WordPress is the best and most popular blogging platform around. It’s free, easy to use, endlessly customizable and supported by hundreds of excellent plugins. With WordPress setting such high standards, however, many people have started to question why other types of sites are so much more difficult to set up and manage.

Fortunately, WordPress has become more than simply a blogging tool; it’s now possible to run almost any type of site imaginable using the right mix of plugins and themes. In fact, so many people are now using WordPress to power sites other than blogs that over 50% of today’s WordPress downloaders will use it as a CMS (content management system), according to Matt Mullenweg, the WordPress wizard himself.

Below we explore 10 alternative uses for WordPress, taking a close look at everything from the more common, like shops, forums and photoblogs, to the more unusual, like news aggregators, contact managers and even social networking sites. It will soon become clear that with a bit of ingenuity and creativity, anything’s possible with WordPress!

1. eCommerce

Transforming your WordPress blog into an e-commerce shop is easier than you think using WordPress e-Commerce Plugin. It’s integrated with PayPal, Google Checkout and other popular cart types and its appearance can be customized to suit your brand image and the products you’re selling. Shop, another great e-commerce plugin, is also worth checking out. With themes such as Crafty Cart and SimpleCart(js) also available, few people will even realize you’re running your shop through WordPress.

2. WordPress Wiki

Dan Milward, Tom Howard and Allen Han are geniuses. Not only have they managed to create the best e-commerce plugin around in WordPress eCommerce Plugin, they’ve also made an excellent wiki plugin called WordPress Wiki. It’s devastatingly simple, but can be quite restricting for advanced users. If you want to make your wiki site more customizable and slick, you should check out WordPress Wiki Theme, available for just $32.

3. Forum

Rather than using themes and plugins, the best way to run a successful forum in WordPress is to integrate a forum script into your blog. bbPress is the best piece of forum software we’ve come across so far, in terms of both looks and ease of use. It was created (reportedly in just a few days) by Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress, so you can be sure that it compliments WordPress perfectly. If you find bbPress somewhat limiting, however, you might prefer to use a more high-tech piece of forum software like vBulletin, although this can be a more expensive and trickier option.

4. Contact Manager

Using WordPress to create a basic contact manager is really easy. Creating a contact manager that’s taggable, searchable and members only is a little bit more difficult, requiring a careful mix of additional plugins. RoloPress, an app built on top of WordPress, will be sufficient for most users’ needs however. With RoloPress, you can easily add, edit and makes notes on contacts and companies from the front-end, so you’re not constantly logging into the admin area.

5. Job Board

There’s no better theme available than JobPress for using WordPress to run a job listings board. It’s not free, but at $79, we reckon it’s worth it. Not only can you post, edit and display job classifieds with ease, its payment system lets users charge securely using both PayPal and credit/debit cards.

6. Review Site

WP Review Site is the one powerful plugin you need to operate a review site through WordPress. With this great plugin, you can either add a star rating system to your current blog, whichever theme you’re using, or create an all-encompassing user-powered review site of your very own, complete with Top 10s, embedded Google Maps and rating widgets for your sidebar and marketing tools too. At $97, it’s not cheap, but if you can make your site a success, there’s no reason why you can’t start charging commissions to companies reviewed.

7. Social Networking Site

BuddyPress is a suite of open-source blogging extensions for WordPress MU which gives you the power, as a WordPress user, to run your own social networking site. Your site’s users sign up, get a profile, create their own blogs, chat in forums, private message one another, become “friends” and join “groups”, all from the comfort of your own WordPress site. The only downside to BuddyPress is that you can’t simply transform your existing blog into a social network, unless you’re already using WordPress MU. Migrating content across, however, is fairly simple.

8. Photoblog

You can easily upload images and photos in your WordPress posts and pages, but if you want to create a polished photoblog, you’re going to have to look beyond core. There are tons of gallery plugins available, it’s just a case of choosing the ones that are right for you. I highly recommend PhotoQ, a plugin capable of turning your ordinary blog into a photoblog in an instant. You can batch upload several images at once and even create an upload queue, setting a time at which the top ones will automatically upload themselves.

9. Video Site

Some image gallery plugins will let you upload videos too, but none do so as successfully as “VideoFlick”. At first glance, it looks like a thumbnail gallery (albeit a good looking one), but click on any of the images and a video is launched in a full-screen Ajax window. YouTube, Google Video, MetaCafe, DailyMotion, FLV (Flash) Video, Quicktime and Windows Media Video are all supported. VideoFlick is fully customizable, letting you adjust layout and colors as well as thumbnail size and orientation.

10. News Aggregator

When it comes to running a news aggregator through WordPress, one theme stands head-and-shoulders above the rest: OneNews WP. It lets you easily create a single page aggregator like Popurls or a multi-page aggregator like Alltop. Although it might look difficult to manage from the front-end, in fact it couldn’t be simpler. Feed blocks can be added and arranged with no coding whatsoever. Unlike some other themes in this list, OneNews WP requires no additional plugins to achieve its main objective.

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The life of a successful freelancer is hard, but tremendously rewarding. Without 9 to 5 hours or a boss breathing down your neck, you can pretty much do as you please. You can work how you want, when you want, where you want: in an office, at home, or from a beach in Barbados, assuming you’ve got a laptop and reasonable Wi-Fi signal!

As glamorous as life as a top freelancer might seem, there’s no denying that lots of hard work and unflinching dedication are required to achieve success. With good ideas and tenacity, however, the returns can be massive, both in terms of earnings and job satisfaction.

Below, we explore the lives of 9 freelancers who have reached the top of their game. All have achieved success through the internet, mainly blogging, an avenue which is open to everyone with access to a computer (that means you!) Hopefully you’ll be inspired by their stories and respective achievements to start blogging yourself, or if you’re running a blog already, you’ll be able to learn from the best in the business.

1. Darren Rowse

Darren began his ascent into blogging superstardom back in 2002, when he started his own personal blog as a way to share and discuss things between friends and colleagues. Its popularity grew and it started to receive several thousand visitors each month. Soon enough, Darren started to earn a living from it, largely through AdSense and the Amazon Affiliate program. He quickly set about establishing over 20 different blogs to experiment with various income streams and advertising systems.

Today, Darren runs several extremely successful blogs, including Digital Photography School, his most popular blog, which receives over 1 million visitors each month. He also runs TwiTip, a blog for sharing Twitter tips, and b5Media, his most ambitious project yet, a blog network consisting of hundreds of blogs and independent bloggers. He’s also set up ProBlogger.net, a site for those who wish to learn blogging skills, and ProBlogger.com, a paid for site which promotes collaboration between professional bloggers.

2. Yaro Starak

Yaro has come a long way since creating, managing and selling his first website, MTGParadise.com, a hobby fan page devoted to the card game, Magic: The Gathering. He learnt his trade as an internet entrepreneur by setting up several websites in his native Australia, including BetterEdit, a proofreading service for students, and Student-Marketing.com.au, a university campus poster advertising service. He even ran an English school for many years.

Today, Yaro lives to teach others the secrets of his success. He does so through Becomeablogger.com, a great site packed with video tutorials teaching people how to create their own successful blogs. He also runs Blogmastermind.com, the next step for bloggers who are serious about making money, and Membershipsitemastermind.com, which teaches people how to create a successful membership site. Entrepreneurs-journey.com, another of his creations, ties all of his websites together and tells his own personal story.

3. Collis Ta’eed

Collis, yet another Australian entrepreneur, cofounded Envato, in 2006, with his wife Cyan. Envato is a factory of sorts, churning out hundreds of well-designed and profitable websites, specializing in marketplaces, communities, blogs and educational sites. Among Envato’s most successful creations is ActiveDen, a marketplace which specializes in the buying and selling of royalty-free Adobe Flash and Flex files. It is home to a large community of Flash designer and developer members as well as the largest Flash library on the web.

Other popular Envato websites include WorkAwesome (a resource for those who want to succeed in the workplace), FreelanceSwitch (a place for freelancers to share advice, chat, collaborate and look for work) and Creattica (an inspirational design work gallery). Collis’s huge success can largely be attributed to his wide skills set. Not only is he an ideas man, he’s an expert web designer and Photoshop user who can bring ideas to life.

4. Jon Phillips

Jon’s the lead designer and founder of SpyreStudios, a design agency based in Montreal, Canada. He founded the company back in 2007. SpyreStudios.com not only acts as a portfolio for Jon’s work, it is home to a very popular blog, which attracts clients and random readers alike. As well as collaborating with the best bloggers and social media strategists to create amazing websites, SpyreStudios offers a WordPress consultancy service for those wanting to build or boost the performance of their own blogs.

On the side, Jon also runs Design Newz, a site featuring a wealth of useful information and articles written by web design experts. It’s updated regularly with around five to ten new articles and tutorials each day. As if Jon couldn’t get any cooler, he also plays guitar in a great Montreal-based heavy metal band.

5. Jacob Gube

In 2008, when Jason Gube founded Six Revisions, a weblog for designers and web developers, he didn’t think for a moment that it would become the success that it is today. A designer and developer himself, specializing in front-end and PHP development, Jason has managed to drive traffic to his site and make money in the process by ensuring that everything posted is interesting, relevant and useful.

Jason keeps a close eye on his site’s comments section and reacts accordingly, offering tips, tutorials and resources that are in highest demand. He also gives away the odd freebie here and there, as his way of saying “thanks” to his loyal readership.

6. Vitaly Friedman

Founded in 2006, Smashing Magazine is a brilliant weblog for designers and developers with tons of information about the latest trends and techniques. Vitaly is not only Smashing Magazine’s founder, he’s the editor-in-chief, and is personally responsible for the quality of articles published on the site, all of which are manually hand-picked and quality controlled.

Just this year, Vitaly made a leap into traditional publishing with the Smashing Book, an in-depth guide to best practices in web design. Inside the book, you’ll find technical tips on coding, usability and optimization; advice on typography, colors and branding; as well as a look behind the scenes at Smashing Magazine. The book’s full of contributions from industry experts, including Jason Gube.

7. Chris Garrett

As well as being a self-proclaimed “web geek”, Chris is a UK-based professional blogger, internet marketing consultant, entrepreneur, new media industry commentator, journalist, speaker, trainer and author. In 2005, Chris founded OQIM, a company which helps individuals and businesses use online media more effectively. Chris is a prolific writer, posting regular articles on his own website (chrisg.com), his personal blog (chrisg.org) and various other sites including ProBlogger, FreelanceSwitch, Threadwatch and ASPToday.

When he’s not blogging, you’ll find Chris speaking at major internet marketing, blogging and new media events such as WordCamp and Affiliate Expo. Somehow, besides all this other work, Chris has managed to co-author a book with Darren Rowse entitled ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

8. Brian Clark

Brian founded Copyblogger in January 2006. It’s since become a huge success, attracting 100,000 subscribers and 240,000 visitors each month. It was identified by The Guardian newspaper as one of the world’s 50 most powerful blogs and gets glowing endorsements from BusinessWeek and Technorati.

Brian’s fantastic site is intended for those people wanting to boost the success of their website to get more traffic, attract links, gain subscribers and sell goods. According to Copyblogger.com, this can best be done through compelling content and copywriting, which anyone can learn by following the articles which are regularly uploaded on the site.

9. Chris Pearson

Chris Pearson is a WordPress master. He runs Pearsonified, a weblog devoted to helping people build and run successful WordPress blogs. Every article, trick and tip that Chris uploads is picked apart, discussed and analysed by a thriving online community. Chris also runs DIYTheme, a WordPress theme marketplace.

Unsurprisingly, Chris uses his vast WordPress knowledge to design themes, some of which are available through DIYTheme. Chris is big on themes which look amazing without skimping on usability. Currently, Chris is promoting his new theme called Thesis, which is used on such revered sites as Laughing Squid and Copyblogger. It offers excellent SEO and in-depth, user-friendly customisation.

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The life of the freelancer presents a unique set of challenges and demands. While you have the benefit of becoming your own boss, you must take responsibility of managing your time and maintaining lucrative client contracts. The aim of the game is to maximize your creativity in order to make the most of your earning potential. There are many tried and tested methods for increasing your productivity as well as simple ways to boost your output and reap the financial rewards of your freelancing opportunities.

1. Make To-Do Lists

One of the beauties of freelancing is that there’s no boss telling you what to do, but by the same token it’s up to you to take control and tell yourself what needs to be done. It’s very useful to draw up a to-do list at the outset of each project, at the beginning of the week and at the start of each day.

2. Make a Work Schedule

Once you have a list of tasks you can map out a work schedule, planning exactly what and when you need to do to complete each project and meet your deadlines. The work schedule should cover long-term objectives, weekly work patterns and a breakdown of daily targets. Try to keep to office hours; occasionally there will be times when you have to put in an all-nighter to get a project wrapped up, but try to keep to a regular program to maintain productivity.

3. Turn off Instant Messaging

Freelancing and working independently can sometimes make you feel a little isolated, so instant messaging is a great way to keep in contact with friends and maintain a virtual office environment. It’s also a perfect way to keep in contact with clients and make enquiries regarding ongoing projects. But chatting with IM can be enormously distracting and a source of procrastination, so while you’re busy working switch it off and only sign-in when you need to make a specific query, or during time set aside for communications.

4. Switch off the Phone

Likewise, the phone is an essential tool of the freelancer, but also a source of distraction. When you’re focused on a project the last thing you need is a cold-caller offering double-glazing solutions or your mates inviting you to the pub. Switch off the phone to maximize concentration during work time.

5. Allocate Communication Time

To avoid procrastination and make the most of the working day allocate communication time, periods of the day when it’s okay to switch on the phone and IM and have a chat with friends and family, and check your emails. Perhaps set aside half an hour for communication in the morning then again at midday. This will allow you to reduce the sense of isolation that sometimes comes with freelancing whilst maintaining productivity during dedicated work time.

6. Declutter

Decluttering your workspace will help promote a methodical and organized approach to your work. Remove all unnecessary clutter, untangle and tidy away all computer wires and adopt a minimalist approach to your desk and work area.

7. Make Your Workspace Practical and Ergonomic

Ensure that your desk and chair are comfortable and your workspace is organized in a practical and functional manner. Lighting design, a carefully chosen color scheme and the addition of posters and plants can all improve the quality of your workspace.

8. Close Your Internet Browser Whilst Working

Constantly checking emails, looking at news sites and reading irrelevant Wikipedia pages are typical forms of procrastination and work avoidance. Close your browser and only open it for essential reference, research and to contact clients and contacts for your current projects.

9. Take Regular Breaks

Make sure you take regular breaks to rest the eyes away from the computer screen and take your mind off work for some time. Once or twice a day have a rest and do something pleasant such as reading a book or taking a walk outside. You’ll return invigorated and able to review the day’s work with fresh eyes and renewed creativity.

10. Listen to Music

Many freelancers find it useful and inspiring to listen to music during the working day. While it may not suit everyone’s methods, carefully selected ambient music can helpfully influence the tone and pace of your work.

11. Invest in the Best Tools

There are plenty of applications available to make the life of the freelancer simpler and more efficient. To organize projects try out packages such as Backpack , while iOrganize collates ideas, notes and bookmarks in one place. Google Calendar is a great way to maintain an online schedule, and Neptune manages daily task lists.

One of the central aspects of maintaining a freelance career is the ability to manage your finances. FreshBooks takes the headache out of sending and tracking client invoices. For an overview of your financial management, useful business tools and help with monetary decisions join the online community at Wesabe, where you can benefit from the shared experiences of your fellow freelancers.

Header image by kevinzhengli

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