Websites

What Software Do You Need to Build a Website Top Three Picks

Top 3 Softwares You Need to Build a Website

, , , 0

“What software do you need to build a website?” This question is often asked by those computer-geeks who are still relatively new to the field of programming. All such users want to build a new website, one which can help them generate a decent amount of money on a monthly basis, but they still aren’t sure of where to start from.

In the past, website creation was considered as a strict domain of software engineers and professional coders. When you had to have considerable knowledge of programming in order to build a new website, it was almost impossible for a newbie to set foot in this particular field.

build a websiteHowever, in the past few years, it has become increasingly easier, even for the amateurs, to build a new website. All they need is to select a suitable software, as per their skill set, and the rest is pretty straightforward.

So, what software do you need to build a website? In order to answer this question regarding creation of a new website, we’ve prepared this guide for those who have been taken aback by the plethora of software that they see online.

In this article, we’ll describe top three website building software which is not only easy to use but, at the same time, can be downloaded for free.

Having said that, have a look at what actually is a website building software.

Website Building Software

This is basically a type of tool which helps you create a new website without any sort of manual coding. Yes, you don’t have to write or even edit the code by your

What Software Do You Need to Build a Website?

Wix

Wix is ideal for those who have very little programming knowledge. This is basically a free software which is ideal for the budget-oriented customers. All you need is a stable internet connection, along with a PC, and this software can easily be downloaded on your computer.

wix.com

There are two ways in which you can construct a new website with the help of Wix—ADI and Editor. Both of these methods are quite efficient, and both of them works online.

First of all, if you’re looking for a ready-made website, you should look for the Wix ADI. A short form of artificial design intelligence, this website builder consists of a wide range of questions. You just have to answer these questions, as per the type of website which you want to build, and once you’ve answered all of them, Wix ADI will create a new websi

te for you.

There is no need to spend time with computer programming or any other thing which is of the great essence for those who want to build a new website in a very short span of time. Even though you can always customize your webpage, the scope is generally limited as compared to other types of software.

Coming towards the Wix Editor, this website builder is designed for those customers who are looking for a greater degree of customization. This method allows you to choose everything as per your preference, ranging from the type of template to the outer look of your webpage.

Weebly

self as it’s up to the software to take care of such things. All you have to do is just to make a few clicks and follow the step-by-step instructions being provided on the relevant platform.

weebly

If you’re looking for a free website building software, one which is also pretty easy to use, have a look at Weebly. Creating a new website with the help of this software is extremely easy. In fact, you can build a website, with the help of Weebly, in a matter of a few hours.

For those users who don’t want to spend much time designing new pages or those who don’t know how to design a webpage, Weebly offers more than 35 pre-designed page layouts for your convenience. They’ve compiled these layouts on the basis of their popularity and, in order to serve a wide range of customers, all these layouts are based on different niches.

Another thing which is quite impressive about the Weebly software website is its user-friendly interface. There is no need to get frustrated while choosing from complex features as everything is easy-to-understand on the Weebly interface.

Lastly, if you know a bit of programming, you can always access the HTML codes on Weebly. Hence, if you’re looking to tweak the design of your website, you can always do it with the help of this particular software.

WordPress

When it comes to WordPress, it is one of the most popular free website building software in today’s market. A majority of people often create their first website on WordPress. So if you’ve already created your first website, there is a big chance that you’ve used the WordPress platform for it.

There are two types of WordPress which are generally famous amongst a wide range of bloggers. Starting with wordpress.org, you have to download this software from the internet before uploading it on your web space. Afterward, you have to install this software with the help of instruction which is provided separately.

As compared to the other WordPress version, this one is slightly complex as it requires you to deal with add-ons and to choose templates. Having said that, many people still prefer wordpress.org for building a new website.

The wordpress.com is the second version which is devoid of any kind of complex editing. This version can be used to create almost any type of website, ranging from a personal blog to even a photography website. You can also use this version to create an online store, and for your convenience, there is a specific template for every particular niche.

Useful Tip

Solo Build It!

If you’re looking for a paid website building software, there aren’t many better options available on the market as compared to Solo Build It!

As compared to the other three types, Solo Build It! is more than a mere website builder. It will provide you with all the necessary tools which you might require to turn your stale-looking business into a successful one.

First of all, you will get a new domain with SBI! which isn’t included with a majority of free website building software. This product will also provide instructional materials which are ideal for newbies who want to learn about website programming. You’ll also get exclusive access to a number of different forums where you can gain help from other people. Similarly, SBI! will also help you in terms of selecting a profitable niche. This step is of utmost importance for customers who don’t want to indulge in an already saturated market.

So if you want to build a new website and, at the same time, you also want to learn useful ways of generating decent revenue, you might prefer Solo Build It!

Conclusion

There is no shortage of website building software in today’s market. Depending on your personal preference, and the way in which you want to construct a new web page, you can select from hundreds of different software.

However, if you’re looking for a tried and tested approach, there aren’t many better options than the ones listed above. All three of them have been used by thousands of people, and you can use any of them for free.

How to Install a WordPress Theme Everything You Need to Know

How to Install a WordPress Theme: Everything You Need to Know

, , , , 0

If you’re wondering about how to install a WordPress theme, there is a big chance that you’ve just started using this platform in the past few years. Regardless of your experience, you might be aware of the fact that you can get a wide range of free themes on WordPress along with some high-quality one which will charge you a decent amount of money.

how to install a WordPress themeAs a beginner, it might be difficult to select one theme which is viable for the content of your website. As a result, everybody looks to try out a number of different themes before deciding which one can serve his or her needs in an imperious manner.

However, when there is no shortage of themes which are available for absolutely nothing on WordPress, you do require a certain degree of knowledge in order to install a theme for the very first time.

So, how to install a WordPress theme without professional help? In order to answer this question, we’ve curated a guide for all those WordPress users who’re looking for nothing but top-quality information.

In this guide, we’ll provide you with step-by-step instructions for installing a WordPress theme. After reading this guide, you’ll not only be in a comfortable position to install a theme for the very first time but, at the same time, you can also use this method to install any other theme in the future.

Before we move on to the easy-to-follow steps for installing a WordPress theme, let’s first have a look at what actually is a theme and how important it can be in terms of the success of your website.

What is a WordPress Theme?

When it comes to the WordPress theme, it basically a type of pre-made design created by designers and developers for all those users who don’t have the basic know-how of programming. You can think of it as the layout of your webpage which controls the outer look of your webpage.

There is a wide range of themes which you can download from the WordPress theme directory. Depending on your personal website, it is imperative that you should select a theme which is specifically designed for that type of web page. For example, if your blog is about coffee, you should always prefer themes which can impress most coffee aficionados.

Remember, a WordPress theme has got nothing to do with the content on your website. You can use any theme, and your content will remain the same. The only thing which will be changed by installing a new theme is the outer look of your website. So if you want to impress your potential viewers, you should always select a new theme with utmost care.

Types of WordPress Themes

There are three types of themes which are normally available in the WordPress theme directory. It consists of the premium themes, free themes and finally, the custom WordPress themes.

Premium WordPress Theme

The premium WordPress themes are mostly developed by professional companies for those who can afford to spend some fortune in return for a high-quality WordPress theme. You might have to pay a decent amount of money for purchasing a premium theme, but when it comes fully SEO-optimized, along with impeccable customer support, it gives you good value for your money.

Free WordPress Theme

As evident from the name, free WordPress themes cost you absolutely nothing as you can easily install them from the themes directory. However, just like any other thing which comes for free, you have to show extra care before choosing one. The reason behind it is that when some of the free themes are nothing short of top quality, there are various others which are no more than a waste of time.

Custom WordPress Theme

The custom WordPress themes are perfect for those who want to make no compromises on their website’s look. As the name suggests, this type of theme allows you to choose everything from the position of the sidebars to the design of menu bars. However, one thing which you have to keep in mind, before choosing any of the custom themes, is that it normally comes at a higher price as compared to the other two types.

How to Install a WordPress Theme

Step One

First of all, open your WordPress website and use your login details to access your admin area. Click on the appearances menu which should be listed in the middle of your dashboard before clicking on the themes from the submenu.

Step Two

Once you’ve arrived at the themes page, you’ll see a blue ‘add new’ button. Click on it, and it will take you to a new screen where you have to decide the kind of WordPress theme you want to install. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose from either the featured WordPress themes, popular themes, latest themes or, finally, the customizable themes.

Consider, for example, that you want to install a business style WordPress theme. Type it in the search menu, and you’ll be provided with tons of free as well as paid WordPress themes.

Step Three

Once you’ve selected a particular theme, bring your cursor on top of it, and it will reveal an install button. If you want to test it out before installing, you can also click on the preview button which will be present on one side of the install button.

Step Four

Click on the blue ‘install’ button once you’re satisfied with the theme, and your new theme will be installed in a matter of few minutes. Afterward, click, with the help of the cursor, on the ‘activate’ button and your new theme is up and running.

Useful Tip

There is no better way than to build your WordPress site by yourself. Aside from the fact that building your own website will save you money, it will also allow you to make all the necessary changes as per the content on your webpage.

Solo Build It!

However, some people often find it tough to build a new website on their own, and they often look towards premade websites being developed by professionals. If you’re looking for experts who can help you create your own website, there are businesses, such as Solo Build It or SBI! For WordPress that are ready to help you put up a stunning design.

SBI! is basically a site building platform which does much more than building a mere website. Unlike other site builders, this one provides you with in-depth research materials in order to assist you in finding a suitable niche for your new website.

This material eventually helps you in terms of finding a topic on a market isn’t quite saturated at the time. You can also use this material to determine how profitable your desired niche can be or if the online market is already quite saturated with that topic, you can also use this knowledge to determine a profitable niche.

Afterward, you can purchase a new domain name from SBI! before building your own website. This platform also provides valuable tips for monetizing your content which is of great value for all those of you who’s still relatively new to WordPress. So starting from building a new site to deciding a topic, SBI gives you with every bit of information which you might require for running a successful website.

Conclusion

Installing a new WordPress theme is quite easy as everyone can do it in a matter of few seconds. All you have to do is to decide the kind of theme—based on your blog’s content—which you want to download, and the rest is pretty straightforward.

So, if you want to install a new WordPress theme on your own, there aren’t many easier methods on the internet than the one mentioned above. You just have to follow a few steps and bingo! Everybody can use this method to install a premium, a free or a custom WordPress theme.

affiliate marketing

What WordPress Theme Is Best for Affiliate Marketing?

, , 2

Choosing the best theme for an affiliate marketing website is not an easy task. A majority of the themes available on WordPress are ideal for either business websites or designed to serve the needs of bloggers. And because affiliate marketers have different needs, choosing a viable theme for them is even more difficult. Hence, the first question which arises in almost every marketer’s mind is “what WordPress theme is best for affiliate marketers?”

In order to answer this question, we’ve prepared the below-mentioned guide incorporating top five WordPress themes which you can use for any affiliate marketing website. After reading this guide, you’ll be in a comfortable position to answer the most famous question amongst marketers: what WordPress theme is best for affiliate marketers?

But first, let’s take a look at how to build a website on this particular platform.

How to Design a Website with WordPress?

For people looking to build a website for the very first time, there are no other better platforms than WordPress. Apart from a wide range of affiliate marketers, this site-hosting platform is preferred by bloggers, professionals, and business owners around the world.

affiliate marketing

In order to design a website with WordPress, the first thing you need is a hosting account. You’re also going to need a unique domain name. For both these features, you can contact different hosting companies around the globe, including Bluehost. Some of these companies offer free domain.

After setting up the hosting account, install the site. It might look difficult at the start, but once you follow the steps which are stated in WordPress, you can do it in a very short period of time.

Once you’ve installed the WordPress site, it’s time to select a suitable theme for your project.

What WordPress Theme Is Best for Affiliate Marketing – Top Five Picks

Here are top five themes you can consider for your affiliate marketing website. Some of them are totally free while others might require a paid subscription. Depending on your project and the budget which you can afford to spend, you can select any one of these WordPress themes.

GeoDeo

One of the most popular themes with affiliate marketers, the GeoDeo is designed specifically as per the needs of digital entrepreneurs. It comes with all the plugins, which are necessary for an affiliate marketing website, including MyCred and WooCommerce.

With the help of GeoDeo, you can create a website in a number of different languages. For the convenience of affiliate marketers, it comes with an easy setup as you can install it even without prior experience. Finally, you can make all the changes in the theme’s design with an easy-to-use options panel.

Hestia

If you’re looking for a free WordPress theme, Hestia can be your first choice. It comes with different features which an affiliate marketer might look for in an ideal WordPress theme. It is very easy to install, and when it comes preloaded with a communication plugin, it can add all the relevant sections to your webpage without any hindrance.

Another thing which makes Hestia so special is the fact that even though it comes free of charge, it is still compatible with WooCommerce. So if you want to make the most of your budget, Hestia can be a decent try.

Games Zone

As evident from its name, Games Zone is ideal for all those affiliate marketers who are going to review gaming products on their websites. If you’re planning to build a website based on gaming niche, this can be your ideal WordPress theme.

The Games Zone theme comes preloaded with a separate review section. You can utilize this section for creating reviews of different video games. In addition, the manufacturer has designed this theme in such a way that you can place ads in different positions all across the webpage.

Also included in this WordPress theme are custom sidebars, custom widgets along with a wide range of shortcodes. So even if you are not a programmer yourself, you can still use this theme for giving a new look to your affiliate marketing website.

Engine

The Engine theme is mostly preferred by affiliate marketers who own an affiliate marketing website based on gadget niche. This is basically a magazine-styled theme which comes with a built-in homepage layout.

affiliate marketing

This WordPress theme is extremely customizable. Apart from using the existing designs, you can create one of your own without having to deal with different types of codes. All of this is made possible by a drag and drop editor, which you can access from the options panel.

Another feature which is quite impressive about this theme is that it comes with an intuitive mini sites feature. You can use it for promoting different products on your website, apart from the original articles.

It is a Wrap

If the affiliate marketing site, which you’re going to set up, includes a lot of videos, take a look at this particular theme. Featuring a magazine themed format, it comes with no less than three different layouts for your homepage. Also included in this theme is a popup feature which comes handy for playing videos automatically.

Furthermore, this WordPress theme lets you interact with your readers through two different options. First of all, there is “submit your video” option which allows visitors to send you latest videos. Then the other one is the contact form where your readers can send new ideas or share valuable tips. So if you’re looking for a real-time customer feedback, this theme makes it easier for you.

Conclusion

Now, what WordPress theme is best for affiliate marketers? If you want to make money from home, you can use this platform to promote products or services. Every time a customer purchases something through your platform, you’ll get a fixed proportion of the total amount. But in order to so, you first have to make sure that your website looks presentable to the potential customers.

If you want to boost the conversion rate, it is important to select a WordPress theme based on your business goals and needs.

WordPress: Should I Publish As Post or Page?

WordPress: Should I Publish As Post or Page?

, , , , 0

People who use WordPress for the very first time get confused between pages and posts. Both these features come by default in this tool and most users find it hard to distinguish the two. The problem manifolds multiple times when you look at the dashboard and see both these fields having a similar outlook. So the question which arises in every beginner’s mind is “Should I publish as post or page?”

If you’ve recently set up a new WordPress site, you have to decide between using any of these two features. Basically, you can use any of them as both pages and posts work in a somewhat similar way. However, if you want to make the most of your website, it is imperative that you should know about the difference between these two entities.

The reason behind it is that each of these two options comes with their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your type of content, it might be beneficial to prefer one format over the other. Otherwise, you might never be able to reap the full potential of your WordPress site.

In order to give you a detailed understanding of these features, we’ve curated this guide after thorough research. In this guide, we’ll highlight the key differences between both these features. Once you’ve gone through this guide, you can answer any individual who comes up to you with this query—Should I publish as post or page?

WordPress: Should I Publish As Post or Page?

Posts

For people who are planning to use WordPress to create a blog, they should always prefer the posts format. This type of content is generally recorded in consecutive reverse numbers on your website’s homepage. In simple words, the latest articles will always appear prominently on the home page of your website.

The post gets archived after a considerable duration of time, so if a reader has to find a specific post, he or she has to go through the archive portion of your website.

The post format is designed in such a way that it will display the date of its publication. This is a viable feature for all those website owners who are using their WordPress sites for publishing news-based articles. Basically, it makes it easy for the visitors to read fresh news as they don’t have to dig through piles of articles. But if someone is looking to find an older article, they have to spend some time on the website.

However, you can solve this problem as well by connecting all the related posts with suitable tags. In this way, if a user is interested in a specific type of article, he or she can read similar articles by clicking on the tags.

Another thing which is unique about the WordPress posts is that they come with a built-in comments feature. This particular feature makes it easy for your readers to interact with the site owner or even with other readers.

Furthermore, there is also a sharing button which lets the visitors share their favorite type of content on a number of social media websites. All in all, if you’re going to publish a time-sensitive article, it might be better to go with the posts format.

Pages

When it comes to publishing timeless content, you should always prefer the WordPress pages. Such type of content includes but not limited to contact us, privacy and other such services.

For example, you’ll publish the “about us” page for just one time. You are going to use the same page for years to come, and even though you can make minor changes, you aren’t going to publish a new about us page with the start of every year. Also, there is no comment option on the WordPress pages.

Since the pages format comes without any kind of date, it makes them ideal for evergreen content. Apart from the aforementioned options, you can use this format for publishing such type of articles which can stay relevant for a considerable duration of time.

One feature, which WordPress has recently installed in their pages format, is the inclusion of custom templates. You can apply these templates to a separate page on your website. It means that depending on the type of content on a particular page; you can change its appearance as compared to any other page on that website. This feature isn’t available by default in the WordPress posts as you can only use it in this particular format.

If you feel that one page stands out from the rest on your website in terms of importance, you can use the custom templates. In addition, many WordPress users make use of this format when it comes to design landing pages. In this way, they can make one page stand out from the rest of their content.

So if you’re going to publish evergreen information, it is recommended to choose pages format. It will come out without any kind of date or time. Hence, your visitors will always consider it as a recently published article.

Pages versus Posts

Here are a few major differences which exist between pages and post. However, you can always use certain plugins to remove some of these differences.

  • Pages are used for evergreen content. Posts are preferred for time-conscious articles
  • Pages are not listed in the RSS feed. Posts are listed in the RSS feed
  • You can choose custom templates for pages, a function that is not available for WordPress posts.

Conclusion

“WordPress: should I publish as post or page?”—an inevitable question especially among the beginners. In choosing between pages and posts, you just have to remember that it all comes down to the content on your website. If you have set up a WordPress site for publishing news articles or other time-sensitive content, it might be beneficial to prefer the posts format. It will display its date of publication to the visitors which is always a good thing to have on a news website.

On the contrary, the pages format should be preferred for publishing a timeless content. You can use it for creating About Us, Contact Us, etc. Even if you’re going to use this format for a blog, make sure that the article is timeless.

solo build it

A Look Into SoloBuild It! and What It Offers

, , , , , 0

For several years, we have been dependent on the convenience that the internet provides us. Whatever question you might have, you can be sure that somewhere out there, the answer is waiting to be discovered. If you are an aspiring online business owner, chances are you have heard of SoloBuild It and have asked what it offers?

Before we can respond to that question, allow us to first introduce to you what SiteSell really is, what it offers, how it works, and the pros and cons of using its product, the Solo Build It! website creator.

What Is SiteSell?

solo build it

SiteSell is a privately owned and held company in Montreal, Canada that is managed by more than 50 professionals from various countries such as Europe, Australia, Canada, and United States. It was founded by Ken Evoy, a visionary leader who have helped more than 100,000 aspiring solo entrepreneurs around the world by providing them with training and website support.

Back when it was first launched until just recently, it has been the leading, step-by-step guide to becoming a successful online business owner, even if you do not have any background in running a business or building websites. It empowers ordinary people, including work-at-home moms, solo entrepreneurs, and teens, by providing them the means to build a profit-generating website.

Whatever your hobbies, interests, or passions are, SiteSell promises to guide you to build an online business that focuses on your personal preferences goals. It helps you every step of the way starting from brainstorming ideas for your business to choosing a domain name, marketing, hosting, and turning website traffic into cold, hard cash.

What Does SiteSell Offer?

The SiteSell offers a customizable site builder called Solo Build It! that you can use to create a website that is tailored to your business’ goals and needs. Along with the website builder are training programs to teach you the ways of running an online business properly. It also offers time-saving and effective tools and software necessary to build a business.

To top it all off, becoming a member of SiteSell also gives you access to hundreds of forums that allow you to interact with both beginners and experienced online business owners who share the same interests and problems that you have.

The Solo Build It! introduces a very simple and many times proven formula called CTPM, which means Content, Traffic, Pre-sell, and Money. Basically, what SiteSell aims for is to help you create engaging content to drive legit traffic to your website. Once a steady stream of website visitors gather to your site, you can convert that activity into money.

Many people view SiteSell as a website building company or a website hosting provider. Actually, SiteSell is neither of the two. What this company is focused on is helping its clients learn about the techniques of building a profitable online business. SiteSell and Solo Build It! members revel in the long list of benefits that they get from this platform.

Why Entrepreneurs Recommend Solo Build It!

It is your best chance to have a successful online business.

As has been previously mentioned, SiteSell is more than just a platform where you can create a website that is entirely your own. It is a set of training courses and useful tools that you can utilize to have a successful online business that generates real cash.

It boasts a long track record of success.

Since its birth many years ago, it has built successful websites that belong to the top three percent of all sites in terms of traffic. This amounts to about 62% of all SiteSell clients who are now enjoying the benefits of having their own e-business. Most of these clients also have virtually no prior experience in this industry.

It delivers proven results.

When you go to their page, you will find an overwhelming proof of success backed by thousands of satisfied clients. You can also find SiteSell websites at the top of Alexa’s or SimilarWeb’s list of the most high-traffic sites on the internet.

It makes business-building a fun learning process.

It is easy to find a platform that can help you create a personalized website, but SiteSell is well-known for taking it to the next level. What their product, Solo Build It!, does is guide their members every step of the way to building an online business.

You will be provided with professional training programs as well as tools to help make business-building fun to do. It also breaks down complex processes into doable steps to be able to allow even the most inexperienced member build his own successful e-business.

SiteSell Is Not For Everybody

Similar to any product, SiteSell also has its own set of drawbacks. There are comments and reviews that can be found online made by former users stating that they dislike Solo Build It! and what it offers. For some, it can be a little too much work than what they intend on doing. To be fair, though, SiteSell never claimed it would be a quick and easy journey, but a doable one. So, is SiteSell a scam?

Is SiteSell a Scam: The Verdict

solo build itAfter doing careful research and studying both sides of the story, we have concluded that SiteSell is not a scam as some former users would claim it to be. Like with any kind of business, nothing is fool-proof. But, we can all agree that SiteSell is among the best products to use when venturing into the vast maze such as internet marketing.

It will not magically place in your palm an already successful online business; what it does is guide you to realize your full potential. When you follow Solo Build It!’s simple formula (the Content-Traffic-Presell-Money formula), there will be a huge chance that your business will be a success. However, it will also require hard work and dedication from you, as the sole owner.

All in all, becoming a member of and utilizing the training and tools that SiteSell offers will help get you to the top, but taking the step is still up to you. If you wish to find more compelling evidence of the success that SiteSell can help you to achieve, you may visit their website here.

building a site with wordpress

Cost of Building a Site With WordPress

, , 0

WordPress is one of the top go-to sites for every amateur blogger, business, company, and basically everyone else who wants to build their own website. It is a quick and easy-to-understand site that people use to create websites mostly without the help of a professional web developer.

building a site with wordpress

Most people know that WordPress is free, but there is actually a long list of amazing features and add-ons that are quite pricey. So, in this article, we will tell you everything there is you need to know about the cost of building a site with WordPress.

For people who are completely clueless about what WordPress is, it is an open source website creation tool that is written in PHP. In other words, WordPress is the easiest and the most powerful website and blogging content management system (CMS), that is present in the world today. WordPress is used by companies such as Mashable, TechCrunch, New York Times‘ blogs, and several others.

Although the core WordPress site’s software is indeed free, the cost of building a site with WordPress depends on your personal goals and budget. This article aims to give you some insight on what pricing awaits you if you want to use additional features of WordPress.

Cost of Building a Site with WordPress: Knowing All About the Costs

The question that arises in several people’s minds—is WordPress free? Where are all the costs coming from? There are four WordPress add-ons that incur costs, and they are:

  • WordPress Hosting
  • Domain Name
  • Design
  • Plugins and Extensions

In order to create your own self-hosted WordPress website, you will need a web hosting to store your files. All of the websites you visit are hosted; otherwise, you cannot access them. In lay man’s term, hosting is important to make the sites permanently connected to the web.

In order to reach your website, you will need a domain name. This is basically the website’s name on the internet (www.youtube.com, www.google.com) and this is what the users will have to type to reach and browse your website.

On a free WordPress site, you will see a long list of themes and designs where you can choose from to design your own site. But if you wish to go beyond that list and have more advanced options, then you will have to purchase some premium templates or pay even more to have one custom made for you.

Plugins and extensions are types of software that allow you to add small features like a form, a gallery, and other custom-made functions. There are more than 40,000 plugins free of cost on WordPress.

Estimate Cost of Building a Site with WordPress

It is really tough to estimate the cost of building a WordPress site. It can start from as low as $100 to $1000 to even $25,000 and more. The kind of website that you are planning on building will generally affect the cost. Considering there are so many options to choose from and depending on the website you plan to create. Let us see the difference between building a low budget WordPress site and building a custom WordPress site.

  • Building a Low Budget WordPress Site

building a site with wordpress

To build a very basic website will not cost you anything more than a $100 or lesser. Domain name and web hosting are the first things you need when you create your own site. Domain name generally costs about $14.99 a year and hosting will cost about $7.99 a month.

Once you have purchased these two essential requirements, the next step is to have WordPress installed on your hosting account. Here is where you can save money by not buying template and designs for your website and using only the ones that are free of charge. You can choose from the thousands of professionally designed templates for your website.

After that, you can access 40,000 free WordPress plugins and extensions and choose which ones to add to your website. All of this will cost you approximately around $50 to $100 a year.

  • Building a Custom-Made WordPress Site

Unlike building a low budget WordPress site where you have to do everything yourself, having a custom-made WordPress site will allow you to have your own WordPress developer. He or she takes care of everything for you. Customized websites are ideal for medium-sized enterprises and large companies.

In order to support a custom-made WordPress site, it is ideal that you go to a managed WordPress hosting provider. This is a very WordPress centric hosting place that manages updates with a premium support and very strict security. It also has tools that are developer friendly.

Like the low budget site, you will be paying for the domain name and hosting. But, here you will also pay the developer who creates, designs, and does all the work for you.

It is really tough to estimate the cost of a custom-made website. There are several factors that should be taken into account such as the rates of the agency or the developer you hire to take care of everything.

To give you an idea about the costing, a custom theme for the site can cost you around $4000 to $5000. Adding features and functions that are necessary for your site will again increase the cost. It is not very rare to find companies paying even $50,000 for a custom site.

Hence it is always recommended to have a clear idea of what you are looking for a website when you create one. This will effectively lower the cost and help you avoid overspending.

Conclusion

We hope this article gives you an idea of the cost of building a site with WordPress. As mentioned earlier, everything wholly and solely depends on the fact of what exactly is the kind of website you are planning to build and design. It is important to know what you want exactly to ensure you don’t end up overspending.

where to purchase a domain

How and Where to Purchase a Domain

, , 0

It might not seem like it, but choosing and purchasing a domain name is a critical part of creating a website. Since the domain name is the first thing people know about your website, it becomes the defacto name of your website as well as its brand. This is why choosing a domain is such an integral part of creating a website. So, how and where to purchase a domain?

Buying a domain name isn’t difficult at all. In fact, it’s as simple as entering a username. You can buy a domain from either your hosting provider or from a special domain name service provider. Using a domain name service provider is recommended for those who intend to host the domain on their own servers.

In the case that you’re using separate domain name service provider, make sure you choose one with a static IP address, which is the address that is used to identify your computer. If you use a dynamic IP address, you will face difficulty assigning a domain name to your personal server.

How and Where to Purchase a Domain

The actual process of purchasing and assigning a domain name is quite simple. All you would have to do is enter the name you want to register in a text box. The service provider will tell you if the domain name is available or not. It will also show you the extensions you can choose from. For example, .com or .net.

Ideally, you would want to choose .com as your domain’s extension mostly because it is the most popular form of extension and the easiest to remember. Also, Google’s search algorithm that helps find websites and gives preference to commonly used extensions such as .com, .net and .org. Aside from that, it doesn’t make much of a difference.

Now let’s talk about choosing a domain name. Choosing a domain name involves a bit of keyword optimization. Most people opt for a domain name that is unique and sounds creative. Such URLs might be easy to remember, but it won’t help you get your website ranked higher in the search results.

When we Google something, Google’s search algorithm goes through thousands of possible results and presents them based on relevance. How often do you open the second or third page of the search result? Almost never? That’s why you want your website to come at least on the first page of the search result.

This is why you don’t just want something catchy or unique for your domain name or URL. You want something that will help your website, at least, make it to the first page of the search result. Hence, the need to put some thought into your domain name and the reference to keyword optimization.

You can head on over to a domain name provider such as GoDaddy, a web hosting, and domain name registrar and try out a few keywords to check if you can register them as your domain name. The website will provide you with a list of potential domain names, all rich with potential for keyword optimization.

If a domain name is taken, the website will automatically recommend other options to choose from. This can be quite helpful and deserves your attention. It is possible that some of the options might rank even better than your original choice. Ideally, you want a domain name that is short, doesn’t contain any symbols and offer a summary of your website in two or three words.

You can also purchase expired or operational domains. If you buy an existing domain, you might get its existing content, traffic, links, PageRank and its history. Websites that are up for sale can be inspected. The seller should be willing you show you its traffic and revenue charts. You will want to inspect the data for a decent period of time to ensure that the figures are not inflated.

A month’s data is completely inadequate for any kind of conclusion. You want at least six months of data. Also, make sure you ask about the source of the traffic and confirm it from the server logs. Remember, server logs don’t lie.

All of the registrars will require the name of the registrant, the individual or the company who owns the domain. It will also ask for an administrative contact, which is the individual authorized to deal with daily matters. Then, there is the technical contact, who deals with all things technical.

Irrespective of the registrant, the person with the username and password to the registrar controls the domain so be careful about sharing the username and password.

Registering a Domain

Let’s look at service providers that can help you register a domain name.

GoDaddy

where to purchase a domainGoDaddy is by far the most popular web host and domain registrar. And there is a reason for that. GoDaddy offers the best user experience and user design. The interface is highly intuitive, even for a first time user. Even a complete beginner could open the website and sign up for a simple WordPress website using GoDaddy without any professional help.

The company also offers a huge number of pricing benefits such as free domain with a year-long web hosting subscription and so on. So, always be on the lookout for such packages, it might help cut down the initial cost of your website.

GoDaddy also offers a number of other important services and features that you would ideally like to get from the same service provider. For example, it also offers a personalized email service and so on.

Wealthy Affiliate

Wealthy Affiliate is an affiliate marketing company that also provides web hosting and domain registration services. The company provides a number of interesting services such as educational courses on how to run an online business and on digital marketing. It also helps its customers create a website.

Wealthy Affiliate offers an extremely simple and easy way to create a website. It provides tools not just for creating a website, but also for registering the domain and hosting the website. But that’s not all it also offers courses on how to help your website grow. All of this is available if you become a member of Wealthy Affiliate.

Summary

There you have it—how and where to purchase a domain. We’ve talked about all of the intricacies involved in the process and even talked about a couple of service providers. Of course, you can research a bit more on service providers, but at least you should know what to look for when getting a domain and web hosting.

Top Free Plugins

Top Free Plugins Your WordPress Site Must Have

, , , 0

It is a known fact amongst WordPress users that plugins hold great importance on a website. These tools extend functionality to your WordPress site, and the kinds of plugins you need depend on the kind of website you own. The plugins are readily available in WordPress, but some people are not aware that they can use some of them for free. That is why in this article we are listing ten of the top free plugins your WordPress site must have.

TOP FREE PLUGINS

Plugins are essential for your site to function better. There is a plugin for practically every function on WordPress that will essentially reduce the stress and work on your part. Presently there are over 40,000 plugins on WordPress available right now, free of charge. If you are looking for something that isn’t on the list of cost-free add-ons, you can certainly purchase that particular plugin at a minimal rate.

40,000 and more plugins mean that you will find several plugins that serve the same purpose. In cases like those, you can choose one that fits your needs. Aside from free and premium plugins, there are also “freemium” plugins, which are basically free plugins that have that have an upgradeable option. Below, we’ve listed the ten of the top free plugins your WordPress site must have.

Top Free Plugins Your WordPress Site Must Have

  • Jetpack: It is a very powerful plugin that is created by the WordPress company itself. It has a series of features, making your work easier. This plugin will take care of the website’s security, its performance, image optimization, the growth of the traffic and several others.

Moreover, this plugin helps you to enhance distribution and efficiently share the website’s published content to services like third-party search engines which in turn will increase your website’s reach and traffic. It also creates sitemaps which enable search engines to index the website with ease. It has a strict security and notifies you if there are issues on your website.

  • Hummingbird: Caching stores data and serves it back when requested. This technique is responsible for the speed of the website and hummingbird is the plugin that scans your site to give you an analysis of its speed performance.

This plugin allows you to see the overall score of your website as well as the ideal number that your website must get. Aside from caching the data, it also helps in minimizing, compressing, and merging them so you can have more storage space.

  • Defender: This is a well-known plugin amongst several WordPress users. Defender keeps hackers at bay and keeps all your information safe. This plugin will search the entire website for any vulnerability, and if it does find any, it will notify you to fix them up with just one click. This is great for websites with sensitive information as it will help you clean up the website if you get hacked.
  • Google Analytics+: It is essential to know every piece of information about your website, such as at the number of users accessed your website as well as the time with the most number of visitors to your site.

The Google Analytics + tracks the page visits, average visit duration, referrers and so on. It also has a feature wherein you can track your website demographics. This plugin helps business owners in analyzing their best strategies for marketing and advertising.

  • Askimet: It is a default plugin on WordPress and comes with all the new core installation. It is basically an anti-spam plugin which will be able to check all the comments and keep the spam ones at bay.
  • Yoast SEO: Every WordPress user is aware of the importance of SEO, and Yoast SEO is the best plugin for that. It ensures that you are always creating better content so that your ranking goes higher on search engine result page. Its main focus is to help website owners to create content that is useful to other users and increase web traffic efficiently.
  • Google XML Sitemaps: XML sitemap is an important plugin because it helps search engine index your site. It is only with a sitemap where web crawlers are able to see the structure of a website and can retrieve the results more efficiently. Search engines get notified every time you post new content.
  • Ultimate Branding: If you use WordPress for your business, it is essential to replace the WordPress logo with your own business logo for a more personal touch. This plugin will help customize your branding all over the site.
  • WP Smush Pro: Images are a very crucial part of every website. How boring would a site be if all you have is written content? However, images are larger in size, so it can take up more space which could eventually affect your site’s speed performance. That’s where WP Smush Pro helps. It compresses all your images to ensure your site is always performing smoothly and efficiently.
  • BJ Lazy Load: The main purpose of this plugin is to help the webpage load faster and save on bandwidth. It replaces all your post thumbnails and post images with a placeholder and loads the content as it is approaching to enter the browser screen at the point when the visitor scrolls the page. BJ Lazy Load works with text widgets and covers embedded videos from Vimeo and YouTube.

Conclusion

Plugins are a great tool both for private individuals and online businesses because they help in boosting the overall performance of a website. There are thousands of plugins to choose from and picking the most important ones might be overwhelming for first-time WordPress users.

However, choosing plugins for your website is not as difficult as you think as long as you know what you or business needs. If you’re still confused and need help in picking the right plugins, let our list of the top free plugins your WordPress site must have help you. Give these plugins a try if you want to be more successful in the online marketplace.

Wealthy Affiliate websites come pre-loaded with important plugins that save you time and effort. You have the flexibility of adding plugins for specific tasks that you may need. It is a great way to get started.

top free plugins

Can WordPress Use SQL Server

Can WordPress Use SQL Server?

, , , 0

Blogging is perhaps one of the most popular social media activities especially for people who love to share and discuss ideas, passions, and interests. And for bloggers who are determined to have their own site, WordPress has become their go-to space.

With an increasing number of bloggers becoming interested in this app, a question arises—can WordPress use SQL server for its installation?

Installing anything that requires more than clicking “Next, Next, Finish” can get tedious, especially for users who don’t have the necessary experience. That being said, there are plenty of tutorials out there which people can use for more complicated tasks.

Installing WordPress on a SQL server is one of these tasks that require a bit more finesse. But before going into it, it’s important to take a look at WordPress and SQL separately.

What is WordPress?

WordPress was launched in 2013 and has grown to be one of the most popular blogging systems and website management tools worldwide. Currently supporting over 60 million websites around the world, its popularity has grown not only because it offers free access to a personal website once the account has been created, but also because it is user-friendly and very customizable.

So how does WordPress actually work? For the end user, it’s simple—an URL in the search bar opens a fully functional website. At its core, WordPress is open source software designed to support the average web interface.

The fact that it is open source means anyone can check the base code and further develop their own themes and apps for a more personalized usage. While end-users might be intimidated by the idea, developers have managed to work wonders using the open-ended nature of the software.

What is SQL?

Without diving into very complicated explanations, SQL is, at its core, a programming language. Based on calculus and algebra, SQL is an ideal language for managing RDBMS (relational database management system) files.

The main idea behind it was to access large quantities of files by using simplified commands, increasing productivity for a lot of PC users.

SQL has seen improvements over the 47 years it’s been in use. Currently, there are a lot of platforms that still use it as a base language.

MySQL is open-source data management software based on the SQL language. It’s used in a client-server model, MySQL not being able to function without the presence of a server on which it has to run.

Can WordPress Use SQL server?

WordPress can’t be installed like the typical Microsoft app. The user must first create a MySQL database by opening the Database Wizard. The name of the database isn’t relevant, so the user can pick a custom label for it.

The account used with the database must have full privileges—it’s a very important step that must not be overlooked. It’s recommended that the user and server info is saved on a notepad for ease of access.

can wordpress use sql server

From wordpress.org, the latest version of the software must be downloaded. On the WordPress website, under the “Download WordPress” tab, the developers state that only the database info is required for a successful installation.

Please note that there are different menu options which should be explored, especially the “Requirements” tab to ensure that the machine is fully equipped with running the software.

Under the same tab, other useful materials are hyperlinked, such as the address to the forum, where users can seek guidance for installing the tool. The installation kit comes in a .zip format. This means that archive tools are required to access the kit. 7zip is perfect for this task.

FTP software is required to access the website’s data. FileZilla is another free choice which is perfect for this purpose. After logging into the server, the user must then access the public_html server folder.

Within the public_html server folder, the unzipped WordPress files must be stored in a new directory.

Using a web browser, the user must access the WordPress directory by typing in an address which will look something like “address.domain/WordPress Folder”. The browser will then prompt a message which reads “There doesn’t seem to be a wp-config.php file.”

Using the “Create a Configuration File,” the user will be able to link WordPress to their existing database by using the information saved on the notepad. This includes User and Database name, password, and Database Host.

If all of the data filled is correct, the user will be prompted to the WordPress setup page, where they can name the website, change the credentials, and more. The process itself takes around 5-10 minutes, as stated on the download page.

MySQL: Why it’s a Good Choice

MySQL is by no means cutting edge software. While it doesn’t stand out, it’s freeware that’s still getting constant and consistent updates, addressing security issues and other problems that might be relevant for storing sensitive data.

Since it’s been acquired by Oracle, MySQL has become less-open ended, with close-ended modules stripping it of its reputation. That being said, the InnoDB storage engine is also an Oracle proprietary product, meaning that development for the two would often address a lot of compatibility issues.

Moreover, it has support for modern hardware, since it’s constantly being updated. Because it’s designed specifically for high data traffic management, it’s an ideal choice for website data management.

Conclusion

Can WordPress Use SQL server? The answer is, yes! SQL is the programming language which is the basis of MySQL. The fact that SQL is accessible by a lot of developers has translated into a lot of products based on this programming language.

Installing WordPress on MySQL is a pretty trivial thing to do, provided that all the steps are respected. It takes under five minutes, as stated on the WordPress website.

If the installation doesn’t go as planned, there are WordPress forums where you can meet knowledgeable people who can help you troubleshoot a lot of common errors and give plenty of valuable advice.

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Link: Monetizing Your Blog

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Links: Monetizing Your Blog

, , , , , , 0

Everybody has a hobby that they hold dear. While some prefer bullets and footballs, others want their voice to be heard. Blogging as a hobby has become a popular alternative for people who need to blow off some steam but don’t take pleasure in mundane activities.

But when blogging becomes more than a hobby, for most bloggers, the natural step forward would be a career. ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Links—taking blogging to a new level.

Brand recognition is becoming a more and more vehiculated term. A strong brand automatically indicates higher quality products, so investing in brand recognition is a very smart choice for bloggers everywhere.

For those who have a steady-growing following, actual monetization is slowly becoming a real thing, but bloggers must have access to proper tools and services in order to make the most out of their investments.

Building on Your Blog

There are a lot of ways through which one can monetize their recent and previously-written content. Nowadays, search engines can be manipulated with ease to bring bloggers more traffic, especially for niche blogging.

Google ads can’t possibly generate enough revenues for a mediocre blogger to earn a living, so what are the alternatives? Affiliate links! The prize of every niche and mainstream blogger or vlogger.

Affiliate links are tools used by content creators to earn money off of their audience in a fair way. If they’ve spent time reviewing a product which turns out to be good, then users can purchase the mentioned product via an affiliate link, directing a percentage of the sale to the content creator.

This is a win-win-win scenario. The manufacturer of the product receives cheap advertising, the content creator can earn a considerable amount of money off of this sale, and the user receives valuable information regarding a product.

Changing the Game

Third-party services can bring a lot of extra features that would aid the content creator in maximizing their earnings. For instance, affiliate links sometimes require a special type of format due to stricter affiliate policy imposed by the retailer.

In these cases, special services must be used to generate a link that will comply with the retailer’s requirements.

API or Application Program Interface is an important tool to have when blogging since it allows two different applications to communicate via code. This means that a webpage can gain more functionality through more applications such as shopping carts, weather plug-ins, and currency exchange updates.

Once a blogger becomes an affiliate, it’s important to have access to proper tools. These plug-ins provide a lot of utility to the content creator and are very easy and intuitive to use.

There are plenty of options out there, but let’s take a look at some of the best affiliate WordPress plug-ins that are easily-accessible by bloggers. ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Link—which one is better?

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Link: Complete Breakdown

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty LinksWith so many similar features, it’s hard at times to distinguish between the two services. While they’re often identical in functionality, upon taking a closer look, it’s clear that they’re quite different. ThirstyAffiliates is clearly a complete solution since it offers the same features as Pretty Link and more.

Free Versions

They both feature:

  • Destination Cloaking
  • Link categorization
  • Several Redirecting options
  • WP Affiliate link tool (Pretty link features a more stripped down version)
  • Stat Tracking
  • Insert Link Options
  • Quick Link add function

Thirsty Affiliates’ additional features:

  • Uncloak option, allowing the blogger to stay in compliance with certain terms of agreement
  • RESTful API compatibility, allowing the blogger to integrate more apps
  • A highly customizable design
  • Proactive link fixer

On the pro versions, the story stays about the same. They both share many features that are actually present in the free versions, but there are some key differences that make the ThirstyAffiliates option more appealing. In addition to Pretty Link’s features, it also provides:

  • Amazon Application Program Interface Importing
  • URL Shortening
  • Feature that checks for link’s health
  • Legacy support for Google Analytics Click Event Pushing

The other changes are rather uninteresting and probably won’t affect anyone, so they’re not worth mentioning.

While both programs are fairly similar, there’s no case to be made. ThirstyAffiliates is the better WordPress affiliate plugin. Amazon is one of the biggest retailers in the world, so an affiliate link for a popular product is a gold mine for a blogger.

Being in compliance with Amazon’s strict affiliate program is essential for those that want to keep living off their passion. Because of this, having an uncloaking option is absolutely essential.

Furthermore, URL shortening is great for building a strong brand. Making the most out of valuable Twitter real estate is a big deal, and long links translate into shorter, less complete tweets, potentially losing interested readers.

The proactive link fixer is another element that makes the ThirstyAffiliates choice superior. Older content can actually degrade but still remain relevant in essence, tackling topics that are still worthy of readers or reviewing products that are still “hot items” on marketplaces. Because of this, a proactive link fixer is a smart investment as earnings will be further increased.

It’s important for content creators to stick to the TOA’s of their affiliate programs. Both of these tools will prove to be great assets for people who are looking to earn money off of their content. Whether or not someone will benefit from the extra features, that’s for them to decide.

Verdict

Blogging is a very enjoyable way of combining a bit of passion with entrepreneurship. Since the printed press is slowly becoming extinct, people migrate towards online articles for information regarding current affairs, innovations and buying guides.

Blogs are a great way to offer the first-hand experience of products and services, and proper exposure enables content creators to use product affiliate links to support their passion.

ThirstyAffiliates vs Pretty Links

ThirstyAffiliates, as the name suggests, is a great blog and link management tool. In the right hands, it can contribute to substantial revenues, error-free articles, and quicker article processing.

To conclude, both the free and premium versions (which come at a slightly lower cost) are superior to the Perfect Links alternative due to their bigger feature set.

Load More