My Love Affair with WordPress
And why you should develop one too…
I love WordPress. I really do. Granted, it isn’t the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep and it isn’t the first thing I think of when I open my eyes, but it’s pretty good. Whenever I’m forced to use another Content Management System, I can’t help but compare the experience to WordPress, solemnly whispering to myself, "I would never have to do that in WordPress…."
But what is it about the Open Source CMS that stole my heart?
Not Just for Blogs
No longer is WordPress ‘just for blogging.’ Take these websites, all of which have been built on WordPress (NB I am involved with all of these websites):-
· Tecmark
· Solvis
Even some e-Commerce websites are now built on WordPress (though my own experience would tell me larger e-commerce sites don’t tend to work very well on the platform). Some of these include (NB I am in no way involved with these sites):-
Ease of Use
Even non-web savvy types can pick up the interface quickly and its WYSIWYG means of adding and modifying content, it simplifies the process of adding new pages and posts or modifying existing ones.
Easy to Customize
As the world’s most popular Open Source CMS, WordPress has engaged quite literally thousands upon thousands of developers who create themes. So even if you’re not savvy enough to create your own custom theme, you can probably find one you like, either from the WordPress directory or from countless theme websites. Themes are easy to find (both free and premium ones) and can be installed quickly and easily.
Additional Functionality
If there is something you can think of that WordPress does not do by default, there’s a good chance that someone somewhere has already created a plugin for it that you can just install. We’re spoiled by the WordPress developers out there. Plugins already exist, without charge, for:-
· Assistance with SEO
· eCommerce functionality
· Social Media integration and sharing
· Creating subscriber lists
· Moderating comments
· Implementing photo galleries
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Call me a little bit odd, but I do spend quite a lot of time browsing plugins (I will get a life one day, promise!)
I’m not a developer. I will never be one… PHP? It’s not for me. But my job requires that I am able to make quick, frequent updates to client websites and as such, I have encountered a LOT of CMS systems (both Open Source and paid for). I have not yet found one I like anywhere near as much as WordPress. You?
Stacey Cavanagh is the Digital Marketing Manager for Tecmark, a UK Digital Marketing Agency specialising in Internet Marketing and Mobile Application Development.
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I love WordPress too. Used Drupal and some others, but WordPress is close to perfect for writing. So many ways to make a site look like it is not a blog too.
Jon recently posted: The New Food Pyramid – USDA Reviews Its Healthy Eating Guidelines
Stacy, I agree with you. I'm a big WordPress fan. The platform works well for blogs and other websites. I'm constantly amazed at the versatility of the platform. It's so easy to post pictures, embed videos, be notified of comments, etc.
What makes WordPress even better is all of the amazing plugins to go with it. Perhaps you could share with us your favorite plugins on WordPress in a future article?
Thanks for a great post!
Carolyn@The Wonder of Tech recently posted: Shnap! An Addicitive Photo Sharing Game
Absolutely agree… I think it was traditionally thought of as literally just a blogging platform, whereas now it's looked as a more of an all round content management system.
Much simpler for users than Drupal too, particularly users who have never managed their own content before.
Stacey Cavanagh recently posted: Guaranteed SEO Results And Why I HATE That Phrase