On 10/5/2011 we released the most recent version of BuddyBoss, version 2.0.1. BuddyBoss is a BuddyPress theme that can be compared to social media website Facebook. There are many BuddyPress plugins that connect to your Facebook account and display activity or connect to Facebook and copy your activities to your BuddyPress site but BuddyBoss is nothing like that. BuddyBoss is a social media theme for BuddyPress. You can create your own social media site with a Facebook like wall where  [read more →]

Today I am doing a presentation with the Chicago Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group. The presentation will be titled “Extending WordPress to build a community of active users.”

Description

By using BuddyPress, the community platform for WordPress, you can turn casual readers of your blog into active participants. Bring in new visitors through user generated content, and keep them on your site using social networking features. Your users will be able to create profiles, message each other, join and create groups,  [read more →]

WordPress 3.0 was recently released as a major update to the WordPress content management system. In this post I will explain some of the bigger features included with WP 3.0.

1. WordPress MU merged into WordPress

WordPress Multi-User, better known as WordPress MU, has existed for years as an offshoot of WordPress. WordPress 3.0 merged all of the MU functionality into the core of WordPress, which means that you can now run multiple sites from one installation of WordPress. This is particularly useful  [read more →]

In September I will be doing my first presentation with the Chicago Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group. The presentation will be titled “Harnassing The Power of WordPress To Develop Content And Drive SEO Results.”

Another WordPress expert, Carolyn Shelby, and myself will be doing a panel discussion  about WordPress’ advantages for developing content and driving SEO results. Carolyn teaches the PubCon Masters Training course “Contemporary Organic Search Engine Optimization” which includes a great deal of WordPress information. She also speakes on a  [read more →]

WordPress can be installed two ways. You can do it using the “Fantastico” instant WordPress install as provided by certain web hosts. If you are not using a host that has Fantastico or just prefer to do it manually, you can install it via FTP. I will go over both methods below.

Skip to the manual install tutorial.

Installing WordPress using Fantastico

Some web hosts offer a service called Fantastico which allows you to install WordPress in under a minute. We recommend using  [read more →]

As a WordPress and BuddyPress developer I have worked with many WordPress plugins. Here’s a list of the ones that I use on a regular basis.

List of WordPress plugins

• All in One SEO Pack
  Optimizes your WordPress site for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).
• Gravity Forms
  Allows you to easily create forms, view and edit entries within WordPress, receive email notifications, and export form entries to Excel.
• WordPress Database Backup
  Provides scheduled backups of your core WordPress database tables and  [read more →]

I will be giving a presentation introducing WordPress on August 31st. This is your chance to learn more about what WordPress is and how it can work to help you make a beautiful, functional and easy to maintain website. I am one of the organizers and a regular speaker of the Chicago Online Marketing Group. I am also one of the organizers of the BuddyPress Chicago meetup.

Topics to be covered

Please click the links below  [read more →]

Rey Villar and I are kicking off 2010 by sharing some of our secrets for effective online marketing. We are both online marketers who understand the importance of maximizing ROIs and know how to do it, and how to do it cheaply. Ray and I are both organizers for the Chicago Online Marketing Group.

You’ll discover inexpensive and even free ways to:

• Increase traffic to your site
• Create a WordPress website to write content on
• Promote your products and services
• Activate tools  [read more →]