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Can I use WordPress.com as a CMS vs. Building Site on Go Daddy?

  1. piperlori
    Member

    I want to create a domain with a personal name (my pen name). (I'm a writer.) This will be my brand. The content of this domain will have several of my blogs (like one I just created titled Pundit Pie), links to business that I am starting, etc. You could view it as a kind of Master Index.

    I do NOT how to build a web site nor do I want to pay for that to be done right now.

    So, in lieu of that, can I register this pen/brand name Word Press as a dot.com? In other words, can a Word Press blog be used as a CMS? This would be ideal for me because of the fact that its hosted by WP, so I won't have to worry that I don't have the technical skills (coding, etc) to build a web site?

    To reiterate, I need a Master Site, with sub sites underneath that. Can this be done with WordPress.com—using it as a kind of CMS? Or will I have to register my Master Site name (pen/brand name) with Go Daddy, then point visitors to all my Word Press blogs, etc.?

  2. raincoaster
    Member

    WordPress.com is an awesome CMS, but no, you cannot have a Master Site with sub-sites.

    For something like that, you want WordPress.ORG software and external hosting, although I wouldn't recommend GoDaddy. You can probably expect to pay a designer or consultant to make it work. What you are asking for isn't simple.

  3. piperlori
    Member

    OK, thanks. So, who would your recommend for technophobes? I really can't afford to hire a web designer right now. Do I need to buy "Web Site Building for Creative-Type Dummies Who Don't Know Code And Never Want to"?

  4. piperlori
    Member

    Sorry, I meant to say, Who would you recommend as an external hosting service?

  5. raincoaster
    Member

    I cannot recommend external hosting services, as I don't use them. Look in the forums on WordPress.ORG.

    You might also want to look into Buddypress.org.

  6. piperlori
    Member

    Thanks!

  7. luvsiesous2000
    Inactive

    PiperLori,

    Any web hosting service can give you adequate support.

    Some of the big ones are GoDaddy, HostGator, and RackSpace.

    Or, you can do it on WordPress like I am doing now and move in the future.

    I may be moving real soon if they don't fix some of their "happiness" problems.

    Wayne

  8. justjennifer
    Member

    @piperlori- What do you mean exactly by sub-sites?

    On some WordPress.com themes you can set up a Custom Menu to highlight/display certain categories on their own pages and you can also run multiple WordPress.com sites, though that would mean buying not only the domain and mapping, but also buying mapping for subdomains.

  9. timethief
    Member

    @piperlori
    I agree with raincoaster. For a light weith CMS I would go with WordPress.org software. For a heavy weight CMS I would go with Joomla as thesacredpath, who has experience in this regard advises. However, for technophobes who lack the required skills I would not recommend either one as you have to know exactly what you are doing to manage and maintain a CMS properly.

  10. timethief
    Member

    @piperlori
    What justjennifer posted above is important.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/
    On WordPress.com you can register a new domain through WordPress.com.
    http://support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/register-domain/
    On WordPress.com, you can use a subdomain of a domain that you already own as your blog’s domain.
    http://support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/map-existing-domain/
    Mapping a subdomain with the Domain Mapping Upgrade costs $12.00 per subdomain, per blog, per year.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/map-subdomain/

  11. piperlori
    Member

    @ justjennifer - Okay, I think I get it. Per what "Just Jennifer" said I can actually use WP.com (on some themes),Custom Menus as a kind of CMS/Master Site?

    Is this correct? If so how do I find which themes do that exactly?:

    @timethief - How hard is WordPress.org to use? I say I'm a "technophobe" because I don't want to spend/waste creative time on figuring how tech stuff. I probably could eventually figure out how to use WP.org...the question is, is it worth it? I think I'd like to FIRST use all the capabilities of WP.com until I'm prosperous enough to afford a web designer...then I can switch over to an external Web Host like BlueHost or Fat Cow.

    FYI: I built my entire writing portfolio using Word Press (under a different name) without too much pain but I think that if I had to go beyond that I'd have to be hospitalized for what I call "tech stress."

    @ luvsiesous2000 What are the "Happiness" problems you're referring to.

    Finally, would someone like me benefit from using Premium themes? Are the so-called premium themes all that much better then the free ones? I know they offer free support, but then so do you guys, albeit on a volunteer basis.

    Thanks for all your input. Don't know what I would do without it!

  12. timethief
    Member

    @piperlori
    I'm going to be frank with you. From reading what you have posted into forum threads it's my opinion that you lack the skills required to set up, operate and maintain a CMS. I'll go a little further and state this. It's my opinion that the questions you are asking here point clearly to your need to hire a consultant. Also note the financial implications of what I posted here > http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/can-i-use-wordpresscom-as-a-cms-vs-building-site-on-go-daddy?replies=11#post-826978

  13. piperlori
    Member

    Uh, the link you inserted brought me back to this same page; ergo, I don't know what you're referring to when you say, "financial implications."

    RE: I don't have the funds at present to hire a consultant. If I had, I wouldn't be posting here.

    What JustJennifer said seemed clear to me. In response to her most recent post, I asked her how to pick a WP theme that did what she said. I'm hoping that she will respond with that answer.

    RE: Skills. Keep in mind that I DID build an entire writing portfolio using a WP Premium them that DID bring me work. So I must not be all that lacking in skills. DId I understand everything it did or could do? No, but I understood enough at the time (it's been awhile so I forgot a lot of what I learned) to make it serviceable for my most immediate needs.

    I just don't always understand the tech speak used here. It's obvious from your web site that you spend considerable time in the WP world. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time so I have to muddle through the best that I can. To me, WP is simply a means to an end. Just like a car is a means for me to get from A to Z but I certainly have no desire to become an expert on car engines in order to get to my destination.

    Like I said, I appreciate ALL input given to me here. I do sincerely apologize if I sometimes ask the same question twice. What else can I say except that I'm an extremely right-brain person stuck in a left-brain culture where technology is king, and creativity its unwilling servant.

  14. timethief
    Member

    To reiterate, I need a Master Site, with sub sites underneath that. ...

    On some WordPress.com themes you can set up a Custom Menu to highlight/display certain categories on their own pages and you can also run multiple WordPress.com sites, though that would mean buying not only the domain and mapping, but also buying mapping for subdomains.

    Mapping a subdomain with the Domain Mapping Upgrade costs $12.00 per subdomain, per blog, per year.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/map-subdomain/

    It's my opinion that the theme is not the issue here at all. We can create a custom menu and include custom links in it. The themes that are best suited for this are the many that have horizontal menus, though others can be used too. If you have several blogs you could have a custom menu and have tabs to each of the individual blogs in that custom menu. That's minor. What's major is that each and every sub-domain you map is a paid upgrade.

  15. piperlori
    Member

    "What's major is that each and every sub-domain you map is a paid upgrade. "

    Well after exploring the dark and murky waters of web hosting sites, I've come to the conclusion that it's better to pay for upgrades on WP then be bilked every time you turn around via all kinds of hidden charges, etc. and manipulative sales techniques.
    Plus, I simply don't understand all the nuances of web hosting enough to know one from the other in terms of ultimate benefit.

    What I've gone through just to try and register a domain you wouldn't believe. I have 25 domains currently registered on Go Daddy and wanted to transfer them (because I think GD is slimy) only to have the worst experiences ever ... and not just from one web hosting service. (And don't try and get an honest review from any site out there claiming to give "unbiased" reviews of the various web hosting services. 99.9% of them, I discovered, get paid to give those reviews ... in one form or the other.)

    All that to say, maybe it will cost me more to register domains, get upgrades, etc., On WP, but at least I'll feel "taken care of" vs. being taken to the cleaners. Maybe I'm naive but I do feel that at least WP is above board and upfront with their charges, etc.

    Plus it's chock full of helpful people vs. agenda-driven salesmen. :)

    Thanks. I will investigate the themes again for one most conducive to my needs.

  16. timethief
    Member

    have 25 domains currently registered on Go Daddy and wanted to transfer them

    Transferring a Domain to WordPress.com
    We do not currently accept incoming domain transfers. If you already have a domain and you want to use it with your WordPress.com, follow the instructions for mapping an existing domain to your WordPress.com blog. http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/#transferring-a-domain-to-wordpress-com

  17. raincoaster
    Member

    What you are asking is NOT simple. Typically you'd work with a consultant for a month or more to get this set up.

    You want to do it on a platform which isn't ideally suited for it, for free. I honestly think you're getting in over your head. I suggest you contact staff via your Dashboard Help button and give them a full outline of what you're planning. I frankly don't think what you're asking is possible here without MAJOR workarounds that are going to take about 40 hours of your time minimum to set up, and then it won't work quite the way you want.

  18. piperlori
    Member

    @have 25 domains currently registered on Go Daddy and wanted to transfer them

    I wasn't interested in transferring any of my existing domains to WP. Those are "in storage" to be used at a later date when I'm ready to use them for their intended purposes. I just wanted to "store" them somewhere else other then at Go Daddy as I don't want to support their business.

    What I was referring to were the NEW domains that I just registered at WP as a wordpress.com, but now want to register as .com's. So really, it will only end up being about three of them at the most.

    Sorry, because I realize that I did not make that clear!

  19. piperlori
    Member

    @raincoaster "What you are asking is NOT simple. Typically you'd work with a consultant for a month or more to get this set up."

    I see. Well, I did already contact WP Support with just that question. So I'm ahead of you there. So, you're saying that even if I purchased a Premium theme, what I'm looking to extends beyond the capabilities of the Premium Support people (who I was told at one point are actually the creators of the various themes)? And WP support?

    So, when you're saying a "consultant", are you referring to a Web designer? A webmaster? Someone who specializes in WP software AND the WordPress.com platform? If this is really that complicated then am I better off going with WordPress.org and using a self-hosted site? If that is the case, I would still need a consultant would I not?

    Maybe there is a book and/or site out there that can give me a step-by-step process on how to do what I want? Like an Advanced Word Press manual of some sort?

    I'm not being cheap, mind you, it's just that I was laid off from my staff writer job and am trying to launch my own creative enterprises on a shoestring budget (and I do mean shoestring).

    Frustrating, is all I can say!

  20. raincoaster
    Member

    I want to create a domain with a personal name (my pen name). (I'm a writer.) This will be my brand. The content of this domain will have several of my blogs (like one I just created titled Pundit Pie), links to business that I am starting, etc. You could view it as a kind of Master Index.

    Then this is NOT what you need.

    What you need, and I speak from experience, is ONE site. With multiple categories, a Custom Menu, and a clean theme.

    Completely drop the idea of becoming some kind of webmaster, ruling a kingdom of sites. You don't need them, you won't have time to keep them all updated, and they will only confuse if not bewilder people trying to find out whether or not they should give you writing work.

    My advice (again, from the perspective of a writer who used her blog to get many jobs) is to buy a custom domain and the No Ads upgrade and that's IT. You might want a nice clean theme that has customization options like a custom header and custom colours, and a tabbed header.

    Then just blog.

    If for some reason you have a huge pushback on this, tell me why. Tell me what you need and exactly why. If you don't have a pushback on it, read http://learn.wordpress.com and just get started. The #1 mistake I see beginners making is farting around with theme and structure when they should get started.

  21. justjennifer
    Member

    @piperlori as you can see, there are several options in setting up what you want. Both tt and rain are way experienced and have offered you excellent opinions.

    By way of example: A while back there was a photographer who set up her site on 3rd party hosting (ie not WordPress.com), but wanted the ease of use of maintaining her blog here. She set up both her sites using the same theme and mapped a subdomain of her domain to her WordPress.com blog. The entire thing was seamless and very well done. Whether she hired someone to do it for her or not, I do not know, but it does take some understanding of the nuts and bolts.

    Just make certain that regardless of what way you decide to go, that any site you may end up setting up on WordPress.com complies with the ToS, because WordPress.com can and will shut down sites that don't. If you have the smallest question on whether something is OK or not, please ask Support directly because they are the ones who have the final say. Please read the links that tt gave you above about domain mapping and what it does and does not allow you to do.

    On my personal site, I'm using a theme that has a Custom Menu which includes links to at least three of my other WordPress.com sites as well as off-site links. You can read more about setting up Custom Menus here: http://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/ and http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/custom-menus/

  22. piperlori
    Member

    Thanks, Jennifer. Would you mind giving me a link to your personal site so that I can see what you did?

    I'd love to see examples of what you're talking about.

    RE: WP Support. I tried contacting them with my questions, but I still haven't heard back from them and it's been two days.

    Guess the only way to really get help I need is to buy a Premium theme.

    I did contact a site called Solostream (really nice) and they said that for $200-400 they could help me do the third party hosting thing with the Master Site and links to subdomains.

    But I think I should try and use WP.com first.

    Sigh. "If I only had a brain." (tech wise).

  23. piperlori
    Member

    Where would I find that TOS? And what could I possibly do that wouldn't comply with those? (I probably wouldn't even understand whatever it is that I'm not supposed to do anyway.)

    I built my writing portfolio using WP (premium theme) by the seat of my pants and managed to build an extensive, fairly navigable site though I have no idea of how I did it.
    (It was awhile ago.)

    Methinks I will have to do my blogs the same way. Step by step, figure it out as I go, even though I don't have much of an idea of what I'm doing.

    Oh well.

  24. piperlori
    Member

    @raincoaster My advice (again, from the perspective of a writer who used her blog to get many jobs) is to buy a custom domain and the No Ads upgrade and that's IT.

    First, by "custom domain" do you mean "PREMIIUM' domain? If not, I'm not sure what "custom domain" means.

    Second, I already have a writing portfolio, so I'm not looking to build one of those. Rather I'm looking to write several blogs, plus have several WP sites that will serve as a kind of CMS (for two businesses that I'm starting).

    The blogs that I write will be added to my existing writing portfolio for those clients looking for more samples of my blog writing. ( I have an extensive blog that I wrote for a client that was built on Google's blog software.)

    Third, I COMPLETELY agree with you statement: The #1 mistake I see beginners making is farting around with theme and structure when they should get started.

    So, help me stop farting around and just tell me (a) if you meant "premium" theme, and, if so, which one as writer would YOU recommend. My existing portfolio is on Headlines by Woo.

  25. raincoaster
    Member

    If you're not sure what "custom domain" means, don't start buying upgrades. It just means paying to use Whatever.com instead of Whatever.Wordpress.com.

    Just pick a free theme that looks good to you, is easy to navigate, and has lots of white space. Several of the newer ones are very jazzy and customizable, as well as looking clean. There is no reason to buy a premium theme except that you simply cannot live without that particular theme. It doesn't get you anything at all but a theme; no extra support, nothing.

    Why don't you tell us what you mean by "CMS." WordPress IS a CMS and you use it whenever you upload content, ie blog. Tell us how these other sites would differ from blogs.

  26. timethief
    Member

    CMS stands for content mangement system and a WordPpress.org install with apprpriate plugins becomes a fully fledged light-weight CMS. WordPress.com blogs have no FTP access and we cannot upload plugins into them. Our ability to use the WordPress.com software is more limited than WordPress.org software. For heavy weight CMS you are looking at Joomla software. There are those who advetise CMS themes and that gimmick sucks in people who do not comprehend that it's not the theme that supporst creating a CMS it';s the software underlying it.

    Like raincoaster I want to cut to the chase here. Select a WordPress.com theme - any theme and start blogging.

  27. timethief
    Member

    P.S. I apologize for the typos. I have an issue with my eyesight right now but the good news is that it will improve over time.

  28. raincoaster
    Member

    CMS just means Content Management System. What are you going to upload that's more complicated than text?

  29. piperlori
    Member

    @ raincoaster - CMS just means Content Management System. What are you going to upload that's more complicated than text?

    Text, photos, videos and links to other blogs (including my own.)

    That's it's. I did all that with my writing portfolio (using premium theme Headlines by Woo where yes, I did get "extra support" ) and it worked great, though the videos eventually turned into unwanted advertising. Guess I need to buy the "No Ad" upgrade to get rid of those.

    It's good to know that I don't need a premium theme to do what I need to do.

    So...onward and upward ...

  30. justjennifer
    Member

    Sorry for coming back so late. I'd forgotten to subscribe to the thread. :->

    Terms of Service: linked at the bottom of each and every page here on the forums. http://en.wordpress.com/tos/ specifically the types of blogs allowed.

    So, hit that Learn WordPress.com link and get going.

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