set up a simple static home page

To get your static home (front) page (without blog appearance):

1. On the Dashboard, Click Write, then Click Page
2. Type the title you wish people to see into the Title box
3. Type any text you want displayed into Content
4. Click Publish
5. Back to the Dashboard, click Settings, then Reading subtab
6. In the Front Page section, select the button for a ‘Static Page’, then in the Front Page drop-down underneath, select that Page you just created
7. Then Save Changes

During your visits to these menus, you’ll have noticed you have various Options you can set; play around and see what you like.

Frankly, to make it look like a website you’ll either have to learn about customising the basic template (knowledge of tags, a little HTML & CSS) or go and search for a WP theme that you like. Even then, you’ll probably find you want to change a few things, so you might be beter to go for a paid theme which has author support.

I learned all the above just by searching the web and buying a copy of WordPress for Dummies. I highly recommend you do the latter.

a little more info but a question first…

1) why do you want a static page? because you don’t like the look as described above or because you want a temp page up there until you figure things out.

2) if you want a web page look on your home page follow the example above but know this. in addition to the very articulate message above you may also want to research if you want technorati to index (keep track of the links to your site). the technorati answer is a bit drawn out so before anyone elaborates a little more feedback from you would be helpful.

thanks for the help, will look at what esatyrical said (thanks for plain lingo hints).
in answer to ronchicargo
yes want a temp page up while i sort it out and try to get a look i want, i dont plan on building a huge site, really just a couple of pages but i want the front page to have a heading , maybe a couple of columns but the ability to easily add pictures and change the text and headings of the columns. i dont want all the links to blogs etc that are on the blog templates if you know what i mean. more of a web page than a blogging page ?

That’s all doable… if you know html and css. No PHP is really required, just good old HTML and CSS design.
And a basic understanding of how WP works.

that seems to be my problem just getting a handle on how wp works.
i have a basic grasp of html but how to get wp to let me do what i want to do is what i am trying to get sorted. i figured its doable as others have done it, i just need some helpful hints on how to do it.

eastyrical, i followed your instructions and i have found some more options that i didn,t see before but i still want to know hoe to get rid of all the bits i dont want appearing, e.g pages blogroll catagories search archieves, this is all in a side bar which i dont need or want at the moment,?

I was in the same position as you a few weeks ago. Take a look at my site, finewines.hk, which is also a temporary placeholder.

I got there by spending a little cash to get a theme that was close to my general layout needs, and which was easily customisable. Trial and error cut n paste after a day of browsing a HTML/CSS textbook, and basic knowledge on WP that I picked up from the Codex here. I don’t have any IT background, so I’m sure you could do the same.

thanks esatyrical, thats exactly what i want, your site looks good, may i ask which theme you purchased i think i ay go down the same road less graphics as i dont even require that.

Now, to your specific issue about hiding the blog-like stuff:

Assuming you’re using the Default theme:
1. At the dashbaord, Click Designs, then click Theme Editor
2. Click the ‘Page Template’ (page.php) on the right
(Warning – make a copy of this file/code in Notepad in case you mess up and need to get back to the original)
3. Near the top, replace <div id=”content” class=”narrowcolumn”>
with <div id=”content” class= “widecolumn”>
4. Near the bottom, remove <?php get_sidebar(); ?>
5. Then ‘Update File’
6. Rinse and repeat for other pages as required
7. Read some of the helpful Codex guides or WP 4 Dummies on Themes & Template Tags. As moshu wrote, you don’t really need php

The theme – if you mouse-over the Revolution Theme words on the footer of my site, it’ll take you to the site. There are a number of themes on show there; I’m using the original standard ‘Revolution’ theme.

If you decide to go for one of those, I may be able to get you a discount off the advertised price.

This is a very good solution for a non-blog look and a great template for down the road development as it looks like you can put recent posts from the blog on this page, something Technorati will recoginize.

It does not pass the validation test, another matter and easy to fix when you are in the mood.

thanks for that i now see where i need to go to to edit/modify stuff.
just one more thing, if you can help. where do i go to get rid of original theme big blue header and how easy is it to add your own pictue/graphic in its place ?

Changes to the design elements of a site usually get effected through the CSS. Those templates are listed at the bottom right.

I didn’t find it difficult changing the header on my Rev theme site and adding the logo image, but I’m not qualified to comment on doing it with the Default Kubrick theme – it would be like ‘the blind leading the blind’. Search the forums here, as quite possibly it’s been answered before. Or get some basic CSS knowledge free on the web first – google for something like CSS Tutorial or CSS Guide…

I’m sure you noticed the Header Image/Colour tab on the Design dashboard offers some limited means to change the appearance.

Good luck!