HELP!!!

  • Unknown's avatar
    thewritemojo · Member ·

    I am a professional editor who is helping many people take their books from inception to completion. They want a website to promote their books, plus a blog to write articles and content. But they all start with WordPress and just the basics are confusing to people who have never done this before. So they stop and get very frustrated.

    It’s the chicken and the egg thing: Do you build a site that has a blog click-through link? What’s the best way to have a site that promotes your products? I know you have to have shopping cart capabilities, etc. I’ve suggested that they start with a basic website, with the side menus including a blog where the visitor can click through to read the content. Then a page About the Book and Buy Now click-through from there to take them to a shopping cart.

    Is there anywhere someone who’s a total neophyte can learn what’s the best way to go — website first/blog second — to use their site for information and selling product. You guys know what you’re doing, but the majority of us without experience are floundering in the ethernet.

    Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated (and yes, I’ve spent hours on your tutorials, websites, blog posts, etc. trying to figure this out. But they all tend to say different things, and jump into the technical jargon that flies over my head. I have about 30 clients who are wanting help, so …. HELP!)

    Thanks much.

    MJo
    The Write MoJo Literary Services

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • eurello · Staff ·

    Hi there – WordPress.com has a lot of options, but it’s important to understand that new users need not familiarize themselves with all the options right away. They can set up a very simple site and add to it as they go along and get more comfortable.

    As far as a blog or a website, it’s really just a formatting question. Most writers tend to create a simple website, and also have a blog on another page of it:
    Using WordPress.com to Create a Website

    I would point your clients to our new user’s guide here:
    http://learn.wordpress.com/

    And suggest that they just set up a free WordPress.com site, with a website or a blog format, whichever they prefer. They can link out to where their book is sold rather than dealing with shopping cart functionality on their own site, and/or they can put a PayPal button on their site:
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/paypal/

    That’s the simplest way to get started with a basic site they can manage themselves without investing any money in it, and later if they find they need their own shopping cart, they can move their content to a self-hosted site without losing anything.

    Finally, for some inspiration, you can point them to these posts (which have a lot of links to good examples of author websites/blogs here on WordPress.com):
    http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/the-wordpress-bestseller-list/
    http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/nanowrimo-roundup-2/
    http://dailypost.wordpress.com/blog-event-survival-guide/

    I hope that’s helpful! Let me know if you have more specific questions about this.

  • Unknown's avatar
    thewritemojo · Member ·

    Thanks much, Eurello. This helps a great deal. Simplicity is the name of the game — and like you said, you can add as time goes on. The linking out to other sites is invaluable. It’s just like with anything technological, new users get the deer-in-the-headlights look; people who write the tech know what they’re talking about, so it seems easy to them.

    So much to learn! But this is greatly appreciated. Hope you’re having a marvelous Thanksgiving!

    MJo

  • eurello · Staff ·

    Hi MJo – No problem, happy to help! You have a great Thanksgiving, too, and let us know if you need anything else. :)

  • Unknown's avatar
    auxclass · Member ·

    Duplicate thread – see also

    https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/help-434?replies=3

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