Can a fast-lane business be started on WordPress?

[H. Palmer]

Sure, we're going to have to. As I'm re-reading this thread, I'm seeing numerous great points and examples being made that I missed the first time through, which you completely reject by just saying "Nope, not fastlane."

I don't know what you are trying to do here, but the fact is that each and every time I provided extensive argumentation. You can disagree with it, but that is OK.

Also I prefer to debate on arguments, not on how many people agree with me. That doesn't prove anything and it doesn't get you into the fastlane.

If Obama would pass a law that bars would have to hand out free beer every night, there is probably a majority for it. There is always a majority for the easy approach. That is why so few people get rich.

Everyone's entitled to their own beliefs, definition of "fastlane," and way of doing business, but people on this forum are pretty quick to speak up when someone is spreading poor advice or misinformation. So, don't take it personal. To each their own.

I think you should be less judgmental and more open to new information. Don't take that personal either.

 

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[Thriftypreneur]

I think you should be less judgmental and more open to new information.

Relax. I'm not being judgmental.

People in this thread, including myself, were simply trying to point out that many people can, have, and still do start and operate fastlane businesses on Wordpress or similar "standard" software. And, the only reason people were trying to point this out and have listed numerous examples of websites/businesses that did just that, was to keep the misinformation you were propagating in this thread (that it can't be done, when in fact it can, has and continues to) from deterring a would-be fastlaner or have them spend thousands of dollars on custom platforms that they don't need to get started or thrive, that's all. Have a good evening.

 

[H. Palmer]

to keep the misinformation you were propagating in this thread Have a good evening.

A different viewpoint is not misinformation. A good evening to you too.

 

[DennisD]

Amschel's Stand:
Custom built software would probably do the job better, speed things up, and differentiate better from a generic wordpress installation.

Rest of Forum's Stand:
True, but wordpress is a great free platform for many people just getting started. It may not be the perfect fit for everybody, but it can get the job done.

Allstate's Stand:
Rewarding responsible driving.

They're not conflicting statements... although Allstate's message is a BIT off topic.

I think it was the very specific language being used that triggered a semantics debate.
Nobody was denying that custom software was dope... just saying that wordpress has potential and shouldn't be completely discounted for people just starting out.

Amschel I'm sure you completely understand that point. So we're all good.

Speed+ To Myself.
Edit: I can't Speed myself, so instead Speed+ to Allstate.
Edit: Turns out.... aw forget it.

 

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[dknise]

In any business model, I would go for as many protective layers as possible. If you really have a world class product and you have market validation, you will do yourself a disservice by using standard plug in modules for marketing, billing, delivery and all kinds of business operations.

Very true. I totally get what you're saying about being dependent upon 3rd party software or a framework like WordPress.


I keep telling people not to use LAMP but they won't listen! That ties you into Linux, Apache, Mysql, and Php... you have FOUR DEPENDENCIES now. I wouldn't go with WISA either, cause then you're tied to all Microsoft. It'd be best to independently develop an operating system, web host, database system, and dynamic web language from scratch.

While all languages and frameworks offer great benefits as a starting point, that doesn't go deep enough, your still dependent on the hardware! So I think I finally get the point... if I want to build a successful online business, I need start with building a computer... or wait... I don't want to be dependent upon sources for the materials I use to build those machines... so I'll probably need to mine my own silicon and copper.

SO, if you want to start a software business, first thing first would be to start speculating for silicon and copper mines. Get right down at the base so you have zero dependencies.

Fastlane here I come!



Questions:
Why work with C# and refuse to use .NET?
Why work with Java and refuse to use the Java Framework?
Why work with Javascript and refuse to use jQuery?

 

[zachonaboat]

It really depends on how large your website will be. With that said, 90% of website projects can and are being done on WordPress due to the large community of developers, flexibility with the environment, and ease of SEO (which is a huge help). I would strongly advise towards WP, because you can start small and then go from there as time permits.

 

[botnickguy]

As a comment, I'm using Wordpress for my website and I love it. It's so incredibly simple, and here's the thing.

You can mush some custom software into a WP project. You can use WP to get some quick landing pages and info pages going, use some plugins for this that or the rest, and there will always be some sort of way to mash it all together, even elegantly.

The truth is that TECHNICALLY, you could mush together 3 content management systems, 5 custom HTML/CSS pages and all that together on one website. Especially if you are doing the theme work.

In my opinion, unless you are some professional developer, just go CMS. You can do Drupal or Magento as well really, it just depends on the project. Wordpress has a humongous community so I ditched Drupal for it. BTW, when I say developer, I don't mean just knowing how to code, I mean, you can make websites just like Apples by hand.

For how it sounds from you, Wordpress + elegantthemes.com is perfect. That's what I've been using. Sure, I could technically make it all in Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/Dreamweaver with gobs of graphics and HTML and CSS, but I'd rather use my time on attracting customers. And unless your damn good, professional web designers can do it better, so themes are the shit.

If your business is incredibly dynamic maybe sway a different way but I can put my vote on yes, just do it. Just F*ckin do it and get your business on the road. Just make it happen. Otherwise you're going to be wasting extra time.

 

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[botnickguy]

You really should check out elegantthemes man, basically they're one single group producing some really gorgeous themes with a custom settings panel and everything. It can even give Wordpress a run for the money. It's basically a time SAVER because it makes it easy for me to build up a sexy, polished website without having to work my a$$ off to make the dimensions and imagery perfect. I can load up the latest wordpress release and throw an elegant theme into it. It looks great! And then if I don't like what they give me, I just customize it to how I like it with my skills in coding. There are also resources for people who don't know coding that will show them how to do the same thing.

I like time savers.

Personally I think the whole theme thing is vastly overrated. Just because a bunch of designers can think up a few thousand themes and the world has a lot of themes to choose from, doesn't mean themes play a decisive role in getting a business off the ground.

I'd rather not waste my time looking for the best WordPress theme out of 6000 and instead design a server based database that allows me to segment my customers and squeeze a higher margin out of them with follow up mailings.

 

[MooreMillions]

Yes!

 

[Deleted15476]

With themes like Optimize Press 2, you can make great membership sites

 

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[JohnAllen]

Setting aside all things about WordPress being unworthy or a way to get rich easily you can quickly build a nice eCommerce site with it.

You need two important items, first a free plugin called WooCommerce and second a theme that specifically supports the WooCommerce plugin. The theme will cost you a few dollars at WooCommerce or you can pick up some nice themes at CodeCanyon.

Set this up in WordPress and you will have a solid and safe eCommerce site. Someone that has worked with and knows WordPress can have a working site by the end of the day.

But darn, if you want a nice looking site to get into eCommerce quickly just go with Shopify, not perfect but it draws me like a bee to honey. Wish Shopify was available when I was selling orchids on line!

I would only go with WooCommerce if I really wanted to push the site hard with SEO. Having the selling side packaged with the information side in WordPress sure beats a blog on one of the big shopping carts if you want to build the site up over time with some quality SEO work.

 

[DeletedUser391]

I didn't know you could switch it over. Good info thanks.

It really depends what is the nature of your business. But unless it is based on developing new apps or similar, it can be most probably built on some of the available platforms (you can always invest more later). Even a site like this can be built with WordPress. It is only a platform/tool, you still have complete control.

In any case, there is not only WordPress (even though, the more complex solution you are looking for, the better choice it is as there is a huge community around it, thousands of templates/plugins etc.). There are: Wix, Weebly, GetBarley, IMCreator...for e-commerce: Shopify, BigCommerce, TicTail, Storenvy...and many more.

You should choose the closest competitor or something you like and explore his technology/platform with this: http://builtwith.com/ (find out technology behind websites).

 

[parkerscott]

So if i have very little skills in coding should i go with shopify or wordpress for an ecommerce site? Also what are hosting fees like. I think the last time i checked hosting was like 8$ a month through hostgator.

 

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[smarty]

Short answer:
Yes, yes and yes!
Long answer:
The process of starting a new business is complicated enough, and you don't have to make it more complicated upfront.
If you have tested your business idea in the real world and proven it will work, and the market for it exists, you need to move quick, so use Wordpress to make a decent site for the business. You don't have to do rocket science and Wordpress can be used for pretty much any type of site. In any case, you can develop a custom website CMS later when the business grows and your revenue grows, but for now you gotta minimize the pain of starting.

P.S.: I'm developer and I use Wordpress a lot but I sometimes prefer to develop my custom websites from scratch - just because I can afford to spend 2-4 weeks and don't need to hire/pay a developer to do that - and I guess there's an ego element of "doing it my way"

 

[andynathan]

I have been using WordPress since 2009, when I started my first blog. I love it so much that I am on the organizing committee for WordCamp Chicago and Milwaukee. That being said, ignore which theme is best and do research based on which theme is best for your needs.

I have used WordPress 2013 and been happy, while using OptimizePress can be great and frustrating all at the same time. It really depends on what you want it to do.

Ignore platform, think about the outcome.

 

[DeletedUser391]

So if i have very little skills in coding should i go with shopify or wordpress for an ecommerce site? Also what are hosting fees like. I think the last time i checked hosting was like 8$ a month through hostgator.

You don't need any coding skills. And you also don't need separate hosting...Shopify and most other builders give you hosting and a domain as a part of the subscription.

Except for Shopify, you may look at: BigCommerce, Storenvy, Tictail, 3DCart, Prestashop, Weebly, Squarespace, Wix...to compare prices/features.

If you want to go for WordPress, you may use this: http://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/

 

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[ManWithABeard]

great responses on here.

My take: If people have access to your product and services that they find value in, you can use whatever platform you want.

 

[The Autobahn]

ThemeFusion have broken records selling their Avada WordPress theme for the 100,000th time. Congratulations to the team on a fantastic achievement!

http://press.envato.com/92074-recor...wordpress-theme-avada-surpasses-100-000-sales

 

[Kid Money]

Do answer directly. Yes.

Isn't setting up a wordpress site with products that you sell people for a profit fastlane? Make it profitable enough to automate and you make money when you sleep.

That question is like asking if a pool can have water in it. Well, yeah but you have to have the money to buy hoses, find a water source and then fill it up. Once it is full you charge people to swim in it. You have 1 lifeguard clean and manage it every day for you while you are 1000 miles away. Just make sure you charge more for them to swim then it takes to maintain and pay your 1 employee.

 

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[oimate]

( Give me a break if this is a stupid question lol) I am starting my first online business. I am going to have to learn many new things and im aware of that( Looking forward to the challenges). But this business has scale-ability in an unsaturated market. The business plan is great and is certainty fastlane but the process of executing it is going to be long and educational. I have no experience in web design/ SEO. This is all new to me. I have started business's before. But I have never started an online business. Any advice would be awesome. This thing is going to be huge and passive. I would eventually like to sell the site. But I am wondering If I could use a wordpress format or is that a bad idea? My pockets are not very deep and I feel word press would be easier and faster to grasp then actually coding a site. But I also do not want to cut corners.

People can correct me if they know better but I believe the likes of NASA,Vogue,Forbes,LinkedIn, sony music and UPS use wordpress for at least parts of their websites. Off course these will have some excellent developers working in the background but I think it shows that wordpress is a decent enough starter.

 

[DaRK9]

People can correct me if they know better but I believe the likes of NASA,Vogue,Forbes,LinkedIn, sony music and UPS use wordpress for at least parts of their websites. Off course these will have some excellent developers working in the background but I think it shows that wordpress is a decent enough starter.

Nope. Not fastlane.
(lol)

As I'm re-reading this thread, I'm seeing numerous great points and examples being made that I missed the first time through, which you completely reject by just saying "Nope, not fastlane." Or, even points made by the man who wrote the book, that you just completely bypass and ignore.

Also, this kind of "It's not fastlane, don't do it" thinking is harmful to newer people. You can get stuck forever in analysis mode trying to figure out what is fastlane and what isn't. You might find ways to make the idea/business fastlane as you go along.

But you'll never start because, "nope isn't Fastlane."

 

[Greg R]

Great information here, thanks for bringing up the topic... It is a question I had and I am sure many other people had the same question.

 

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[TJPB]

I opened this thread thinking there would be a bunch of examples of Fastlane businesses on WordPress. I guess I'll start the trend...

www.keeptight.com

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Just so no one missed what I wrote 2 years ago on page 1...

Yes.

But it has NOTHING to do with Wordpress. It has to do with your consistency, your content, and your value proposition.

I'm sure there are hundreds, perhaps 1000's of "Fastlane" sites that are driven on Wordpress. A lot of the gossip blogs are WP driven (TheDirty.com, for example, which made the owner pretty infamous, and probably pretty affluent as well).

This question is like asking ... can I pedal my bike from Los Angeles to Las Vegas?

Sure you can.

But you will need endurance, drive, and determination. Those without those qualities hop on the bike (downloading WP) bike 2 miles (make 2 posts) then turn around and go home, blaming the bike, when the bike wasn't the problem, it was the biker.

 

[mt_myke]

Wordpress is primarily a publishing platform. If you're selling something and just need a site to write about the product, with maybe a few other features, then WP might be great. If your business revolves around the platform (like an online service) it may be easier to get going with WP in the beginning, but if your requirements don't exactly match the available plugins and the way they work you'll probably come to regret it. WP is not a magic "make the thing i want!" box, despite many people trying hard to believe it.

Also don't underestimate the much higher risk of getting hacked. There's a lot of hacker love given to WP because it's such a rich target, both because so many people use it, and there's so much awful bug-ridden code in the ecosystem.

 

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[nitop]

Very true. I totally get what you're saying about being dependent upon 3rd party software or a framework like WordPress.


I keep telling people not to use LAMP but they won't listen! That ties you into Linux, Apache, Mysql, and Php... you have FOUR DEPENDENCIES now. I wouldn't go with WISA either, cause then you're tied to all Microsoft. It'd be best to independently develop an operating system, web host, database system, and dynamic web language from scratch.

While all languages and frameworks offer great benefits as a starting point, that doesn't go deep enough, your still dependent on the hardware! So I think I finally get the point... if I want to build a successful online business, I need start with building a computer... or wait... I don't want to be dependent upon sources for the materials I use to build those machines... so I'll probably need to mine my own silicon and copper.

SO, if you want to start a software business, first thing first would be to start speculating for silicon and copper mines. Get right down at the base so you have zero dependencies.

Fastlane here I come!



Questions:
Why work with C# and refuse to use .NET?
Why work with Java and refuse to use the Java Framework?
Why work with Javascript and refuse to use jQuery?

awesome post buddy , had a great laugh after a tiring day building peerfly / pinterest ads compaigns ..

here's the problem though, mining copper and silver depends on the planet " earth" , again violates the law ,,,...help!

 

[oimate]

The answer to your question is YES-you can start a fastlane business with wordpress-In fact unless your product is a downloadable piece of software the great news is that you can start the business even without the internet!

Remember businesses, believe it or not existed even before the invention of the computer and the digital world! (Truely shocking I know!!)

Perhaps the key word in your thread title is 'started'!

You have to start somewhere- An actionable start is the 1st steps to success (fastlane or otherwise) so as with alot of things in life and on the forum if you just make the 1st step you're doing better than the majority in this world.

I see alot of procrastination on the forum-Ppl posting is this is good or that bad etc etc-

Just do it without wasting your time posting your thoughts/doubts-if it fails you'll have learnt a valuable learning lesson and if it works-well its bloody well worked!

 

[BellaPippin]

I found once this article with famous bloggers first websites... these are not exactly it (I can't seem to find it again!) but will give you an idea...of course the design in the early 2000's was much more simpler and now you can invest in a decent looking theme if you want but it shows most websites started with something super simple:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6125914/How-20-popular-websites-looked-when-they-launched.html

http://royal.pingdom.com/2008/10/21/a-visual-history-of-11-successful-blogs/

 

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[stoltzk]

People can correct me if they know better but I believe the likes of NASA,Vogue,Forbes,LinkedIn, sony music and UPS use wordpress for at least parts of their websites. Off course these will have some excellent developers working in the background but I think it shows that wordpress is a decent enough starter.

An alternative is to maybe look at a company like Wix.com. This may be more affordable for you but you have to do the comparison and see if it will work for you. Good luck.

 

[niteowl]

It depends on what VALUE that you offer from your business.

If the value is on the CONTENT of your website, and Wordpress is only used to DISTRIBUTE it worldwide...then, YES, abselutely..you can use WP.

But, if your value is on the TECHNOLOGY...i doubt you can succeed.
You need to build a custom web app in this case. A good one.

Just my 2 cents