by Michael (D)

Created on: December 24, 2008

Using a blog to promote any kind of information online, both personal and professional, is the better choice of the two. Blogs are more popular than ever before, and there is one main reason, which can prove my point, and that is user friendliness.

Let's start with a basic website. A person who wishes to set up a site will need to have a domain name, a good site design program (GoLive, Dreamweaver, FrontPage, etc.), and the patience and know-how to style the text and images desired. Even if the individual opts out of the expensive web authoring software, using a WYSIWYG editor or using plain HTML is a long and frustrating process.

A person using a basic website will have the duty to edit the content each time he or she needs to update the information, upload it to the server, and verify that all is well with the look and layout of the site. This alone can be a tedious process, and can limit administration access to just one person. In some instances, this can be inconvenient.

Now, look at a blogging platform. Someone wishing to set up a blog would simply download the files from their providers, extract them, and upload them to the server. Then, the person would go and set up the database that will essentially "remember" all of the posts, etc. that are posted on the blog. While this process may be difficult for some, help is available, and it will only need to be done once.

After setting up the database, the username, password, and host will be noted, and the blog will then be installed. It's as simple as filling out a few forms and clicking "next." The blog software will let you know every step of the way when something is right, when it may be wrong, and when all is ready to be used.

After the setup process, a theme will need to be selected. Most individuals download templates to upload to their servers and add on to make their site unique. After a theme is selected, the entire site is formatted, and will not have to be altered on any page manually.

The only thing left to do is blog! Information can be posted using the Create New Post feature on the blog, and, once submitted, it'll show up on the top of the home page. Also, new pages can be created for other features, products, etc. A person can get creative with the way the blog is set up, and can easily control it all from the Site Admin center. There is no typing over existing text or worrying about altering the layout on accident. Just type and submit.

Using blogging platforms, such as Wordpress, paired with a domain name, can be a powerful tool. The plug-ins, widgets, and trackback features provide ample opportunity for the "word to spread" throughout the entire internet. All it takes is a hour's worth of setting up, and you're set!

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