WordPress and spam go together like highways and traffic jams. Everyone agrees that the former is indispensable, but desperately wishes it could exist without the latter.

The good news is that unlike with gridlock, there IS something you can do about WordPress spam. Quite a bit, actually. And that’s where we come in. Read more

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. Even though WordPress is one of the most frequently-targeted platforms for cybercriminals; even though it seems like there’s a new vulnerability connected to the platform every week, WordPress itself is not particularly insecure. Its popular, and its plugin architecture is incredibly open. Read more

As you well know, WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world. It powers 23% of the web, with over 60 million users worldwide. That popularity has served it well in some regards – it hosts a thriving development community with scores of passionate users coding plugins and helping one another out with technical problems. Read more

WordPress parent company Automattic is finally spending the $160 million in funding it raised last year – on plugins, apparently. Late last month, it purchased WooCommerce, a powerful shopping plugin designed to help publishers turn their websites into digital storefronts. Although CEO Matt Mullenweg wouldn’t comment on the price, recode claims that inside sources have clocked it at around $30 million. Read more

According to a report from CodeGuard, WordPress now powers 79% of content-driven websites. By comparison, Joomla powers 7.2%, and Drupal 5.3%. The report further notes that designers and developers are flocking to the platform in droves; it’s gained more popularity in that market than it has among bloggers. Read more

It’s enough to make you scared to write anything controversial.

In theory, the DMCA is a tool that’s intended to protect content creators. It’s a system through which one can quickly and easily flag down anyone who’s trying to copy your content; a process that one can use to protect content from plagiarists. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s more often used as a legal bludgeon. Read more

Hey there, folks! Today, we’re going to talk about lead generation. More specifically, we’re going to talk about one of the most powerful lead generation tools currently available.

No, I’m not referring to Hubspot, nor am I talking about Marketo.

It’s WordPress. See, there’s a reason it’s currently the world’s most popular CMS – it’s versatile enough to handle just about anything you can throw at it. Naturally, that includes lead-oriented marketing. Read more

Without a doubt, one of the most powerful elements of WordPress is its flexibility. This is thanks in large part to its thriving development community. By tapping into the diverse selection of plugins they’ve created, you can empower your WordPress-run website to do…well, just about anything, really.

It’s pretty incredible.

Unfortunately, with so many plugins to choose from, it can be somewhat difficult to figure out which ones are best-suited to your needs. That’s why this series exists – to let our clients know which add-ons are absolutely essential (and by implication, which ones they should probably stay away from). This time around, we’re going to take a look at a few plugins related to website monetization/membership services. There’s just one small difference between the plugins in this post and our regular fare – most of the plugins we’re going to go over today are premium.

Let’s get started. Read more

The theme is arguably the most important element of a WordPress blog. It’s the first thing users will see when loading in, and will impact their perceptions before they even start reading. The impression a theme leaves on a blog’s readers will determine how they view the blog, what they think of the content and, ultimately, whether or not they’ll come back.

What a lot of authors don’t realize is that a theme accomplishes much more than making a first good impression. By studying how a blog is laid out, it’s entirely possible to accurately judge the author’s personality, what they generally write about, and the sort of content they produce. In certain rare cases, it may even be possible to discern an author’s industry. Read more

One of the most formidable aspects of WordPress as a platform is the immense degree of customizability its diverse selection of plugins affords a blog owner. Unfortunately, no two plugins are created equal, and it can often be difficult to decide what’s worthwhile. How’s a blog owner to know what they should and shouldn’t install?

It all starts with knowing what sort of functionality you’re looking for – what types of plugins does your blog require to shine? Read more