What Is WordPress?

Do you keep hearing about WordPress? Are you wondering what the buzz is all about? If so, rest assured, you’re not alone! We hear questions about WordPress all the time, so we wanted to take a moment to dispel some myths and help you understand what WordPress is and how it can benefit your business.

 

WordPress is a website platform that has helped to turn the tides when it comes to the struggles between budgets and bargaining for new customers. Unlike other website platforms, WordPress is built to allow users to create a webpage using templates and plugins at a variety of price points, instead of relying solely on costly custom programming for each feature. For example, if you want a blog on your website, WordPress has a built-in blog feature. An ecommerce store? There are hundreds of affordable and reliable plugin options available. Want to add a feature to have people who sign up for your email list receive an automatic reply? No problem. Interested in showcasing your portfolio, creating an RSS feed, making a news website, adding a forum, sharing information about your hobby, advertising your small business, or virtually anything else? WordPress has you covered.

 

WordPress isn’t perfect for every business website, but here are some of the features that may speak to your needs:

 

• Cost. As we already mentioned, using WordPress is free. You can use it to create a website yourself, or can pay a web development company to do so for you. Unlike many other website platforms, you won’t have the additional cost of the platform software itself. And many of the plug-ins are low-to-no cost, making creating a quality website it fit into even the smallest budget.

 

• Templates. The creators of WordPress understand that not everybody is a web wiz, so they’ve set out to create user-friendly templates that are perfect for even the most novice user. The templates are designed such that a company logo can simply be dropped onto a page, and poof! You’re good to go!

 

• Plug-ins. Once users become more advanced, there are more than 26,000 plug-ins available to help companies customize their sites to meet their own needs as well as the needs of their customers. These plug-ins will help bring your website to life, offering unlimited features and endless possibilities.

 

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Every day, the search engines are getting smarter. Google is reconfigured to not only look for great companies, but it also looks for great content. By harnessing the power of a blog, you are giving your company the power to be seen by search engines (and the people that are using them). Updated, unique content is key these days, and WordPress is equipped to help you get on your way.

 

• Control. As a business owner, you want to feel in control of your company, and the developers of WordPress understand that. Because this browser-based business is available from anywhere, you can wake up at three in the morning and correct and adjust parts of your site that just gave your nightmares! You’re in complete control, and your site is at your disposal whenever you want to make changes.

 

• Access. So you have a few people that you trust, and you’d like for them to contribute a little more? Great! WordPress allows you to grant access to your staff with specific accessibility that is assigned to each user.

 

• Social Media. If you’re not on Facebook, you’re losing out on being “liked”. WordPress works well with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and it’s easy to publish your posts to social media sites so your followers can be “in the know” as soon as you have something great to say!

 

• Support. Between the support of the WordPress staff and your fellow WordPressers, you’re bound to find tons of answers to nearly every question or concern you may have. If there isn’t an answer to be found, someone is likely willing to help you triage the task of finding a better solution.

 

If you would like to know if a website built on WordPress is right for your business, do some more research and even reach out to a professional company like OSO. Optimum Systems Online would be glad to consult with you on what your business needs and if a WordPress website would be the optimal choice for you. We have created our website on a WordPress platform and service many companies who use it and enjoy the flexibility of function, ease of adding content and user-friendly back-end.

 

Do you already have a WordPress website? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Please share them with us in the “comments” section below or talk about your tricks on our Facebook page!

If you enjoyed this blog, you may also enjoy reading, “What is a Responsive Theme?”