I am a huge fan of WordPress.

I’ve run my business on it for a decade, recommended it to thousands and feel eternally grateful for what it’s allowed me to do.

But is it still the best option?

As you might have noticed, the blogging scene has changed a lot in the last five years.

There’s free platforms like Tumblr and Medium that are now absolutely booming and doing things slightly differently.

Squarespace, the ultra-sexy hosting service (and podcast industry mega-patron!) is everywhere and is pretty awesome too.

Then there’s the fact that a lot of people blog on social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook and that seems to be enough for them.

Today we’re going to take a look at whether WordPress is still the best bet for bloggers and website owners who are just starting out.

As always, I’d love your comments below.

Every platform has it’s own advantages

One of the first things to note here is that each platform will have some features and advantages that are lacking in the other platforms.

When you’re looking to start a blog or website it’s important to note these features because one something that’s important to you might be completely irrelevant to me.

For example, if you write a blog on LinkedIn you’ll enjoy the fact that it’s pretty easy for all of your contacts to see the articles that you write, and everyone who reads it will be pretty targeted to your niche. Try to integrate a product to sell or a mailing list, however, and you’ll be pretty stuck.

So, when reading the rest of this article please note that the evaluations are made based on what I consider to be the most important features and options for running a successful blog.

So, what does WordPress have going for it?

Here is another FREE AT THE TIME OF POST. I posted this as soon as I downloaded my own copies. LOL. So go on and have fun!

Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish and market your book in ebook… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019H38JL2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_81lqzb0WNR08X via @amazon

The Indie Book Marketing Crash Course: A 5 Day Step-by-Step System to Increas… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07172Z2YW/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_.1lqzb7MB2BMB via @amazon

Social Media Marketing: Guaranteed Strategies To Monetizing, Mastering, & Do… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0717B4XLM/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_i2lqzb67QN33F via @amazon

Facebook for Business( Facebook marketing 2017, Facebook marketing an hour a … https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JMY7DT/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_q2lqzb57MJ62V via @amazon

Instagram Marketing That Sells: The Secrets They Don’t Want You To Know (IMTS… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722ZVYDW/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_w2lqzb4YV1M2Q via @amazon

Online Marketing Strategies: 14 Highly Effective Ways to Promote your Busines… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6UKSFU/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_H2lqzbFND1HYP via @amazon

Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071K4SJ4R/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_72lqzbFYRH1E4 via @amazon

Art & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017CVM8T0/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_F3lqzb9V034MG via @amazon

Photo: Flickr.

Beta readers help authors find the problems in their books before it’s too late—the types of issues that can make the difference between bestsellers and poor sellers.

Even better, sending your book to several people for a beta reader round can help you solicit honest and critical feedback from multiple sources whom you trust. You want pointed feedback on your writing style, dialogue, pacing, plot, story arc, and character development—and on the readers’ satisfaction with the ending.

read more… http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/72322-making-the-most-of-beta-readers.html

A truly independent author does not rely on one product, one retailer, or one stream of income.|

Because what if that one stream dries up? 

That’s why I emphasize the importance of developing multiple streams of income for author-entrepreneurs. Direct sales from your website are one possibility, and although I personally choose to use selz.com, there are other options. 

In today’s article, Amy Young explains how authors can use Gumroad.

Like many of you, as a student of Joanna’s diversification philosophy, I agree with her.

Agreement, however, did not lead to immediate action and at first, I didn’t think I could diversify my income by creating products related to my book.

However, I was wrong, and if you remain on the lookout for multiple streams of income, you will find them.

Multiple Streams of Income

read more: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/04/22/gumroad/

Social media is a wonderful inexpensive traffic generator.|

But, before you waste your time doing things without reason, it’s a good idea to try to sit down and understand what it takes to use social media in this way.

Imagine a traffic generator that sends you, day after day, inexpensive but loyal and targeted traffic, where all you have to do is be social, engage, and share. If you want to be successful using social media as a way to bring in traffic then it’s important to separate messing around on social media to truly using it as a way to grow your website traffic.

Know Who You Want to Visit Your Website

read more: http://blogelina.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-social-media-to-grow-your-blog-traffic/