Building a Web 2.0 and Social Media Optimized Site with WordPress

So, you’ve armed yourself with knowledge about Web 2.0 and social media, and now you’re really ready to tap into the power of the new, social Web? If you’ve decided to build your own Web 2.0 and social media optimized Web site to that end, here are a few steps you can follow to get started:

The most effective way to easily build an optimized site is with WordPress. Yes, WordPress is a blogging platform, but it can also be used as a content management system (CMS) to power your entire Web site.

Use these resources to get a good feel for how WordPress operates:

• WordPress
• The book, WordPress for Dummies

And, for an explanation of the basic elements of a WordPress site, check out “The Basic Anatomy of a WordPress site” post 

Planning your Site:

Make an ambitious list of what you would like to have on your site. Don’t hold back on an idea you may have for your site based on an assumption that it will be too difficult or too expensive to implement.

The plugins available for WordPress are at:

• http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

This site will give you ideas on the types of things you can add to your site. You will discover that you can easily utilize plugins to accomplish seemingly difficult functions.

I find these are pretty typical functions most entrepreneurs, small businesses, authors, and publishers are looking for:

• Image Galleries
• Streaming Video
• E-commerce
• Amazon Widgets
• Blogs/Podcasts/Vidcasts
• Random Quote Generators
• Newsletters
• Mailing list sign-up
• RSS feeds from other sources
• Events listings
• Forms for submissions
• Social Media Newsrooms

Choosing a Theme:

• Go to http://themes.wordpress.net/

Make certain you only search for themes that are “widget ready.”

• You can also purchase themes from TemplateMonster.com. Again, make certain any theme you choose is “widgetized.”
• Do not choose a theme before you plan your site, however. You want your theme to accommodate your content, not vice versa.
• Choose at least twelve themes that you like. You will find that you will not be able to use many themes that you choose for various reasons.
• Try and look only at the overall look and feel of a theme, with the idea that the colors, fonts, images, and most anything else can be customized to fit your needs.

Installing WordPress and Beyond:

• Use the following documentation to help with all of these steps:
  • http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress
  • http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Lessons

• Installing WordPress
  • Choose a host. WordPress works best on a WordPress-friendly host. I use WestHost. They are affordable, reliable, and have fantastic tech support. Their personal starter plan for $6.95 a month is all you will likely need.
  • For a list of other WordPress-friendly hosts, go to WordPress.org.
  • Carefully read the installation guide on WordPress.org. WordPress is installed differently when you use it as a CMS than if you only use it to blog.

• Next Steps
  • Installing your theme
  • Customizing your theme
  • Deciding which plugins you need based on your initial plan
  • Installing and setting up your plugins (Always read the readme.txt file!)
  • Setting up your sidebars
  • Building your pages
  • Posting blog entries