PLATFORMS for PROFESSIONALS ordPress.com By Riah Lawry Managing Editor Personal blogs on Blogger or Tumbler are great, but they do not make the cut when you need a web-
site displaying your work for potential employers. What you need is something that taps employers on the shoulder and politely tells them you are a highly skilled individual worthy of that high-paying
job. Most blogs don’t do this. So before you jump on TypePad or Xanga, consider a site known for its ease-of-use and legitimacy. Wordpress.com is a well-respected blogging platform. Next
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week I’ll go over WordPress.org, a software used to create beautiful websites like the new Asbury Collegian website. Today we’re going to focus on WordPress.com because it’s a good place to start and
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Owning your first domain is a lot like getting your first car; it’s amazing. I could get addicted. Anyway, you can actually get a domain of your own, if you like. WordPress makes it easy. And it makes your site feel less like a blog and more
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stay tuned until next week. But for those who want a blog that can take on the look and feel of a highquality blog, the WordPress blog is for you.
Choose a theme
Setting up your new blog on www.wordpress.com only takes a few minutes, literally. Brainstorm a name that will be easy to remember and professionally appealing to employers. In other words no “mymamawearspurplehats. wordpress.com.” We’re going for something a tad different here. But don’t worry, this name doesn’t have to be permanent; if you are willing to pay $17, you can buy your very own domain name!
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will make it easier for you when you want to move to WordPress. org. If you are looking for something with more flexibility beyond the WordPress blogging platform,
While there are many good themes on WordPress, there are quite a few I would NOT recommend. If you can’t decide, ask some graphic design inclined friends. This design on the left actually costs $45; so if you can’t find one you like that’s free, you can always go the more expensive route. I think you can get excellent design without paying, though: my personal blog is a free theme and it’s not too shabby.
like a website. Just go to the Dashboard and click on “Store” and then “Domains”. If you’ve already researched available domains, just type it in and click “Add domain to blog.” If the domain is available, you will be prompted to register the domain and then pay the $17 registration fee. But don’t worry: that’s an incredibly reasonable price. So go celebrate! You are now the proud owner of a domain.
Make Google notice The next thing to do is make sure Google knows your new blog exists. To do this, let’s set up your new blog with Google Webmaster. In the control panel, go to “Tools” and click on “Available Tools”. Midway down the page you’ll see “Webmaster Tools Verification.” Click on the “Google Webmaster Tools” link and either login to Google or set up a new account. From there you will need to add a new site and go to the “alternative methods” tab on the next page. Copy the meta data and paste it back the WordPress page. Save the WordPress page then return to Webmaster and verify Google can now see your site. And that’s it!
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Quality content matters While you now have a great platform to build a quality website, there’s still a lot of work ahead. Quality content is never easy to create; it takes time and tons of research. In the end, though, it’s the quality content that brings people to your site, and that’s what you want. So take the time to narrow your blog down to a target audience and write for that niche. Eventually people will start to notice; and maybe one will be your next boss.