If you are a blogger, then the answer to this question should be yes – plain and simple. However, everyone uses Wordpress for differnet reasons. So, here in a short post, I’ll share some of my reasons for using Wordpress and why I recommend it to all of my web design and development clients.
I started using Wordpress probably 4 years ago when I launched my first big blog, Dorm Room Biz. Ever since then I’ve been sold of the package and have not looked back since. I started out on Blogger but as soon as I played with Wordpress, the switch was a no brainer. Wordpress is great because you really need no programming knowledge or background to be able to get it set up and running on your domain name. This alone is what I think makes the package so popular. Taking that to the next level are the massive amounts of themes out there – paid or free – which are available as well as all the widgets, plugins, and little extra upgrades you can do to your site.
Even with how easy it is to use Wordpress, the great dashboard and well designed admin panel, there are still a few things that can make it tricky for someone starting with WP but looking to do more with it. You really need to develope a base knowledge of php if you want to get into the depths of the themes, templates, and different lines of code. But a basic knowledge of HTML will help you at least do some basic customization like changing colors of text, background colors, etc. So while there may be a learning curve for more advanced things you can do with WP, there can be a steady progression to that level.
When I first started with WP, I didn’t know much about setting up and working with MySQL databases, so I needed help in this area. Luckily, I was able to find some people who were more than willing to help me set up databases, fix issues, etc. This was crucial when I experienced some issues with Dorm Room Biz and I thought I was going to loose all the content (150+ posts at the time). Then, in the days before the automatic upgrade feature of WP, I always seemed to have a problem when installing a new version, so being able to get help from an internet buddy on doing this and having them walk me through the steps was a perfect learning experience. These types of issues are pretty much gone, I would think, if you utilize the automatic install/set up feature as well as the automatic upgrade feature when new WP releases come out.
One of the most important aspects of blogging and Wordpress, besides the content of your blog, is going to be your design. While I haven’t actually created any of my own themes, I have taken some free themes and customized them pretty good to the point where you can’t really tell what the original theme looked like. Now, I’m a HUGE fan of the guys over at WooThemes and the themes that they are putting out monthly. If you’re not familiar with WooThemes and their premium themes, then check them out. I use them on many of my sites and for clients and then just customize the look and feel of them to be my own. It makes theme development and customization so much easier than starting from scratch, unless that’s what you want to do! If you feel that WooThemes might be a little bit to expensive for you, check out Elegant Themes. For $19.95 you get unlimited access to the themes that they put up, some of them are very good themes and basis to start with if you are going to customize it.
So there we have it, a few reasons why I use Wordpress today as well as a few of the struggles I had along the way to getting to where I am today with the package!
Sun, Jul 19, 2009
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