JordanPatton.com

Running a blog takes a great deal of time and effort. On top of that, if you want to roll with your own domain (such as JordanPatton.com) you’re going to need several tools and applications. None of them are particularly complicated or difficult, but keeping track of them can be a chore. In order to benefit you (in case you want to run your own blog), I’ve put together a basic list of things that keep this blog running.

Most of these tools are freely available, and I’ve provided links so that you can use them as well. I won’t go into too much detail here, but if you would like for me to explain any of the information in further detail, I would be happy to do so. Without further adieu, here are the things that make JordanPatton.com work.

Web Presence

• Web Host: For starters, the web host that I use is LunarPages. I’ve been with them for just over a year, and so far their service has been extremely reliable and surprisingly good
• Domain: My domain (JordanPatton.com) is held by Yahoo! Small Business, with whom I’ve always had a very good experience.

Software

• Blogging Engine: The blogging engine I use is called WordPress, and it’s freely available to anyone who would like to use it. In my opinion, WordPress is probably the best blogging platform out there for people that manage their own web space.
• Theme: The theme that I run on JordanPatton.com was developed by Paul Stamatiou and Neil Patel. It’s called 281, and it’s a WordPress theme that combines “slick, minimalist aesthetics, speed, and search engine optimization.” If you’re just starting a blog, you may want to give 281 a try!
• Plugins: I use several plugins for WordPress that make the entire experience much better. Later, I may discuss some of these in greater depth, but for now here’s a basic rundown:
  • Akismet by Automattic
  • Full Text Feed by Ronald Heft, Jr.
  • Google Analytics for WordPress by Joost de Valk
  • WP-Cache 2.0 by Ricardo Galli Granada

Web Services

• I use several other tools to monitor traffic, serve up the pages, and perform other useful functions. A quick list includes the following:
  • FeedBurner for my RSS Feed
  • Google Analytics for monitoring traffic
  • Google Webmaster Tools to make sure my site is being indexed correctly
  • Technorati for some “popularity” metrics

Credit where it’s due

Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned about blogging come from Chris Pearson, who runs the blog Pearsonified. Chris is an exceptional web designer, and the excellent tips that he’s provided through his blog posts have proven invaluable. Furthermore, his companion project Tubetorial is a free resource that every new blogger should take advantage of.

So that’s a basic rundown of the things I use to keep this blog running. If you have any questions, or if you would like to hear more about any of these tools, please feel free to say so in the comments! I know that a lot of you probably manage your own blogs. So how about you? What kind of software do you use to run your website?