For FedEx Day I set up WordPress on an IIS (Internet Information Services) server to test the capabilities compared to Dot Net Nuke (DNN), extensibility through plugins and the difficulty of writing my own, and the SEO-oriented design that it offers. There were a few quirks while installing on IIS, so I've written a quick tutorial for anyone wanting to get started.
This tutorial assumes you've already set up a MySQL server.
The installation was quick and easy to follow along with:
- Open IIS Manager
- Open Web Platform Installer
- Search WordPress
- Click Add next to WordPress
- Click Options
- Check the box next to "Enable configuration of all web application parameters" (I'll explain why later)
- Click Install
The Web Platform Installer will install some prerequisites (PHP) and take you to a configuration screen like so:
Next, you'll have to enter some database information (which you enabled when you checked that box earlier!) and some keys in order to make your installation of WordPress secure:
You can generate these keys by going here: https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/
NOTE: You cannot use the dollar sign in these keys under IIS. The generator sometimes uses them. Simply refresh the generator a few times until you've found different keys for each without any '$' characters.
Now the Web Platform Installer will run through the steps and install WordPress into your selected configuration.
HOORAY! WordPress should now be up and running on IIS.
In order to get some nice looking URLs, follow this guide: http://www.iis.net/learn/extensions/url-rewrite-module/enabling-pretty-permalinks-in-wordpress
First things first, I needed to create an awesome theme. Starting to port over DMC’s current website theme, I found an excellent template: bones.
In end, WordPress is powerful, fast, and easy to work with. It’s a possible candidate for the next iteration of the DMC website.