"I just want to write and share photos/videos with my family and friends" -the majority of new bloggers
It's easy for blogging terminology can go beyond people's care. I know because I started off blogging with one goal at mind: Show photos of my trips around the world. I had no clue what CMS (content management system) software, managing menus, .etc meant nor did I give a rats poop (I was in the mood to say poop, sorry). And I'm pretty certain that there are many people out there feel the same. Be able to blog without having to learn much of the computer lingo.
That's why I'm so happy about the newest
Wordpress 3.1 release. It's definitely becoming more user friendly and easier to manage daily tasks much easier. The newer functions are really going to help newbie bloggers worry less about becoming computer literate and able to focus more on creating fun content for friends and family.
One small step for man, One GIANT leap for Admin
**btw, the word Admin refers to the blog writer (Newbie respect)
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One of the simplest, yet daunting tasks for blogging beginners is switching back and forth between a "front end" (this is your actually website that the public sees) and using a "back end" (this is where you manage your blog articles). When I started Wordpress, I was confused at times on how to switch back and forth. Maybe some can relate to the problem of having to type in [wp-admin] at the end of your url to enter your dashboard? Thank goodness that the Wordpress community addressed such questions.
Happily, Wordpress 3.1 has made going back and forth between the front and back ends much easier with the new admin bar. As long as the admin is logged into their blog (this usually tends to be the case if you have a blog) you can simply use the admin bar to create a new blog post or go to the more common content parts of your blog. This is extremely nice! Though it may seem like a simply little add on, blogging experience has shown me that when processes get simplified, more people will use it much more often. That's why
Posterous and
Tumblr have been able to grow incredibly fast; however, I like a little more control with the look and feel of blogging which is why I stick to Wordpress.
When processes become easier, people are able to actualize their goals with less frustration. For the Wordpress world, more blog posts and amount of content should increase. That's great for me as I'm always on the hunt for some good writers.
Business Takeaway: Remove steps without quality results in increased use and satisfaction
The additions of Wordpress 3.1 are great for newbie bloggers. And the same concept of making processes applies to all forms of business. Have you noticed that more and more sites are carrying the "login with facebook" button to create a profile account? Companies aren't doing this because they want to make it look like they are associated to Facebook or to share data. Rather, they are doing it because it makes creating a profile much easier and so people are more likely to do it. When studying ecommerce sites, think about the purchasing process and how many pages you see. Sites using simply shopping habits (you're in and out quickly) are producing much higher sale conversions and not having as many people drop out of the purchasing process.
So with that rant, congrats to the Wordpress Team and community that contributed to 3.1. I'm loving it!
