Luke Hubbard

WordPress Plugin › MobilePress

This is by far my favorite WordPress blog plugin. It automatically formats your blog for mobile devices. I thought I was going to have to build an entire mobile version and buy a .mobi, but with the MobilePress, I only had to install the plugin to get a mobile version live. You can check out the mobile version of my blog by going to LukeHubbard.com on your mobile device (iPhone, Blackberry, Google phone, Windows mobile, etc)

Luke's blackberry

Google Apps for business is an excellent program to use for your small business’s email, shared calendar, and shared documents.

I use Google apps for my domain and absolutely love it. The coolest part is that it allows you to have your domain email address like: luke@lukehubbard.com

And unlike most basic email services that are free with your domain name purchase, Google apps take email to a new level with its Gmail format and functionality. 

If you’re thinking about spending a significant amount on Microsoft Exchange for your small business, think again! Google Apps is free and offers upgrades to follow you as your business grows. If you’re a small business, cut some costs and go with Google Apps excellent services, which I like better than the services for purchase anyway.

Most impressive, Google Apps will work on your SmartPhone, Blackberry, iPhone, etc!

-Luke

What are the best WordPress theme tempates? Below are links to some cool stuff to help you customize the look of your WordPress blog.

Official WordPress.org themes
100 Themes at Smashing Magazine
WordPress Themeland

I also found a really cool WordPress theme generator.

Here is a developer you can pay to customize your blog:
RevolutionTwo

Here’s a help page at WordPress.org that encompasses General Theme Articles.

Obviously, you can also simply Google WordPress Theme and check out the organic and paid listings to get an idea of what’s out there.

I was honored to be one of about 15 people personally invited to attend the 2009 Google SEM Council on Monday. The purpose of the summit was for Google to chat openly about several key updates on their end and to get the honest feedback from its top agencies. I can’t say much about the content of the summit as we all had to sign a confidentiality agreement upon entering the complex. However, I can say…

Many well respected Googlers made appearances including President Tim Armstrong and Avinash Kaushik (he writes my favorite blog on web analytics). The highlight of the summit occurred when Eric Schmidt, CEO, visited the summit as the grand finale. He made a few general comments and seemed very confident in Google’s future. Note that he uses a BlackBerry, which is also my smartphone of choice.

Wondering how to Blog? The easiest way to set up a blog is to use Wordpress. If you want to own your own domain (such as LukeHubbard.com), then you need to buy a hosting service and your customized URL. If this sounds confusing, don’t worry! Simply follow these easy steps, which I have divided into two parts, and you’ll be started in no time…

Part 1: How to Create a BlueVoda Account
1. Goto BlueVoda
2. Follow the steps to buy the hosting package you want. I recommend doing the annual billing so you wave the set-up fee.
3. Choose your domain name (URL). It’s important to choose a name relevant to the theme of your blog. I used my name, LukeHubbard.com, because I write about Internet stuff that I like.
4. Once you pay for the service, you’ll get a very important email confirmation with your login information including the login URL. Make sure to save this email for eternity!

Part 2: How to Install WordPress onto Your Domain
5. Login to your VodaHost control panel, which is commonly called a c-panel.” You’ll need the email that VodaHost sent you with your login information and IP address (Choose the IP address that VodaHost notes in the email).
6. Ignore the help screen pop-up box if it shows up. Just cancel and make it go away.
7. Click the blue smiley face near the bottom of the c-panel that is labeled Fantastico de Luxe. (It’s under the “Software/Services” section)
8. Select WordPress from the blog list on the left.
9. Click new Installation.
10. Select your domain name, your directory, and create a username/password, and fill out everything else. It’s easy set-up information.
11. Click on “Install WordPress”
12. You’ll get a screen with your blog administrative login information. Make sure to copy this info or select to have a copy emailed to you.

Now you’re ready to login to your WordPress blog and begin blogging! It’s all very easy and will probably take you less than 30 minutes to set-up.

Once you’re inside the WordPress application, you can play around with different header colors, create posts, and make new pages. It’s all very easy so don’t worry if you have absolutely no idea how to create a blog. You can do it!

Note that BlueVoda has some great WordPress video blog tutorials. They’ve made it extremely easy to understand how to set up and maintain a spiffy looking blog.