6 Things You Didn’t Know WordPress Could Be
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WordPress is our favourite blogging platform, and it’s beauty is exemplified by the fact that it is open source. Therefore, it can and has been modified by avid fans to function as many other things, other than just a blogging platform. Here is a list of six things that WordPress can be, and links to some great tutorials:
1: Tumblelog
A tumblelog is like a cross between Twitter and blogs. You post short, brief updates, instead of the regular long ones found on most blogs. WordPress by itself isn’t exactly a tumblelog software, but you can easily make it one.
2: Membership Directory
WordPress is at best a blogging software, where one or more authors blog about a subject. It wasn’t built to be a full fledged membership directory. Here’s a tutorial that will show you how to make your WordPress site a full fledged membership directory, on the lines of Pittsburgh Designers.
3: A Photoblog
Essentially, a photoblog is simply a blog with loads of photos and very little text. Although there is dedicated photoblog software, there’s no reason why WordPress cannot be one. Using plugins like Yet another photoblog(YAPB), you can get your WordPress based photoblog up and running in no time!
4: A Full-Fledged CMS
A CMS (Content Management System) is something used by sites to make content management easier. There is sophisticated and open-source software such as Drupal and Joomla!, but these are often way too much for many people to handle, and are best left to technical people. WordPress is the next best choice, and is very user friendly too, to be used as a CMS. This tutorial explains how you can do this
5: An E-Commerce Site
An e-commerce site is where people buy and sell things. Such sites need complex and often custom made backends. Again, this is not something a layman would want to do. Given WordPress’s ease of use and amazing support, why not build your WordPress site into an e-commerce one? And that too without a hassle? There are loads of tutorials around.
6: An Online Magazine
Online magazines have rocketed in popularity. WordPress by itself is quite good for an online magazine. But normal layouts present the content in a reverse chronological order [latest post first], which is not exactly what you would call ‘magazine style’. Some modifications and your magazine is up and running 
There are also great magazine style themes available to help you convert your traditional blog into a magazine style layout.
Some Books You Might Like
If you’re interested in WordPress (I’m sure you are, if you’re reading this post! 
), here are some books on the subject. These books are tutorials on the WordPress platform, and teach you various things: from setting up WordPress as your blog, to marketing it. Take it from me, these books are highly recommended (Note: These links are affiliate links.) :
- WordPress for Business Bloggers: Promote and grow your WordPress blog with advanced plug-ins, analytics, advertising, and SEO
- WordPress Entrepreneur: How to Setup, Customize & Use a WordPress Website
- WordPress Complete: A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to set up, customize, and market your blog using WordPress
Your Picks?
Do you know of anything that WordPress can be, and that’s not included in this list? Do you know any good tutorials to extend our beloved blogging platform even further? If so, please do share with us :D.
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I’m not even sure if Joomla or Drupal are things to be left to the ‘more technical’, wordpress just has a much more user friendly interface, not to mention the bajillion plugins and support forums, topics, etc. It may simply be a matter of WP having more available documentation to get folks up and running asap.
I’m working on turning a WordPress installation into a lifestream - kind of like a personal FriendFeed. I’ll let you know when launches.
@andy - andy, do tell me when its done. I’ll add it to this list
@gwallet - you may be right… it may also be b/c of WP’s entrenched reputation as easy to use.
thanks for the list - wordpress, i love you!
@Hugh.
Thanks for the Avatar … I love this truck, really!
I have been building on WordPress as a membership site lately. It is similar to the membership directory you have above, but is only for subscribed members. Subscriptions are then sold on a monthly, quarterly, half year or yearly basis. Works great. WordPress made it simple to setup and thanks to a couple of plugins easy for my client to manage.
I’ve been steadily transforming my site into a magazine style, although it’s not a full=fledged mag yet, It’s starting to look like one.
God i love wordpress also, its amazing just how many things it can do. Its like the swiss army knife of blogging. Great post, thumbs up!
Wordpress is extremely handy!! I used it for a lady that sells designer dogs but had very little computer skills. This way she can easily login and feature her kennel and the animals she has available in a very user friendly site.
Wordpress can be used a Microblog too with themes like Prologue and such. And recently I came across across a plugin on the Wordpress Codex that told Wp could be used as a Social networking site! I am not sure I remember the name. It had facilities such as adding people as friends and the wall concept. I should have bookmarked it!
Now, WP can be used as a CMS but I personally think it lacks some of the features the regular ones have!
some good examples there. nice.
Wow, I always just thought of it as blog software. I am going to check out how to use it as a CMS
Thanks
Great post man, very original