I’ve just set up Windows Live Writer to edit my blog posts. Despite what I have read in various postings this desktop blog editing software integrated seamlessly with my Drupal blog (including photo uploads). This worked with both Windows 7 Starter on my Acer AspireOne netbook and in Windows XP Pro on my Dell 390 workstation.

This seems obvious now, but as I first began using Drupal I was incredibly confused by the taxonomy system. I guess it is because the word "taxonomy" brings to mind a labyrinthine system of classification as used in biology or an intricate nomenclature like that of organic chemistry. But it is really simple.

Content Management Systems (CMS) allow users to add or edit content on their websites. Open source CMS platforms such as Drupal that are freely available allow these systems to be deployed at a low cost. Other than cost there are many advantages to deploying even very small websites using a CMS, including scalability of content and functionality.

Putting together compelling content is challenging for the typical small business owner, but providing great content gets you noticed in search results and helps visitors establish a relationship with you. Avoid marketing hype and provide your visitors with information that is timely, useful, and helps build trust. Whatever you provide make it original and fun.

Here are some basics to get you going:

You need to get your work done and at the same time stay up to date with the latest technology and trends, but these days who wants to spend big money upgrading their office software?

Fortunately you can now set up your office with all of the software you need to stay productive without spending any money.

Sounds like a gimmick? Not at all. Today high quality open source, free software, maintained by communities of software developers and companies from around the world is available that can seamlessly replace all of the high cost applications that you need for your small business or home office. Below are the essential free software packages that I use daily and would recommend for any small business or home office user.

Why it is better to use free software as a platform for your small business web site.

If you are rebuilding or redesigning your web site it is important that you provide a means for the search engines to find your pages at their new addresses.

There are many high quality, free tools and applications available for small business web site owners. One of the best and most essential of these applications is Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that  helps you understand and improve your online marketing efforts.

When I brought the site over to Drupal I initially concentrated on duplicating the look and feel of my original site. In order to accomplish this I ended up creating a new Drupal theme from scratch based on the original XHTML and CSS code. I then went and added content, duplicating the original structure of the site. I made heavy use of the Path module and enabled URL re-writing in order to keep the page addresses consistent with their static versions. This is important for search engine visibility.