Using WordPress as a Content Management System

This article will focus mainly on expounding the ways on how users can make use of the well liked open-source blogging software that can be used for a complete Content Management System (CMS). This is the famous Wordpress, a semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. A user should have the knowledge on installing WordPress, basic PHP skills, adept in writing CSS/XHTML, and adding plugins to WordPress. Essentially, wordpress is a CMS but it deviates from the traditional layout of websites by featuring posts in reverse chronological order on the homepage resulting in a timeline of thoughts with the most recent on top. It is not random articles and media spread across the homepage. There are two different sets of instructions to follow depending on the version of Wordpress you are using:

Wordpress 2.1 and later

1. Navigate in your wordpress admin to Options>>Reading and select a static page as your homepage - This will remove the blog layout (list post from most recent to oldest) and use a page you had created as your homepage. Another option is to create a page called home.php and use the wordpress codex to ‘call’ for various pages, categories, posts and a range of other page elements. Some intermediary knowledge of php and the wordpress codex will be needed.
2. This page will now be the first page visitors will see. you can add media, articles, recent news etc to this page and place them on the page as dictated by your CSS. More PHP skills will be need to achieve more of a ‘website look’ but for now this will do.
3. Next create some pages - Wordpress gives you the option of creating virtually an unlimited number of static pages that can be configured with templates and virtually and unlimited range of media. Some pages that will be need to be created to gibe that ‘website’ look are; The Contact page, About.
4. Create a blog page - This is optional but it gives the appearance of a website with blog: Create a page called ‘blog and publish it (no need to add any content). Next navigate in your wordpress admin to Options>>Reading and select the page blog to show blog posts. So you should have a menu setup like HOME | BLOG | ABOUT | CONTACT

Once all that is done you will have a website using Wordpress as a CMS in its most basic form.

Some Plugins that will help achieve this feat are:

Breadcrumbs Navigation

Fold Category Lists

Blogroll Page: Create a links page from your blogroll

Wordpress 2.1 and earlier

1. Download and Install WordPress as well as the plugins. The plugins needed are as follows:

• Filosofo Home Page Control is a plugin that allows a user to alter the default homepage for the WordPress installation. This is in case one doesn’t agree of having the blog as a default WP homepage.
• The Sidebar Tile Plugin lets the user change the sidebar via WP Manage Pages tab found in the WordPress Admin segment of the website.
• The Improved Include Page, is a kind of plug in that permits a user in identifying one page from another; this plugin is useful for an introduction of the homepage.
• Secure Form Mailer is considered a first-rate contact form plugin for WordPress. e) The Search Pages, this will widen the search functions of WP’s through pages, and not just mere posts in the blog.

2. Install the Filosofo Homepage Control plugin. With the use of preferred FTP software, upload the filosofo-home-page-control.php file into the WordPress plugins directory. Next, Login to the WordPress Admin and set off or activate the plugin by simply clicking the Plugins tab. Then, click Options and Permalinks found in the WordPress Admin main navigation. From a variety of radio buttons a user must choose the Date and Name.
3. After that, Click Options » Home-Page Control and choose the page that would serve as the homepage by using the dropdown menu. Afterwards is the text field where one can set the virtual “folder” directory that will serve as the home of the blog as it will no longer be placed in the root path of the WordPress. There is no need for the user to create a real directory on the web server, typing the name in the WordPress will already meet the requirements. Finally, click Options » Permalinks.
4. Install the Sidebar Tile Plugin. First thing to do is to upload the sem-tile-sidebar.php file into the WordPress plugins directory. Next, Login to the WordPress Admin and set-off the plugin by clicking on the Plugins tab. Then, add the following code to the sidebar: <?php the_sidebar_tile(); ?> , Click on to Write > Pages in the WordPress Admin. Then make a page called Sidebar.
5. Install the Dagon Design Contact Form. This is a good plugin use to detect SPAM. Finally, set up the Search Pages Plugin and upload the search_pages.php file to the Plugins directory and activate the plugin.

Now that everything is set, customizing and arranging the site should be done according to a user‘s preference and other theme that would fit the content.

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