Many people think that WordPress is just a blogging platform. The truth is that Wordpress can be used to create just about any type of website in just a few steps! What's more, Wordpress is fully customizable - you can get it to function however you need it to function. If you want to learn how to create a website with WordPress, here are a few hints to help you get started.



1. WordPress works best when hosted independently. While you can cheaply use wordpress hosting, you will be forced to use a (dot) wordpress (dot) com domain names. If you want to use your own domain name (always a good idea if you want your website to have any credibility), you can download the free version of WordPress and install it yourself.

2. If you aren't very installation-savvy when it comes to web applications and platforms, you can ask a webmaster or choose a hosting company which supports php web programming language and MySql database. Both of which are a must for any wordpress website. Fantastico & Plesk, which are part of most website hosts, will also allow you to install WordPress with just a few clicks of your mouse. This means that your website can be up and running in a matter of minutes.

3. Take some time to find a WordPress template that works well with your type of website. If, for example, you want to sell a variety of affiliate products, you will want to choose a layout that looks more like a magazine or store than a blog.

4. Try to find a WordPress template that is advertising enhanced. This will allow you to integrate your Google Adsense codes and other advertising codes with very little programming. At the same time don't overdo it unless you prefer chasing your visitors off.

5. Learn enough HTML and CSS programming to tailor your template to your tastes. The nice thing about WordPress is that it is fully customizable-you can change colors, margins, fonts-everything! If you have the resources, you can get a webmaster or even hire someone to create a Custom WordPess template for you!

6. WordPress has thousands of plug-ins that will help you create mailing lists, regulate comments, keep the spammers at bay, etc. Utilize these plug-ins they will save you hours of coding.

Before you know it, you will have turned a standard WordPress installation into a completely customized and functioning website. Whether you want to run an online 'zine, open a web-store, start a blog or create a topic-centric website that makes its money with advertising, WordPress can do all of these things for you and it can do all of them for absolutely free.

Or just have a webmaster install it for you -- we have some really good webmasters that can help.