WP Noob - Need some help please.

[AMPWS]

Hey guys. I've been using bluevoda for the past year to build my business website and host it via BV. Recently, I've been thinking about redoing my website to look more professional. It seems that you just can't get the pro look to your website with the free builder. So, I'm thinking about using a WP theme..but I have a few questions. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Basically, I just need to know the process of taking a WP site from completion to publishing and uploading. Do I need to create a different directory to install all the WP stuff too ? Right now, I just build a site, click publish and it works. Will I need to go into the FTP manager and modify anything ? I don't want a site that looks a blog, but rather use existing themes and modify them.

If somebody could just give me a few hints or point me in the right direction as to how to take a site and upload it properly (so that when you type my domain in it goes to my site) I would really appreciate it. I am a total noob when it comes to WP. Thanks for any help.

[DarrenC]

Re: WP Noob - Need some help please.

Wordpress is quite a straight forward really and can be installed via fantastico in your Control Panel. Once you've installed it and chosen your theme you can actually put it together very quickly especially if you are copying content from a previous site.

When installing it pay close attention to all the instructions so you don't lose or forget login information etc for the admin (It does email you, but just in case)

Now if you are wanting to ''replace'' a site and I am assuming you are using Bluevoda, take down just the index page from the server via the built in ftp. If you don't, Wordpress will not install to that directory.

The other reason I say just the index page is because if you don't get on with Wordpress you can uninstall it, again via Fantastico and then republish your Bluevoda index page and then you are back to where you were.

If you do get on with Wordpress and you are going to settle with it, go back to the server and then remove all the other BV generated pages. Should a visitor visit one of these old pages they will be taken to a custom error page generated by your Wordpress theme so your visitor will still be on your site.

This is how I did it, because I jump in with both feet...lol

If you want to test & play with it first create a folder within your site on the server and call it 'wordpress' or something and when you install it just look for the domain and the folder.

The site address in my example would be www.mysite.com/wordpress

If you think you've made in a mistake just uninstall it and try again (Always via Fantastico)

Although I think its fairly easy, it is quite a big topic but I would say nothing ventured, nothing gained.