Has your WordPress Blog been Hacked?
Websites, Blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts are extremely vulnerable to getting hacked. It is not a good day when you receive a message from your Mom scolding you for the inappropriate material you are posting on Facebook. Of course, you did not do it. But this is your Mom. She has no idea. We are all still surprised she is even on Facebook.
I had a WordPress site that I had created for my parents church that was hacked by a Turkish Militant group. They had not visited their site in awhile and had not realized it. We do not know how long it had been like that.
I have no idea why they did it, but they replaced the entire site with a one page document. When you went to the site it showed the flag and played some sort of military song. It was annoying, but whatever. I removed that file and everything was fine.
The bloggers at Churchm.ag gave an extremely simple and free solution to preventing a lot of this. Much hacking occurs over public wifi. The problem is that most bloggers like to hit up these places to post and create.
Their solution? Check it out at the link below.
>> How To: Prevent Your Blog from Being Hacked Article
Read MoreCheck and Improve Your CSS
In case you are not familiar with the basics of how websites are created… HTML creates the structure for websites and CSS creates the look and style of the website around the HTML.
There are other aspects and code that can go into a website. PHP is one of the main components of WordPress. But HTML and CSS are the current primary tools for website creation.
WordPress makes it easy to adjust and change a lot of this right from your WordPress Dashboard. But, actually changing it correctly is not so easy. This post is not going to teach you how to create HTML and CSS. That is a much bigger topic.
However, if you already know some and are just trying to adjust and improve what you have changed, check out the link below. It is a post from ChurchCreate.com linking to 5 CSS tools that can check and improve your CSS.
I am definitely in this category. I do not know HTML and CSS inside and out so I rely on tools like these to help me make things work.
LINK >> 5 CSS PreProcessors You Should Check Out
Read MoreBest Way To Embed Videos In WordPress
I found this simple tutorial from TentBlogger.com about setting your WordPress install to automatically embed videos at the correct width for your blog.
It is very easy to mess up embedding video when you begin playing with the width/height ratio. Check out the link below for a better option to embed your YouTube, Vimeo and other clips.
This solution also helps make sure your video embeds are set up for mobile viewing and that a link is left to click if the video does not actually show up for some people on your blog.
LINK >> Embed Videos in WordPress the Right Way
Read MoreDifferences Between WordPress.org & WordPress.com?
We have been talking over the past few posts about the benefits of website hosting. Website hosting for WordPress is needed only when you use the free software found at WordPress.org.
You can avoid having to purchase website hosting by using the WordPress.com version, but you will end up paying for services offered by web hosts anyway such as linking a custom domain name to your blog. You will also be very limited in WordPress theme designs for your site.
I am sure that the .com version is going to continue to improve the free features. But, the way they make money is through upselling you on the things that really make your website functional. That is okay if you want to go that direction. But, I would rather put a little money into website hosting for WordPress.
How much? You can get by for as little as $50 a year with a free domain name. You can spend much more than that, but for the average website or blog the option that I recommend below should work fine.
I found a great post from www.TentBlogger.com about the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Check it out using the link below and check out the website hosting for WordPress option as well.
Article Link: 10 Differences Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
Hosting Link: Website Hosting for WordPress
What WordPress Website Hosting Solution is Best?
There are a lot of options out there for WordPress Website Hosting. At some point you have to settle on a web host that works well, provides the speed and tech support you need as well as one that you can afford.
You will need website hosting if you are going to setup and install a WordPress blog, podcast or website on your own website address.
Yes, you can go to WordPress.com and get a free website that does not require hosting. And, you can purchase an option that allows your site to look like it has a custom website address instead of yourwebsitename.wordpress.com, but it is not a great option for a professional blog or website. It just does not have the options or flexibility that you will most likely want.
Why would you create a site that essentially runs like a Blogger.com site that is limited in customization options when you can create your own custom WordPress.org site with just a little bit of knowledge?
I recommend PowWeb for my WordPress Website Hosting. It has a lot of benefits that I will discuss in upcoming posts. I have tried and used others for myself and website clients, but this has been the best I have used so far.
Check it out the best WordPress Website Hosting Solution HERE and the [nogeeks] Video Tutorials on this site to begin turning your website dreams into a reality.