WordPress is (by far) the best blogging platform. We are a bit biased as we personally own four blogs on WordPress. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) which means the content can be managed without specialized software or knowledge of HTML. In this way, WordPress can also work well for many small businesses that want to maintain the site after it is complete. However, if the very idea of managing a website frightens you to death, do don't worry, we do website maintenance too.
Step 1: Domain
There are two ways to use WordPress. You can either use a WordPress domain (your website URL will be something like http://www.juicejam.wordpress.com) or you can use your own domain. We recommend using your own domain and we have an agreement with GoDaddy for domain registration. Their prices can't be beat (less than $10!) and their customer service is second-to-none.
Step 2: Hosting
If you choose to buy a domain, you need to have the content hosted on a server. This is where people go to view your website. Here at Valentine Web Creations, we offer very affordable web hosting plans that start at $20/year so there is really no reason NOT to go this route.
Step 3: WordPress Design/Installation
Now you are ready for the WordPress design and installation. Themes are the framework within which your WordPress blog resides. They determine the way each page will look aesthetically and what it can do functionally. Our WordPress theme portfolio shows several examples of our work. Here are some places you can go to choose a theme as a starting point:
Premium WordPress Themes (Free - we have a membership)
Elegant Themes (Free - we have a membership)
WordPress.org Free Themes Directory
WP Explorer Free & Premium Themes
ThemePix Free WordPress Themes
Free Wordpress Themes and Templates
Template Monster (These premium themes run $50-$60 in addition to our fees)
Template Forest (These premium themes run $15-$35 in addition to our fees)
We have three levels of service (based on options and the complexity of your theme) for the WordPress installation:
| Basic | Deluxe | Premium Design | |
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| WordPress Theme | No customization | Minor customization | Complete customization |
| Set-up domain email | 1 | up to 3 | up to 5 |
| Pages included | 1 | 3* | 3* |
| Plug ins | Standard | Advanced | Advanced |
| Setup contact form | |
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| Setup automatic backups | |
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| Setup spam protection | |
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| Link to FB, Twitter, LinkedIn buttons | |
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| Personalized one-on-one support | |
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| Basic search engine optimization | |
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| Custom 404 Not Found | |
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| Configure permalinks | |
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| Setup XML site map | |
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| Setup robots.txt | |
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| Setup .htaccess | |
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| Setup Google Analytics | |
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| Setup Google Webmaster Tools | |
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| Install Feedburner for RSS | |
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| Install Feedburner for email | |
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| Price | $50 | $200 | $300 |
*Pages included are Home, Contact, and About. Additional pages are $25/each.
