Using WordPress Plugins
I am a big fan of WordPress for building not only blogs but also for creating easy to make sales web sites. WordPress is easy to use and easy to maintain "right out of the box". But one of the best aspects of WordPress is that it is completely customizable.
Most WordPress users just stick with the basic layout, at most choosing a different theme. But to begin to see the real advantages of WordPress you need to take a look at the different Plugins that are available. Most plugins are free, some have a paid version with advanced features, but the free ones give you plenty of power.
To really use the power of plugins you need to have a self-hosted version of WordPress (one that is installed on your hosting provider) and not use the free online version. To find new plugins go to your WordPress dashboard, open the Plugins tab and click on Add New. You will find a link there for WordPress Plugins Directory.
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Here are 3 of my favorite plugins, but there are tens of thousands more great plugins available. To find these plugins go to the WordPress Plugins Directory (link below) and do a search for the plugin name.
TinyMCE Advanced - This is a replacement for the formatting buttons above your blog and page posts. The standard buttons give you lots of options, but this replacement gives you complete control. More type sizes, more type fonts, font highlighting, tables, and a ton of additional features. Plus the layout is customizable, so you choose which buttons to show and in what order on the button bar.
Super Simple Google Analytics - This plugin allows you to easily and quickly insert your Google Analytics code into the head section of all your pages without having to go into the PHP coding.
WordPress SEO by Yoast - My favorite tool for handling all of the different SEO requirements for a web site built in WordPress. Helps with Keywords, robot.txt files, page analysis, meta tags and links, XML site maps, and a host of other features. A must have if you want your WordPress site to rank highly in Google and the other search engines.
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