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Introduction to WordPress Themes

By on June 23, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Introduction to WordPress Themes

Without a doubt, WordPress is one of the most popular blog and website creation tools. That is, WordPress.org which is the WordPress version that is hosted on the hosting company of your choice. WordPress.com is rather limited and is hosted on WordPress own servers. It is free, but you are limited to a small number of themes and the customizations options are limited. As long as you are willing to pay for your own hosting service, ie – Go Daddy, JustHost, MonsterGator, etc., WordPress.org is the way to go.

Most of the top blogs use the WordPress platform. By looking at these blogs, you can see a great variety in their design. In fact, many of them don’t look like blogs themselves, but look like traditional websites.

The reason for this is that WordPress allows users to create their own themes, and upload them to the WordPress website. Many people do this for fun or the good of the community. However, some create what is called a premium theme which is basically a paid version. Some of the themes offer a free starter theme, but a paid version gets you more features.

One of the strengths of WordPress is also a weakness. There are almost too many themes out there. It can get frustrating finding a theme that suits your purposes, especially after reviewing hundreds of similar themes.  To eliminate some of the frustration, consider the following:

What do you want in a theme. On one hand, there are people who are just interested in their blog writing, and they want it to look nice. Commercialization or ads do not interest them. On the other hand, there are other people who are interested in their blog, but would also like to make a little money.

This generally involves AdSense, banner ads, etc. However, the placing of these ads (or the HTML code that supports them) on a blog or website is of prime importance to the advertiser, and also to the website owner. You don’t want ads to distract from your website, but complement it.

WordPress accomplishes this by having areas of your blog where you can place widgets. Widgets are basically place holders where you can place a great variety of content. It could include a link page, a poll, a photo, text, or HTML code that generates an ad.  However, depending upon the theme, widgets will be in different places and different sizes.

The WordPress database allows you to search for specific elements of themes.

For example, when you search the WordPress database, you will find hundreds of themes that say “”ad sense ready.””  Many of these themes have only a few widget areas available for ads, and some have as many as 11 different widget areas.

Generally, the more widget areas the better in a theme, because no matter what your purpose, it gives you more flexibility. 

Another factor that comes into play is that many themes are highly customizable.  Don’t be deceived by the initial appearance, look at the option page before you move on.   Many themes have great features, you just need to choose the appropriate option.  Background image, color, placement of widget sidebars, etc. are all common things that can be customized.

Finding a theme you like is a trial and error process.  However, before you begin, have an idea on what you want to accomplish.  Do you want widget space for small rectangle ads?  Or do you want widget space that will accommodate skyscraper ads, leaderboard ads, and the other popular banner ad formats? Do you want a widget space that will accommodate a particular photo dimension format?

The process of looking for a theme you like is a daunting task, but if you have a general idea of what you want, it will make the process go faster.  With the thousands of WordPress themes out there, you are bound to find one you like.

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WordPress Themes-An SEO Friendly WordPress Theme Will Increase Search Engine Visibility

By on June 17, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

WordPress Themes: An SEO Friendly WordPress Theme Will Increase Search Engine Visibility!

Want to start your own website and do not want to hire a website designer. You have great chances of successfully starting a website with the WordPress blogging software. WordPress is easy and absolutely manageable and within a day you have mastered the art of maintaining and managing website without too much hassle. There are hundreds of WordPress themes to choose from, moreover for those who cannot spend too much on their website you can use the free WordPress theme for the purpose of starting the website.

Most of the web hosting packages allow use of WordPress, you need to install this software and start using it. Another way of using the WordPress is by logging on to the website and getting your own domain name. For those who want to use a hosting package, using WordPress is the easiest way.

When you start a website, one of the most important components of making it visible to search engines is making it search engine optimized. Not all themes support direct optimization that is putting in of Meta tags, Meta description as well as title of the website. However, some themes allow just this thereby making it very easy for the user to make a great blog which can be modified easily and at the same time make it easily visible to the search engines.

There are some themes which use the tags as keywords and submit those to search engines. This makes it very important that you keep an eye on the keyword and density when submitting website to search engines. There does happen to be a popular belief that Meta tags and description do not have any significance for the search engines. On contrary to this belief, most search engines do make a primary classification and categorization with the help of Meta tags and web page/site description.

Some themes allow ease of use, you can change text color, background color, font, etc. i.e. almost every feature according to your liking. You may not have to pay for each of these fabulous themes. Free WordPress themes are available in abundance. Some do not allow all the features to be used unless you have purchased the theme. However, you can make basic changes.

Benefits of purchasing the themes:

Not purchasing a particular theme will save you money. However, it also means you will not be able to use the theme to its 100% ability. Also, you will get help from the developers, you will get reference material that those using the free version of WordPress theme will not have access to. Moreover, using the paid version is also a way of repaying back all the hard work that is done by the programmers. Only those who are hard on cash end up using the free version.

SEO friendly WordPress themes are most famous. Here are some of the examples like the Atahualpa, SEO Basics, Clearline Theme, etc.

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Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog1

By on June 13, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

WPnow are a popular source for WordPress themes, and with the Boardwalk WordPress theme, they certainly do not disappoint. Gaining scrutiny from web masters, WPnow have been known for creating absolutely stunning themes for the blogging platform, however, they are quite heavy on most hosting accounts, loading slowly, and providing an overall unoptimized experience for visitors to blogs sporting their themes.

The Boardwalk WordPress theme still has not improved entirely on previous problems with their loading times, however this can easily be fixed using a super cache plugin. In fact, this is the only situation that I would personally use one of their themes. Having said that though, their themes are stunning, and require very little work with their included admin panel making customization very quick and easy, and regardless of the load times that can be fixed with the use of a plugin, this is a great theme that suits those who want a colorful blog that has an outdoors style appearance.

The theme itself has somewhat of a magazine style layout, not more suited to those who want to run a personal blog, but those who want to create an information based website. Posts are laid out quite well on the front page of the theme, making blog contents very easy to access. Navigation is also very well thought out, with the strange addition of “”click to drop down”” menus in the category navigation for second tier pages and posts, which although seems a little strange, is a welcome addition to this theme.

From an SEO perspective, the theme can be optimized quite well, however keywords would need to be emphasized in titles, as they are created using H2 tags. Text can be used in the H1 format for the blog header, however if the need to use an image arose, this would mean that you would lose the ability to have keywords in the header, however this can be emphasized by using title tags for the images by using the editor. Thankfully, the coding structure behind the Boardwalk WordPress theme is labelled well, and fairly easy to understand, even for those who have a very basic understanding of website coding.

Before I lead us into the part where I will cap off this article, I will make it very clear that this theme is a theme that is not suitable to all bloggers. Whilst there are some great themes out there, such as Thesis and Frugal that serve many purposes, and are heavily customizable, the Boardwalk WordPress theme is one that is suited to those who already like the layout of this theme, and are prepared to use that theme, as is, for their blog. Sure, certain customisations can be made willingly, if you have the know how, however, for the kind of layout that this theme uses, there is only going to be a certain level of customization that is available.

Having said that, this theme is an outstanding theme, it is easy to use, it is pretty to look at, and it is easy to customize within its own boundaries. It may not be as fast as possible, but this can be solved using the super cache plugin. The plugins that come with this theme are welcome, and offer extra functionality as well, all in all, for bloggers and publishers of news, out of the various top WordPress themes that re available, this one should turn your head a little.

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Installing WordPress Themes on Your Fingertips

By on June 11, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Installing WordPress Themes on Your Fingertips

Installing WordPress themes? No, I can’t do it! Of course you can! It is not a difficult task at all. WordPress themes are the latest and most widely sought after tools on the internet and more people by the day are using them. They are available free of cost and some premium themes are also available. Depending on your expertise and the revenue you want from your blogs, you can go either ways.

But first, after selection of the theme, you need to install it on your web server for everyone to see and experience a piece of your individuality and creative genius! Let us assure you, installing a WordPress theme is easier than installing other software application on your computer.

Installing WordPress

Before you even select the WordPress theme, you need to download the most recent WordPress Codex from the site. Most easy to install is from the.zip or the.rar files. Using suitable software, unzip the Codex installation files and install with the setup files.

On the web hosting server, you need to make a MySQL database. Preferably adding a user follows that.

After you have added the user, grant him administrative privileges, i.e. ensure that the user can make the necessary changes to the blog and use the settings to the fullest.

For installing WordPress, you need to make a directory (for your ease of use) on the web hosting server with a public HTML type view.

Add the desired file structure to the directory you just created on the web hosting server. The admin panel will help you achieve that.

You have to define all the permissions from the new earliest directory created to the latest created. By defining, we mean the access type should be mentioned. For individual use, make all the directories under the purview of the administrator.

You will find a file named wp_confi_sample.php. Rename this to wp_confi.php followed by opening the file and adding the desired username and other details. The renaming of the file is done to change the default configuration settings.

You can use any web browser of your choice. Open that and type the name of your desired website to initiate the launcher and finalize the WordPress installation.

Follow the instructions and you’re done.Installing a Theme

Check whether the installation files are pre-downloaded or have to be downloaded.

From the WordPress admin dashboard, under add new themes – select and add the desired theme. The already downloaded installation files will help you add the desired theme.

Upload the link of the theme on your server. Activate the theme and you’re ready to use the theme of your choice.The advantage of using free themes is that you can change the themes as and when desired. But make sure you keep the themes relevant to the blog posted.

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How To Install WordPress Themes Via FTP

By on June 7, 2012 in Randy Roedl

matthewneer.com In this short tutorial Matthew Neer will show you how to install wordpress themes via FTP clients (FileZilla) and once you learn how to do this without fail every time your ability to use WordPress will dramatically increase. The test of a true entrepreneur is just DOING until you find the solutions to your problems. You never stop, you never give up, and you NEVER quit! That’s why I put this video together for you, because you need to learn this simple technique so you can expand your knowledge base and continue to grow.

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Installing a WordPress Theme Yourself

By on June 7, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Installing a WordPress Theme Yourself

Having a WordPress theme for your blog can be a really good decision because an apt theme conveys two things: 1- You care a lot about the presentation of your blog. 2- You want the visitor or reader of your blog to derive the maximum utility or value from your blog through interaction and good user-experience.

Here is how you can install a WordPress theme.

1. Go to a blog or website that is known for WordPress themes. There are some of them who charge you to download the themes, those are high quality and are of the premium variety. It Is up to you if you want a free WordPress theme or buy one. Go to the category that is in sync with the theme of your blog, check the ‘demo’ to see how the theme may look on your blog.

2. Download the theme; it will be downloaded in the zipped format. Copy it to the wp-content or the ‘themes’ directory. You will find this folder in the location where you had installed WordPress.3. Now unzip the zipped file that has the theme.

4. Once you have unzipped, you will find a directory listed as wp-content/themes/theme_file, apart from the existing directory.

5. Now you can choose to retain the theme_file.zip or take it off.

6. Go to the WordPress Administrative Panel and choose Appearance.

7. The newly installed theme should be present. Now you just have to activate it, and you are all set to see the new theme on your blog.

There is also another option that will tell you how to install a WordPress theme. Use the built-in theme uploader, which can be accessed directly from the WordPress Administration Panel. Go to the appearance section in WordPress and choose the ‘theme’ section. Once there, you can click on ‘add new them’ to get started.

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Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

By on June 5, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Boardwalk WordPress Theme – A Fun and Unique Look For Your Blog

WPnow are a popular source for WordPress themes, and with the Boardwalk WordPress theme, they certainly do not disappoint. Gaining scrutiny from web masters, WPnow have been known for creating absolutely stunning themes for the blogging platform, however, they are quite heavy on most hosting accounts, loading slowly, and providing an overall unoptimized experience for visitors to blogs sporting their themes.

The Boardwalk WordPress theme still has not improved entirely on previous problems with their loading times, however this can easily be fixed using a super cache plugin. In fact, this is the only situation that I would personally use one of their themes. Having said that though, their themes are stunning, and require very little work with their included admin panel making customization very quick and easy, and regardless of the load times that can be fixed with the use of a plugin, this is a great theme that suits those who want a colorful blog that has an outdoors style appearance.

The theme itself has somewhat of a magazine style layout, not more suited to those who want to run a personal blog, but those who want to create an information based website. Posts are laid out quite well on the front page of the theme, making blog contents very easy to access. Navigation is also very well thought out, with the strange addition of “”click to drop down”” menus in the category navigation for second tier pages and posts, which although seems a little strange, is a welcome addition to this theme.

From an SEO perspective, the theme can be optimized quite well, however keywords would need to be emphasized in titles, as they are created using H2 tags. Text can be used in the H1 format for the blog header, however if the need to use an image arose, this would mean that you would lose the ability to have keywords in the header, however this can be emphasized by using title tags for the images by using the editor. Thankfully, the coding structure behind the Boardwalk WordPress theme is labelled well, and fairly easy to understand, even for those who have a very basic understanding of website coding.

Before I lead us into the part where I will cap off this article, I will make it very clear that this theme is a theme that is not suitable to all bloggers. Whilst there are some great themes out there, such as Thesis and Frugal that serve many purposes, and are heavily customizable, the Boardwalk WordPress theme is one that is suited to those who already like the layout of this theme, and are prepared to use that theme, as is, for their blog. Sure, certain customisations can be made willingly, if you have the know how, however, for the kind of layout that this theme uses, there is only going to be a certain level of customization that is available.

Having said that, this theme is an outstanding theme, it is easy to use, it is pretty to look at, and it is easy to customize within its own boundaries. It may not be as fast as possible, but this can be solved using the super cache plugin. The plugins that come with this theme are welcome, and offer extra functionality as well, all in all, for bloggers and publishers of news, out of the various top WordPress themes that re available, this one should turn your head a little.

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Blogosphere News – WordPress Plugins – What Plugins Are All About and How They Can Make You Money

By on May 28, 2012 in !Randy Roedl Internet Marketing, affiliate marketing, wordpress, Wp Headers, Wp Themes

Blogosphere News – WordPress Plugins – What Plugins Are All About and How They Can Make You Money

Blogging is the latest trend to hit the internet. Everyone I know has a blog. Some people make new entries everyday, some people made one entry and forgot all about it, other bloggers blog to update friend and family on their lives. Most people blog to build a brand and make money.

There are three main blogging platforms. They are:

1. Blogger2. Typepad3. WordPress

WordPress is by far the MOST popular blogging platform out there. Look at the blogs that you currently read. Most of them will be on WordPress.

It used to be all about WordPress Themes. Now it is all about WordPress Plugins. If your blog is not loaded with the best plugins then it is nothing. It is on the bottom layer of all of the blogs in the blogosphere.

Here are some of the most WordPress Plugins that you can get:

1. SEO Package Plugin: Automatically optimizes your WordPress blog for Search Engines.

2. WordPress Super Cache Plugin: A very fast caching engine for WordPress blogs that produces static html files.

3. Google XML Sitemaps Plugin: This plugin will create a Google sitemaps compliant XML-Sitemap of your WordPress blog.

4. NextGEN Gallery Plugin: NextGEN Gallery is a full integrated Image Gallery plugin for WordPress with a Flash slideshow option.

You can also get WordPress Plugins that are guaranteed to help you generate money via blogging.The Most Popular and Sought After Plugin for WordPress themes at the moment is the “”Membership Plugin””. This WordPress plugin allows you to have different Membership Types.

Membership-Plugin has 3 default user group types:

1. Free2. Trial 3. Paying

You can easily create as many free, trial and paid subscriptions as you need. Each subscription can be assigned to a separate membership level allowing you to offer your users multiple subscription options.

Interesting!!

There are countless other plugins. Too many to mention actually.

You will have hours of fun experimenting with different plugins on your blog!

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