WordPress* is a Content Management System (CMS) which we at Flicker Leap have used to build the majority of our client’s websites over the years. Not sure what a CMS is? A web content management system is a software which allows multiple users the ability to create, edit and administrate a website without needing to understand a coding language.

WordPress is not just any CMS, but rather THE CMS as it has become the industry standard when choosing a CMS platform to build both business and personal websites.

34% of the web uses WordPress, from hobby blogs to the biggest news sites online.

60.8% of the group that select a CMS to develop their site go with WordPress over the many other options (Source: Web Technology Surveys).

Here are some of the things which excite us about WordPress and why it is our CMS of choice for our clients:

• Simple dashboard – All content and the site design is located and changed via the user dashboard. No coding is required.
  
• Easy to use for beginners – Adding text, images, links etc can be done through the user friendly page builder
  
• Easy to learn – Multiple videos, tutorials and documentation are freely available online. These range from the very basic ‘how to’ instructions right to expert level tutorials.
• Made with SEO in mind – WordPress is built to create websites which are Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) ready. This means that you start with a website that is in the correct format for Google to find and show your website in relative searches.
• Themes are be customisable – WordPress CMS offers a wide selection of prebuilt themes for you to choose from. These are be editable, to a certain level, from within the dashboard. They can also be customised through code to create a unique website, albeit built on a widely available theme. (Yes, we can also create you a custom WordPress theme just for you should that be what you require).
• Developer friendly – While WordPress is easy to use, it also offers a variety of plugins for more complex functionality. WordPress is customisable and additional functionality is then created to support your business goals. These bespoke WordPress projects are some of our favourite.

When you embark on the journey of building a website, you have two routes you can take. Either you start on a custom built website project, built entirely from scratch. For this you would need to use a coding language such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript etc. Otherwise you select a content management system to use as a pre-built base to start from. We will recommend the route we suggest you take based on your requirements, budget and timelines. Often, a CMS solution can aid you in reaching your immediate goals quickly and affordably.

So why is WordPress our CMS of choice?

The main reason we promote WordPress as our CMS of choice is the opportunity to collaborate with our clients. Let me explain. We use our skills in development, coding, techy-stuff, design, user experience (UX) content creation, SEO, marketing etc to customise a WordPress CMS website just for you and your business. We can then hand over the management and routine updates over to you. You can decide how much you want to do yourself and how much you would rather we handled for you. We can then continue to improve your website to make it all and more than you ever dreamed.

We don’t disappear after we complete a project. WordPress gives you the flexibility to start with something basic and then add new functionality as your business grows. If you ever want to add the ability to book, buy or brag on your website, we can help develop new functionality to reach your business goals.

*In this article WordPress refers to wordpress.org which is open source software which is free to download and not wordpress.com which is a paid blog hosting service.