Create A Static Wordpress Homepage

Wordpress is a wonderful thing. Non-techie folks can manage their own website or blog without having to learn HTML programming. However, mastering the Wordrpress Codex can be challenging to those just starting out. I am an Elance certified Wordpress Expert, and I want to help those "do it yourself" Wordpress users by presenting a series of lenses that address the most common questions I get from my customers. Among those questions, "How do I create a static Wordpress home page?" is one of the most common issues I am paid to address. This is an easy fix, and this lens walks you step by step as to how to create a static home page on your Wordpress blog or website.

1. Logon to your Wordpress site through your wp/admin logon.

2. Go to your admin page, and then select "create a page."

3. Create two new pages. You will need to title one page "Home," "Welcome," etc. Whatever you want your static home page to be called (do not call it home.php!!!!).

4. Make sure you set the page to whatever template you want featured on this page.

5. Stay with me here, you are almost done!!! What content do you want featured? Add whatever information you want your readers to see featured on your page every time they visit your site. Go ahead and publish the page...do not hit save draft.

6. Now, back to the second page. Are you going to update posts regularly like a blog? If not, don't worry about setting up a second page...you can skip it. If you want to still have a blog, you will need to create the second page. So...title your second page "blog," "updates," "news," etc.

7. Do not add any content to this second page. Remember, your new blog posts will now post here instead of your home page. So, we just need to leave it blank. Also, do not add any custom templates to the page. Now, go ahead and publish the page.

8. Now, go back to your admin page. Select "settings" then "reading panel."

9. Now, go to "front page displays" and make sure you choose "static page." Now, remember the first page you created? Select THAT page to be your new front page.

10. If you are going to still update your site with a blog page, then you will use the second page you created for this next step. Select your second page (blog, articles, etc.) and use this page for the "set post page." Now, all of your new posts will update to this page instead of your front page.

11. VIP: Make sure you save all of the changes!

12. Last step! Select "enable permalinks" to show the page name of whatever the first page you have just created. This is VIP! You should now have a static home page!

Hope this helped!