Blogging | Niche Store Strategies

Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

Aug
13

Video of Cat Eating Seaweed

Rochelle

Watch this video of a cat in Japan eating seafood and hear the seaweed crunch. Is this video dumb? Yeah. Does it give you an idea of how the Caffeinated Content plugin works? Oh, yeah!

(Are you wondering why I posted this video? Then read Why I am Loving the Caffeinated Content Plugin to understand the reason for this post.)

comments (1)

Aug
8

My Site Was Down, and it was My Fault

Rochelle

Blogging

Many of you may have noticed that this site was down for a few days earlier this week. It caused me a bit of panic, but now that the issue is resolved and the site is back up, I understand what happened. Even better, I understand (for the most part) how I can prevent this from happening again.

Read the rest of this entry »

comments (5)

Jul
31

The Must-Have Plugins I use on my WP Blogs

Rochelle

Blogging

Edit 12/03/2008: I have modified this list to reflect plugins that I’ve either added to my personal collection, no longer like, or are no longer available.

One of the greatest aspects of using WordPress blogs is that there are hundreds (thousands?) of plugins that make customizing your blogs very easy. Here is a list of the plugins I use. Included, also, is how I activate each plugin, or any special steps that need to be done. I’ve included this information because I have found many of the instructions that come with the plugins are, well, less than helpful.

All plugins will be uploaded to …/wp-content/plugins. All plugins are activated in your blog’s Admin in the Plugins tab. All plugins listed here are compatible with WP 2.6.


Must-have plugins I use for my WordPress blogs:
©Feed (Note - As of 12/03/2008, this plugin is not compatible with WP v 2.6)
	The ©Feed plugin lets you add a customized copyright message on posts visible on your RSS feed. The purpose of this is to help prevent theft of your posts.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the ©Feed link. Select your options, then save the changes. I strongly recommend you use the digital fingerprint option. I use the series of characters suggested just below this option.
	Tip: If you use the digital fingerprint option you can set up a Google Alert for the digital fingerprint code. See How to Create Google Alerts for Your Site.
Add Signature
	The Add Signature plugin lets you create a signature that will automatically be displayed at the bottom of every post you create.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the DDAddSig link. Modify the contents of the Primary Signature (or all three, if you want). I only use the Primary Signature so can’t speak about using more than one.

	Scroll down to the bottom and choose where you want your signature to show up. I choose all options.

	Click the Update Options button.
Akismet
	The Akismet plugin is already installed, as it comes with WordPress and helps prevent spam from showing up on your blog. When it finds comments or trackbacks it thinks is spam it puts them in a folder, instead of posting them publicly. You can go through the folder to make sure there aren’t any legitimate comments (every now and then I find one in there) and remove them, then delete all spam with a single keystroke. It does an excellent job of catching spam.

	You will need to enter your WordPress.com API key before it will complete the activation process. I believe you need to register with WordPress.com to get this key, but once you have a key you can use it for all your blogs. Read more about this at WordPress’s FAQ.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	There isn’t much to edit, and this isn’t something I do. Click the Plugins tab, then the Akismet Configuration link. Choose to automatically discard spam comments older than one month, then click the Update options button.
aLinks - No longer available for download - See “Crosslink” below for an alternative linking plugin
	The aLinks plugin lets you add clickable links in your blog posts to any place you want to send people. Use this plugin to create links to any place within your site, including your niche store.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the aLinks tab and the Settings link. Choose your options, then save your changes.

	Click the Keyphrases link. Add your keyphrases and the pages they link to, then save your changes.
All in One SEO Pack
	The All in One SEO Pack plugin lets you optimize your blog posts for search engines.

	Download from here.

	Edit your Home page meta tags by clicking Settings, then the All in One SEO link. Enter the following:
		Home Title (this is the title meta tag)
		Home Description (this is the description meta tag)
		Home Keywords (this is the keywords meta tag)

	To use:
	Write your blog post, then scroll down until you see the All in One SEO Pack bar:


	Click the tiny white arrow, on the left side, to open so you can use this feature on your post. Complete the options, then save or publish your post:

Amazon Reloaded
	The Amazon Reloaded plugin lets you add products from Amazon.com and earn affiliate commissions.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Amazon Reloaded link. Enter your Amazon Associate ID (required to earn affiliate commissions) and choose your default country, then save your changes.

	Write a new post, then scroll down to the Amazon Reloaded field. Enter a search term, then click the Search Amazon.com button:


	You will now see every category that has results for the term you entered:


	Click on a category to see the results. When you find an item you want to add to your post, hover your mouse over the Insert image text, then choose Small, Medium, or Large. This will insert a small, medium, or large image of the item you chose into your post.
	Note: I have found that this plugin doesn’t always work in some browsers. If you have trouble adding an image then open your blog’s admin in a different browser and try again.

	When readers click on the image they will be taken to Amazon to see that item.

	I like to edit the image so there is wording under it directing readers to click the image. To edit your image:
		Right click the image, but don’t choose anything from the menu that opened. In addition to the menu, you should also see two images over the original image. Click on the left image, the one that looks like a picture:


		I edit images as follows: Select Left alignment so the text from my post will wrap around the image Add an image title Add an image caption

		Save changes. You may need to scroll down to see the Update button you need to click to save your changes.
AntiLeech
	The AntiLeech plugin helps prevent content theft from sploggers by showing useless content on the sploggers sites.

	Download from here.

	Upload the antileech.php file into the …/ wp-content / plugins folder. This plugin will not be in a folder, as most plugins are. The file is all you need to upload.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the AntiLeech link. Choose your options, then save your changes.

	This plugin may be a bit confusing for some users. There is an excellent article about using this plugin at AntiLeech Splog Stopper.
Bad Behavior 2 - I have found that this plugin prevents me from see my site when I have tried to go to it from a Google link. I have stopped using it because I fear other visitors may also be unable to access my site due to this plugin.
	The Bad Behavior 2 plugin is not actually meant for spam blocking but users have found it to be highly effective at doing just that.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Bad Behavior link. Choose your options, then save your changes.
new! Breadcrumb NavXT
	The Breadcrumb NavXT plugin lets you add a breadcrumb trail to your blog.

	Download from here.

	This plugin has two components to it: Breadcrumb NavXT - Administration and Breadcrumb NavXT - Core. They will appear as two different plugins in your Plugins page. You can only have one activated. Do not activate both.

	I prefer to use the Breadcrumb NavXT - Core plugin, so the information below pertains to this one.

	To use:
	After you activate the plugin you will need to add some code to your blog’s theme. Click the Design tab, then the Theme Editor link.

	Click the header.php file. Save a copy of the code before modifying it.

	Add the following code under all other code:
	<div class=”breadcrumb”> <?php if(class_exists(’bcn_breadcrumb_trail’)) { //Make new breadcrumb object $breadcrumb_trail = new bcn_breadcrumb_trail; //Setup options here if needed //Fill the breadcrumb trail $breadcrumb_trail->fill(); //Display the trail $breadcrumb_trail->display(); } ?> </div>
	Save changes by clicking the, “Update File” button. View your site for errors. You should now see a breadcrumb trail just under your logo/graphic (the actual location may vary by theme).

	Tip: This plugin uses the default term of Blog* for the ‘Home’ page. You can change this:*

	Use your FTP client to navigate to the Breadcrumb NavXT plugin folder (i.e. …/wp-content/plugins/breadcrumb-navxt). Open breadcrumb_navxt_class.php to edit it. Save a copy of the code before you make changes.

	Search for ‘home_title’ => ‘Home’, and change Blog* to the wording of your choice (i.e. Home). Save changes and view site for errors.*
Brian’s Threaded Comments
	The Brian’s Threaded Comments plugin lets users to respond to comments by nesting their responses within the appropriate comments (as you’ve seen in the comments in this site).

	Download from here.

	Use your FTP client or hosting account’s cPanel to navigate to …/ wp-content / themes / <yourtheme> / comments.php. Save a copy of the original comments.php file, as you are going to replace it in the next step.

	Replace the comments.php with the one in the Brian’s Threaded Comments folder. This will overwrite the comments.php file currently on your site.
	Tip: If you change your blog’s theme then you will need to repeat the above step.

	Log in to your blog’s Admin and activate the plugin.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Threaded Comments link. Select your options, then save the changes.
	Note: On some themes this makes the ‘Comments’ field wider than it should be. If someone knows what code needs to be edited to correct this please let me know.
new! Caffeinated Content
	The Caffeinated Content plugin is a great way to add unique content to your blog. This is a wonderful tool to use if you find it difficult to think of posts to write. I have written a post about this content and how to use it. For details, see my post, “Why I am Loving the Caffeinated Content Plugin.”

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Caffeinated Content link. The first time you go here you will need to enter your registration information:
	Registration e-mail = the e-mail address you used when you purchased the plugin Registration key = the registration key you were sent after you purchased the plugin Yahoo Developer Application ID = if you have one, enter it, otherwise, leave the default entry
	Save your changes. The message at the top that starts with, “Yo…your creds ain’t checkin’ out…” will go away if your registration information is correct.

	Click the Write tab, then the Caffeinated Content Management link. Choose your options and click the “Go >>” button. For more specific instructions, visit my blog post on this plugin (see the link above).
CommentLuv
	The CommentLuv plugin allows people who leave comments on your blog to show their most recent blog posts (this works only for people who have blogs, otherwise there is nothing to show).

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the CommentLuv link. Select your options, then save the changes.
new! Cross-Linker
	The Cross-Linker plugin lets you easily add hyperlinks to your posts. You can use this plugin to create links to affiliate sites, other web sites, or even deep links within your own site.

	I found this plugin when I was looking for something to replace aLinks. I must say, I like this plugin much better than aLinks. In my opinion, it is much easier to use, and keeping track of links is better. What I like best is that I only need to create a link once and the plugin will use it every time it finds that word or term. If I had created just a single link in aLinks, then only a single instance of that keyword would have been turned into a link. I hated having to add the same word multiple times to have it create links multiple times in the same post. (If that sounds confusing then just trust me when I say this plugin is easier to use!)

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Manage tab, then the Cross-Linker link.

	The first time you come to this page you will see a bunch of information. You can read each one and then click the, “Never show this message again!” button to get rid of them. I deleted all but the, “If you find a problem…” blurb.

	Create your links, and save each one after you create it. There are additional settings you can choose from, but I haven’t used them.
Enforce WWW. Preference
	The Enforce WWW. Preference plugin will help prevent duplicate content on your site from being indexed by preventing search engines from indexing the same page twice (one with www. and one without it).

	Download from here.

	To use:
	There is nothing more you need to do to use this plugin.
FeedBurner FeedSmith
	The FeedBurner FeedSmith plugin that helps you track your RSS feed subscribers.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the FeedBurner link. Enter your options, then save the changes.
	Note: If you are unable to ‘burn a feed’ at FeedBurner then try publishing a post and try again.
Google Sitemap Generator
	The Google Sitemap Generator plugin creates a Google-friendly sitemap for your blog.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the XML-Sitemap link. Enter your options, then save the changes. Add your sitemap to:
		Google Webmaster Tools
		MSN Live Webmaster Tools
		Yahoo! Site Explorer
KB Robots.txt
	The KB Robots.txt plugin lets you create a robots.txt file. If your site currently has a robots.txt file then you should delete this before installing this plugin (be sure to save the contents of your file before deleting it if you want to keep the contents of the file).

	Tip: This plugin is only useful for sites that have the WP blog located in the root directory of a site. If the blog is located within a folder on the site then this plugin will not work properly as it will put the robots.txt in the blog’s folder, not the root directory where it belongs.

	Also, if you view your robots.txt after installing this plugin it will tell you to modify it by going to ‘Options’ in your blog’s Admin, but sites using WP 2.5+ will need to go to ‘Settings.’

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the KB Robots.txt link. Enter your options, then save the changes.
Photo Dropper
	The Photo Dropper plugin lets you add Creative Commons licensed photos (images that are licensed for shared use) in your blog posts.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Write your blog post, then scroll down until you see the Photo Dropper bar:


	Enter a keyword, or keywords, click the Search button, then scroll through the results until you find one you want to use. Add the desired image by clicking the S, M, or L link under the image (S = small, M = medium, and L = large, as in the size of the image you use).

	You may need to play around with the keywords you enter to find just what you want.
phpBay Pro
	The phpBay Pro plugin lets you add eBay auction results to your blog posts.

	Download from here.

	This plugin requires several steps to be completed before you activate it. You can watch video tutorials at phpBay Tutorials. The steps you take before activating this plugin are:
		Upload the following folders and files to the same folder where you will find wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes (this may be at the root directory or in a folder created for your blog, such as www.yourURL.com/blog/images): The contents of the images folder to the current images folder. If you don’t have an images folder then simply upload the entire folder to the proper location. The ioncube folder. The auction.php file. Open the phpBay folder that is located on your computer. Copy and paste your phpBay Pro license key file, a long series of characters, to the license.key file (found by logging in to the phpBay Pro Store), then save changes. Upload the contents of phpbay_plugin / wp-content / plugins / phpbay to your WP plugin folder (the folder you normally upload plugins to). Log in to your blog’s Admin and activate the plugin. Click the Settings tab, then the phpBay Pro link. Enter your License Key (found by logging in to the phpBay Pro Store) and click the Update Options button. You should see a message that says your license was verified and is now active. While still on the phpBay Pro link, choose any options you want, then save your changes. Don’t forget to choose your eBay affiliate type and number!

	To use:
	Write a new post. To add eBay auctions you need to change your writing method to HTML (this won’t work in Visual). Put your cursor where you want the auction results to show, then click the pBP button, which will add code into your post:


	Now you need to edit the code you just added. You can watch the video tutorial for complete details on what you can do. I typically just change keyword(s) to whatever auctions I want to show, and num to however results I want to show. I don’t change the rest:


	Save your post (not publish), then preview the post to make sure the results are what you want. If not, go back and work on the keywords until you are happy with the results. I’ve found that phpBay Pro can be a bit touchy. It won’t always show auction results that I know to be there. When you are finally satisfied then you can publish your post.

	Tip: To get the most out of the phpBay Pro plugin I recommend you install the free Multiple Country plugin and Title Format plugin.
phpBay Pro Plugin - Better Title Display
	The Better Title Display plugin works with the phpBay Pro plugin. It changes ugly auction titles like, “GREAT CaNon CaMERa” to “Great Canon Camera.”

	You need the phpBay Pro plugin for this free plugin to work.

	Download from here.

	This plugin requires several steps to be completed before you activate it:
		Use your FTP client or cPanel’s File Manager to navigate to …/ wp-content / plugins / phpBay / templates. You will modify the template.ebay.results.html so make sure you save a copy of it before you change anything, just in case you need to revert back to the original file. Open the template.ebay.results.html file with NotePad. Search for %%title%% and replace it with <!–startoftitle–>%%title%%<!–endoftitle–> and save your changes. Upload the phpbay-titleformat.php file into the …/ wp-content / plugins folder. This plugin will not be in a folder, as most plugins are. The file is all you need to upload. Log in to your blog’s Admin and activate the plugin.

	To use:
	There is nothing more you need to do to use this plugin.
phpBay Pro Plugin - Multiple Country
	The Multiple Country plugin works with the phpBay Pro plugin, and lets visitors to your blog choose country-specific eBay auction results:


	You need the phpBay Pro plugin for this free plugin to work.

	Download from here.

	This plugin requires several steps to be completed before it will work (you don’t activate this plugin):
		Upload the following files to the …wp-content / plugins / phpBay / includes folder (this will overwrite the three .php files that are already there, so make sure you have a copy of the originals before they are overwritten, in case you need to revert back to them): combo.php country.php geo.php geoip.inc Go to MaxMind and download the latest GeoLite Country Binary Format. You will need to unzip this file. I found the instructions to do this very confusing. I found an easy solution (well, relatively speaking, of course). To unzip this file: Log in to your hosting account’s cPanel. Click the File Manager icon or link. Navigate to your site’s …wp-content / plugins / phpBay / includes folder. Upload the GeoIP.dat.gz file. After it uploads you may see that the file is zipped (or compressed, I’m not exactly sure) and needs to be extracted: Click the Extract File Contents link (name may vary depending on your site’s host): The extracted file, GeoIP.dat, will either be added to the folder, along with the compressed file, or it will replace the compressed file (it depends on how your hosting account handles compressed files). The GeoIP.dat file should be updated each month to ensure the greatest accuracy. At the beginning of each month go to MaxMind and download the latest GeoLite Country Binary Format, and repeat the steps involved in extracting the file. The filename is case sensitive so do NOT change it or the plugin won’t work.

	To use:
	There is nothing more you need to do to use this plugin.
Search Everything
	The Search Everything plugin makes searching your blog easier for visitors.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Search Everything link. Choose your options, then save changes.
Sitemap Generator
	The Sitemap Generator plugin creates a sitemap for your blog.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the DDSitemapGen link. Choose your options, then save changes.
	Note: This is not the same sitemap that is created with the Google Sitemap Generator plugin. This sitemap is meant for site visitors, so they can see all your posts in one location.
Sociable - I’ve stopped using this because the buttons became annoying to me at the end of each post.
	The Sociable plugin adds social media buttons to your posts so readers can easily share your blog posts.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Sociable link. Choose your options, then save changes.
Subscribe Remind
	The Subscribe Remind plugin adds a gentle reminder to readers, encouraging them to subscribe to your RSS feed, at the end of each post.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	There is nothing more you need to do to use this plugin.
Subscribe to Comments
	The Subscribe to Comments plugin allows readers who write comments to subscribe to comments, so they will know when additional comments have been added.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Subscribe to Comments link. Choose your options, then save changes.
Trackback Validator
	The Trackback Validator plugin that helps prevent spam trackback links.
	Tip: It seems there’s a little bug in this plugin. If you have your WP panel set to email you when there are new comments then you will receive emails for spam trackbacks, even though they are properly filtered. This means your inbox may become filled with spam emails.

	There are two different hacks you can do to prevent this from happening. Apply one of these hacks at your own risk:
		Hack the plugin
		Hack WP

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Trackback Validation link. Choose your options, then save changes.
WP-Ban
	The WP-Ban plugin lets you ban users based on their IP address. This is useful if you have visitors who regularly post comments that aren’t appropriate, mean, nasty, etc.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Ban link. Enter the IP address you want to ban, or change the message seen when banned viewers try to visit your site, then save changes.
WP-Contact Form
	The WP-Contact Form plugin lets you add a ‘Contact Me’ form to your blog.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Contact Form link. Enter your email address (the one you want emails from visitors sent to) and your other settings, then save changes.

	Add a ‘Contact Me’ page by clicking the Write tab, then the Pages link. Create your page (I titled mine ‘Contact Me‘) and add % %wpcontactform% % (remove the spaces so everything between % and % is all connected, as seen in the image below) to the page area:


	Publish page (read the tip below before you actually publish this page). Your blog now has a page that allows visitors to contact you.
	Tip: You may prefer to have a link in your footer that takes people to your ‘Contact Me’ page instead of a link where your other blog pages are located (if you look up you will see my ‘Contact Me’ link in the grey, horizontal menu bar). I’ll be writing soon about how to do this. Until I do, if you prefer a footer link, save your page but don’t publish it.
new! WP Review Site Plugin
	The WP Review Site Plugin lets you turn your blog into a review blog.

	Download from here.

	You can use this plugin on any theme, but if you do not use one of the included themes (this plugin comes with two themes, and you can purchase four more), then you need to add code to your current theme. To be honest, this is a bit complicated. I recommend using one of the themes meant for this plugin. I purchased the additional four themes, and am very pleased with how they look.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the WP Review Site link. This is where you will create the categories people will use when rating your posts.

	There should be a default category already listed, called ‘Overall Rating.’ If you like this, then do nothing with it. If you want to change the wording, change it and scroll down to the bottom and click the Save Settings button.

	You can add as many categories for people to rate as you like, but you can add them one at a time.

	Add a new category by entering your category wording in the ‘Add a Category’ box:


	Now, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the Save Settings button:


	Ignore the Auto-Embed Settings, as these are used only if you are NOT using one of the included themes. In other words, you will only use these settings if you added code to your own themes.

	Start writing blog posts. Be aware that every page of your blog will have review information on them. There is a way to block certain pages or categories, but I haven’t figured out how to do this yet (I’ll share when it makes sense to me).

	Additionally, if you want to send visitors to an affiliate link (or any other link, for that matter), you can enter a link in the WPRS: Visit Site URL. This will add a link to each post that says, “Visit Site.”
	Tip: This plugin uses the default term of Visit Site* for the affiliate link button on the included themes. You can change this in the theme you are using:*

	Click the Design* tab, then the Theme Editor link.*

	Click the single.php* file. Save a copy of the code before modifying it.*

	Search for <?php visit_site_link(”Visit Site “); ?> and change Visit Site* to the wording of your choice. Save changes and view site for errors.*

	It is possible that this “Visit Site” link is on additional theme pages. Follow the above instructions for any other pages that display this link.
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
	The Yet Another Related Posts Plugin plugin automatically finds posts related to the one you just wrote and adds links to those posts.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Settings tab, then the Related Posts (YARPP) link. Choose your options, then save changes.

	I choose the following options, as they work best for me:
		Maximum number of related posts = 10
		Match threshold = 4
		Titles = consider with extra weight
		Bodies = consider
		Tags = consider
		Categories = consider
		Automatically display related posts? = Checked
		Display option - Before/after each post = <li> / </li>
WordPress Database Backup
	The WordPress Database Backup plugin lets you schedule backups of your WordPress database tables. You can also include tables for any plugins you select.

	If any of you are paying attention, you will notice that this entry is out of alphabetical order. This is intentional, as it is best to use this plugin after your other plugins are installed and activated. The reason is so all possible tables can be included when you select what tables to backup when scheduling this plugin.

	Download from here.

	To use:
	Click the Manage tab, then the Backup link. Enter your email address and your other settings, then save changes. You can choose to backup your database tables right now, or schedule backups to be done at the interval you choose.
.

Rochelle

comments (19)

Jul
31

How to Setup a WordPress Blog

Rochelle

Blogging

Edit: 12/03/2008 - I realized that I had left out a few steps, so I have added those to the instructions below.

Now that you’ve installed you new WordPress (aka WP) blog you need to get it ready to use. The steps you take next are likely to be identical for every blog you set up. You might find it helpful to create your own list of steps to take for this, or you can use my own list, which follows below.

The idea to create a list came from JT Pratt. He created his own list of steps to take when getting a blog ready for posting (you can see his list at Best Practices for Setting Up a New WordPress Blog in 60 Minutes or Less). His list is excellent, but catered to him. My list is catered to me, so it will differ somewhat from JT’s, as well as a bit more detail.

Note: These instructions are for WordPress versions 2.5 and up. Some of the instructions won’t apply to earlier versions of WP because they changed their Admin settings. For example, the link now known as ‘Settings’ was called ‘Options’ in earlier versions. Be aware that WP loves to update their software and additional changes may occur making my instructions outdated.


My instructions to setup a WordPress blog:
Step One
Remove the ‘Hello Dolly‘ plugin (only if it annoys you, as it does me):
	Tip: You can delete this file from the WP folder before you upload and install it so you don’t have to delete this after every installation.

	Use either your FTP client or your hosting account’s cPanel to navigate to your blog’s WP folder. Go to wp-content / plugins / hello.php.

	Delete hello.php.
Step Two
Delete default post, default ‘About’ page, and default links:

	Log in to your blog’s Admin, click the Manage tab, mark the default post and delete it.

	Click the Pages link, click the ‘About‘ page and delete it.

	Click the Links link, check the ‘Name‘ box (this will put checkmarks next to all the entries) and delete all links.
Step Three
Add Categories:

	Click the Categories link. Add categories (you can add more later from this page or when you are writing a new post). Click the Edit Category button to save changes.
Step Four
Edit the default Link Category:

	Click the Link Categories link. Click the Blogroll link to change the wording of this category. Add additional links, if you want (these can be links within your blog or outside it). Click the Edit Category button to save changes.
Step Five
Edit the General settings:

	Click the Settings tab, then the General link. Change the options, then save your changes.

	I make the following changes:
		Timezone = UTC - 4 (this is for EST)
		Week Starts On = Sunday
Step Six
Edit the Writing settings:

	Click the Writing link. Change the options, then save your changes.

	I make the following changes:
		Default Post Category = I choose from one of the categories I created in Step Three
		Default Post Link = I choose from one of the categories I created in Step Four
		Scroll down to the bottom, to the Update Services entry field. By default there is only one service entered. Enter any additional services you want to notify.
		Tip: As of this writing I notify the following ping services: http://rpc.pingomatic.com http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates http://bulkfeeds.net/rpc http://ping.myblog.jp http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/ http://bblog.com/ping.php http://rpc.pingomatic.com/ http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2/ http://pingqueue.com/rpc/ http://ping.feedburner.com http://www.bloglines.com/ping http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2
Step Seven
Edit the Discussion settings:

	Click the Discussion link. Change the options, then save your changes.

	I make the following changes:
		Before a Comment Appear = The only option I have selected is Comment author must fill out name and e-mail
Step Eight
Edit the Permalinks settings:

	Click the Permalinks link.

	Mark Custom Structure, enter /%postname%/ and click the Save Changes button. This will enable SEO-friendly URLs.
Step Nine
Install a theme:

	There are a ton of WP themes, many of which are free. Sources of themes include:
		Blog/BANS themes from Mark (highly recommended if you plan on blogging with BANS)
		Themes from WordPress

	Upload your theme to the …/wp-content/themes folder.

	Log in to your blog’s Admin, click the Design tab, then choose your theme from the Available Themes (WP 2.5 or earlier, just click on it the theme choose it; WP 2.6+, click the theme, then click the "Activate "Name of Theme" link in the upper right corner).
Step Ten
Add widgets:

	Click the Design tab, then the Widgets link. Add whatever widgets you want to have on your blog. Click the Save Changes button to save changes.
Step Eleven
Help protect your folders from hackers. I’m not an expert on this issue, as I’m sure there are more steps you can take to protect against hackers, but doing what I outline below will help you quite a bit.

	Create a blank index.html file by opening a text editor, such as Notepad, opening a new page, and saving it as index.html.

	Use either your FTP client or hosting account’s cPanel to upload your blank index.html file into each of these folders:
		…/ wp-content / plugins
		…/ wp-content / themes

	If you feel the need to add the blank index.html file to other folders go ahead. I don’t think it will hurt anything. Basically, if you can see the contents of a folder from your browsers, such as http://yourURL.com/wp-content/plugins, then so can hackers. Keep prying eyes from seeing or accessing the contents of your site with this simple step.
	Tip: If you manually install WP then you can add the blank index.html* file to every WP folder before you upload and install it so you don’t have to do this after every installation.*
Step Twelve
Create a robots.txt file:

	From what I’ve read this is a pretty important step because you can help control the duplicate content from your blog. This is something I don’t understand all that well so I’m not going to explain how to create one. There are a lot of sites with information on how to do this. These posts were the most helpful to me:
		Robots.txt How important is it?
		Wordpress robots.txt tips against duplicate content
&nb

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