Who Should Use WordPress & Why!

29 Apr Who Should Use WordPress & Why!

WordPress: The world’s leading content management system (CMS)

As we browse the internet and take a look at the different sites that are available to us, sometimes we skip over amazingly useful information simply because of the way it is presented. Meaning, if the font is too small, if the words are too jumbled, and the pictures are too small, maybe the color palette is “off” and doesn’t quite match up, or simple things such as button fades and page transitions are not clean and crisp, we seem to skip over the content and look at the next area of interest. This is beyond important to discuss because it leads us into why we use systems such as WordPress to manage our content. Hints to term “content management system” or “CMS”.

This is an important term to become familiar with because without content management systems, we are unable to effectively deliver a product, idea, or basic content to the viewer in an organized manner. There are several major companies around the world, such as MTV News, Sony, Playstation, and Facebook who currently utilize WordPress and all of their amazing tools to better their UX (user experience) and IA (information architecture). In this particular review, I will touch on several areas that make WordPress the content management system of choice and possibly select a couple of other companies that may consider using WordPress to better organize their platform.

One of the main reasons so many people enjoy the features of WordPress is simply because of the ease of its usability. WordPress is able to help improve productivity by providing several tools via the main user dashboard that will help to manage tasks vs time. I can appreciate this feature because it makes it easier to hand over the CMS to the client after it has been built. Secondly, learning about WordPress is simple. You don’t need to spend any money to learn about this powerful CMS. WordPress is developed on simple technology and learning about the basics of WordPress like how to edit content, add images/videos, publish a new post or web pages, would just take a few hours even if you are a beginner. This is amazing for any company who decides to use it as their CMS system because that means it will be easier to implement and maintain. The third main reason WordPress is the CMS of choice is because of it’s ability to spark creativity in the designer by way of layouts and plugins. A designer is not required to utilize the pre-made layouts and pre-programmed plugins, however, they may inspire different ideas in the designer that may lead to awesome design and architecture ideas not previously explored.

After sifting through several companies that I support and buy from, I believe Jamba Juice, Fly Poets, as well as Hot & Juicy Crawfish could benefit from the CMS that WordPress offers. Jamba Juice in specific would be an amazing site to build via the WordPress system because the site is less interactive than it is informative. The user does not have major interaction with the site that would require a massive amount of data to be stored. Overall, the user would be navigating to the site, reviewing menu options, ingredients, and options around alternative health options. The only information that may be collected is information that enrolls the user/viewer into a rewards program. The awesome part about this is that WordPress comes fully loaded with a CMS that includes a user database. By using some of the plugins already available for download, this information can be stored, recalled, and used at a later date for any necessary task. Managing this information from the dashboard makes it easy for the developer as well as the overseer of the site.

Although WordPress is typically used for content management, I believe an organization such as Fly Poets, who showcase spoken word and r & b artists, would greatly benefit from this platform. Fly Poets is an organization that hosts quarterly events in the greater Los Angeles area. All events consist of poets, drummers, singers, and sometimes A-list celebrities such as Marsha Ambrosius and Dwele. There are tickets and merchandise sold, there is a newsletter that comes out monthly to keep the community informed, and there are blogs written about each event that takes place. The benefits of the WordPress CMS would positively affect Fly Poet’s ability to grow their online presence at a pace that mirrors their actual following from event to event. The community stays informed and connected while Fly Poets as an organization can focus not so much on the tedious nature of managing their brand and content.

WordPress allows you to effectively & efficiently organize infomration in a way that is easy for the viewer to access.

Lastly, Hot & Juicy Crawfish is a restaurant here in Southern California that features a variety of seafood from crab, to shrimp and clams, and even pasta such as garlic noodles. The notoriety that has been gained over the years due to the celebrities that visit the restaurant alongside everyday patrons is amazing. Hot & Juicy Crawfish would benefit from the WordPress CMS because it would further expand the functionality of their site. Currently, there is no section that leads to user experience or communicates the satisfaction of their customers. Utilizing the photo gallery options, blog options, and streaming photo album features of the CMS, Hot & Juicy Crawfish can offer a better depiction of the experience offered at their restaurant, and do it in an organized manner. This alone would boost revenue and allow them to continue expansion. How an experience is presented, is sometimes more important than the experience itself.

WordPress allows the designer to actively share content via the blog feature. This is a great way to keep your audience informed.

Overall, WordPress is the world’s leading CMS and for great reason. There have been several blogs and other publications that critique the technology and greatly go into depth about why it should be considered, but if someone asked me for one reason as to why this is the CMS of choice, I would respond by saying, “The idea that this platform is open-source, which means that it is forever changing, is enough for me to utilize it as a resource. This simply means there are thousands of brains working collectively to make a system better for all of us, our content, and our businesses.