• 0

How do you use Wordpress for a website that's not in a blog format?


Question

I'm developing a company website which has to accomodate easy changes by non technical people. I've been asked to use Wordpress as the CMS, but the website I've created is not in a blog format.

 

This is what it looks like:

 

FAT2zyB.png

 

I just don't see how it's possible for somebody to edit all of the text on this page using that single WYSIWYG editor on the edit posts page. Here we have a banner with text and images, 3 content boxes laid out horizontally, and some text in the lower part of the page.

 

What's the solution to using WP for these layouts?

19 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

A mix of using static pages (not posts), widgets and a template that's geared for a CMS layout will get you this sort of look.  Takes a little extra work as WP is primarily a blog platform but it's totally doable. 

  • Like 3
  • 0

Either manually use Custom fields or use a plugin such as Advanced Custom Fields (advancedcustomfields.com).

Can pretty much do whatever you can dream of.

You can also use custom loops to call in different pages for different sections.

 

  On 10/07/2013 at 11:08, XerXis said:

the same way you use a jackhammer to screw in a lightbulb. There are better options out there if you don't need a blog, drupal and joomla come to mind for example

WordPress is lighter than both those solutions and is just as flexible as a CMS. The days of it being "Just another WordPress blog" are long over.

  • 0

As someone who is doing this for the first time at this very moment, I can tell you it is easy once you get the hang of it. You just have to take the time to look through the code in one of the default themes, look-up functions and do some research. I was previously a bit of a naysayer of using Wordpress for non-blog websites (and even wrote several CMSs as a response), but I've begun to change my mind now - you just need to understand how it works.

 

It would take too long to explain everything in detail, but here are some rough pointers that may help you get started (look at the Twentytwelve theme for specifics):

  • Read Twentytwelve. Even copy it and use it as a starting point. Once you get into the code of that theme, things begin to make a bit more sense.
  • There is an option under Settings > Reading to have a static page as the front page. I'm not sure you actually need to specify a blog page either (if you do then obviously the blog appears there).
  • You can have page-specific templates. These go in the "page-templates" directory and appear as an option when editing pages. For my front page (that isn't too dissimilar to yours in layout) I have this load a specific sidebar area with get_sidebar('front'). This in turn loads the template file sidebar-front.php which contains the code for loading a widget area that is defined in functions.php. Then in the admin I simply assign widgets to the front page area and style them to align side by side. Now you have some front page content areas using the "Text" widget. :)
  • Use the page-specific templates to your advantage. I have the default one for my blog, one for a sidebar for static pages (altered the get_sidebar() in page.php to load it) and one for the front page.
  • Rotating banners can be achieved without any plugins if you want. Just set the right HTML as the homepage content, add a slider to your theme and select the correct element to apply it to. There are a lot of banner plugins out there too... I just found most of them to be a bit messy, often including their own stylesheets that assume certain things.
  • Look up the "Widget Context" plugin. This allows you to specify on which pages a widget will appear. I'm using this have an "aside" content area specific to each static page.
  • You don't have to have every page listed on a menu. Go to Appearance > Menus and once you've added a menu and set it to an Menu area within your theme, it will replace the default.
  • Don't waste time trying to fight Wordpress' HTML too much. It is mostly semantic. It is the plugins you've got to worry about - some have downright bad HTML, while others include intrusive or hard to override CSS styles.
  • Use the filters within functions.php to your advantage. It is tempting to hard-code elements and hack files to achieve an effect. Whatever it is you are trying to do, search for it and you'll likely find a way to easily override it using a filter within functions.php (for me I wanted a widget_odd/even class on widgets).
  • Google/Bing/whatever is your friend. Answers to Wordpress problems are abundant. Just need to take care that you don't jump at the first solution you come across, as there are a lot of rookie developers out there giving poor advice like "edit some-file.php in wp-includes" (which will be overwritten when you update). Look at a couple of answers and see what the best solution is. In some cases hacking may be the only option, but when that is the case I usually step back and query what I am doing to begin with.

Hope that helps. :)

  • 0

In my experience Wordpress is far from easy for "non technical" people. You'd think it would be easy but I've seen many clients trying to use it and making a right mess of it.

 

I'd ask for the rationale of why Wordpress is "required".

 

Then look at something like Koken.

  • 0
  On 10/07/2013 at 15:48, Trollercoaster said:

In my experience Wordpress is far from easy for "non technical" people. You'd think it would be easy but I've seen many clients trying to use it and making a right mess of it.

 

I'd ask for the rationale of why Wordpress is "required".

 

Then look at something like Koken.

Its easier than some of the alternatives. People tend to mess up anything.

  • 0

Drupal works great for websites if you would like to use a WYSIWYG editor (I recommend CKEditor) . I would start by finding a theme that is close to the layout you want and build off of it and change it how you want it. Drupal can be a bit daunting at first but is fun and very powerful. Also just find modules on the Drupal website or search Google to extend the functionality of the website. Drupal is great at making things but not as great at doing things and that is why modules come in handy.

 

Example of a site I built using Drupal 7: http://www.starwarsbattlecry.com/ or http://www.swbattlecry.com/

  • 0
  On 10/07/2013 at 16:06, Mandosis said:

Drupal works great for websites if you would like to use a WYSIWYG editor (I recommend CKEditor) . I would start by finding a theme that is close to the layout you want and build off of it and change it how you want it. Drupal can be a bit daunting at first but is fun and very powerful. Also just find modules on the Drupal website or search Google to extend the functionality of the website. Drupal is great at making things but not as great at doing things and that is why modules come in handy.

 

Example of a site I built using Drupal 7: http://www.starwarsbattlecry.com/ or http://www.swbattlecry.com/

 

Use CKEditor a lot in work. Would be nice if it was auto updating (maybe it is and we're doing it wrong lol). Have clients on older versions which are broken with IE10 - editor shows up blank box. So many calls about that.

  • 0
  On 11/07/2013 at 04:04, Trollercoaster said:

Use CKEditor a lot in work. Would be nice if it was auto updating (maybe it is and we're doing it wrong lol). Have clients on older versions which are broken with IE10 - editor shows up blank box. So many calls about that.

It's causing issues here for IE10 and 11. I checked their forum and they have an umbrella ticket open for fixes. It does not auto-update AFAIK. :(

  • 0
  On 11/07/2013 at 04:20, GreyWolf said:

It's causing issues here for IE10 and 11. I checked their forum and they have an umbrella ticket open for fixes. It does not auto-update AFAIK. :(

Quickest fix I've found is to advise the person using IE10 to use a different browser.

 

When you get the "But I like IE" (facepalm) response I've found that using Compatibility mode works. Press F12 and then click on where it says Browser Mode: IE10 and change it to compatibility view or IE9.

  • 0
  On 10/07/2013 at 10:41, Max Norris said:

A mix of using static pages (not posts), widgets and a template that's geared for a CMS layout will get you this sort of look.  Takes a little extra work as WP is primarily a blog platform but it's totally doable. 

 

Completely false. WP was created as a blog platform, but now is used by many major websites, including CNN.com.

  • 0
  On 11/07/2013 at 16:49, episode said:

Completely false. WP was created as a blog platform, but now is used by many major websites, including CNN.com.

Yea, I know, that's pretty much what I said. Primarily does not mean only, never mind saying how to get a CMS layout out of it...

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Microsoft has an update on Exchange Online Basic Auth removal for Office 365 by Sayan Sen Back in 2022, Microsoft announced the retirement of Basic Authentication as it was moving to modern OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication. The reason was simple, to move away from such simple username-password authentication to more secure sign-ins. While Microsoft had previously planned to "permanently remove support for Basic authentication with Client Submission (SMTP AUTH) in September 2025", the company has now updated this timeline, adding a final delay. Perhaps this was on the cards given that Microsoft recently extended Basic Auth support for High Volume Email to 2028. On the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, a new message has been posted that details the changes regarding SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) AUTH Client Submission. The message says: Thus, starting March 1, 2026, Exchange Online will begin phasing out Basic authentication for sending emails via SMTP AUTH. At first, fewer attempts will be blocked, but by April 30, 2026, this older method will be fully disabled. After that, any apps or devices that want to send email this way will need to use OAuth. The message further adds how admins can proceed with the changes in case OAuth is not supported: Users who have access to the M365 Admin Center can view the message under ID MC786329.
    • Weekend PC Game Deals: Total War grabs, management freebies, demos to try, and more by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Weekend PC Game Deals is where the hottest gaming deals from all over the internet are gathered into one place every week for your consumption. So kick back, relax, and hold on to your wallets. The Humble Store brought out a couple of fresh bundles this week, and up first is the Narrative Arc collection. This comes with Mutazione, Venba, and Frank and Drake in the starting tier with an $8 price tag. Going up a rung will cost you $14, and this adds on Season: A Letter to the Future and Dustborn. Lastly, paying $20 gets you Harold Halibut and Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out. Next, the Case and Consequences Collection landed. This bundle comes with Heavy Rain, Song of Farca, Lacuna, and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments in the starting tier for $6. The second and final tier of this bundle costs $10, adding on Murders on the Yangtze River, BROK the InvestiGator, and Between Horizons. Both bundles will come to an end two weeks from now, so you have plenty of time to decide. The Epic Games Store's mystery giveaways came to an end this week, but the standard promotion has already returned, touting a freebie from Sega. The Two Point Studios-developed construction and sim experience Two Point Hospital is now yours to claim. Arriving as a spiritual successor to the classic title Theme Hospital, this also offers a humorous take on hospital management and patient treatment. You'll be creating treatment rooms, hiring doctors, and taking care of financials, all the while patients with the wildest illnesses pass through looking for cures. The Two Point Hospital giveaway will last until Thursday, June 19. This is also when The Operator will become the next free game on the platform. Free Events The demo festival that Valve hosts three times a year, Steam Next Fest, is back with a brand-new selection of games to try out. This promotion is slated to last until June 16, giving you just a few more days to try out gameplay slices from upcoming games. Several standard free events are currently active too. This includes the colony sim Stardeus, the dungeon-crawler roguelite Barony, the WW2-set hardcore first-person shooter Hell Let Loose, the building and management sim Construction Simulator, as well as the side-scrolling looter brawler Towerborne. Big Deals The Steam Summer Sale is just days away, but plenty of publishers already having big promotions on their games. This includes a Total War historical sale, Konami classics, 505's early summer promotions, and others. With those and more, here's our hand-picked big deals list for this weekend: SILENT HILL 2 – $41.99 on Steam Forza Horizon 5 – $29.99 on Steam Hell Let Loose – $24.99 on Steam Wasteland 3 – $19.99 on Steam Resident Evil 4 – $19.99 on Steam Metro Awakening – $19.99 on Steam Halo Infinite (Campaign) – $19.79 on Steam Mind Over Magic – $18.74 on Steam Castlevania Dominus Collection – $17.49 on Steam DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT – $15.99 on Steam Blasphemous 2 – $14.99 on Steam Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced – $14.99 on Steam Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – $14.99 on Steam Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition – $14.99 on Steam DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT – $12.99 on Gamesplanet DREDGE – $12.49 on Steam Fable Anniversary – $12.24 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience – $11.99 on Steam Total War: ROME REMASTERED – $10.19 on Steam Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – $9.99 on Steam Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – $9.99 on Steam Ghostrunner 2 – $9.99 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version – $9.99 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID 2: Sons of Liberty - Master Collection Version – $9.99 on Steam Barony – $9.99 on Steam Total War: PHARAOH – $9.99 on Steam DRAGON BALL FighterZ – $9.59 on Steam Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – $9.09 on Steam The Callisto Protocol – $8.99 on Steam Quantum Break – $7.99 on Steam Oxygen Not Included – $7.49 on Steam The Ascent – $7.49 on Steam Ghostrunner – $7.49 on Steam Total War: SHOGUN 2 – $7.49 on Steam Overcooked! 2 – $6.24 on Steam Human Fall Flat – $5.99 on Steam Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition – $5.99 on Steam Don't Starve Together – $5.09 on Steam Last Day of June – $4.99 on Steam ABZU – $4.99 on Steam Super Meat Boy Forever – $4.99 on Steam Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition – $4.99 on Steam Legend of Grimrock 2 – $4.79 on Steam Golf With Your Friends – $4.49 on Steam Rise of the Tomb Raider – $4.49 on Steam Golf It! – $4.49 on Steam Sunset Overdrive – $3.99 on Steam Super Meat Boy – $3.74 on Steam Tomb Raider – $2.24 on Steam Crime Boss: Rockay City – $1.99 on Steam Mortal Shell – $1.49 on Steam Crypt of the NecroDancer – $1.49 on Steam This War of Mine – $0.99 on Steam Two Point Hospital – $0 on Epic Store DRM-free Specials The DRM-free discounts from the GOG store this weekend include open-world adventures, story-rich titles, indies, publisher sales, and more. Here are some highlights: No Man's Sky - $23.99 on GOG The Thaumaturge - $19.24 on GOG INDIKA - $16.24 on GOG Against the Storm - $14.99 on GOG Shadows of Doubt - $14.99 on GOG EVERSPACE 2 - $14.99 on GOG Core Keeper - $13.99 on GOG art of rally - $12.49 on GOG Shadowrun Trilogy - $10.07 on GOG Cold Waters - $9.99 on GOG Disco Elysium - The Final Cut - $9.99 on GOG Streets of Rage 4 - $9.99 on GOG Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition - $8.99 on GOG Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator - $7.99 on GOG Little Nightmares - $4.99 on GOG Edge Of Eternity - $4.49 on GOG Epistory - Typing Chronicles - $4.49 on GOG This War of Mine: Complete Edition - $4.07 on GOG Graveyard Keeper - $3.99 on GOG Alba: A Wildlife Adventure - $3.39 on GOG Chroma Squad - $2.24 on GOG EVERSPACE - $0.99 on GOG Keep in mind that availability and pricing for some deals could vary depending on the region. That's it for our pick of this weekend's PC game deals, and hopefully, some of you have enough self-restraint not to keep adding to your ever-growing backlogs. As always, there are an enormous number of other deals ready and waiting all over the interwebs, as well as on services you may already subscribe to if you comb through them, so keep your eyes open for those, and have a great weekend.
    • I've had the opposite honestly Linux always just works except for games with drm/anti cheat Windows is sometimes corrupted on first install Windows update downloading wrong drivers ...
    • Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks now integrated in OneNote on Windows by Paul Hill Microsoft has announced that Enterprise customers with Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, or OneDrive licenses can now use Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks integrated directly with OneNote on Windows. Copilot Notebooks are AI-powered and bring together different resources such as Copilot Chat, files, notes, and links into a single space to make you more productive. The Redmond giant wants to make it easier for customers to gather content, understand complex topics, and create “smarter content” with Copilot Notebooks. This integration is squarely aimed at Enterprise customers, not Personal or Family subscribers. How Copilot Notebooks enhance productivity in OneNote When you open OneNote on Windows, you should see Copilot Notebooks in the left-hand sidebar, from here you can view or edit existing notebooks or you can create one by going to Home > Create Copilot Notebook or New notebook. During the creation of your new notebook, you can give it a name and add references such as OneNote pages, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .pdf, or .loop files. This gives Copilot extra context to provide you with more refined answers. Once you have created a notebook and added your reference documents, you can use Copilot Notebooks to help you gather insights from your documents, draft summaries, and generate audio overviews. An important caveat to mention about these notebooks is that you can only add 20 files as references and only individual OneNote pages, as opposed to sections and notebooks, can be added. Microsoft could add support for these in the future, but you can’t add them yet. Another limitation right now is that some OneNote features aren’t functional within Copilot Notebooks, including tags, section groups, inking, templates, password protection, Immersive Reader, and offline support. Availability and what it means for enterprise users Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks in OneNote for Windows are available for Enterprise customers with an appropriate license (anyone with a Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, or OneDrive license) running OneNote Version 2504 (Build 18827.20128) or later. If you have any other feedback to give to Microsoft, you can give it via Help > Feedback. As an Insider preview, Microsoft will likely improve this before declaring it stable so let Microsoft know of any issues you have. Now that the feature is available as a preview, it’s the perfect time for IT admins and other decision-makers to evaluate the feature to see how it could benefit their wider organization.
    • Mixxx 2.5.2 by Razvan Serea Mixxx is powerful, free, and open-source DJ software designed for both beginners and professionals. It offers real-time beatmatching, auto DJ, effects, and MIDI controller support. With a clean interface and compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux, Mixxx is ideal for live performances, radio broadcasts, or practice sessions. Its active community and constant updates make it a reliable tool for any DJ. Mixxx integrates the tools DJs need to perform creative live mixes with digital music files. Whether you are a new DJ with just a laptop or an experienced turntablist, Mixxx can support your style and techniques of mixing. Mixxx key features: Realtime audio engine with low-latency performance MIDI and HID controller mapping with customizable scripting (JavaScript-based) Vinyl DVS support (absolute & relative timecode modes) OpenSL, ASIO, WASAPI, and JACK audio backend support Advanced BPM & musical key detection (KeyFinder integration) Quantized beat sync and phase locking Effect chain routing with LADSPA plugin support 4-deck mixing with independent EQ and gain control Support for wide file formats (MP3, FLAC, OGG, WAV, AIFF) Broadcasting via Icecast and Shoutcast with metadata support Library with Crate, Playlist, and Smart Playlist organization Multi-core CPU support for performance optimization Microphone and Auxiliary input routing with talkover ducking OSC and Web MIDI support Skinnable and themable Qt-based UI Cue points, hotcues, and looping with quantization Recording in lossless WAV or compressed formats Clock-synced looping and beatjump Mixxx 2.5.2 changelog: Library Fix playlist export when name contains a dot Fix loading the wrong track via drag and drop when using symlinks Fix: byte order in hotcue comments imported from rekordbox Tracks table: show ReplayGain with max. 2 decimals, full precision in tooltip Fix keyboard mappings with non-ASCII characters on Linux Computer feature: enable initial sorting during population Computer feature: avoid false-positve 'has children' for non-directory links Fix column header mapping when using external library Fixed Single track cover reload on reload metadata from file Controller Mappings Arturia KeyLab Mk1: initial mapping Denon MC7000: slicer mode TypeError Denon MC7000: crossfader curve using wrong parameter DJ TechTools MIDI Fighter Twister: support 4 decks Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500: the crossfader was not reaching 100% to the right end Icon Pro Audio iControls: initial mapping Numark Mixtrack Platinium FX: Fix 4 steps browsing issue Traktor Kontrol S3: Use GUI config for settings Traktor S2 MK3: Fixed LED issue Traktor S4 MK2: Use engine settings API for configuration Traktor S4 MK3: prevent sync lockup, add setting for tempo center snap Controller Backend Control picker: Allow to learn MIDI Aux/Mic enable controls Make [Main],headSplit CO persistent across restart Fix MIDI Controller button learning Fix learning with "No Mapping" selected Unit tests for engine.beginTimer engine-api.d.ts: brake()/spinback() documentation Target support Fix building with a CMake multi-config setup Fix building with gcc >= 14 with LTO and clang >= 19 (fpclassify) Fix: gcc -Warray-bounds= in fidlib by using a flexible member Added Linux Mint Codenames to debian_buildenv.sh Add hidden [Config],notify_max_dbg_time setting to reduce warnings in developer mode Detect arch and fail early if not supported when installing buildenv Misc Vinyl Control: Reduce sticker drift Fix infinite number of pop ups of the "No Vinyl|Mic|Aux|Passthrough input configured" dialog Reduce CPU usage with Trace log messages Fix adjust Gain after adopting it as ReplayGain only in requesting playe Skins: add loop anchor toggle to Deere, Shade, Tango Sound Hardware preferences: add manual link for Mic monitoring modes Work around an Ubuntu, Ibus or Qt issue regarding detecting the current keyboard layout. Fix BPM rounding for the 3/2 case Update cue & play indicators on paused decks when switching cue mode Download: Mixxx 2.5.2 | 113.0 MB (Open Source) Links: Mixxx Home page | Other OSes | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      julien02 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      Drewidian1 earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Explorer
      Case_f went up a rank
      Explorer
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      543
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      227
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      159
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      113
    5. 5
      +Edouard
      95
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!