From WebMonkey, there's a new article for all of the bloggers out there that just don't know where to get started with the look and feel of their site. Tim Ziegler wants to help, and in "Get Your Feet Wet with WordPress" he provides everything from day one.
The best thing about WordPress (apart from it being free) is that plug-ins are available to do all manner of things, from inserting tag clouds into your blog to adding surveys and shopping carts to integrating YouTube videos. Not to mention the fact that you have serious control over the design of each section of your site.
But here's the rub: WordPress' system for messing with your blog design and site functionality is powerful, but can be confusing and awkward until you figure out how all the pieces fit together.
This article will pull apart the templating system and make you a WordPress Grand Wazier or your money back! (Not really on the money back.)
He covers a few different topics, including installing custom templates, how WordPress template files work together, working a bit with PHP to pull in remote content (or local, for that matter), and the best places to grab some of those handy WordPress plugins.
The one thing he doesn't cover is the installation, so you'll need to have it up and working before you tackle this tutorial. He suggests starting with a good base theme and going from there - changing settings, modifying the HTML, and using plugins to your advantage to enhance the functionality of your site.
