Let’s take a minute and talk about WordPress.
From a general standpoint WordPress is a Content Management System; one of many available. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. So why WordPress? Simple, it’s easy to use, there is a huge community of people surrounding it and anyone coming out of college since 2005 will be pretty comfortable working with the tools.
Content management systems are a great thing. If your site is based on one, no matter which one, you’re ahead in the Internet game. If you’re not using a content management system you should be and that’s a longer discussion.
Five years ago I knew about WordPress but, in my opinion, it just was not ready for prime time. Since then things have changed dramatically and it is the only content management system used by Shout Out Studio. We arrived at this point after years of direct experience with many others including, Joomla, Drupal, DotNetNuke, Kentico and a proprietary CMS; in 1999 I was a co-founder of a company that created a content management system used by large non-profit organizations.
WordPress is now beyond ready for prime time, as is the eco-system built around it. Let me cite some of its changes and why they are important. In the dark ages when we were building websites with flint and fire everything was created using custom HTML code. All that means is they were hard to build, took a long time, cost too much and people kept telling you why you couldn’t do what you really wanted to.
For a typical old-school HTML site, 50% of the budget and 60 % of the time went into creating a custom design, not the underlying programming or content, just the design. It was painful and, no matter what, it was never right the first time. By contrast WordPress, users can acquire a spectacular design that includes high-level aesthetic and functional components from organizations like Themeforest.net for $50.00, and the full design can be viewed online in advance. No arguments, no do-overs, and the design can be added to any WordPress website in thirty minutes or less.
Content updates in WordPress take minutes and do not require specialized development training. Based on hundreds of WordPress sites we’ve done it is the most intuitive content management system out there. So, give those journalism graduates a job: let them create content and put it in place themselves.
And, should you need specialized functionality for your website – anything from e-commerce to password protected membership services – a vetted solution can be acquired from the WordPress community for very little investment.
Lastly, there is the matter of time. If the content exists, the basic decisions have been made on website structure and a design has been acquired, most business websites can be completed in a matter of weeks instead of the months it used to take.
Yes, Shout Out loves WordPress. We think it empowers people and simplifies the entire process of site creation. Plus it lowers the overall cost by 50% of what an HTML site would cost and we know it works.
If you are not on a Content Management System talk to someone and get your site ported. If you are on a content management system and it’s giving you fits or the developers still have to do everything for you, move to WordPress. If you’re already on WordPress…can I get an Amen!
Companies that have built their websites with WordPress:
- Ford
- CNN.com
- People Magazine
- Wall Street Journal
- Ben & Jerry’s
- General Electric
- Shout Out Studio
Photo Credit: Christopher Ross
