Nowadays, when web development and SEO are the name of the game, Content Management Systems (or CMS) have become increasingly advantageous. Before the birth and popularization of these software packages, websites were coded by hand. That’s right, hours of a developer being planted in a chair pulling out HTML code from the far corners of his brain in order to design a web page that probably had less functionality than a rusty screwdriver. But as the internet emerged on the global stage and grew out of infancy, CMS software began being produced in order to expedite the development process. The basic aim of these Content Management Systems was to, well, manage content! Most CMS platforms separate design aspects like the background and the header from content and text and makes it easier to change content without altering design or functionality. In the world of web development, there are so many options though. Drupal, Joomla, MODX, Kirby, and seemingly countless brand options make the decision to use CMS a little overwhelming. Fortunately we have a little experience with one system in particular and want to let you know why we think it’s the way to go for all of your website needs.
WordPress was born in 2003 due to a joint endeavor by developers Mike Mullenweg and Mike Little. WordPress is continually presented with accolades, both official and unofficial, which can be found all over the web. Here at Web Strategies, we work mostly in WordPress and find it to be a simple, elegant, and effective platform for development. WordPress is an intuitive, template driven interface that allows a large amount of editing ability and creative freedom to developers which provides the end results that our clients are looking for. The ability for the developer to choose a template which curtails to the client needs is crucial in today’s development process by saving time and energy coming up with custom graphics and drawing board designs. Being supplied with a blank, wireframe web page allows the developer to keep what the client wants, change what they do not, and even add to the predetermined limits of a website’s functionality.
That’s where WordPress gets a really special spot in our hearts. Plugins allow a website to gain functions it couldn’t do before. Plugins can be uploaded and used immediately or deactivated if they are not being used. Calendars, RSS feeds, social media icons, keyword searches, databases, image galleries and countless others can be downloaded from the WordPress website and installed in virtually any WordPress template. This feature allows us to customize any site for the specific needs of the client while also saving massive quantities of hours that would otherwise be used custom writing programs to perform even the easiest tasks.
As fun as it is in a developer’s world to use WordPress, in the end, we choose WordPress for our customers based on the reliability and ease of use. We know how important an online presence can be and having the right tools can make that process of investing in a website much easier. Managing the daily updates can be handled by the business owner and don’t require development assistance. Knowing that you have a website that can grow as your needs change can be a comforting factor for anyone. Let us help you get started in the right direction that makes sense and is cost effective
