with a Wordpress back office interface, that allows you to edit your own content, and stay in control of your online business reputation

How to create a blog

There are probably a million “how to’s” out there that explain the ins and outs of blogging and how to set up your site and where to find the latest blog skins, and who has the jazziest plugins.  Now, for the well researched would-be blogger, these terms probably ring a bell and you know what I’m talking about.  But this article is for the brand new, just starting out, newbie blogger who hasn’t the first clue about where to begin, but just knows that you MUST start somewhere.  And as far as blogging is concerned, you MUST start.

I am going to give you 5 simple steps to get you off the ground and provide an outline to begin your research.  I am not going to get into too much detail, but instead provide an overview that will help you to wrap your mind around the idea so that you know where to begin.

1. Buy your own domain name

If you want to be serious about this and truly build traffic in order to grow your business, you simply must have your own website.  Feel free to post articles on multiple blogsites all over the internet, to your little heart’s content, but ALWAYS post the article on your blog site first.  Always.

2. Choose an easy-to-use content management system

The content management system, or CMS, is installed on the back end of your website.  The front end is what everybody sees and reads and comments on.  The back end is where you write your posts.  Typically you log in to the CMS, navigate through the hierarchy of pages and posts and manage your account from there.  One that I would highly recommend is the WordPress system.

3. Use a template

You want a blog that has a look and feel that accurately represents you and/or your business.  The design should be clean and attractive, and slightly bent towards your unique style – eg. professional, or artistic, real estate or health and fitness.  Whatever your need, there are templates out there to suit your taste.  You will need to have some Photoshop skills and some html background to customize the template.

4. Upload your CMS and your template

You will need to host your site somewhere.  This will cost you anywhere from $10 to $50 a month, depending on the provider.  You will also need to know how to upload your template and your CMS and attach it to your domain name.  This is usually where the beginner falls short.  It takes an intermediate knowledge of programming to accomplish this.  You will probably need help with this step.

5. Start writing!

You need to start out writing 5 or 6 articles a week to get the blog off the ground.  After you have built up a significant number of posts, you can usually slow down to 2 or 3 a week, and then eventually just 1 or 2 a week.  Of course, you can write as much as you like, so if the thoughts are flowing, keep writing!

If after reading this, you decide that you would just rather use a company to throw it all together for you, walk you through the process, train you on the CMS and get you up and running in a couple weeks, then check out our Blog Setup package.  It is very affordable and will have you blogging in no time!

Good luck!