If you have read my previous two blogs on ‘blogging for money’ and are still here. Kudos to you and thank you very much for reading along.
For those of you who are new, let me sum up what I am up to. My intention is to test out as many side hustles as I can, show you how I did it AND most importantly, I am going to show you the proof of payment on each side hustle I will be evaluating. I want to know which side hustle works so I can stop wasting my time and yours.
Now that I have a domain name and a web host provider. I needed to choose what Content Management System (CMS) I will be using. If you recall, my focus is going to be on blogs. So I evaluated several CMS’s that are really geared towards blogs. But first, what is a content management system? I am not going to pretend I know all the details about CMS’s. Here is what I have researched.
What is a content management system?
A Content Management System (CMS) is a web application that creates, edits, and stores HTML (or other) web content in an easy-to-manage manner using a database. Content for the web is generated and edited via the administrative portion of the web application (behind the scenes), and then presented to visitors on the regular website (the stage).
Almost all CMS’s allow you to expand the functionality of your system by adding extra code, which is referred to as plugins, modules, or extensions. These will provide additional functionality to your website without requiring a significant amount of work on your part (that is the great thing).
Themes are available in several of the CMS’s. Themes are like the clothing that your CMS wears. They decide how the website looks and sounds. They are organized differently with each CMS, but they typically contain several that work together with the core framework to create the look and feel of your site.
Of all the CMS’s I looked at, I chose WordPress. I am not going to break down all of the CMS’s I looked at just because my head started to hurt, but I will tell you why I chose wordpress.
Top 10 reasons why I chose WordPress for my CMS.
Depending upon who you read, WordPress is used to fuel approximately one-third to forty percent of the world’s websites, ranging from simple personal blogs to complex corporate sites like the New York Post, and NBC. WordPress is only one of the many free site builders and content management systems available, but it has unique features that have helped it become the most common content management system available today.
Here are some advantages of using WordPress that I thought were important.
1. Its User-friendly even for people like me who have limited knowledge of such things.
A WordPress platform can be built and up and running in minutes or for me hours but still not a lot of time invested. A domain name and a web hosting account are all that is needed. WordPress can be downloaded for free from WordPress.org or installed via your WordPress hosting service, such as Bluehost, which is what I did. (See my blog on ‘How I picked my webhost provider‘)
From there, a fairly simple-to-use dashboard provides all of the tools required to configure a site’s heading and layout, as well as to immediately begin creating pages and articles. My dashboard is below.
2. I have heard and it seems mostly true that it’s the best CMS for Blogging.
WordPress was created with the aim of being a blog platform. There are many competitors, but in my humble opinion, nothing currently compares to the strength and advanced tools of the WordPress blogging engine. (Remember though, I am new to this). You’ll find an a lot of resources in the WordPress blog editor.
You can make a one-author blog using the formatting and media tools or you can also create an entire online magazine. One trick I like is I can pre-schedule articles to publish in the future and then forget about them.
3. Flexible and Adaptable for Changing Needs.
As mentioned, WordPress was originally designed to promote blogging and other types of online publishing, but it now controls a wide variety of websites. WordPress is used to manage small businesses, large multinational corporations’ complex websites, and personal blogs.
Any company’s needs can be met by the main WordPress bundle, as well as a variety of easy and premium plugins that are suitable for your platform. WordPress’s various themes and easy access to its source files make it infinitely adaptable to a company’s changing needs.
4. Learning How to Use WordPress so far has been mostly easy.
Even if you’ve never worked with a CMS or designed a website before, WordPress is simple to learn. The best part, there are so many tutorials on Youtube. You can find any answer to your questions.
To get started, all you have to do is choose a theme, install a few plugins, and then start creating pages and other material.
The best thing about WordPress, though, is that there are always new ways to customize it. If you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can start adding more advanced features to gain complete control over the appearance of your web.
5. So many people use WordPress who are novices like me.
WordPress is used by a large number of people who aren’t programmers or web designers. In fact, the vast majority of people who use WordPress have no prior experience with web design.
Since there are thousands of free website templates (themes) to choose from, WordPress is an excellent option for non-techies. There is a great WordPress theme for almost any type of website (be it a blog, a company website, or an online store).
Many WordPress themes have an options panel that allows you to change colors, upload a logo, change the background, build beautiful sliders, and completely configure the theme to your needs without having to write any code.
6. Themes Offer Multiple Options.
Thanks to its vast and growing directory of basic and premium themes, WordPress themes provide users with a variety of options for fine-tuning the appearance and functions of a new site. Many of these can be found right away in the WordPress theme directory, and thousands more can be bought from web marketplaces and third-party designers all over the world.
Themes can be previewed live and installed at any time to change the look and layout of a WordPress account.
7. The Software is Free and Open-Source.
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are also free to use. In a nutshell, WordPress.org is a self-hosted version of WordPress that allows you to have more control over your website and use advanced plugins.
Everybody can get a free copy of WordPress. It’s an open-source project that started in 2003. WordPress is developed by a group of volunteers. The majority of open-source projects are free to use and have large user bases.
Something to keep in the back of your mind, despite the fact that WordPress is a free program, you can end up spending money on it. WordPress requires the use of a web server since it is self-hosted. This can range from about $3 per month for the cheapest shared servers to several hundred dollars per month for those that need the fastest and most responsive servers.
While most themes and plugins are free, premium (paid) versions offer more features and better support. Finally, whether supported by freelancers or agencies, many WordPress users pay for additional services.
You might, for example, employ a freelancer to design a logo for you or tweak the CSS code on your website. Other WordPress users tend to have access to graphic designers or repair specialists. It depends entirely on your prior experience and the scale of your website.
However, like with me, you can keep your WordPress expenses to a bare minimum in general. Remember that I am trying to make money not spend money.
8. Plugins Extend Functionality.
Although WordPress includes everything you need to create a basic website, many users prefer more advanced features that are customized to their specific needs. Hundreds of plugins—small pieces of code that perform unique tasks—are available in the WordPress plugin directory. These plugins enable users to add features like shopping carts, galleries, contact forms, and more to any WordPress site that is compatible.
Hundreds of custom plugins from third-party developers are also available for purchase and installation. As a site grows, plugins can be activated, deactivated, and uninstalled as required.
9. WordPress is SEO Friendly.
WordPress is made up of high-quality, industry-standard code that creates markers. In layman’s terms, this is what causes Google and other search engines to like WordPress.
This explains why non-WordPress blogs don’t seem to rank higher in search engines than WordPress sites. WordPress is designed from the ground up to be SEO friendly.
10. Ready to use.
As soon as you install WordPress, you can begin using it. Aside from the customization, your theme and the plug-ins that suit your interests, there is no configuration needed. The majority of the features you’re looking for are included in the installation, such as social media feed integration, feedback, and so on.
It is for these reasons I went with WordPress.
Next up: What the heck is affiliate marketing and why am I using it?
If you like this blog and would like to see my other side hustles. Please follow this link ‘View All Side Hustles’.
