As many a Seattle blogger can tell you, the goal of getting a WordPress blog done vs. getting it done right can mean getting to Dunn, Seattle WordPress coach, trainer and seminar instrutor Bob Dunn.
“It’s simple: I love to teach WordPress,” he says. “I have a passion for helping solopreneurs, small biz owners and corporate staffs learn the skills to take control of their WordPress websites and blogs. Although it’s not rocket science, WordPress does have a learning curve, But once you get the hang of it, you can use all of its tools without understanding coding. And there lies the beauty of WordPress. All you need to know is where to find the tools and how to use them.”
Since transitioning his WordPress training site from a member-based subscription model to a community site from which he provides on-site WordPress coaching & support, webinars and workshops , bobwp.com has thrown open the pay gates and released dozens of free WordPress training videos to the general public.
At the recent WordCamp Seattle conference, Bob lead the session titled How to Attract More Readers with a User-friendly WordPress Site.
Some tips from the workshop session which you can also stream on-demand from WordPress.tv:
Make your WordPress Tagline descriptive, not creative. You want to connect with relevant search queries or the content you offer, not a brand name they may not yet know,.
Think of WordPress categories as the “chapters” of your book. Think of WordPress tags as the index.
Tag Clouds are an additional, user-friendly form of site navigation. If you host your site on WordPress.com, clicking on a tag searches the Web. For self-hosted sites, the tags in your TagCloud find matching content on your blog.
Get Social. Bob uses DiggDigg and Sociable to let readers Digg, Tweet, Like or bookmark favorite posts. You might also add a Twitter widget to your sidebar to let others spot your posts and sign on as a follower ro read more.
Use photos in blog posts. Research shows you’ll get 50% more readership on average. Pictures draw in viewers and evoke emotions.
How long is the perfect blog post? It’s not the number of words, it’s the content. People will read hundreds of words if the topic is of interest. Short tips, hints and tricks can work, too!
How often should you post to your blog? When blogging was getting stated, some posted nearly every day, but few can keep up with that rate. Not authors nor readers. Updating your blog once or twice a week is a good idea.
Coach Dunn will be presenting workshops around town in the months ahead. Check his Website for dates, times, and locations, or the Seattle24x7 Calendar. [24×7]
