Why I’m using WordPress for my website

A few months ago I switched from a flash based website to one built with WordPress. I’m not against flash,  I used Bludomain and Showit sites for a while.  WordPress gives has more flexibility and there were specific things that I wanted the website to do and WordPress provides that.

Why I’m using WordPress for my site and what were the features that were important to me

Large, full screen images make a big impact on visitors, and that was a must. Until recently that could only be done with a flash site, but now there are some wordpress themes that offer some really cool portfolio and gallery effects.

Being able to have a different background image on each page was a something I wanted as well. WordPress 3.0 let’s you add custom backgrounds, and some themes have functions that let you have different background image on posts and pages.

Since switching to a WordPress based site, SEO has improved. You can check your own site using the Website Grader at Hubspot

I own the site. No monthly fees, no special software systems to learn, and the site can be changed anytime or add a new theme. It’s pretty inexpensive to purchase a theme, around $75 or less in most cases. I switched from Bludomain hosting to Bluehost, which I love. All my sites are hosted by Bluehost.

Being able to use plugins to add extra functionality to the site is a big plus. Things like adding a Facebook like button, viral sharing features, automatic back up, image protection are just a few. Here is a post on some WordPress plugins that I like.

The site is viewable on mobile devices, which will be important in the near future. There are some flash web services that offer an iphone or mobile site with your regular one, but I wanted to keep it simple.

Adding video is easy and also viewable on mobile as well. I use Youtube to embed videos on a page. Youtube is good for seo as well.

Adding landing pages is easier, so I can track different marketing strategies.

Have a blog and website all in one. No extra installations needed, simply add a blog page and start posting

I can easily add sign up forms and embed other widgets, like a Facebook Page Like box for my Facebook Page, an email sign up or embed the studio magazine using issuu. Sign up forms were a pain to add with Bludomain.

Easy navigation and having a phone number on each page is important, especially for mobile users. Mobile users should be able to “click to call” from any page on a site.

Administration and updates just seem easier with a WordPress site, plus I have the option of selecting which posts or pages to post on Twitter or Facebook Page wall.

I just recently signed up for Gravity forms, which is great plugin for WordPress.  You can create as many f forms as you like right from your administration panel. This is great for things like a simple contact form, or a senior model application. Plus you can export the sign ups in a csv file and import into the database software of your choice. The forms can have multiple fields as well, custom replies and autoresponders and you can reply to any entry right from you admin panel. It’s only $39 and you own it, no monthly fees.

If your looking for some nice WordPress themes, check out Prophoto Blogs or Graph Paper Press. Graph Paper Press has really nice themes, including a full screen one. Both have good tutorials and support. Prophoto is easier to customize, however I like the portfolio layouts that come with Graph Paper Press.

What are you  using for your site and what do you like about? What don’t you like about it?

Tags: Blogging, web design, website, wordpress

Category: Marketing, Social Media