What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source Content Management System (CMS) for publishing websites. In simple terms, a CMS is a tool that makes it easy to manage aspects of your website (such as content) without needing to know anything about the programming.
WordPress vs. The Competition
From personal blogs to multi-national corporations, WordPress is the most popular CMS (Content Management System) in the world due to its ease of use and unique features. Competing web-building services such as Wix and Squarespace may be effective for small businesses, however, when you want to start adding more pages and functionality, they begin to reach their limit. A WordPress website is a great middle-ground for both small and large businesses because it is easy to operate but can be made more complex using a variety of plugins to create extensive functionality.
5 Benefits of Using WordPress
User Friendly
WordPress has struck the perfect balance of being easy for beginners, yet powerful for developers. The simple and intuitive dashboard has all the features you need to customise your headings and layouts, as well as create new pages and posts. Due to the straightforward and uncomplicated nature of WordPress websites, lots of employees in non-technical roles already have experience with it. And if they don’t, the simple interface is easy for new recruits to pick up in a short period of time.
Plugins
Whilst WordPress does have all the elements you need to create a basic site, some users have unique needs which call for more specialised features and functionalities. WordPress has a ‘plugin directory’ which consists of hundreds of different plugins (pieces of code which are designed to perform specific tasks). These plugins allow users to easily add variety of different features to their website. From shopping carts, to galleries to contact forms… These plugins are available to any WordPress site and can be activated or uninstalled at any time. Perfect for creating bespoke websites!
Ranking
Searchability is a highly important factor for ranking high on Google. WordPress sites normally rank very high for their keywords, because they are so easily to constantly update and optimise. Using the WordPress directory, you can even download an SEO plugin which helps you to optimise your content and improve your ranking on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
Being mobile responsive is an important factor for ranking high on the results page. The Google algorithm now crawls and indexes the mobile version of a website before the desktop version. WordPress websites can be mobile responsive. They offer a large variety of responsive theme designs and give users the ability to turn a static site into a responsive site using plug-ins.
Flexible and Adaptable
WordPress can be used for a variety of different purposes – from something as simple as creating a personal blog, to something as complex as running a bespoke website for a multi-national corporation. Using plugins, WordPress sites can adapt to any requirement that a business may have. WordPress sites can contain eCommerce stores, portfolios, social network hosting, podcasts and much more. With this level of flexibility, WordPress makes it simple to adapt to your company’s changing needs.
Themes
WordPress offers an array of themes which users can choose to tweak the appearance and functionality of their website. The WordPress directory is always growing and evolving with the introduction of new themes. Many of the themes are instantly available to any user through the directory, but thousands more can be purchased from third-party designers too. Themes are easily interchangeable and can be previewed at any time to change the look or layout of a website.
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Although there are many different platforms where you can build a website, WordPress has the most flexibility. If you would like to see what is possible with a WordPress website, take a look at our portfolio. We are an Oxford based web design agency offering WordPress websites. We would be really happy to discuss what may work for you and your business. Email at info@xist2.com or call us on 01993 835 117.
