Make Your Own Themes

Archive for November, 2011

Question:

Hello, and thanks for trying to help!

I have a website that I’ve been using for a while. I designed it myself in HTML with CSS in Dreamweaver. I’ve decided that it would be a great idea to have a blog on it too, so my viewers can get more information. So, I looked into blog software. The only problem is that they give me no control over the way my entire site looks!

I tried WordPress, but word press made my whole site look dumb, and blank, and I didn’t want to sit and spend hours learning how to make a “WordPress Theme” that looked similar my website. What I’d like to do is use my current website, but have the blog in my content area (I have links and a header above it, and a footer below). A blog would be great so that the Devs and I could each log in, post a blog that would display who posted it and when, and would allow comments. I don’t really want/need much more than that.

Thanks a lot. I’ve been looking for a long time, and I know that the only options aren’t the one’s that seize complete design control from the user! Someone must have made a web designer/graphic artist friendly one by now!

Answer:

No, no, no.  You WANT to use WordPress.  However, make your own theme with a program called Artisteer.  You can use the same colors and graphics from your HTML site so them blend together.  Click here to download a free copy of Artisteer to try it out.  You’ll have complete control over how your blog looks.

Question:

I’ve had Blogger for a while and am just switching to WordPress.  I do not want to chose one of the themes WordPress has one their site. I searched on Google “free wordpress templates/layouts/themes” and I’ve found some that I’d like to use for my blog. When I click download, it downloads a zip file onto my PC. How do I get that onto my WordPress so that it becomes my WordPress template?  I found Blogger very intuitive with this, but WordPress is confusing me a tad.
Thank you so much!

Answer:

You can’t use another theme on WordPress.com.  If you want to use it you have to get a paid web hosting account and install it yourself.  Then you can upload all the themes and plugins you like.

I suggest getting a hosting plan from WebHostingHub.  They’re really good with WordPress.  I have an account with them.  Once you get your plan, login to your cPanel control panel and install WordPress from Fantastico in the Software section.  After you install it, the login to your WordPress Dashboard: Appearance: Themes: Install New.  After you install it, then Activate it.  if you have any problems, then contact tech support.  They are WordPress experts and will be able to help you out.  Happy blogging!

Question:

I want to create a forum site at my own domain name. The domain is registered at godaddy right now. I don’t really want to just link to a forum hosted on a “make-your-own-forum-from-a-template” site. I’d rather use software to build something completely independent and just have it hosted at godaddy (or somewhere else). I don’t have any web development experience but I’m otherwise pretty computer literate. What’s the best way to go about this?

Answer:

DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING hosted at godaddy.  Their web hosting sucks.  They’ll nickel and dime you to death with up-sells.  I’ve seen nothing but complaints about their control panel.  I had GD hosting for about 1/2 hr once.  I immediately cancelled my account.

You also don’t need software to build an online forum.  Seriously?  How are you going to handle security?  You’re not a coder and you’re computer illiterate.  The easiest, most secure way to build a forum is to use phpBB.  It’s forum software that’s already available in most web hosting control panels.  Depending on the software installer used, you’ll find it in the control panel in Fantastico De Luxe or SimpleScripts.  Everything’s already there.  Just install it and start “foruming”.

Here are some web hosting companies to checkout.  WebHostingHub, BlueHost, iPage, and HostGator.

Question:

I remember there was a free wordpress theme website ranked NO.1 in Google when I searched “wordpress theme”, recently, I can not find it. It is lost in Google, who can tell me its homepages and why it is lost in Google?

Answer:

Look in your browser history to see if you can find it.  If not, just search on “free wordpress themes”.  Don’t forget, Google’s not the only search engine out there.  Try Bing, too.