How to Make a Magazine Style Theme for Wordpress
I don’t know if you guys have been noticing, I have been writing a whole lot about wordpress. The reason why I was doing that because I wanted to write a post about How to make a Magazine Style Theme for Wordpress. The post would get so big If I try to make it one, therefore I put it in different peices, so I can put it all together when I think I have enough peices. In this post I will show you how to make a Magazine Style Theme for Wordpress. I will also tell you some of the advantages of it.
Wait a Minute – Surprise, I have written an E-Book which is available for free. Which covers basically all the stuff below. Available both in .rtf and .pdf format. Download it now
**This tutorial is an intermediate level tutorial. I am assuming you can already design, and code in html. **
First you need to have a simple blog design in place. Make it very simple. Header, Footer, Sidebar and Content.
First thing you would need to do is Create a Custom Page in wordpress and make it your homepage. If you read I have already showed you both ways in the post above. Now you would also need to make a separate blog page. I have showed one way to make a blog page in the post above.
The Raw Code Method to make a custom blog page is here. It is if you use the Raw Code method to make a home page.
Next thing you want to decide what to put on your home page to make it a magazine style theme. Few advices:
Display Recent Posts on the homepage and in the sidebar of the blog pages.
Display the Most Recent Posts from your main categories making it like a column so it looks like a magazine or newspaper.
Use my tutorial about How to Add a Dynamic Sidebar in Wordpress, so you can use your widgets anywhere on the template other than the sidebar.
That way you can display The Most Popular Posts on the homepage as well.
Make an Archive Page for your Wordpress.
Add a Contact form in Wordpress
You can Create as many custom pages in wordpress for different purposes.
You Now have a general Idea to setup a Magazine style Wordpress Theme. If you need anything else feel free to ask your question in the comment box and I will try to answer the question in the comment or in my future posts.
Next thing you want to consider is the SEO Friendly URLs for Wordpress also known as Permalink structures.
Don’t forget to give your Website it’s Identity. In other words, add a Fav Icon. The post explains how to add one.
When you are working on your comment area don’t forget that I have written a post about how to Pimp Your Comment Area. It have some great plugins that relates to comments.
I have made a list of the top 5 Wordpress plugins in my list as of July 2008, so get those.
If you are going to add advertisers, I haven’t seen a better plugin then OIOPublishers to Manage my Advertisers.
Keep the site simple and clean. I have written about How to Optimize your Blog Page to Attract Readers. Read that.
Once you have everything done, don’t forget to Check on your W3C Validation. I have written a guide with tips on w3c validation for your site. Read those.
The advantages of having a magazine style theme is that your blog looks more then a blog. You can make it more like a portal with other things going on. It becomes more of a community. Your page views increases. That is one of the future trends that I have been seeing in the designs.
These tips are not just for blogs. These also help when you are using wordpress to set up custom websites other than blogs.
Hopefully this helps. Like I said this is a intermediate level tutorial. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Hey, I am Syed Balkhi, The guy who is behind Balkhis Inc. I entered the industry back in 2002 not knowing a single thing. I barely spoke English at that time. In the past six years, my language barrier has been eliminated. Aside from English, now I also speak html, and php. Along with the languages I have also managed to master a few arts. Art of web-designing started when I first entered. Messing around with photoshop, I learned how to create my first web design. Now I founded a web designing firm Uzzz Productions. After running numerous amount of websites in various niche, I have mastered the art of web-development. Now I am compiling a resource of what I already know, and what I am learning on this blog. This resource is to help me if I ever need a guide to look back to, and it is help my fellow webmasters.
fantastic job syed. I am currently in the process of writing an ebook myself…hush…LOL but I’m downloading yours as I type this. I will return once I finish reading it.
forgot to add and I’m sorry doe this but ummm I’m going to digg this post! Haha
I meant to say that I’m sorry to do this to you but im going to have to digg this! and it is DUGG!
Glad you like it EEEnkay. Let me know when you write it so I can download it. Also I might feature it here.
That summarizes everything.. cool.
Thanks for the book.
dugg.
thanks for the digg. I am asking if my users like it please promote it on your site. So a short mention on your blog would be nice
Wait a minute… this is a virus!
Haha, kidding of course…
Good work on this eBook. I would have loved to see a bit more about it in the post itself (just looks like a scramble of links to me), but other than that the book itself is definitely helpful.
With 30 pages… it’s a must-own. You should definitely promote the heck out of this one
Jim this book wasn’t planned. I was writing a post and decided to write an e-book for the users. I will try my best to promote it. If all the readers here will help me this can become a very good tutorial book.
I haven’t looked at the “e-book” Tutorial yet but I imagine it’s really good judging from your blog website quality!
dugg
I see from your pic you’re a young guy too! Looks like a bright future for you!
Click my name, bbrian017, sign up, and vote for Syed Balkhi @ Blog Engage
Syed did you develop the current template as on your blog well?
yes the tutorial uses alot of things that I used to develop this template on Balkhis.
can you give me a sample?
sample of what? It is free click on the link and download it.
Good work there Syed. Sure, would mention about it soon in my blog. By the way the topic you choosed is a very good one.
Whoa!!
You are now a WordPress DIVA
You’ve torn the whole thing apart and documentated even the minute aspects of wordpress.
I was a regular reader here, and I was thinking of a compilation and you’ve done that
THE ULTIMATE guide to set up wordpress and fire up.
Downloading now,
I am glad you like it.
[...] SEO, productivity and many more cool topics). He has now released an eBook authored by him, named, “How to make a magazine style theme for Wordpress” It’s available for free download [...]
Syed,
I’ve loved the book and have apread the word.
I’ve written a post on my blog about your perfect release.
Would you take a look?
http://aravindjose.com/blog/2008/07/19/download-free-ebook-the-ultimate-wordpress-guide-create-a-magazine-theme-for-wordpress/
Thanks for the writeup. It looks perfect. This is a much smaller version. When I write something that covers the Best Ultimate Blogging Guide, I will surely name it that
I know that there are many more bigger and better things under the sleeve.
I meant that it’s the Ultimate as of now.
That’s what was inteded by the “*ultimate*”
hehe .. thanks again for the write up
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Thank you for this. Will take a look and playing around a bit
yeah playing around with tutorials like this is how I learnt all the cool things that I know now.
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Not only a nice tutorial for your visitors, but I also see a great post to get traffic digging deeper into you blog. Nice.
I am glad you like it Bruce. A short mention on your blog would be nice too
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Do you have something for those just starting out?
I don’t have anything for someone just starting out at this point in time
[...] in your posts that you ask them to promote for yourself on their blog. Like my ebook about How to make a Magazine style theme in wordpress. Alot of bloggers wrote about this post, and I am very thankful that they found my book interesting [...]
Thanks Syed,
It’s a great work you’ve done. I grabbed it instantly right after your eMail.
I like your method to greet me on my first comment and get me here thru a link in greeting e-mail. you are really a smart guy balkhis
I too got this link in thanks to my first comment here. Thank you for the link.
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thanks for the magazine e-books..
Thankyou very much, Balkhis..
You are so kind to give a priceless resources how to make a magazine style WP theme.You did a great job. I wish I could do the same what you’ve done. Bravo!
i Came here through your e-mail after first comment
But i cant resist myself to grab the copy of your e-book, i developed wordpress plguin few days ago, now its the time for WP-theme
SOOOO AMAZING!!
great!!
I Came Here Via You Send Me Mail When I Post First Blog Comment On Your Blog.
I Am Going To Read It Step By Step, If I Get Problems For The Themes I Commenting You On Your Blog….
Thank You Syed Balkhi.
[...] that tab based interface is being used on many blogs now a days. Why, because there is a switch to Magazine Style Themes now. Bloggers want to highlight more content on their home page, so readers can get to see the [...]
thank balkhis. I already download this book and this book is very useful for beginners like me. I hope to learn a lot from you
Thats a new knowledge for me. i will try, thanks ya..
Thank you balkhis. I already downloaded the ebook. I reserve my comment once I read the ebook.
i am newbie in making theme for wordpress, i downloaded the ebook, it will be useful to me as beginner, thanks