The XXX-Coach Blog Expert

This is an important and very valuable question, and a lot of people do not know the answer to. But do not worry, I will explain you here in some more details about plugins and which ones I recommend.

First of all, what are plugins? A plugin is small piece of software that you upload and activate in WordPress, and that will give you extra features to WordPress. This is actually one of the main reasons why I suggest people to install the wordpress software on a hosted server. It allows you to install and activate all kinds of plugins, which you cannot do when you set up your account under WordPress.com.

The procedure for uploading and activating the plugins is quite simple, but I do recommend one thing: PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS OR README FILE BEFORE UPLOADING. I do speak out of own experience. I have uploaded one day a plugin without looking at the readme file, and was standing in front of a nightmare. So, read the readme file or installation first and carefully.

On top of this blog, you find the page ‘Used Plugins’. This is the place where you can see which plugins I use and recommend. If you want one or more of them, just click on the name, and you can download the plugin.

The sites that I recommend to look for plugins are the following:

• WordPress Plugin Database
• WordPress Plugins Offical Page
• WordPress Plugins Database
• WordPress Plugin Sort by Function at softplug.net

If you know of another interesting and good website that has a selection of plugins, please let me know by using the comment form with this post, and if the evaluation is good, I will add it to list and put your name in brackets to thank you.

I hope that this is helpful to you and happy blogging.

Coach Erwin

I do receive frequently questions by other coaches how they can set up their themes. Based upon that, I have made a video exactly about that topic. You can find the video here:

Here you find those sites that I recommend for finding your theme:

• WordPress Themes at WordPress.org: http://themes.wordpress.net/
• WordPress Themes Free: http://www.wpthemesfree.com/
• Here you find also some great themes: http://weblogtoolscollection.com/
• WP Theme: http://www.wptheme.net/
• mandarinmusing themes: http://www.mandarinmusing.com/themes
• Top WordPress Themes: http://topwpthemes.com/

If you know another good site with themes, let me know so that I can put it here in the list.

Have a great and excellent day.

Coach Erwin

Hi there,

This is an enormous important point that you need to do when you just have installed WordPress on your server:

DELETE THE FILE ‘INSTALL.PHP’ WHICH YOU FIND UNDER THE FOLDER ‘WP-ADMIN’ AFTER YOU HAVE INSTALLED WORDPRESS SUCCESSFULLY!!!

The reason for that is that whoever can run the install.php again will be able to take full control of your blog, and I am convinced that you do NOT want this. So, when you have successfully installed WordPress and has just logged in for the first time, DELETE the ‘install.php’ NOW.

Coach Erwin

In one of the videos for installing WordPress I use an FTP program to upload the WordPress software.

Using an FTP Software program is the best and easiest way to upload, not only the WordPress software, but also themes templates, plugins, audios, videoas, images, etc. I personally use SmartFTP which is really user-friendly and easy to use. Unfortunately it is only available for Windows.

To make your FTP program to work, you will need to make a FTP account in the Control Panel of your webserver. Once you have the FTP account, you can create a new Remote Browser, and the following information you will need to enter:

• Host: is the location that you selected when you created the FTP account;
• Username
• Password

And that is it. You are ready to use your FTP manager. Well done.

Your comments are more then welcome.

Have a great  and excellent day!

Coach Erwin

Today, October 18th, 2007 is the official launch of this new blog, and you have already four short videos available that explain how to install the WordPress Software on your web server.

Click on the picture below to be taken to page with those four videos:

Enjoy them and happy blogging.

Coach Erwin