Comments on: Using WordPress as a CMS

By: BJ

BJ — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 01:43:05 +0000

David, I have two "test blog" setups on this domain, a 1.5.x setup and a 2.0 setup where I test themes. That way the client can look and changes can be made and approved before code is shipped. I have testbeds for other scripts elsewhere. Re the URL thing moving from Windows to Apache. I did a WordPress site recently where the guy was moving off an asp cms that created the most godawful ugly unspiderable urls imaginable. In that particular case we didn't even worry about redirects, we simply had Spidermeister Shawn convert the whole mess to static html and included it on the new site as "the archive". Urls were all different and there was some resulting 404 mess at first, which we cured within an hour or so by using .htaccess to refer 404s to a php script that simply redirected in the kindest way to the new index page of the site. The other thing we did was include real sitemaps in 4 formats so that the new hierarchichal structure would be picked up ASAP. Did the site suffer a bit in the SEs? Yes, but it also recovered VERY quickly and the spiders have been all over the newly structured site. I know what the approximate traffic was before the site was moved. It's now increasing nicely off those numbers. More info on the asp to html conversion here.

By: David McDonald

David McDonald — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 04:54:44 +0000

I have been starting to set the same thing up for my clients as well. However, there are a few points which I haven’t quite solved yet:

Staging Area – if the client has an existing site, then you need to set up a staging area somewhere whilst building the site for the client, so they can review it.

URLS – If the client has an existing site, say on Windows/IIS, and you move them over to WordPress on Apache/PHP, then the URL’s for pages on the new site are going to be different. How do you manage this using redirects etc? Example if the old site had a page contact.asp, how do you know setup on the server to redirect to/contact or /contact.php?

I would love to hear more about real life examples of using WordPress as a CMS, and the issues and benefits.

By: FUNNY AS HECK

FUNNY AS HECK — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:26:08 +0000

Thanks for the tip, BJ!

Will check out the free version and see how it goes..

By: BJ

BJ — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:40:41 +0000

You might want to look at this- A better directory script that WORKS. I'll skin either but I recommend you go with the one that is written in GOOD CLEAN code. Just read the forum. Compare it with phpLD forum . . . 'nuff said.

By: FUNNY AS HECK

FUNNY AS HECK — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:30:50 +0000

I needed a good laugh today so I’m VERY glad you let it play the way it was written…

I’m going to test out phpLD and like the template you put together for it.

If it works out for me, hopefully sometime in the future I’ll be in po$ition where I can actually compensate you for it. Or better yet, be able to afford to have you design a custom template!!

Fingers are crossed….

THANKS