How to make the Cheapest Easiest Static .html site Quickly

[grynge]

I use this when I want to setup a link or deep linking to my other sites.

You need a domain and hosting this can cost as little as $2 for a .info
Normally though I purchase an expiring domain that is in the same niche as the sites I want to link to. The older, more links, the better, but of course they cost money.

You setup the domain and hosting (hosting must have php/mysql)

Next step is to set up wordpress (now your saying wordpress isn't static)
You can leave the default theme or choose another theme you like.
Once you have wordpress setup you go to "Settings - Permalinks"
In the permalinks you place /%postname%.html (if you don't want .html change it to .php .htm or whatever you like)

Now changing the pages by hand is a bit harder but someone has written a small plugin which will change them to page.html and you could easily change the plugin to .htm or .php or whatever you needed. Plugin If you need help changing the plugin to any other extension let me know.

This allows you to setup a simple static html website, you can still use other plugins and widgets. If you have bought an expiring domain it is simple to get the original page names up and running without the need for writing 301 redirects. You can still add new pages as you want, though they will have the .html extension on them.

Total cost $0.00 (except for domain and hosting purchase)
Total time to setup about 5 minutes max.

[Clinton]

I see how that could be really easy and cheap to setup. Not a lot of people seem to know that they can use WP for a static site. But I personally feel setting up WP is a lot more complicated for a newbie than using a WYSIWYG editor and uploading the files. Most editors come with their own built in themes just like WP does.

Where WP could be quicker and easier is if someone else sets up the database, edits your config file etc., and it would be handy to keep this friendly expert to hand for further configuring and tweaking work ... and WP updates.

[grynge]

I see how that could be really easy and cheap to setup. Not a lot of people seem to know that they can use WP for a static site. But I personally feel setting up WP is a lot more complicated for a newbie than using a WYSIWYG editor and uploading the files. Most editors come with their own built in themes just like WP does.

Where WP could be quicker and easier is if someone else sets up the database, edits your config file etc., and it would be handy to keep this friendly expert to hand for further configuring and tweaking work ... and WP updates.

I forgot about the wysiwyg editors I use dreamweaver for all my coding. A lot of hosting (especially cpanel) comes with built in installation of wordpress and the auto updates now are pretty simple. Most hosts would even set it up for you (I assume) I only use it because it to me is so simple has millions of themes/plugins for free and for my individual need I can get a site up and running with a decent look to it in minutes. Adding pages are simple (for me) I suppose its what you get used to first that is the most easiest. (I have also used most large name cms's and find wordpress the easiest/most search engine friendly)

[Clinton]

Easiest and most search engine friendly.... when you know what you're doing with the configuring?

[grynge]

Easiest and most search engine friendly.... when you know what you're doing with the configuring?

The best bit is you only have to do it once for 1 site and copy those to any other site. There was a wp plugin thread which had some easy ways to configure wp. I will try and get a few minutes to write down step by step the simplest way to get it all working.

[Clinton]

Cool

I'd probably learn a thing or two as well!

[Kay]

Not a lot of people seem to know that they can use WP for a static site.

You can use WP for all sorts of things. It's a terrific CMS. Some people think it's only for blogging but you can use it for loads of other types of sites. We use WP almost exclusively now.

I started out on FP (Dave wasn't interested in making websites then), then within a couple of weeks moved to DreamWeaver, which served us well for a few years. Then we went on to some weird thing called Typo3. I hated it and couldn't figure it out at all. Then we bit the bullet and moved just about everything to WP. It's so easy!!! Also it's free, I could be quite evangelical about selling it - but it's free so I wouldn't make any money of doing that. And I'm not very good at sales anyway.

Buy WordPress today! I guarantee you'll like it, or you can have your money back!

[JockP]

All my offline clients sites are build in wordpress.

We use a cutomized thesis theme.

Not only does it look good.

It smashes the competition in the search engines.

It seariously rocks.

It can also be used to build one page landing pages.

Products like optimize press is really good for that.

[leadegroot]

I like wordpress, but I do push it to the limit a bit.
I have in my todo list to have a good hard look at modx, and see how friendly it is - another open source product.
It looks good, but not quite as mature as Wordpress (not meant in a bad way).

[crabfoot]

Makes me think ... could this be done on a PC without using a site at all?

I know that there is a free to use php emulator somewhere out there, that you can download to help with building php sites offline. Is there, similarly, a MySQL emulator?