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What is WordPress?
Wordpress is an open-source publishing platform popular with bloggers, and a content management system, known for its simplicity and modifiability. Websites may host their own blogging communities, controlling and moderating content from a single dashboard.
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- Admin section (131)8.686%
- Mobile optimization / responsive design (129)8.585%
- Library of website themes (130)8.484%
- Page templates (128)8.282%
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Neaman Plastic Surgery & Medi Spa (Health, Wellness and Fitness, 11-50 employees)
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User Review: WordPress Maintains Ease of Use While Providing a Variety of Content Management Tools
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User Review: WordPress Steps Up Blogger's Game With Its Professional Display Styles
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What is WordPress?
Wordpress is an open-source publishing platform popular with bloggers, and a content management system, known for its simplicity and modifiability. Websites may host their own blogging communities, controlling and moderating content from a single dashboard.
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What is Wix?
Wix is a free, hosted website builder, designed to be user-friendly and customizable without requiring coding from the user. It is well-known for its eCommerce solution, which allows users to build an online store.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a CMS platform that allows users to create a DIY blog, eCommerce store, and/or portfolio (visual art or music). Some Squarespace website and shop templates are industry or use case-specific, such as menu builders for restaurant sites.
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WordPress. Troubleshooter. Site Header Menu Missing Or Does Not Look Like Demo Header Menu
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What is WordPress?
Wordpress is an open-source publishing platform popular with bloggers and a content management system. The appearance of a Wordpress site and many of its functions are managed through themes, and further customizable through altering code, though altering code is not required; templates and plugins to expand its capabilities are plentiful. Wordpress features integrated link management, and a search-engine friendly permalink structure. WordPress now allows multiple blogs to exist within one installation. Websites may host their own blogging communities, controlling and moderating content from a single dashboard.
Wordpress is popular due to its simplicity
and modifiability. Furthermore implementing Wordpress costs only time. Two paid versions exist. The $99 premium plan allows a user an ad free custom domain with 13GB of space and advanced customization. The $299 Business plan allows unlimited space and supports eCommerce as well.
WordPress Video
How to use WordPress, a step by step tutorial. Learn to when to use WordPress, how to install a theme, and how to use each of the program's tools.
WordPress Integrations
- PrestaShop
- Provide Support Live Chat
- ActiveDEMAND
- Lead Liaison
- Planyo Online Booking System
- Super Monitoring
- Ontraport
- GreenRope
- Mautic (open source)
- Emma by Marigold
- Form Builder
- TrenDemon
- Brevo
- LiveChat
- Acquia DAM (Widen)
- SnapEngage
- Chatra
- Wrike
- Freshdesk
- MailerLite
- Wistia
- AWeber
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud Interaction Studio, on marketing cloud
- Matomo Analytics
WordPress Competitors
- LiveJournal
- Populr
- Acquia Open Digital Experience Platform (DXP)
WordPress Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Wordpress is an open-source publishing platform popular with bloggers, and a content management system, known for its simplicity and modifiability. Websites may host their own blogging communities, controlling and moderating content from a single dashboard.
LiveJournal and Populr are common alternatives for WordPress.
Reviewers rate Admin section highest, with a score of 8.6.
The most common users of WordPress are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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April 22, 2019
WordPress Can Save You Thousands Of Dollars On Web Development Costs And Put You In The Driver's Seat Of Your Online Vehicle!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have used WordPress for years to build websites for business clients, and also ran government and local council-sponsored training seminars and workshops teaching businesses how to grow their presence online using WordPress.
After building hundreds of WordPress sites over the years and authoring a series of detailed WordPress training guides for beginners. I have recently turned all of my WordPress knowledge and expertise into a comprehensive Free WordPress training site at WPCompendium.org and developed WPTrainMe - a WordPress tutorials plugin that allows users to get instant access to hundreds of detailed WordPress step-by-step tutorials from their own WordPress dashboards.
After building hundreds of WordPress sites over the years and authoring a series of detailed WordPress training guides for beginners. I have recently turned all of my WordPress knowledge and expertise into a comprehensive Free WordPress training site at WPCompendium.org and developed WPTrainMe - a WordPress tutorials plugin that allows users to get instant access to hundreds of detailed WordPress step-by-step tutorials from their own WordPress dashboards.
- WordPress allows users with no technical knowledge or coding skills to be in complete control of their web presence.
- WordPress can save business owners thousands of dollars in web development and web design costs.
- WordPress is a powerful, secure and highly scalable online content publishing platform and business marketing tool that costs almost nothing to run.
- WordPress can be configured to automate many areas of website management and online marketing, including automatic updates and automatically driving visitors from search engines and social networks to your site whenever new content is published.
- WordPress is open source software and benefits from the contribution of thousands of community users, including web developers and web designers.
- WordPress is regularly updated (on average every 3 months) to provide users with new features, bug fixes, and to address security vulnerabilities found in previous versions.
- WordPress is the most popular and fastest growing content management system in the world
- I have written a detailed article listing 50 reasons why WordPress is the ideal choice for most website owners here: http://wptrainme.com/wordpress/50-great-reasons-why-you-should-choose-wordpress
- The biggest challenge I have found with WordPress is training - helping clients and business owners understand just how much they can achieve with WordPress. Even though there is so much great information online about WordPress, most of it is not organized into a logical system, or aimed at technical users. This is why I have years developing a comprehensive WordPress 'A-Z' training system that takes users step-by-step through every aspect of using WordPress.
92.5%
9.3
96%
9.6
95%
9.5
90%
9.0
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- A WordPress site can be professionally set up and fully configured in hours at no cost, other than the cost of purchasing a domain and web hosting.
- A WordPress can be run and managed by users with little to no technical skills.
- I have built WordPress sites for previous clients that quickly outperformed their existing static websites and continue to deliver new visitors from search engines and social media networks with very little work required other than adding new content on a regular basis.
- xsitepro,frontpage,dreamweaver,joomla,blogger
I started out using regular web applications to build websites until I discovered WordPress is 2006. All of the sites I have built since then have been WordPress. Knowing all I know about WordPress now, I wouldn't recommend anything else for most business owners. WordPress allows me to build sites that can do almost pretty much anything I can imagine - e-commerce sites, membership sites, provide customer support, integrate with social media, etc ...
2
As our business (WordPress training) is showing people all that can be achieved using WordPress, we believe in being a "product of the product" and so we use WordPress for everything we do online - sales website, e-commerce pages, membership areas, marketing blog, customer support functions, business directories, integration with social media apps (e.g. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc) and 3rd party providers (e.g. subscriber lists), etc.
1
Troubleshooting most WordPress problems and issues requires only basic WordPress skills such as knowing how to activate or deactivate plugins and themes, general web skills such as knowing how to upload and delete files on servers using FTP, knowing how to change file permissions, web security fundamentals, etc. and experience.
There is also a lot of support available online from the WordPress user community for more complex, technical-related issues or problems that are harder to pinpoint which may involve modifying code on application files or reinstalling software files, and these can be obtained at no cost from WordPress support forums, user groups (e.g. Linked In), various online tutorials around the web.
We have also developed a comprehensive WordPress training plugin that provides users with detailed and easy-to-follow WordPress management tutorials and troubleshooting checklists and diagnostic guides that can be instantly accessed from their own WordPress administration area, or, if they can't log into their sites, accessed from the online members area on our site.
There is also a lot of support available online from the WordPress user community for more complex, technical-related issues or problems that are harder to pinpoint which may involve modifying code on application files or reinstalling software files, and these can be obtained at no cost from WordPress support forums, user groups (e.g. Linked In), various online tutorials around the web.
We have also developed a comprehensive WordPress training plugin that provides users with detailed and easy-to-follow WordPress management tutorials and troubleshooting checklists and diagnostic guides that can be instantly accessed from their own WordPress administration area, or, if they can't log into their sites, accessed from the online members area on our site.
- Sales and marketing
- Integration with 3rd party merchants and applications (e.g. e-Commerce, Affiliate program, analytics, etc.)
- Membership site with custom-developed WordPress plugin
- WordPress is open source and highly configurable, so a lot of customization is possible. We developed a unique custom plugin that allows us to deliver hundreds of detailed training tutorials directly into users' own dashboards. This plugin is the core of our business and connects information built with and stored on our WordPress site, to the sites of other WordPress users.
- For almost anything you can imagine or want to do with your WordPress website, there is already a WordPress plugin available that can instantly give you that functionality, or you can create a custom plugin to do this. Most existing solutions that add new functionality or a new design to WordPress are either free or very inexpensive and extremely simple to install, allowing you to save thousands of dollars on web development / web design costs.
- As our business is centered around providing non-technical WordPress users with access to a comprehensive WordPress training solution via our unique WPTrainMe WordPress training plugin (visit WPTrainMe.com for more info), our goal is to continue developing our plugin to the point where it will hopefully become an integral part of WordPress itself, providing users with instant access to a fully integrated, context-sensitive help resource.
- We believe that anything is possible with WordPress once users understand just how powerful WordPress really is, and that anyone can be in complete control of their own web presence without depending on people with advanced technical expertize, if they just learn what to do.
Yes
We stopped using traditional website development tools like Microsoft FrontPage, Dreamweaver and XSitePro to build and maintain websites for clients in 2006 after discovering WordPress.
WordPress is now the only website building tool / online publishing platform / content management.system we use and recommend. WordPress can do just about anything that most business owners require, for very little cost to run and maintain, and users can easily learn how to operate and fully manage their own sites.
We switched to WordPress, because we believe in empowering website owners to run, manage and grow their own presence. The technical skills required to use most other web application tools typically mean that website owners have to employ the services of technical experts to get things done on their sites, which then involves unnecessary cots and time delays for the website owner.
WordPress is now the only website building tool / online publishing platform / content management.system we use and recommend. WordPress can do just about anything that most business owners require, for very little cost to run and maintain, and users can easily learn how to operate and fully manage their own sites.
We switched to WordPress, because we believe in empowering website owners to run, manage and grow their own presence. The technical skills required to use most other web application tools typically mean that website owners have to employ the services of technical experts to get things done on their sites, which then involves unnecessary cots and time delays for the website owner.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Third-party Reviews
We started out building sites for local business owners, and quickly found out that having to be on call or available to answer questions or assist with every little thing they wanted done on their sites after completing the work was very time-consuming and quickly eroded any profits we had made. Clients were dependent on us for simple things like making changes to web code, because it required knowledge of the application and/or owning the application itself.
After discovering WordPress, we were able to build sites that could then be managed by the clients themselves with a little bit of training.
Additionally, at the time, we were building many sites for our own projects and ideas and found that the more sites we built, the more time-consuming it became to manage these, as it required editing the web pages themselves.
The single most important factor in our decision to switch to WordPress was the ease of use for clients, and the built-in content management system for us.
After discovering WordPress, we were able to build sites that could then be managed by the clients themselves with a little bit of training.
Additionally, at the time, we were building many sites for our own projects and ideas and found that the more sites we built, the more time-consuming it became to manage these, as it required editing the web pages themselves.
The single most important factor in our decision to switch to WordPress was the ease of use for clients, and the built-in content management system for us.
To put it quite simply, if we had to do it over, we would have switched over to WordPress sooner.
We were aware of the existence of WordPress for several months before we switched over, and during this time we invested hundreds of dollars in web development applications to help grow our web services business. We could have saved this money if we had used WordPress.instead.
We were aware of the existence of WordPress for several months before we switched over, and during this time we invested hundreds of dollars in web development applications to help grow our web services business. We could have saved this money if we had used WordPress.instead.
- Implemented in-house
No
Change management was minimal
WordPress is a revolutionary tool for business owners. Prior to user-friendly website-building and content management applications like WordPress and other blogging tools, website owners had to depend on web developers and web designers who had the tools, and the technical knowledge, expertize and skills to build and manage websites, or who offered content management systems that had to be hosted and coupled with a specific application.
With a WordPress site, the website owner can be completely in control of all aspects of their own web presence once they learn how, including running everything from their own domain and choice of web hosting provider.
Using the services of professionals to help them get things done online is a choice for WordPress users, not a necessity.
With a WordPress site, the website owner can be completely in control of all aspects of their own web presence once they learn how, including running everything from their own domain and choice of web hosting provider.
Using the services of professionals to help them get things done online is a choice for WordPress users, not a necessity.
- Learning how to install WordPress (very easy once you know how).
- Learning how configure WordPress settings (very easy once you know how).
- Learning how to automate WordPress for search engines and social media integration (for driving visitors automatically to your site whenever you publish new content).
- Self-taught
Some aspects of learning WordPress without training are easy, but figuring out how to put everything together after the initial steps can be very time consuming. Unless you have plenty of time to scour the net looking for information on what to do next when learning how to use WordPress, I would strongly recommend downloading the WordPress User Manual at WPTrainingManual.com to learn how to use your WordPress site effectively.
Yes. We have spent years documenting best practises and processes for expertly configuring WordPress and turning these into detailed step-by-step tutorials which guide users through the entire WordPress configuration process. These tutorials can be instantly accessed through your WordPress dashboard by downloading our WPTrainMe WordPress training plugin (WPTrainMe.com).
Some - we have done small customizations to the interface
The WordPress user interface is mostly configured by installing a "Theme" (a web design template) and then configuring the options made available within the theme.
Every theme offers some level of customization and configurable settings, and these settings generally don't require users to modify any code in order to customize the WordPress interface.
Every theme offers some level of customization and configurable settings, and these settings generally don't require users to modify any code in order to customize the WordPress interface.
Some - we have added small pieces of custom code
Making small changes to code in WordPress is not difficult at all. It typically requires locating and opening application files, pasting or typing one or more lines of code into the file, then re-saving and re-uploading the file to your server.
Adding new code to WordPress can be done by either editing template files directly or by using plugins.
We did create a custom WordPress plugin for our business and used a WordPress developer to perform this service and create the plugin for us. Once the plugin was created, all we had to do was install, activate and configure the plugin in the same way that all WordPress plugins work, and all the custom code we needed to be added was instantly added.
Adding new code to WordPress can be done by either editing template files directly or by using plugins.
We did create a custom WordPress plugin for our business and used a WordPress developer to perform this service and create the plugin for us. Once the plugin was created, all we had to do was install, activate and configure the plugin in the same way that all WordPress plugins work, and all the custom code we needed to be added was instantly added.
As mentioned several times in my review, we have developed a WordPress training plugin that allows users to instantly access hundreds of detailed WordPress step-by-step tutorials directly from within their own dashboards.
We have spent many years creating these tutorials as part of a well-organized WordPress training system and believe this plugin could have a major impact in the area of WordPress training, especially for business owners and non-technical WordPress users.
We have spent many years creating these tutorials as part of a well-organized WordPress training system and believe this plugin could have a major impact in the area of WordPress training, especially for business owners and non-technical WordPress users.
Yes
Although the core WordPress application itself is free to use and support is widely available via the WordPress online community, most of the functionality for the software comes from third-party applications called "plugins" and "themes" (web design templates). There are thousands of great free plugins and themes available for WordPress users, but as these are free, it's not realistic to expect the plugin or theme developer to be able to provide users with dedicated support.
When choosing plugins for WordPress sites, I recommend using free plugins only if they are robust, well-supported and highly-rated by the user community, and choosing premium plugins for applications where support, updates, etc. is absolutely critical. Most WordPress premium support costs are ridiculously low anyway, so it's really not an issue.
When choosing plugins for WordPress sites, I recommend using free plugins only if they are robust, well-supported and highly-rated by the user community, and choosing premium plugins for applications where support, updates, etc. is absolutely critical. Most WordPress premium support costs are ridiculously low anyway, so it's really not an issue.
No
I get exceptional support from WordPress by:
- Browsing their support forums
- Reading the documentation on their site
- Staying informed about educational events and initiatives for the user community (e.g. WordCamp, WordPress TV, etc.)
- Receiving regular software upgrades automatically
- Visiting sites of other WordPress experts for tips and inspiration
- Expanding functionality (e.g. adding a membership site, customer poll, contact form, advertising banner management system, e-commerce, etc. - can be done in a couple of mouse-clicks with no technical skills required)
- Changing the entire look and feel of your site's web design (can be done in a couple of mouse-clicks with no technical skills required)
- Adding, editing and publishing media rich content to the web instantly (can be done in a couple of mouse-clicks with no technical skills required)
- Installing WordPress on a domain name (can be done in less than a minute with a couple of mouse clicks)
- Updating software and software components (can be done in a couple of mouse-clicks with no technical skills required)
- If you want to customize the application you will need to know how to code or edit PHP. It's best to hire a WordPress developer for this area.
- In terms of WordPress site management, performing a complete maintenance routine (upgrading and backing up WordPress files and database, troubleshooting, etc). There are ways to automate some aspects of the process (e.g. backups), but to perform a complete and thorough maintenance routine requires a step-by-step system. Once you know the process, however, then it's quite easy to do and takes only about 15-20 minutes to do. Learning how to manage WordPress is covered in detail in our WPTrainMe WordPress training tutorials plugin (WPTrainMe.com), so anyone can learn how to easily do it.
- In terms of WordPress site security, hardening your WordPress installation security. Internet security is a complex issue, and there are ways to protect your WordPress installation from hackers and malicious users using various plugins, but this requires knowing what to do and following a step-by-step process. Once you know the process, however, then it's quite easy to do and most of it only has to be done once. Learning how to secure and protect a WordPress site is covered in detail in our WPTrainMe WordPress training tutorials plugin (WPTrainMe.com), so anyone can learn how to easily do it.
Yes
The way a WordPress site displays to visitors on various devices is mostly governed by the WordPress "theme" chosen by the user. A theme is a web design "skin" that works independently of the WordPress software, so users can easily change the skin (and hence the entire web design of their sites) as often as they like.
The WordPress mobile interface that site visitors see, therefore, depends on the theme the user has installed. If the user chooses a mobile "responsive" WordPress theme for their site, their site will display beautifully on all types of devices. There are many excellent WordPress theme design companies and hundreds (if not thousands), or visually stunning responsive themes to choose from. All a user has to do to have a "mobile-friendly" website is choose a "mobile-friendly" theme.
The WordPress mobile interface that site visitors see, therefore, depends on the theme the user has installed. If the user chooses a mobile "responsive" WordPress theme for their site, their site will display beautifully on all types of devices. There are many excellent WordPress theme design companies and hundreds (if not thousands), or visually stunning responsive themes to choose from. All a user has to do to have a "mobile-friendly" website is choose a "mobile-friendly" theme.
- Aweber - autoresponder integration. Visitors can sign up for newsletters and opt-in forms on the WordPress site and all the email marketing is then run from the Aweber application.
- HotelsCombined database application - integrated the travel and hotel booking application with an affiliate site. Visitors can search for travel destinations and book hotels using the third-party software from HotelsCombined on the front-end, and the backed of the site is all WordPress.
- e-Commerce. Customers can purchase and download products from various sites we have built and pay using their credit card or Paypal through the secure merchant facilities we use on the site.
Fairly easy and can be up and running in minutes. Most integrations require only adding a plugin or pasting a line of code into the content itself, and then configuring a few settings.
- As WordPress continues to grow, more and more systems and applications are developing plugins or add-ons every day that allow their technologies to integrate easily and seamlessly with WordPress.
Typically what happens is that whenever we think of a functionality we would like to add to a WordPress site, someone has already developed an application or solution that integrates with the site, so it's only a matter of downloading (or purchasing and downloading) the plugin, installing and configuring it on the site.
- File import/export
- Javascript widgets
We developed a custom plugin for delivering our WordPress training information directly into WordPress users' dashboards using JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and the application also requires talking to our membership software.
Search for WordPress plugins that can do what you want first before looking for other applications or services that require custom integration work to be done. There are thousands of excellent plugins for WordPress already available that can do almost anything you can imagine or need done, and these can be inexpensively purchased and easily and quickly integrated with your WordPress site.
In the case of WordPress, there is nothing to negotiate with the vendor. WordPress makes the self-hosting version of the software available completely free of charge to anyone, with no licensing costs and the rights to modify the source code however they see fit. Anyone can download the software at no cost and perform unlimited site installations.
Read the software licensing terms and the site's documentation, and get educated about all that WordPress can do to help you create a successful online presence. If you are considering starting your own website, or if you are unhappy with your existing website, ask web developers to build you a WordPress site, then consider installing the WPTrainMe WordPress plugin on your site to learn everything you need to know about using, managing and growing your web presence using WordPress.
Yes
WordPress minor version upgrades can be performed automatically, or with "one-click" for major upgrades. Provided you follow recommended pre-upgrading processes (e.g. back yp all of your files and data), there should be no problems at all upgrading your WordPress software, plugins or themes. Most of the time everything goes smoothly and the upgrade is completed in seconds.
- Improved features
- Bug fixes
- Security vulnerabilities from previous versions addressed.
- More improved and new features
- More bug fixes
- More security vulnerability issues addressed.
Yes
I changed from the WordPress hosted version (WordPress.com) to the WordPress self-hosted version (WordPress.org) once I understood the difference between the two. There is no cost to use the self-hosted version, which gives you all of the features of WordPress with no limitations and allows you to install a WordPress site (or unlimited sites) on your own domain.
No
January 05, 2015
Stress Less with WordPress
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
WordPress is currently being used by 100% of my clients that I have had the pleasure of doing business with recreating their business websites. WordPress addresses many different business problems, but the problems that it addresses the most are ease of use for an average user to update content on their website without the help of a webmaster, or hiring of a programmer or developer each time something needs to be changed on their website. Many business owners want the ability to update their own content without worrying about delegating the service to someone else, especially if content is ever changing or expanding, hiring a separate person for that can be cost effective and some businesses are going through tough times and need to be able to rely on themselves more these days to do some of the web work.
The second problem it addresses is the ability to insert a wide variety of different functionality into the site at any given time with the use of easy to install plugins. The variety of various types of plugins can address a lot of coding from scratch during the website building phase, which cuts costs for the business owners by only having to pay a fraction of the cost for the plugin than it would cost if a programmer was hired to do it from scratch for them. Plugins can be activated, and deactivated for use on the site without any coding knowledge necessary for most of them. I must state though that it does require grasping the systems user mechanics to a fair degree. Some plugins do require some knowledge of PHP, HTML5, CSS3 but most of it has been taken care of with the implementing of shortcodes that require only the knowledge of what the shortcode is used for and the ability to insert the shortcode in the proper areas of the website. Instead of writing out code, users can use something similar to: [large_image]http://example.com/largeimage.jpg[/large_image] instead, which is very user friendly to understand and implement.
Another problem WordPress addresses is cost. Since WordPress is a free to use platform with open source coding to the frame, anyone who uses WordPress can install it onto their website's host server for free, and they can also choose from a vast amount of free WordPress themes that give the user a head start on their project when the choose the right template for their site. In the WordPress depository, there are a wide variety of free plugins to use as well that cover almost anything you will need to get your site up and running efficiently. As for some of the better plugins out there, you can purchase a paid version of some of the plugins you find in the depository, or you can find them on other specific websites that sole purpose is to provide premium plugins, and themes to help with building your business' website.
The second problem it addresses is the ability to insert a wide variety of different functionality into the site at any given time with the use of easy to install plugins. The variety of various types of plugins can address a lot of coding from scratch during the website building phase, which cuts costs for the business owners by only having to pay a fraction of the cost for the plugin than it would cost if a programmer was hired to do it from scratch for them. Plugins can be activated, and deactivated for use on the site without any coding knowledge necessary for most of them. I must state though that it does require grasping the systems user mechanics to a fair degree. Some plugins do require some knowledge of PHP, HTML5, CSS3 but most of it has been taken care of with the implementing of shortcodes that require only the knowledge of what the shortcode is used for and the ability to insert the shortcode in the proper areas of the website. Instead of writing out code, users can use something similar to: [large_image]http://example.com/largeimage.jpg[/large_image] instead, which is very user friendly to understand and implement.
![http://example.com/largeimage.jpg[/large_image]](http://example.com/largeimage.jpg[/large_image]){kind=link}
Another problem WordPress addresses is cost. Since WordPress is a free to use platform with open source coding to the frame, anyone who uses WordPress can install it onto their website's host server for free, and they can also choose from a vast amount of free WordPress themes that give the user a head start on their project when the choose the right template for their site. In the WordPress depository, there are a wide variety of free plugins to use as well that cover almost anything you will need to get your site up and running efficiently. As for some of the better plugins out there, you can purchase a paid version of some of the plugins you find in the depository, or you can find them on other specific websites that sole purpose is to provide premium plugins, and themes to help with building your business' website.
- WordPress is a free to use, continuously updated with new features, quality product maintained, framework that can be easily installed on almost any server in the matter of minutes. This feature alone gives you the type of service that most paid systems would give you, but instead, it's absolutely free.
- WordPress and third party companies offer many WordPress themes that are perfect for almost every type of website that you can think of making as a business or for personal use. The cost of these themes varies from Free - to upwards of $150 as the highest priced theme that I have personally seen on the market. You can also hire a developer to create your own custom theme with the needed requirements you would like as well, and that can range anywhere from $800 - $5,000 or more depending on the developer and the requirements of your site.
- WordPress and third parties also offer many WordPress plugins that provide the business/user's website with specific functionality that the Wordpress framework and possibly their currently installed WordPress theme may not offer. Plugins can range from Free - $200 or more from my own personal experience looking across the internet on all the different websites that offer their plugin products. You can also hire a developer to create a custom WordPress plugin that meets your specific requirements as well. This can cost anywhere from $100 - $1,500 or more depending on the specific needs of the plugin you are looking to have created.
- Wordpress offers ease of use for updating content for people who may not be so website savvy when it comes to the structure, lingo, or code layout. There are many options to customize your website with content using a visual composer plugin, or built in feature of a theme, or the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) that's built into the WordPress framework already.
- WordPress has been improving their framework since the beginning of development. If I would say that WordPress has room for improvement, it would be giving itself the ability to host plugins on a remote location to call functions from so that the use of many plugins won't disrupt the site's load speed times, which effects the overall experience of the site's users.
- I think that WordPress can expand on some of their customization features to allow a simpler, faster way of getting your brand in the framework. Though this is capable through plugins that are out there, I think WordPress could alleviate the use of a lot of plugins if they incorporate some of the major used plugins features within the framework itself.
- I think that WordPress can improve on the ease of use in connecting their members management functionality with outside source software that companies may be offering as a SaaS to their customers, and using WordPress as their main site that stores the sales information and sign-up features.
- A positive impact is that it can create a great customer to business communication system by implementing live chat, help desks, support ticket functionality, contact forms, etc... If you want your customers to know they have your support, you can easily do this within WordPress without any issues.
- Another positive impact can be your ROI (return on investment) by using WordPress. With the framework being free to use for anyone that right there cuts the cost of creating the frame of your website and the basic functionality needed. Themes and plugins are cost effective as they are nowhere near the pricing you would pay if you hire a developer to do your website from the ground up because it saves on time by utilizing all the tools WordPress has to offer that's already created and easily can be plugged into almost any theme that's out there today.
- A positive impact that would also help cut costs for businesses would be the ease of use for employees to update the site with content, or provide any type of customer to business type of work utilizing the themes and plugins that give user interface experiences that are tailored for anyone without coding or development work to be able to use.
- Magento,Drupal,Joomla!
When it comes down to it, WordPress has a larger library of Themes and Plugins that are circulated around the community than any other CMS on the market today. Magento would come second in terms of quality and use out of the other CMS products that are out there on the market today, however, the ease of install, cost of themes, and development work are priced a lot higher than WordPress, and you won't get anywhere near the variety of custom plugins that are created for WordPress. Drupal and Joomla have systems that are similar to WordPress but again, there's nothing that beats the WordPress community.
20
The business functions that are represented are varied on a wide scale varying from newsletter implementation to automated social media posting across multiple platforms. To get into detail about the functionality being used would cover too much of a variety, which that being said, shows the versatility of WordPress as a CMS.
1
I currently support WordPress in-house myself, and for 14 different client websites. One feature that i'm currently using to manage these sites in a timely, organized manner is a WordPress third party product called MainWP. It is a plugin system that installs onto a regular WordPress site you can have running, and it connects websites to the system that allows me to remote control each site, and automate a lot of the maintenance work as well, thus saving me time, and getting the work done accordingly.
- Content information on the website, and the ability to edit and add content without the need of knowing programming.
- Lead generation is also an important functionality that's being used within the websites.
- Customer support is the third important function that's also being used in the majority of the sites.
- We have been able to integrate separate SaaS applications with it to share the data from one source to another.
- We have been able to create a excellent SEO structure within the framework that helps websites with their SEO performance without the hassle of hiring a major company to do the same services.
- We have been able to create a successful LMS system with the use of themes and plugins to help education projects
- WordPress can also be used for paid advertisement landing pages, making them interactive and easy to implement while connecting them with Google Analytics.
- WordPress could be used to service a chain of major companies that require the use of e-commerce functionality by using multi-site functionality that WordPress offers.
No
There's no premium support for WordPress as a platform, but you can find it within the third party products with themes and plugins, which is a fairly common service offered within the WordPress community. There are forums at wordpress.org that can be used for support. Many of the community members there are happy to help with any questions regarding issues with the site you're having problems with.
Again, I cannot give credit to those who work on the development of WordPress personally because I usually go to the source of a theme or plugin that I am currently using if I run into any problems that I cannot ascertain on my own using my own knowledge of the system and the coding structure that surrounds it.
- Managing content is particularly easy using the WYSIWYG functionality and general framework.
- Installing certain functionality by installing plugins with an easy interface system that is just uploading the plugin, installing it, and activating it.
- Connecting with customers is easy to do with the proper functionality put into your site by the use of plugins, and now, sometimes a functionality that a theme may provide.
- Some functionality that would be difficult to perform would be purely theme based. Some of them require the knowledge of HTML and CSS, however if you choose the right one that works for you, then you won't run into this problem.
- The use of shortcode could get difficult to perform, however, most of the difficulty again would be based on the theme and plugins you choose to use on your site.
Yes
The mobile interface works as well as the theme that you're using which would mean that the theme would have to be what is called "responsive". That means that it adapts to the platform the person viewing it is using without the need of creating 2-3 different versions of your site for usability. There are also some plugins out there that provide a mobile interface functionality option to your site, however, these are not going to be anywhere near as reliable as a responsive theme being used.
March 31, 2014
Alert the Wordpress!
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wordpress is currently being used by ARC as a marketing and branding tool across the company's following departments:
Staffing: Testimonials are turned into concise, appealing blurbs and published in the staffing section of the company's recruiting blog. Career advice and general knowledge are presented by experienced professionals in conjunction with the recruiting team to create a thorough informational resource.
Mobility: Sales achievements by account executives in the mobility department are discussed in detail and promoted as milestones for ARC as a company. Mobility sales typically represent ongoing, fruitful business relationships, and framing them as such enhances the brand of the company.
Project Development: IT services and solutions have become a tremendous source of revenue for ARC.
Social Media Marketing: WordPress allows recruiters to share job postings and even publicize them by linking the blog to ARC's Twitter and Facebook pages. The WordPress interface serves as a functional hub from which many branching interests can be efficiently served.
Staffing: Testimonials are turned into concise, appealing blurbs and published in the staffing section of the company's recruiting blog. Career advice and general knowledge are presented by experienced professionals in conjunction with the recruiting team to create a thorough informational resource.
Mobility: Sales achievements by account executives in the mobility department are discussed in detail and promoted as milestones for ARC as a company. Mobility sales typically represent ongoing, fruitful business relationships, and framing them as such enhances the brand of the company.
Project Development: IT services and solutions have become a tremendous source of revenue for ARC.
Social Media Marketing: WordPress allows recruiters to share job postings and even publicize them by linking the blog to ARC's Twitter and Facebook pages. The WordPress interface serves as a functional hub from which many branching interests can be efficiently served.
- WordPress is very user-friendly, even if employees don't possess direct CSS/HTML knowledge. Upgrades can be purchased to automate many processes, leaving users to focus on content and design.
- Many types of themes are available, and users have the ability to tailor sites and pages according to very specific guidelines and objectives. This allows for an element of distinction and it is also conducive to relevant, engaging content.
- Many apps, extensions, and add-ons are available (many of them free) to track page views, audience trends, social media outreach, and geographic traffic data.
- The Wordpress interface could be fine-tuned to more efficiently guide users to desired settings and menus. The current layout of the dashboard makes for some frustrating navigation.
- The apps and extensions offered by Wordpress are sufficient, but not catered to suit every need. These could be tailored to the requirements of media-heavy posts or podcasts to make more options available to a diverse user base.
- The publicizing tool can be glitchy, sometime s posting content twice instead of once (meaning two Facebook posts, tweets, etc.). This is harmful to user interaction, because a focus on content quality can be drowned out by oversaturation.
- Wordpress has helped ARC build, develop, and maintain relationships with clients, customers, staff, and other IT industry professionals.
- Accessibility to an online interface has mad e customer service more effective since people can voice their concerns and reach the company directly in a structured forum.
- A negative impact has been the occasional diversion of business and employee resources when the WordPress interface needs to be changed or updated. This harms productivity because there is not yet a team with the knowledge to specifically tackle issues with the system.
- LiveJournal,TweetDeck,Hootsuite Free
Wordpress is more user-friendly and immediately accessible than interfaces like TweetDeck and Hootsuite because it isn't dense in its presentation. The other tools are functional but busy, whereas Wordpress allows a user to focus on one meaningful task or message at a time. It's a more sophisticated version of a simple recording tool such as LiveJournal, and it can be adapted to fit many different styles and business approaches.
Yes
For those who are more focused on messaging, branding, and overall communication across organization, payment for premium support is a great option. This is a necessity because of low proficiency with CSS and HTML (coding languages), but Wordpress allows people to utilize those skills if they have them.
No
The Wordpress team always alerts me regarding subscription expiration dates, traffic to my site, and the work of other Wordpress users who are doing innovative things with similar tools. I always feel as though Wordpress cares about long-term success of its users.
March 10, 2014
WordPress Is The Easiest Way To Run Your Business Online
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
WordPress is used to run the organization web site, as well as to build sites for clients. It is used for everything from small business websites to custom web applications.
- WordPress is easy for users to understand, even if they have limited technical experience. There are a large number of resources where people can get help and answers to their questions.
- WordPress is very versatile. A site can start off small and simple, and add complex features over time, such as eCommerce, surveys, mailing list integration, and more.
- WordPress is open source software that thousands of developers are building and using it every day. Security issues are found and fixed quickly. Users get the benefit of security and features updates with the ease of clicking a button.
- The search feature needs to be improved, especially the ability to search by multiple criteria.
- WordPress has had the positive impact of being the main source of income for my company. The software is free and flexible, and can be used to provide products and services without a lot of overhead.
- It is easy to teach clients how to use WordPress and to point them to outside resources where they can learn more. This makes training time shorter and clients happier.
- Since WordPress is so flexible, it is easy to add new services as they are needed without having to rebuild the entire project.
I have used most open source content management systems including Drupal and Joomla. Drupal is also great software, but hard for clients to learn how to use. WordPress can do everything that Drupal does without the high barrier to entry. Joomla is usable, but not in the same class as WordPress and Drupal.
1
Owner and Web Developer
1
The required person has skills in using WordPress, administering WordPress, and developing WordPress websites, themes, and plugins.
- Business website
- Building client websites
- Internal applications
- WordPress has worked very well for eCommerce sites
- Community websites for non-profit organizations
- May eventually rebuild external eCommerce and customer service portal to be part of our WordPress site.
- Build custom web applications for clients.
Yes
Before WordPress was around, I used the open source PHP/MySQL content management systems available at the time, including Drupal, Mambo, PostNuke, and e107. They were replaced to make site management greatly simplified than what it was before, and to make custom development much easier.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Prior Experience with the Product
- Vendor Reputation
Ease of use for both clients and developers.
I would have skipped most of the other products and gone directly with WordPress.
- Implemented in-house
No
Change management was minimal
It was easy to adapt WordPress to perform the same functions that the old system was performing.
- The initial transfer of data was a little complicated due to differences in the database structure between WordPress and the old system.
- Online training
- Self-taught
WordPress is fairly easy to learn without training, especially for people who have experience with common computer software like word processors. I would not recommend using it without any training at all. While it is relatively easy to use, there is a lot that it does, so a little training can go a long way.
At every single WordCamp that I have attended since the foundation was in existence.
- Managing content is very simple and easy to learn.
- Working with images, video, and other media has been greatly improved over the years, and is now quite usable.
- Administering sites is pretty straightforward and easy to learn and to train people on.
- Due to the large amount of administration functions, it can be cumbersome to locate the one you are looking for.
- Media handling is much better than it used to be, and well integrated, but could use some better features to manage the media and display it in different ways.
Yes
The mobile interface is clean and easy to use.