While the Blogosopher seminar showcases WordPress and how to use it, the course is really about understanding how to build your business and search rank- along with a real comprehension of how the Internet and search work. We mix in a lot of marketing- understanding the building of relationships with your audience- and what you need to put on your site to make it work for you and your reader.
So- as everything now changes in Internet time (faster than a speeding bullet) there are a few new developments with WordPress.
On December 26, 2005 version 2.0 is supposed to be released. It offers a lot of new features and bells and whistles- the best description of them are here on Owen Winkler’s site
While many people always want to install the latest software right away- my advice is always to wait a week, to see what bugs surface. The features that interest me the most are the integrated image browser, which will eliminate the name for a plug-in hack to do this, and a revision to the users feature, where instead of a 1-10 level type hierarchy, you can now assign roles and permissions to each user.
Some changes to how pictures are handled could be good or bad- but it should eliminate the need for gallery type software to display a picture with a description easily (something that should have been really easy). A WYSIWYG text editor is now included making things like bullet lists and tabs and indents much easier.
The interface is different- which will take some getting used to- but this is always the case. A built in Spam catching system may eliminate the need for plugs ins to do the job.
There is one feature still in Beta that really interests me- a Stats panel right in the interface- no having to go to the server to see what’s what- but this may only be a feature in the hosted solution- see below.
The other big news is that you can have a free WordPress blog at WordPress.com – some would say that will be the end of our hosting business– but I think it just proves that you get what you pay for. The free Blogs don’t come with your own URL- that makes for a sloppy url ie. something like blogosopher.wordpress.com, and of course, I’ve reserved it- and put a little bit up. You are also limited to 12 themes with no ability to edit them.
There also will be the question of ownership- and integrity of the authors. A local newspaper reporter has asked me several times about how to figure out the owner of a site on blogspot– www.mydayton.blogspot.com to which I am unable to determine- since the url isn’t a primary. There have been some stories in the blogosphere (not blogosopher) about some sites disappearing– or being deleted. This is always the possibility on a “Free” site.
These are big changes for WordPress- and we’ll try to keep you informed of how they change things as we learn more about the changes ourselves.

In the last few days I’ve been asked by more than a few clients why we don’t put more pictures in their site. If you have great photos that’s great, but it won’t help bring people to your site as well as a good description of what is in the picture. Search engines can’t tell if you have a picture of Pamela Anderson the blond bombshell or Pamela Anderson who sat behind me in 4th grade and had the hairiest arms you’ve ever seen. Search engines just see “Pamela Anderson” and nothing else.
Content is the secret weapon that will bring people to your site. The more ways you add terms likely to be searched on your site, the more likely you will end up on the top of the search page. This is why a Word Press based content management system can help you build traffic- with the ability to access your pages and add content daily, you will have better luck in getting the correct search terms on your page.
Categories help aggregate multiple posts to increase the odds of getting to the top of search too. No pictures will do that.
Search has made the front door or “home” page of your site largely irrelevant. People will enter your site on the page where the relevant content is- so all those pictures on your home page may never be seen- but the content will.
Have text content on every page of your site and you will have a better chance at delivering customers to your site- once they get there, make sure your navigation should be simple and easy to understand. Word Press almost guarantees that you won’t have to “back navigate” to get where you want. This is why we believe it is one of the best things you can do to any site to generate hits.
So, instead of a picture of Pamela Anderson, try describing Pamela with as much biographical information as you can, including the hairy arms- and you might actually get people looking on your site for the one who sat behind me in forth grade.

We keep telling people- it’s only a blog if you think of it as such- WordPress is really just a Content Management System- that is very easy to use. With the number of options and modifications that can be made- it can be made to do anything a static site can- plus some- with no need for the person maintaining the site to know code.
We’re in the process of adding a small shopping cart to the site, using PayPal to allow people to register and pay online.
It should be fully functioning tomorrow.
Now- we just have to determine our next seminar dates!
If you have suggestions for date or time- please let us know [email protected]