Adding a blog to site

[Haze]

HI All,

I wondered whether adding a blog to a site is just as simple as adding the WP to a separate directory?
Also I wondered whether anyone could advise on how they charge for this as I have an existing customer who wants a blog added to his site, and I know he is as tight as f*ck (sorry but he is quite demanding some time) when paying for anything. I redesigned a site for him, which he loves, but I did it at a reduced rate, and not prepared to do that again, I know what he charges and he's making a good living... and so should I... lol
I'd probably be better to integrate the present site's style, I have seen a few tutorials online for doing it, but something I haven't attempted myself so any advise would be welcomed, any tips, precautions, etc.

I've set up a few WP sites but not in separate folders, and don't bill for the upgrades mainly because they are mine....

[Mr Anderson]

I wondered whether adding a blog to a site is just as simple as adding the WP to a separate directory?

It can be, depends on if it needs to match the design of the current site or not. If it does then you'll have toi create a template for it too.

Also I wondered whether anyone could advise on how they charge for this

How do you charge? Do that. If you're not sure about how to quote for the project do it on an hourly basis.

How other people charge will depend on the type and the scale of the project and their own working practices.

[Haze]

HI MR A

Ta for the info. I remember Mrs A mentioning about charging for updates, I'll need to factor that in. Trouble is clients usually don't perceive that this has to be done. Guess a hosting package could be generated for suchlike.

[Mr Anderson]

We tell our hosting clients that they have to keep OTS software up to date, and advise clients who host elsewhere that they should do the same. We offer them 3 choices - do it themselves, ask us to do it on a set charge per requested update, or pay an annual fee and we'll do it proactively.

[Haze]

Good options..... may plagiarise...

[sarahA]

Setting up your own template in WP is easier than it seems. We follow the process of design -> one page html file (with separate CSS), and then I break it down into header, sidebar if needed, main body and footer. Then just add the template tags. Download the classic theme from WordPress to get the main tags.

I really wouldn't advise trying to take an existing theme and edit it to get your style into it. Far more complicated and you end up with redundant code from the original theme.

Creating a basic theme once the HTML file is done should take about 1-2 hours tops, add another hour or two for your first go. Of course if you're going for CMS or more features then it has the potential to take a while, but a basic theme with just an index.php file, header, footer and sidebar if needed shouldn't take long and index.php will power every page.

[Haze]

Thanks Sarah.
I'll get back to this chap, and see if he is still interested. Undoubtedly I'll be raising my ugly head here again....

[Matt]

We tell our hosting clients that they have to keep OTS software up to date, and advise clients who host elsewhere that they should do the same. We offer them 3 choices - do it themselves, ask us to do it on a set charge per requested update, or pay an annual fee and we'll do it proactively.

Ive started doing this too - some customers raised concerns about having to pay again, but I pointed to the clause in the hosting T&Cs saying software must be up-to-date and asked them if they wanted to do it, or wanted me too.

[Ben]

Setting up your own template in WP is easier than it seems. We follow the process of design -> one page html file (with separate CSS), and then I break it down into header, sidebar if needed, main body and footer. Then just add the template tags. Download the classic theme from WordPress to get the main tags.

I'm thinking about doing this, as I've never really coded for WP. Did the latest update WP3 make the old tutorials available redundant?

[keri]

If all they need is a simple blog you could use tumblr.com to provide the service, you can use a domain or a sub-domain to point at the blog as I and at least one other ddn member do :-)
Not sure if other blog companies offer this, i'm sure they do, takes away the headaches of keeping a simple blog's software up to date, but of course if bells and whistles are requires then i find WP to be the daddy!

[sarahA]

Setting up your own template in WP is easier than it seems. We follow the process of design -> one page html file (with separate CSS), and then I break it down into header, sidebar if needed, main body and footer. Then just add the template tags. Download the classic theme from WordPress to get the main tags.

I'm thinking about doing this, as I've never really coded for WP. Did the latest update WP3 make the old tutorials available redundant?

Not at all. The old tutorials are still perfectly valid. WP3 just has a few new features which were either around before but have come out more or are brand new. If you can't get your head around the codex (which isn't always well written or up to date), then there are plenty of tutorials on either setting up a theme (which the basics took me just under 30 minutes from a coded HTML page yesterday, so as you can see, not that hard or time consuming), or you can go more advanced at looking at the various 'template tags' ie. built in wordpress functions available.

New features that are worth searching on are
Custom Admin Menus - allows you to completely control one or more nav menus on the page with a drag and drop style system in the admin, you can add pages, categories, single posts and custom links.
Custom Post Types - Allows you to set up your own post/Page types away from the normal Page/post page. For example I'm currently using them for job vacancies. Title, content and two custom taxonomies (see below), sector and area. Using the Post style as a starting point but removing the excess clutter from the page and keeping it simpler to understand for the client.
Custom Taxonomies - this isn't new, but has more use I think now custom post types are here. Like tags or categories, but you can set your own group up eg. I've used categories for the sector above and am looking to use tags for the area.
Featured Image - came in 2.8, allows you (or the client) to easily add a single 'featured' image to a post or page. They don't insert it into the content (and inevitably put it in the wrong place!), they just add it as a featured image and then you can easily pull it on on the front end in your template and style/control where it is and how it looks.

I'm sure there's some I've missed but those are the ones I've been using or started to use a lot in the last few weeks. If you want some links to good tutorials on them let me know as I've got plenty bookmarked.

[sarahA]

If all they need is a simple blog you could use tumblr.com to provide the service, you can use a domain or a sub-domain to point at the blog as I and at least one other ddn member do :-)
Not sure if other blog companies offer this, i'm sure they do, takes away the headaches of keeping a simple blog's software up to date, but of course if bells and whistles are requires then i find WP to be the daddy!

Yeah you can pay a minimal fee to have your domain (or subdomain) point to your blog hosted at WordPress.com. There is a way with blogspot too but I wouldn't use them anyway

[Jeep Stone]

It might be useful looking for a basic template and building from there (depending on how able you are). There used to be one called 'starkers' which was an empty template - http://elliotjaystocks.com/blog/free-starkers-wordpress-theme/ but it's not updated for WP3.

[Ben]

It might be useful looking for a basic template and building from there (depending on how able you are). There used to be one called 'starkers' which was an empty template - http://elliotjaystocks.com/blog/free-starkers-wordpress-theme/ but it's not updated for WP3.

That looks good, will have a play with that - cheers!

[net-curtains]

It's a shame WP don't bundle in a bare bones theme with WP3. I find the new bundled theme far too fiddly.

[sarahA]

It's a shame WP don't bundle in a bare bones theme with WP3. I find the new bundled theme far too fiddly.

Don't even look at the new theme. They've written their own functions so you won't find many standard template tags in the theme unless you go hunting through the functions.php file. I've opened it up once to check a tag and given up with it. The Classic theme is the only theme I'd recommend looking at really, simply for tag reference and to see what new features there are.

[net-curtains]

It's a shame WP don't bundle in a bare bones theme with WP3. I find the new bundled theme far too fiddly.

Don't even look at the new theme. They've written their own functions so you won't find many standard template tags in the theme unless you go hunting through the functions.php file. I've opened it up once to check a tag and given up with it. The Classic theme is the only theme I'd recommend looking at really, simply for tag reference and to see what new features there are.

Have they updated the Classic Theme? I only had the Twenty Ten theme included in my WP download (3.0.1)

[sarahA]

You can still download classic and kubrick (if you really must... ) from the wordpress theme site. Must admit, not looked at it recently as the newest features I've read about on the codex and blogs instead. I know classic had featured image. Not sure if it's got the new nav menus.

Need to get around to writing some posts on all the new features. Handy for my own reference if nothing else!