Since writing this review a couple of years ago, some things have changed. Wordpress Direct still remains a viable option for anyone wanting to set up Wordpress blogs quickly and schedule automatic content (please use this functionality with some discernment). Prices are slightly different to below at $47, $97 and $197 per month.

I have also found another option. I recently became a member of the Wealthy Affiliate University and they have released a new tool called Wordpress Express. This doesn’t offer the automatic content of WPD but it does offer different benefits:

1. Quick and easy set-up of Wordpress blogs with the 60-second installer
2. Unlimited hosting included (buy the domain and point it at the hosting)
3. All the important Wordpress plugins already installed
4. Easy domain manager
5. Unlimited sites (for a limited time – that’s the current offer as of 07/07/10)

On top of this they also include full membership to the WAU with all the training, tools and support that goes with this. All for $97 per month.

While on the surface the 2 tools have a similar premise they are actually aimed at people with different needs and priorities.

Hopefully one of them will offer the functions and extras you are looking for

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Numerous people have been asking me what I really think of Wordpress Direct. I am one of those who has been lucky enough to use this as part of the Thirty Day Challenge, where it enabled thousands of challengers to get new blogs online quickly (and contributed to some excellent and fast rankings). But, with the big launch now taking place, the question I am being asked is, what uses does Wordpress Direct have and is this system right for my needs?

What is Wordpress Direct?

Wordpress Direct is a system that quickly creates multiple Wordpress blogs. You can set them up in seconds, once you have researched your main keywords, and the blogs come with the most useful plugins and are fully optimised. Unlike many other blog creation systems, all the blogs are hosted with your own blog host and you own the domains and overall control of the blogs (should you ever cancel).

Wordpress Direct will also create automated posts for you, legally gathering the information from other websites, so your blog can always look active to the search engines even if you don’t have much time to put into them.

Who is Wordpress Direct for?

Wordpress Direct is the perfect tool for anyone who: wants to create multiple niche blogs quickly and easily; wants their blog to be optimised for their keyword phrases; and isn’t concerned with every post being 100% original.

Who is Wordpress Direct NOT for?

Wordpress Direct is not for anyone who is creating one or two personal/business blogs that they want full control over and intend to write for and build-up over time. While it would still work for setting-up your blog quickly and provides a good optimisation structure, it probably wouldn’t be an effective use of your money. You would be better to pay to have someone create a blog that is unique to you.

Can I Create Multiple Wordpress Blogs like these without WPD?

Yes, these are essentially Wordpress blogs with a number of carefully selected plugins. If you know how to set up a Wordpress blog then you could create multiple blogs yourself (there is even software to enable you to clone previous blogs so you can do it quicker). The automated content is drawn from different places online (Youtube, Yahoo Answers etc.), which you can do yourself or pay someone else to do. You will also need to re-create the linking and blog structure for optimisation.

What Can I do with Wordpress Direct?

Wordpress Direct is perfect for: creating multiple Wordpress sites if you don’t know how and don’t have the time to learn; reviving old websites and/or domains that have been sitting gathering dust but which you don’t have the time or interest to build-up; creating blog networks each focused on a different microniche to build traffic and authority to a niche blog/website/ecommerce/service site. If you

You can then sell the individual blogs or networks based on traffic and/or PR, or use them to bolster your main business.

And, as the Thirty Day Challenge has shown, the system can be used to test microniche keywords quickly for traffic and commercial potential, without needing to invest too much time or money.

What are the Wordpress Direct Membership Levels and are there any other expenses?

The current offer is:

$1 trial for 45 days leading to the Bronze package at $37 per month (up to 10 blogs)

Silver is $97 per month for up to 20 blogs

Gold is $127 per month for 100 blogs

Platinum (currently unavailable)

As well as these subscriptions you will need to pay for domain names and hosting with one of the accepted cpanel hosts (I use Hostgator and Bluehost).

Pros of Wordpress Direct

* Wordpress Direct is quick and easy to set up. Doing this yourself will take a lot of time and continuous effort.

* There is no need to create new, original content all the time (those worried about duplicate content should know that the content is presented in such a way that doesn’t appear to receive any penalty – even if duplicate content is a true issue, which is another blog post in itself)

* Blogs are optimised for you

* You can add banner ads, one-off offers and adsense

* You can still monitor and select the auto content you like (and set it to supervised content)

* There are a number of useful videos that show you exactly how to set-up your blogs and automated content.

* You can easily install Google analytics and track your ranking within the dashboard.

Negatives of Wordpress Direct

* Some monitoring of auto content is needed to prevent odd stuff appearing or suddenly seeing 15 posts appearing all at the same time

* Wordpress Direct can only work with a limited number of hosting companies

* My own support issues were answered relatively quickly and satisfactorily, but I know others that have had genuine problems with the support system.

* There are still quirks in the system that need ironing out, such as multiple themes not working well with the system and/or having funky code in them (Wordpress Direct is working at pulling out or amending the dodgy themes)

* You cannot set up posting to go out at specific times or days like you can with Wordpress blogs (Wordpress Direct have said this feature will be implemented within the next few months)

* Images do not always format properly (I usually have to login to my main Wordpress admin to re-format the pictures).

* This is not a blogging panacea. While I had one blog rank well for a phrase match keyword phrase just from sitting there minus content, this is not to be expected in every case. You still need to implement a backlink strategy.

Would I Recommend Wordpress Direct?

A number of people have asked me this question and I find it difficult to answer, because it really depends on you and how you will use it.

Yes, I recommend Wordpress Direct if you are keen to build your own network of multiple Wordpress microniche blogs and/or revive old sites/domains with minimal effort (both of which I am doing). If your business model require blog clusters and siloing techniques then this is ideal for you.

You still need to monitor the sites and content and you still need to be prepared to build up backlinks and authority in order to rank well for your keywords. You will also need to be prepared to work with the quirks and not expect great things when you require support (that’s not to be unkind to WPD, just to point out that customer service has not been an overall strength so far).

I wouldn’t recommend Wordpress Direct if you don’t have a strategy in place to use the software to its full potential. If you only want a few blogs or hate the idea of allowing automated content onto your sites, then you have probably not grasped the concept and value of the system. These are not the sort of blogs that will gain you problogger status. The blogs are not “pretty” – you are not going to win any design awards for them, and some people can’t bear creating unremarkable websites. That said, they are not “ugly” but the themes are all fairly standard.*

Many people are going to hate the notion of Wordpress Direct because the blogs it creates are not personal, unique blogs like this one. There is no (or should be no) emotional attachment. This is another tool to test niches, build traffic and PR, and assist your linking strategies.

I am happy to recommend Wordpress Direct as a system for creating and maintaining multiple Wordpress blogs if you are going to use the system to its fullest, but if you simply want one or two blogs then I would suggest finding a good Wordpress course (there are some excellent free and paid tutorials available) and/or spending the money to have someone create a blog for you that you can update yourself on a regular basis.

There is a 45 day $1 trial, so if you are still undecided you can trial the system before you make your final decision.

*Since writing this, a number of people have pointed out that Wordpress Direct blogs can be personalised and made to look more ‘pretty’ and have even shown me evidence of this. So, I back down on this one and agree that there is scope for making your WPD blogs unique and personal. This involves logging into your admin panel and playing with the theme design, which will depend on your experience level with Wordpress blogs. I haven’t done much to mine as that isn’t the object of my use of Wordpress Direct.

Related Internet Marketing posts:

1. Another Thirty Day Challenge is Over…so How Did I Do?
2. My Thirty Day Challenge: Halfway Mark
3. My Crowd Mountain Review (at last)