How to Have a Website Within a Website

A while back I wrote a tutorial for Wix.com on how to create a fully functioning e-commerce store with WordPress. In case you missed it, you can find the tutorial here. I recently decided to give it a proper rewrite and rebranding and what you’re going to learn below is essentially the same as the original tutorial, but it’s been entirely redesigned to match the templates, colors, and branding of Shopify.com.

Step 1: Register a Domain Name

Before you can build your website, you’re going to need to register a hostname (web address) for your domain. In order to do this, you can use any of the dedicated domain name registrars like 1and1.com or GoDaddy.com. These companies normally charge you a one-time fee of around $13 to $16 per year to host your website.

Don’t worry — you don’t have to purchase a domain through these companies; you can grab one from another registrar for around $12 per year. The only difference is that you’ll be paying for the privilege of having your own domain name. Once you’ve registered your domain name, visit the tutorial’s first link so you can continue to the next step.

Step 2: Download and Install WordPress

WordPress is a popular content management system which can be used to create almost any type of website. The best part is that it’s free and open-source software, which you can download from their homepage here. Once you’ve downloaded and installed WordPress, you can visit their documentation here to get started.

One of the first steps in getting started with WordPress is to install the Jetpack plugin. Jetpack is a free plugin which provides you with additional functionality and features to your site. It’s a lot like the popular BuddyPress plugin, but instead of offering social features, Jetpack provides you with additional options for monetizing and customizing your site. Once you’ve installed the Jetpack plugin, you can go to the next step.

Step 3: Create a Database With WordPress

Before you can use WordPress to build your site, you’re going to need to create a database for your website. A database is a collection of data which you can use to store information about your site’s content and visitors. Without a database, your site will be nothing more than a few web pages containing static content.

You can create a database using one of the many database management tools like WordPress or MySQL. In this tutorial, we’re going to be using WordPress. To begin, you need to visit the Dashboard for your WordPress website. Once you’re there, click the Settings icon to access the administrative area of your website. From here you can click the Database icon to connect to WordPress’ database and begin the creation process. When you’ve created your database, you can change its password using the Security tab and then click the Check for updates button to make sure the database details are up-to-date.

Step 4: Create a Homepage For Your Website

Now that you have a database and WordPress installed, you can create a home page for your website. A homepage is the default landing page for your website, and it’s going to serve as the entry point for your visitors. Naturally, you’ll want to create a very compelling reason for them to choose your website over the others.

To get started, click the Appearance menu and select the option for a Blank Page. Then click the Upload button to bring up a file selection dialog. Browse to and select the image you’d like to use for your homepage. When you’ve chosen an image, click the Edit button to bring up the image editing interface.

From here you can crop, resize, and rotate the image as needed. Once you’re happy with the look of your image, click the Save button at the top of the editing interface.

Back on the Blank Page screen, you’re going to want to type in a few words to describe your website. You can add a Tagline and a few other details about your site here before clicking the Publish button. To get back to the Dashboard, click the site name at the top of the page.

Step 5: Create a Custom Post Type For Your Website

Now that you’ve got a nice, compelling home page with a few details about your website, you can move on to the next step which is to create a custom post type for your website. A custom post type is a type of post used to create content for your website. For example, maybe you sell shoes online and you want to create a blog post about the best fashion trends for women in 2020. You can use the Custom Post type for this purpose.

To create a custom post type, click the Settings icon on the Dashboard, and then click on the Posts tab. Here you can select the type of content you’d like to post from the available options. When you’ve selected the type of content you’re going to create, click on the Create button at the top of the screen.

From here, you can name your post type, give it a brief description, and then click on the Create button. A new window will pop up with the details of your new custom post type. You can continue to add more options here by clicking the Details button. When you’re done, click the Publish button at the top of the screen.

Back on the Dashboard, you can click on the Posts area to find all your new custom post types. You can edit these post types in the same way you would any other post on your site by clicking the Edit button for each one.

Step 6: Build a Relationship With Your Audience

The last step in bringing a fully functioning e-commerce store to life is to build a relationship with your audience. To do this, you’re going to want to create interest-based groups to engage with your readers and potential customers. These groups can be used to foster connection, conversation, and trust among your audience.

You can create interest-based groups using a tool like Hiveage.io. Once you’ve signed up for a free account, you can click the Groups tab to bring up the group creation interface. Here you can search for groups based on your niche, interests, hashtags, or keywords. When you’ve found a group you’d like to join, click the Join button at the top right of the group’s interface.

Once you’re in the group, you can click the Activity tab to bring up an activity stream for the group. This stream will show you all the content that’s being posted to the group. You can click any message or comment to be taken to its author’s profile. From here you can engage with the group’s members via private messaging or just by viewing their profiles.

To get even more engagement, click the Settings icon on the Dashboard, and then click the Discussion tab. From here you can bring up all the group’s posting options. You can turn off automatic notifications for new posts, set a time limit on how many posts you’ll see, or click the See all button to read all the group’s posts in one go.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. In case you missed it, you can find the tutorial’s first two steps here. Before you go, make sure to read the comments below for some great tips and additional information.