Inside the Briefcase

Augmented Reality Analytics: Transforming Data Visualization

Augmented Reality Analytics: Transforming Data Visualization

Tweet Augmented reality is transforming how data is visualized...

ITBriefcase.net Membership!

ITBriefcase.net Membership!

Tweet Register as an ITBriefcase.net member to unlock exclusive...

Women in Tech Boston

Women in Tech Boston

Hear from an industry analyst and a Fortinet customer...

IT Briefcase Interview: Simplicity, Security, and Scale – The Future for MSPs

IT Briefcase Interview: Simplicity, Security, and Scale – The Future for MSPs

In this interview, JumpCloud’s Antoine Jebara, co-founder and GM...

Tips And Tricks On Getting The Most Out of VPN Services

Tips And Tricks On Getting The Most Out of VPN Services

In the wake of restrictions in access to certain...

Everything Novice Tech Users Need to Know to Start Blogging

May 24, 2017 No Comments

Featured article by Katie Johnson, Independent Technology Author

There seems to be an endless supply of information that will tell you how to setup a WordPress website in as little time as possible. Starting a WordPress blog is easy, but there are some things that can confuse those of us who aren’t very tech savvy.

In this post, we’ll cover the more technical aspects of blogging that will help you feel less like a novice and more like a seasoned pro.

Domain Name

The domain name is the first piece of the puzzle. If you want to be seen as a professional blogger, then you have to make the investment and buy a domain for your blog. Think of the domain as your house where your visitors will come to interact with your content. As such, you want to make sure your domain name resonates with the blog you will be creating. A personal name as your domain name is great choice if you want to build a resume website or a portfolio website.

If you want to blog about gardening, then a domain name reflective of that would be a better choice. On a similar note, if you’re creating a blog for your business, then your domain name should be related to your business name if not the same.

Hosting

After getting your domain name, you will need to find a hosting provider for your blog. But, not all hosting companies are created the same and as such they don’t offer the same type of packages. A hosting company will provide you with a certain amount of space on their server where you can upload your website’s files or install WordPress.

Packages range from shared hosting plans which offer enough space and bandwidth for beginners. But as your site rises in popularity, you might have to upgrade to a VPS plan which stands for Virtual Private Server and comes with a lot more flexibility and control over your hosting space. You can also opt for a Managed WordPress hosting which means all the updates and security are handled by the hosting provided so all you have to do is worry about keeping your website full of content.

Bandwidth and Space

Another two tech terms that you will hear a lot are bandwidth and disk space or storage. Disk space or storage space refers to the amount of space your host allows you to use on a certain plan. This space is strictly reserved for your website’s files, including any and all email addresses and emails you create. It is NOT a place to store your important documents or family photos. Doing so will most likely cause your hosting provider to terminate your contract.

Bandwidth, on the other hand, refers to the actual amount of data transferred through the website at one time. The higher your bandwidth, the more people can visit your site at the same time and enjoy your content. The bandwidth usage will depend on the number of people visiting your website at a given moment as well as on the overall design of your website.

FTP Client and Control Panel

This is another term that can cause confusion among novice tech users new to blogging. The term FTP client refers to a program that you use to connect to your hosting server from your computer and upload files to your website without having to go through control panel or if your host doesn’t provide a control panel where you can manage your files. A good free FTP client is FileZilla.

Control Panel on the other hand is often referred to as cPanel and it serves like a dashboard where you can upload or modify the files for your website, create an email address, read your emails, install WordPress and more.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

When it comes to choosing a platform for your website or a blog, most people will tell you to go with WordPress. Given that there are two versions of WordPress, it’s easy to make a mistake and choose the wrong one.

WordPress.com is a hosted version of WordPress that allows anyone to use the software for free while all the technical aspects such as hosting and maintenance are covered by Automattic, the parent company. However, using the hosted version also means you cannot install themes or plugins from third-party marketplaces. You are also limited in ways to monetize your site.

WordPress.org is a downloadable version of WordPress which can be installed on any hosting provider’s server. It offers a lot more flexibility and puts you in complete control over your website.

Themes

WordPress themes or templates are nothing more than the “skin” of your WordPress website. They define how your blog looks and they range from free to premium. Premium themes can be bought on marketplaces like ThemeForest or CreativeMarket and they come with a lot more features than their free counterparts. Another point in favor of premium themes is the fact that premium theme developers are a lot more likely to help you out if you run into a problem than developers who provide free themes.

Plugins

Plugins are absolutely great. They can do some really nifty things to your website. They can add in contact forms that you built, they can add in galleries and sliders, they can generate some really detailed reports on how your blog is doing. In essence, they allow you to extend the functionality of your website, and like themes, come in free and paid flavors.

Some plugins don’t play nice with each other, especially if they have overlapping features. Some plugins are almost necessary, like contact forms, email capture, and caching. The use of plugins should enhance your theme; not be required for the them to operate efficiently.

Wrapping It Up

Starting your own blog can seem intimidating if you’ve never owned a website before. There are a lot of technical aspects to a blog that can scare a novice blogger away but if you take some time to understand the basic terms, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a blogging pro.

Leave a Reply

(required)

(required)


ADVERTISEMENT

Gartner

WomeninTech