Creating a WordPress website for my 20-year hat business, after having a website for years through O
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Trying to understand what a friend tells me about WordPress – how WordPress will help me reduce the number of Pages I need to create because I’ll have a database with all of my hat info in it, and the website will build each page as someone clicks on it using a pre-formatted template and the info in the database. Have read everything I could get my hands on about WordPress pages, creation, etc., but I cannot understand how to create the Pages – without simply doing the process of Add New (Page) and create one page for very hat. And I have hundreds of hats. Does this mean I still have to create new Pages for each and every hat?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi hatsandhorses,
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS). That means your page and blog post content is stored in a database. The page content will be pulled from the database and loaded into the appropriate place in the theme you’re using.
You will still need to add the page and blog post content into WordPress by creating pages and blog posts. You can create pages by going to My Site > Pages > Add, and you can create blog posts by going to My Site > Blog Posts > Add.
You might find these support articles helpful:
https://en.support.wordpress.com/pages/
https://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/We also have a handy getting started guide here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/five-step-website-setup/
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Hi ellybiddle,
I am actually relieved to hear your response!
I have started creating the different pages for my new WordPress hat website – starting with the main pages such as Milliner’s Bio, How to Order, and then the major hat collections, each with a separate page, such as the Derby Hats page, the Bridal Hats page, etc. using all of the great tips like what you mentioned in your response.
I was talking with this friend about what I was doing, telling them that I only have about 400 more pages to create for all of the individual hats within each of those Collections. ;) And that was when they said that they thought that I wouldn’t need a ton of pages (as I had with the old website). But that I would have a database with all of my hat info in it, and that with WordPress the new website would build each page as a visitor clicks on it, using a pre-formatted template and the info in the database.
From what you are telling me, this is not the case? That it is not simply a data entry process into some kind of “template”, but that I will still need to create those 400 individual hat webpages (with text and images) for all of the hats that I offer?
Thank you so much in advance,
Sally -
Hi Sally,
If you want a page for each hat, you will indeed need to create a page for each hat. The content you enter on that page will be stored in the database, and then loaded into the theme/template when someone views that page.
One other option would be to use a Portfolio, where each hat would be a portfolio item. You would still need to create a portfolio item for each hat. You can learn more about portfolios here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/portfolios/
You may also want to consider implementing ecommerce on your site, which would allow you to add hats as products that people can purchase. In order to do that, you would need to upgrade to the Business plan and install a plugin like WooCommerce.
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You have been so helpful, thank you!
What you said in your first paragraph is exactly what I understood WordPress to be. So I am relieved that I am not missing something in the way that I have already been creating the new website. ;)
I’ll also check into Portfolio as well, it sounds like it could be very helpful.
As far as the Business plan and WooCommerce, I did actually explore the idea of WooCommerce. However I wasn’t sure that it would work for my hat company which is different from most. All of my hats are custom, created-to-order items. I do have images of each hat on my website, however most of my customers want a hat that is a one-of-a-kind piece and to work with me on that special hat that will not look like anyone else’s but be a reflection of their personal style and taste. As a result, I do not even use a shopping cart, since unlike most online retail companies it is impossible to post prices for couture hats, etc. when it is a gradual process of finalizing a hat design/determining its price vs. simply a set product that comes in these colors/trims and has a set price.
I hope that makes sense. And if you still think that exploring the Business plan as an upgrade would be useful, I would welcome the advice.
In the meantime, I shall check on the Portfolio option
Thank you again for all your suggestions,
Sally -
Hi ellybiddle,
I checked out the link you sent me for the Portfolios option. Unfortunately, my new website it thru’ WordPress.ORG, not the .com WordPress
Unfortunately, none of the WordPress.org themes that I have been exploring so far have the capability of selecting/enabling the Portfolios option.
Do you know of a link for WordPress.org that might be helpful?
Thank you!
Sally -
Hi Sally,
You can learn more about WordPress.com vs WordPress.org here: https://wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
These forums are for WordPress.com sites only.
You can find WordPress.org support documentation and forums here: https://wordpress.org/support/
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Thank you for all your assistance, ellbiddle. I realized yesterday that I had once again been directed to WordPress.com information instead of WordPress.org. This is so confusing for those of us who are new to website creation with CMS’s, as many times the two are used interchangeably or without the .com/.org differentiation. I so appreciate your patience! ;)
One note – I actually have found that WordPress.com themes in general offer much more as far as customization capabilities, as I have experienced with my own 2 free blogs with WP.com. I am just sorry that my webhost only offers WordPress.org packages, which thus far have been much more limited and difficult to use. The support from you and others affiliated with WP.com has also been amazing and most appreciated.
Also thank you for the links to the appropriate WP.org supports and information, I shall get started on the new path today and hopefully find the information and tools that I need to create my new website.
All the best to you,
Sally
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