diva Blog
Back to BlogsA WordPress Epiphany Explained…
August 2011 - Paul Marshall
No self-respecting modern website can be static anymore, it’s all about content managed systems. Long gone are the days of having to send through copy to the agency that designed the site so they can update those mysterious HTML files. Now you can just log in and make the changes yourself, assuming of course, the Content Management System (CMS) is easy to use…
When it comes to CMSs, there are generally two types, custom and off-the-shelf, and the decision to use either should be based on the client’s goals.
We’re not averse to custom content management solutions here at diva. There are times when our clients’ requirements go beyond the scope of an off-the-shelf system, but more often than not it will do the trick.
So what off-the-shelf solutions do we use? Well it doesn’t really come off a shelf because it’s free, open source, regularly updated and regularly patched (don’t let security fixes put you off, even Microsoft needs to plug gaps). We’re talking about WordPress…
To be able to work with a structure that is continuously honed by its users and has massive online support from those who wrote it and those who re-invent it day in and day out, has been a revelation, and has saved our clients money.
It’s truly incredible to be able to wander the plug-ins list and more often than not find a perfect solution to bolt on for a feature of the site the client wants. And even if you can’t, it’s based on a widely used programming language! So if on the odd occasion you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, modifications to or creations of your own plug-ins are just a code view away.
Yes there are other open source solutions out there, but take a look at this infographic and you’ll see for yourself, the people have spoken:
http://deviousmedia.com/infographics/devious_cms.png
Websites are expensive, and a lot of the time clients want to feel they’re getting a tailored suit, rather than an off the peg number to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. But couture items can be even more expensive than you think.
We recently met with a client who already had a WordPress site. Their previous developer was more of a designer so it looked good but they hadn’t quite grasped the concept of letting the system manage the content, but the site was functional and did the job to an acceptable degree. Unfortunately their server went south and all they were left with was a backup.
As the new site host, we did a brand new WordPress installation, imported in their table data, uploaded the theme and boom, they were back in business. A few hours after receiving the files, we’d resurrected the site ready for the meeting to discuss how we move things forward. No limbo, no daft downtimes, no massive bill for time spent wading through code to try and work out how to piece everything back together, or having to start again from scratch.
WordPress’s simplicity to use belies its genuine flexibility and powerful customisation of an open source framework that will future proof your site going forward no matter what happens.
And if you just want to use it to write a blog, it’s pretty good at that too…
Just some of the organisations using WordPress
