Digitalisering
16. maj 2018
WordPress: Much more than a template
Behind every website is a CMS (content management system) that enables the web administrator to update the site with images, text, video, and more. The most widely used CMS is WordPress—an open-source platform that, thanks to its user-friendliness, has won the hearts of millions of users worldwide.
WordPress’ popularity means that the CMS now powers 30% of all websites on the internet.
Despite the platform’s strong reputation, we find that there is a misconception that all WordPress websites look a certain way and that they all resemble one another. Nothing could be further from the truth, because with a skilled WordPress development team behind you, the possibilities are endless when it comes to your website’s form and function.
When advantages turn into disadvantages
As WordPress has won its way into the hearts of many users and developers, misconceptions have also arisen about the platform’s suitability as a CMS for corporate websites.
We have repeatedly been contacted by companies that want new websites built. At first, they are always full of enthusiasm and excited about the upcoming web adventure. But when we suggest building their new site in WordPress, there is often a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Because WordPress is free, easy to get started with, and so widespread, it can quickly be perceived as though WordPress websites are nothing special—that anyone can build them. If you hold that view, it sounds absurd when a WordPress agency offers to build a WordPress site for x amount of money.
In addition, there are many WordPress templates that you can download and use on your site for free. Templates are design themes and good solutions if you do not have high demands for your website’s visual layout, and if you do not mind your website coming to resemble millions of others. Heavy use of templates has resulted in many uniform WordPress websites on the internet, and we see the consequence of this in the form of preconceptions about what WordPress sites look like.
Many call themselves “developers” without being so
A third factor that can make potential customers break out in a cold sweat when they hear the word ‘WordPress’ may be previous bad experiences with the CMS. Perhaps they have previously worked with an agency or developer who claimed to be able to build beautiful WordPress websites, but the customer ended up with a product that looks like everyone else’s and, on top of that, has a lot of distracting plugins installed that ring and chime.
You are not a WordPress developer just because you know how to download and install templates and plugins—template solutions are not development.
If you only know these aspects of WordPress and not the system’s endless design possibilities, or if you have had bad experiences with self-proclaimed “developers”, it is understandable that you hesitate when you are offered a WordPress website. No company wants one-size-fits-all solutions, and that is why it can seem off-putting when they hear our suggestion of a WordPress site.
WordPress sites that are not just churned out by a machine
At Morningtrain, we develop websites in WordPress because the platform’s backend system is easy to use—for our customers, that is. The backend interface is among the most intuitive and user-friendly available, which makes it very easy for our customers to get started running their site once development is complete.
WordPress is like LEGO
As you can see from our cases, a WordPress website can look very different from one project to the next. There are no limits to what a WordPress site can look like, as long as you find a skilled provider.
You can actually compare WordPress to LEGO. You can build anything with LEGO bricks; only your imagination sets the limits. With LEGO, you can just as easily build a house as a miniature of Notre Dame. And if you are in a position where you cannot build the LEGO construction you want and/or need yourself, a professional LEGO builder can bring your project to life.
The same applies to WordPress. The design possibilities are endless, and you can build both simple informational sites and advanced search portals in WordPress. And if you need help building a website, you can turn to a professional WordPress agency, which will take on the task for you.
We develop in WordPress in several ways
At Morningtrain, we do not only tailor websites in WordPress—we also develop in the WordPress core itself. One thing is to develop beautiful, functional, and user-friendly web designs; another is to develop the platform behind it.
As we have mentioned before, WordPress is open-source software. This means that the software’s source code is freely available to everyone. It costs nothing to access the source code, and everyone is free to study, modify, and further develop the platform—whether you are a professional developer employed by a company or a code-interested hobbyist who enjoys learning new things.
However, just because you develop features for WordPress does not mean that your solutions become part of the WordPress core. For a solution to be recognised and accepted, it must first be reviewed by a council selected by the WordPress community. This council reviews the solutions that are submitted and decides which parts should be included in the WordPress core.
Anyone can submit a request to have their solution reviewed, but the council has the final say.
For example, our lead WordPress developer Martin has had a solution approved that makes it easier for WordPress to load the templates it needs to display. So it is not just hot air when we say that we are WordPress developers through and through.
If we return to the LEGO analogy, it means that we can do more than build beautiful constructions out of LEGO. We can—and in fact have—also created entirely new bricks, which have even been approved and included in the official LEGO universe.
And when you know WordPress so well that you can develop in it, you also know all the possibilities the system offers.
We hope this post has made you better informed about why you should not be intimidated by WordPress. WordPress is much more than template solutions.
If you choose to have your site developed in the system, you do not only get a hyper user-friendly CMS that is easy to manage. You also get a powerful and secure platform that can be further developed as your business grows and your needs change.
