Thinking of starting a blog of your own? These are the tools I use
WordPress
As one of the leading open source frameworks on the web today, WordPress is a great place to begin when starting a blog and was recommended to me by my developers, 3200 Creative.
StudioPress themes for WordPress
On top of using WordPress as my main blogging tool, I use the Genesis Framework with a customized child theme by StudioPress. This helps to ensure that my blog stays up-to-date with current web standards and the current version of WordPress. It reduces the chances of breaking down and increases the chances of getting found in the vast web of the internet.
WP Engine
I use WP Engine to host my WordPress site. It keeps my site is automatically backed up everyday, stays up-to-date with the most recent version of WordPress, and is backed by a team of knowledgable WordPress specific tech support. I’m very happy to recommend WP Engine – and believe it or not they’ve just reduced the price!
3200 Creative
I’ve been really happy with my lovely WordPress design and development team, Cathi and Ryan at 3200 Creative. They’re based half a world away from me but it hasn’t mattered at all thanks to Skype and email. They customised a StudioPress theme to fit my brief and handled all the pesky tech details that as a newbie blogger I didn’t understand. To ensure everything runs smoothly they got me started with a raft of industry-leading plug ins like Yoast and Akismet. Now Map and Family is up and running Cathi acts as consultant.
The Blogger Course
Monica Stott blogs very successfully at The Travel Hack, earning an income to support her family without working fulltime. She generally blogs about travel, not blogging, which differentiates her from many of the bloggers selling ‘How to’ courses. Monica started her career as a social media manager for a travel firm and her industry knowledge imbues this course. Monica knows what she’s talking about, there’s no fluff or padding in these lessons which are packed with valuable nuggets of information and advice. This is one of the best value courses I’ve come across. Click here for more info.
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