Where to Start with build a personal site and WordPress, CSS and CMS

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+2 Q:

Where to Start with build a personal site and WordPress, CSS and CMS

Hey guys im in a very confused state of mind at the moment and need some help with Word Press and generally starting a website. My parents have had a business for 20 years and have finally decided to get a website!

As im studying IT and Business i said id get it done for them. Rather than design it from scratch i used a template which i bought from themeforest.net (awesome template!) and yesterday a friend mentioned in passing using word press as a CMS which i had never heard of before, and he left before i could ask any questions.

SO basically i have a site working on my computer and i have no idea how to get it live as a .com or .com.au, so far as i can see wordpress is a blog with .wordpress.com which isnt what im looking for.

Thanks in advance Simon

You'll want to sign up with a web hosting provider (site5, dreamhost etc) and register a domain name. Once that's setup you can use the control panels from the hosts to install WordPress, plop in your theme and add content. It's often a one click affair to get WordPress installed, just be mindful of security updates as new versions come out.

Alistair 2010-05-23 15:13:42

thanks al that explains what i want to do perfectly lol :) +1

Simon 2010-05-23 15:23:47

Wordpress.com can host blogs, but if you want to install it on you own hosting server you can download the blog platform from wordpress.org and install it on your own server.

The only thing you have to be sure of is if the template you downloaded is for wordpress or not.

klez 2010-05-23 15:16:13

I dont have my own server at home klez so i was thinking that i would get someone else to host it. the template i have is a WP theme i made sure of that. My parents have the domain already beacause turns out they bought it a while back. will i be able to get somewhere like "godaddy" thats the only place i know of, to host it? and will they have this WP integration?

Simon 2010-05-23 15:22:50

yes, I was not talking about hosting it at your home :-D. Yes, almost any hosting that supports php and mysql will be able to host a wordpress blog.

klez 2010-05-23 15:24:14

ahh good haha :) excuse my idioicty but i basically need to- go to a hosting site-upload the template i got as a zip file or just folder-download word press or set up the word press interface through the company- get praised by parents....

Simon 2010-05-23 15:27:26

There is a difference between http://wordpress.com and http://wordpress.org In your case I think you might want to use http://wordpress.org It is a great free and open source CMS Most web hosts come with the facility of installing WP using stuff like Fantastico.

Shubh 2010-05-23 15:17:55

Make sure your template is built for wordpress

Shubh 2010-05-23 15:23:54

thanks shubhkarman, so you recoment Fantastico for hosting?

Simon 2010-05-23 15:24:20

Hey! Fantastico is not a web host. Most of the web hosts come with a control panel called cPanel. It usually includes something called Fantastico. It is actually script which can automatically install wordpress on your server for you.

Shubh 2010-05-23 15:30:37

ahhhhhhh yep im ya now thanks heaps man :) ive got a long day ahead of me tomorrow!

Simon 2010-05-23 15:33:36

+3 A:

It seems like you have two questions here:

Q1. i have a site working on my computer and i have no idea how to get it live as a .com or .com.au?

You will need to get a domain name (www.something.com or .com.au) and a Web Hosting Provider where you can upload your site to. Some Web Hosting Providers provide the service of registering a domain name for you, so that you don't have to do it on your own. Take a look at the following links for more info:

http://www.hostcompare.com/guide/guidetohosting.html

http://www.hostcompare.com/

Q2. a friend mentioned in passing using word press as a CMS which i had never heard of before?

Depending on your needs a CMS could be helpful. It allows you to easily update your sites content online and most CMSs come with additional components such as paypal integration and the such that can be easily added to the site. Wordpress is one example of a CMS. Note that if you do want to use Wordpress or any other CMS you will need to make sure that:

The hosting provider you chose provides the necessary requirements for it. Ex. PHP, ASP.Net, MySQL, etc...
There is a version of the template that you purchased for the CMS you choose. If not, then you will have to do some custom coding to get the template to work.

If the site you have only contains a small number of static pages, then a CMS might be overkill. This doesn't mean that you can't migrate your site to a CMS in the future if needed.

Hope this helps.

Waleed Al-Balooshi 2010-05-23 15:35:30

"Hope this helps" - yes! yes it does! much appreciated Waleed, a well designed answer + 1 :)

Simon 2010-05-23 15:42:41

Thanks and good luck with the webpage. :)

Waleed Al-Balooshi 2010-05-23 17:15:31

I have the same issue. I have purchased my domain from godaddy.com. However I'm still not sure were or how to host my site. I currently looking a hostmoster.com, because the price is right and it will host a CMS. I've decide to use WordPress or Drupal. I need something that will allow me to grow an online business. I think I will use Drupal, However it will take some time to learn. I'm currently testing Drupal on drupalgardens.com a drupal hosting company. They have a free option like wordpress.org. They will allow you to export the site and host it on another site later.

CMS Video Tutorials

http://php.opensourcecms.com/free/videos.php

Dorian 2010-05-23 16:14:27

ansaurus

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Where to Start with build a personal site and WordPress, CSS and CMS

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