Could anyone use WordPress to create/host their site? I have tried a few of the sitebuilders and have not been happy with the turnout. I don't completely understand SEO, CSS, etc. But I do want a nice looking site that can rank well with Google.

Hi Lisa,
I think WordPress is a great CMS and it is Google friendly-so much so that we just rebuilt a site for a new client - didn't change the design at all, just recoded it to CSS and used WP as the CMS and it's fabulous - indexing properly now and very easy to manage from the backend.

It's a great option if you're willing to put the time into your design. Or, you could always use a template and work around that.

As to the hosting, I wouldn't recommend just starting a blog on WP and calling that your business site. I'm assuming you'll want to buy a domain name and have proper hosting somewhere - that would be more beneficial to your business goals and would make sense in terms of SEO.

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There is only one free CMS that I think is more flexible and gives you the ability to do so much more than WP and that is Dupral.

I think if you are just starting out it helps you learn about PHP, CSS and SQL. As it's Open Source it also has a great community who are also willing to help and it's guides on getting started are extensive. The main download comes with the following functionality and then there are many many modules that you can download in addition, they cover every type of website functionality you could possibly want:

* Aggregator: publishing syndicated content
* Block: controlling content in the sidebars
* Blog: a blog for every user
* BlogApi: post from blog tools
* Book: structured document publishing
* Color: Allows the user to change the color scheme of certain themes
* Comment: allow comments on content
* Contact: a way for users to get in touch
* Content translation: translating posts to different languages
* Dblog: Capture system events in log
* Drupal: Drupal sites directory server
* Filter: Input formats for user content
* Forum: create threaded discussions
* Help: context-sensitive guidance
* Legacy: remapping of old-style URLs
* Locale: multi-language support
* Menu: customize site navigation
* Node: the content
* Open ID
* Path: readable URLs
* PHP Filter: Include PHP code in posts
* Ping: notify services of changes
* Poll: community voting
* Profile: extending user account information
* Search: an internal site search system
* Statistics: tracking referrers, page hits, etc.
* Syslog: OS-integrated logging
* System: cron and caching
* Taxonomy: A way to organize content
* Throttle: congestion control
* Tracker: viewing new and updated content
* Trigger: Assign actions to system events
* Update status: Monitor for new releases of modules
* Upload: collaborate with files
* User: access and management settings
* Watchdog: monitor your site

I would agree with Tess that your own domain and independent hosting are the way to go. It should be noted that there are still some issues with Google indexing WP hosted blogs.

Hehe well that went on longer than I thought it would! Sorry got a bit carried away lol.

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Kittie
Indigo Girl - Your Girl Friday

Ladies

Forgive if I appear slow.....well I am in the case of website design.

But..are you saying that I should find a host, obtain a domain name and build a site on my own or create a site on Wordpress, or Dupral? Which is going to best long term? And which will be easier for a novice?

Hi Lisa,

Wordpress CAN be used with an independent server. There are two versions. Wordpress.com - which is hosted by them and Wordpress.org which you can download and then put on your server via an FTP program. This give you more control and chances are, not be shut-down or lose information. I would totally recommend the .org one.

I have my webiste completely on wordpress.org but it is on my server! I've incorporated my blog/website/contact/services all in one. You can check it out at Perfect Solutions - A Virtual Assistan's Life

If you would like 10 free instructional videos to download and install Wordpress. Go to Becomeablogger.com What I did then is just added my website as pages so I had the complete package.

Hope this helps

Sorry for the delay in responding but we have had a snow event!!! It doesn't normally snow in London or at least the snow doesn't usually settle but we have got about a foot and a half of it!!!

As Lisa (Perfect Solutions) said you can use a Wordpress template to start you off as long as you don't really want anything too interactive. She is absolutely right do not host it with them.

If you are not hosting yourself on your own server then you need to get a hosting package through a reputable hosting service. If you are able to purchase a business plan with them it will come with all the tools you need to set up your site, templates, shopping cart and so on.

It really comes down to personal preference you can try both out for free together with whatever comes with your hosting package! Play around with them and see what suits you best. All three services will have helpful tutorials to help you get started.

Let us know how you get on, good luck : )

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Kittie
Indigo Girl - Your Girl Friday

Thanks to all who answered.

If I build on wordpress will people be able to click links, etc. ? Or is it just a basic page? If I decide to move my site will I have to redo the whole thing if I initially set up on wordpress?

Is WordPress just an avenue to get something decent up while I am getting started?

Hi Lisa,

I would recommend going to WordPress.com and signing up by creating a test site with them. When you have the chance to name your blog, do not use your business name. For example, if you choose bluesky it would be bluesky.wordpress.com.

The reason everyone suggests to NOT host with WordPress.com is because the ".wordpress.com" after your business link doesn't look as professional. Also, you have fewer customization options. However, I do suggest you sign up with a test account so you can learn what WordPress is like, and see if this is something you would like to use for your business.

If you like the idea of using WordPress for your business site, you can then do the following:
1) register a domain name for your company
(godaddy.com is often recommended for a domain registrar)
2) sign up for a web hosting package. There are many threads on this forum about how to choose a host - but feel free to ask me if you have questions or would like a recommendation
3) install WordPress on to your own web host
4) Change the options in WordPress to now reflect your business name/business domain.
5) ignore the test site you created on WordPress.com - it's no longer needed

Once you have tried out WordPress.com you will know if WordPress is an option for you. The software is more or less the same, but the .com version will only allow you to use a theme that they provide.

And... you have one more option. If you like WordPress.com and do not mind the theme (customization) limitations, you CAN use your own domain with them. For $10 or $15 a year, you can point your own domain to free site you have created (http://en.wordpress.com/products/).

Hope this helps!

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Sharon Rosen
Intelafina

You can also use a wordpress.com blog and redirect your blog to your domain name (requires domain name purchase only not hosting services). I am doing this right now. It gets rid of the "wordpress" after your company name. This is temporary for me until I can get my website up and running. And in the mean time I have my company name for when I want to just have my blog up and running as a blog.

As it's been suggested Wordpress would be great to use as your website, it's very easy to use!

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Edna

I was able to tweak my template a little but I still don't think I have as much control as I would like to have with it.