When looking for a content management system (CMS) to create and manage a web site, there are literally hundreds to choose from.  One that stands out from the crowd due to its ease of use and simple implementation is Wordpress.

Installation

The few items that should be checked prior to installation is whether or not PHP and MySQL are installed on the server where the web site resides and whether FTP access is enabled.  Wordpress relies on PHP and MySQL in order to work and the site must be accessible via FTP in order to upload files.  Once these items have been attended to, Wordpress can be downloaded and unzipped onto the user’s computer (not the web server at this point).  A database must be created on the web server as well as a user with the privileges set to access and utilize this newly created database.  Once the database has been created, the file named wp-config-sample.php needs to be renamed to wp-config.php then opened up and edited to reflect the details of the database previously created.  After the wp-config.php file is saved, the entire folder can then be uploaded to the web site at the root web location.

Configuring and adding

The installation of Wordpress is the hard part.  The easy and fun part is configuring and adding to the program.  There are a large number of plugins and themes available to make a web site one of a kind.  Plugins range from statistical gathering to comments to polls and much more.  If there is a need, guaranteed it has already been created as a plugin by someone.  At last count, there are over one thousand themes available at the Wordpress site and this number continuously grows.

The Wordpress site also has an extensive documentation area that covers installation, upgrading, file and plugin management and much more.  If a question can’t be answered within the documentation area, there is also a forums section overflowing with information from previously asked questions and people who are more than happy to help with wading through the ins and outs of Wordpress.

Showcasing

Once the Wordpress site is up, running and looking beautiful, Wordpress has a “Showcase” section on their web site.  This is a great way to show off a newly created site and gives peers a chance to review and rate different sites.  The Showcase area is also great for inspiration.  Some very beautiful and creative Wordpress sites are shown here.

Conclusion

Easy to install, simple and fun to add to and configure, great documentation and forum support, a way to show off new sites and free hosting – Wordpress is an excellent choice for managing web site content and building a beautiful new web site.

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