Blog SitesThis month I want to explain a new offering that I have-blog sites. Many people want to have the flexibility to alter some of the content of their websites themselves via a web based interface. This type of system is called a CMS or Content Managemnt System. Last year I did a lot of research into which CMS I liked and wanted to provide for my clients. I decided on a relative newcomer: Wordpress.org. There are two wordpresses- the .ORG and the .COM. On Wordpress.COM you can sign up for your own blog and will get some sort of web address like: www.myblog.wordpress.com. The content and functionality of the blog is at the mercy of the rules and regulations of the powers that be on that site. There is a relatively user friendly interface and setup is pretty simple. Wordpress.ORG is a a free, open source version of the same program but it is downloadable. You can then install it on your own server at your own domain and have complete control over your own content. Open source means that it is contributed to by programmers from around the world and as a result has gotten very robust. It is now quite possible to use a Wordpress site (.org) for a non-blog site. The visitor to the site is not aware of any difference but it allows a greater degree of control from the perspective of the site owner. There are still aspects of the setting up and maintaining of a WP site that are quite technical but others that are very user friendly. Case Study #1 - Chamblee Methodist Kindergarten
Case Study #2 - Huntley Hills Neighborhood Association
Case Study #3 - Unblakeable
It still has added functionality that is normally associated with a more tradtional web site such as a downloads page, contact page and other pages. Other Wordpress SitesWordpress is a very capable platform and can be used for many different types of sites. Here are some other examples: HTML, FTP and graphics software are still needed to create WP sites but once up and running they are really robust, flexible, and user friendly. There are literally thousands of different programmers working daily to tweak and update the program itself and the “accessories” that accompany it. I have become a big fan and am even converting some traditional sites into WP sites. Please let me know if I can answer any questions. Resources: You are welcome to use this article on your website, blog, or in your newsletter as long as you include this complete credit line: Copyright 2009 * Cordelia Blake Web Design. Cordelia Blake is the owner of Cordelia Blake Web Design, a web development company in Atlanta, GA. She creates and maintains websites, blogs and eletters. Visit http://www.CordeliaBlake.com to receive Cordelia's Tech Tips delivered to your inbox. |
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This neighborhood wanted a site that would allow several volunteer board members to make changes and updates. Although I created the site itself, there are two administrators who can make big changes like adding pages and 8 authors who can add news to the site. They named their “blog” page “News & Updates” so that non-technical users would understand to look there for the latest updates. These entries feed automatically into the sidebar so that site visitors can immediately see what’s going on.
