CMS, Part 2: WordPress Wisdom

Want a multi-page Web site without the hassle? Then stick with me for the next ten minutes.

CMS, Part 2, is, as the title says, about WordPress.

To start, there are two options when it comes to WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a free (hosted) blog account that can be customized with 60 different pre-installed themes. Wordpress.org is a more customizable, self-hosted and business-friendly route. Before beginning, you'll want to determine which of these two options will fit your needs. Either way, both options offer a multi-page format ("Blog" page, "About" page, "Portfolio" page, etc.).

Today's honorary guest is Todd Ramsey, social media-lite, digital brand manager for Wichita's Greteman Group and avid WordPress blogger (and enthusiast). He says:

"I chose Wordpress after trying a couple of blogging platforms (Xanga, TypePad, LiveJournal and Blogger). At first, the reason I stuck with Wordpress was because of the number of unique themes available. After using it for a while, I discovered how powerful and robust the tool really was. There are an incredible number of plugins available to extend the functionality. There's a huge user base, meaning that anytime there's a problem, there is a good chance you can find someone else who has encountered your problem and a way to solve it. Finally, I've come to believe that it's a great CMS – free, easy to use and provides nice expansion possibilities.

In order to do any customization, you need to either purchase a domain and hosting account or upgrade your Wordpress.com account with credits. Upgrading is definitely the easier choice, but self-hosting Wordpress ends up being cheaper in the long-run. You do need a little technical know-how to do self-hosting, but the site walks you through it pretty well."

He says it best. I will be launching a client Web site through the WordPress.org option this coming Friday, so I've been researching every aspect of WP. While I haven't yet experienced all of the "ins" and "outs," I have gotten a feel for what WP is made of. Here's my outsider's opinion:

{Pros}

• Multi-page format
• Easy to set up (either option)
• A LOT of support information. Many people have dedicated their time and resources to publishing helpful WordPress material.
  
• Themes (templates) available for every need, look, genre, and price (and whatever other requirements and attributes you may have for yours)
• The amount of plugins offered--all needs are covered: Flickr and Twitter feeds, formatting your site for the iPhone, etc.
  

{Cons}

• Honestly, the only con I can think of is how much time you may spend searching through the masses for that "perfect" theme. [Note: this will only be a problem if you tend to be a perfectionist (I don't know anyone like that--OK, I'm lying...I'm a perfectionist.)]

So overall, WP is, in my opinion, so customizable that it can fill most everyone's needs and then some. And it could look like CNN's Business 360 blog site or Filippa K's Web site. Diversity, options, versatility and possibilities make this one a winner in my book.