Word Press and Blogging- 2 weeks after signing up

 

I started the Blog on May 2nd 2016 by purchasing both my domain and hosting through Bluehoset.  

It was only one more click to install wordpress and I was off an running.  

So basically 2 simple steps….it was painless, and I was excited to dig into the details and start learning the ropes.

I was previously a little put off by wordpress in general about a year ago because I heard it had more of a learning curve than the other website builders.  

I came around to realize how functional, flexible, and influential wordpress is, and that I couldn’t let a small hesitation like that affect how I went about things.

Some of the biggest brands in the world use wordpress such as ESPN, CNN, Tech Crunch, Beyonce, Best Buy, Fortune…the list goes on.

So after playing around with some of the others in the industry, I told myself that I was going to jump in, educate myself on the tool, and access all of the available resources online.

I was pretty familiar with the general industry tools, so last week I checked out WP Beginner and have been glued to it every single day.  

It’s an amazing resource, packed with videos and search capability that returns content on everything you may need.

Every basic question you have, you can get crystal clear clarification from WP Beginner.

One week in I am making progress, and feel good about the grasp I have around the tool as a whole.  

I am starting to churn out some posts, and getting pretty comfortable with the CP and admin area.

Most important in the first week I would say is getting a handle on all of the plugins that you have at your disposal.

WP Beginner provides many resources and lists for “must have” plugins for your blog, and it has been fun reading about all that they can do.

High level advice Week 1-2:

Don’t spend so much time thinking about how things look, and finding your perfect theme.  

You will find it…heck I haven’t even nailed mine down yet.  I will most likely buy a theme for $50 bucks or so that has a much cleaner and professional look, but for now it’s important I stay focused on content and general knowledge of the tool.  

I have so many ideas that I am starting to write down, and for how envision my personal brand developing over the course of the year or so.

Write them down, make some notes, and then come back to them later and flesh them out in more detail with an actual plan.

Pay attention to the details, and re-read posts over again that may seem a little hazy at first.  

Don’t feel rushed towards any sort of launch, things must be in line before you launch your business….or your personal brand I should say.

Don’t pay for any plugins that you may not need out of the gate.  

You will come across many recommendation “must haves” that you certainly need to pay attention to, but keeping all costs in mind you should be able to shelf a few that are not absolutely needed.

By now you should be getting hammered in your gmail inbox with many individuals trying to court you for web design services, send them to spam and make a short list of personal contacts or companies you ay know more local or through friends that you will feel 100% ok with trusting.

My focus and mindset remains strong and excited about what I can start to develop here…I don’t even have a logo yet, but will soon.  

I look forward to sharing that and making one more step towards launch.