Change a blog into a website
Today’s question:
I’ve heard that you can change a WordPress blog into a website. How? please
Technically a blog is a website. Just one that uses a CMS (Content Management System) as a backbone. It would be the same thing if you were using Joomla, PHP Nuke or many other CMS solutions.
The key in making a blog look like a “website” is selecting the theme. The software already allows you to set a static home page. (Log in to your dashboard – click settings – reading and you will see the options for a static front page and can set it page to show singly.) All you would need to do would be find a theme that is limited.
By limited I mean with only one sidebar and that you set up the widgets on that sidebar to only include a few limited items like categories, links etc. so it looks like a website.
The other item would be to go into the code and remove the comments. Even if you turn off comments most themes will display a commnets closed display. This is only if you don’t want people to have any idea you are using WordPress.
The problem with that is you just closed off one of the most powerful features of a blog – user generated content.
There are also some paid themes that have already done this for you. Semiologic has one that is really easy to point and click your way to a website look.
Probably my big question would be why you would want to do this and limit what the blog can do for you?
I basically use blogs for most of my sites unless it is a sales site or lead generation site. Then I put up a 3 -6 page minisite that has only the one purpose. (Quite often if I have a blog attached – most of the time – I use the squeeze page to also send blog updates. If you use Aweber you can automate that.)
Hope that answers your question and as always your comments and questions are welcomed.
Mike Paetzold
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3 comments
Anne Cox on May 10, 2008 at 10:06 am
Thanks for that Mike. It was my question. I wondered if it would be too stupid to warrant an answer, so double pleased!
[Reply]
Mike
Twitter: thewpmaven
on May 10, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Firm believer that there are no stupid questions if you don’t know the answer. One thing I have discovered over the years is that the little things that I take for granted can be huge stumbling blocks for someone just starting.
I try to address those little things here and at the podcast at Amplification Marketing News where we address what some would think of as basic or “stupid” questions without skipping steps.
I do understand how frustrating it can be to try and start at step 4 when you don’t even know what steps 1,2 and 3 are. It is not done on purpose by most but it happens because they ass/u/me everyone knows them.
[Reply]
Matt on May 16, 2008 at 11:18 am
Mike,
I am hoping you could share high level overview of what is required to “go to the code and remove the comments.” Is it somehthing someone with limited technical experience can do?
Kind regards,
Matt
[Reply]