When you are first introduced to WordPress you will have a major decision to make right off the bat. You will have to choose between WordPress.com or a self-hosted version of WordPress (from WordPress.org). While both versions are very similar, there are several major differences that you should consider before you make your choice:

1 – Hosting

The most major difference between .com and self hosted is how hosting is handled. WordPress.com will provide you with WordPress, a domain name and hosting for free. It is an all in one website solution.

The self hosted version of WordPress requires that you provide your own hosting and domain name. Hosting can be found for about $10 a month, and a domain name will cost you about $11 for the year. Now, the decision between a paid option or a free one seems like a no-brainer, but there are a couple more things to consider. Continue reading →

One of the best things about WordPress is the ability to use plugins. Plugins are add-ons for your WordPress site that offer some kind of function that isn’t native to WordPress. Finding and using the right plugins can seriously improve your WordPress experience.

The best way to find a great plugin is to wait until you have an issue with your site, or you want to do something new, and then find a plugin to address the issue. Considering there are well over 10 000 plugins, there is one to suit just about everyone’s needs. If you want to be more pro-active, then check out the list below for some great WordPress plugins.

1 –  Akismet

Akismet is so popular it actually comes pre-installed with WordPress. I suggest everyone enables this plugin. It is a powerful anti-spam tool that will keep your comment section tidy and spam free. It will learn what is and isn’t spam by how you monitor your comments. You do have to get a user key to use this plugin, but you can get that for just $5 per month for unlimited site usage and I will tell you that it is the best $5 I spend every month! Continue reading →