WordPress was created in 2003 for the purpose of blogging. Now it is one of the largest CMS platforms in the world, WordPress has become a go-to for website building, powering over 35% of the internet in 2020.
With 661 WordPress sites created daily, clearly many choose WordPress as their CMS. In fact, here at Squarebird, we use and champion WordPress. But why should you?
What Is A CMS?
If you are new to the world of website development, or have never used one before, the concept of a CMS may be daunting. However, they aren’t, and it is their role to make the whole niche of website development less intimidating.
CMS stands for Content Management System; software used to manage, create and modify digital content. The software helps people create a website, even less technically able people, without needing rocket-science level of code. So, while the CMS handles the back-end technical bits, you can focus on how your website looks and functions.
Without a CMS, the process of uploading images to a website involves interacting directly with your web server, probably with a HTML file, which most of us may not have experience with. Now to create a website, all you need is your domain name and some hosting, then install the CMS and away you go! Gone are the days of inaccessible website development full of confusing code and basic features. Welcome the era of WordPress.
CMSs can be used for all common website types such as blogs, ecommerce stores (nearly 28% of all ecommerce goes through WooCommerce, a popular WordPress plug-in), membership sites and much more. Some CMS platforms are created for certain types, but for most web agencies and developers, a flexible, mouldable software is most advantageous.
Eager to sell your products online? We are expert WooCommerce website developers, and can even help you increase conversions.
Here are some popular CMSs:
- WordPress
- Magneto
- Squarespace
- Wix
Which is the best? Everyone will have their own opinion depending on what they use it for and why. But we believe WordPress is the best and its dominance of the CMS market suggests most others think so too.
Reasons to Choose WordPress For Your CMS
If its reputation isn’t enough for you, and WordPress has to prove its value before you use it, here are some of the best features and benefits of WordPress.
Accessibility
Using WordPress, you can upload images and content to a website and make it look goodwithout needing to know a single bit of code. HTML? CSS? Doesn’t matter; the average user doesn’t need this. However, to make the best site, you need the best knowledge, so having a few WordPress developers on hand to leverage all the best features and functionalists won’t hurt.
In the market for some super-whiz WordPress developers? Squarebird have you covered.
Endless Plug-ins
Whatever you want your site to do, there is probably a plug-in! In fact, WordPress offers over 50,000 plug-ins! Whether you want social media feeds, ecommerce capabilities or any number of other functionalities, you can. With so many on offer, it may be hard to decide on the right ones, but again, this is where the web dev wizards come in and provide expert advice.
SEO Integration
It’s all well and good having a great looking website that does amazing things, but if it doesn’t rank highly on search engine results, who will see it? WordPress has its own SEO plug-in, Yoast, which means while developers are perfecting your website, the CMS is automatically covering the SEO basics for you. On-page optimisation such as title tags, URLs, internal linking and more are covered by the CMS and you can make alterations to get maximum optimisation.
We can help you rise in the search engine rankings from page ‘too-many-clicks-away’ to page 1. Our SEO boffins combined with Yoast capabilities result in impressive improvements.
See more: What is SEO and how does it work?
Cost
WordPress itself is free. Users can simply install on web space or hosting package and enjoy, for no cost. For a small business starting out, this makes WordPress a very attractive option. Of course, costs are incurred through themes, plug-ins and hosting but for a budget, WordPress can facilitate low cost builds with basic functions.
Open Source
It is the open source nature of WordPress that makes it free, but there are plenty of other benefits too. Developers from around the word are constantly advancing the software which means WordPress is constantly improving and updated – fear not, even the updates are simple one-click! Users are never left waiting for updates or holding out for new functionalities; the software is and remains industry leading via regular up-to-date upgrades.
Custom Designs
To build a website on WordPress, you need to use a theme. This may sounds limiting, but it really isn’t! We have found our dream theme, Avada, which is user friendly, flexible and full of advanced functionalities. A theme isn’t a template, so don’t worry, your website will still be unique and bespoke to you!
There are plenty of themes out there, but we ensure customisation and tailoring to individual clients.
Client Independence
Need to make a quick wording change? Want to update images? You can with WordPress, and you don’t need to enlist your web development team to do it. Sure, developers may lead the build and hand hold to begin with, but once the technical stuff is done, clients can hope in and make changes with ease due to WordPress. Not only does this save time, but also money, so you can save up for the real big projects.
If you do have any website issues, need some help or want advice, our friendly team are just a phone call away.
It’s the Future!
Static websites of old are dated. Video, movements and dynamic features are all part of a modern site. WordPress allows for features and functions that keep sites updated and current. CMSs, especially WordPress, ensure your website never goes out of date.
Striking WordPress Websites with Squarebird
Want to revamp your current website or get all the functionalities you need? Eager to restart and renew on WordPress after previous CMS negativity? Get in touch with Squarebird! Our web dev geeks build modern and effective websites, build for purpose tailored to clients. Designed by talented web designers and supported by proven SEO methods, our websites deliver results.