Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Is Wordpress still "the one"?

38 replies

hazelisours · 01/04/2016 16:03

Looking to re-ignite my business after a year or so off for maternity.

I want to rebuild my website as the current one looks tired and I'm altering my specialisation. Last time I paid -too much- to have one built. It looked good, but I couldn't make changes myself. This time, money is -non-existent- a bit tight.

I currently look after my OH's which was built on Wordpress, so have taught myself how to manage it. My site will need to have pages for info, a blog and a shop....possibly a booking calendar although I might keep this off the website as I should really consult with a client before booking them in.

Is Wordpress still the best option to go with, or is there now something better out there. Feel I have been out of the loop for a long time!!!

Thanks :)

OP posts:

Vernazza · 01/04/2016 18:37

Try fix - it is new, improved and amazing templates!

Vernazza · 01/04/2016 18:37

Grrrr autocorrect - WIX

LineyReborn · 01/04/2016 18:41

How much does WIX cost? I need to to set up a new website.

Vernazza · 01/04/2016 18:46

Doesn't cost much. Look at their website.

LineyReborn · 01/04/2016 19:10

Thanks. I'm having a look now.

KanyesVest · 01/04/2016 19:12

I use weebly and find it great although I haven't had to tweak mine much. I think it's $80 per year for the professional package.

akkakk · 01/04/2016 19:40

If you know what you are doing Wordpress is far more powerful / capable than Wix / Weebly - both of which are very restrictive... don't touch them!

Ultimately a website coded to exactly what you want is the ideal solution - but in reality, balancing financial priorities is far more important for a new business (no point in a nice website and no cash!), so it is often a compromise - and in that case, and assuming you are comfortable in updating / handling plugins etc. then Wordpress is very capable...

look up woocommerce for wordpress to run the shop

MrsMargoLeadbetter · 05/04/2016 09:22

Wordpress is still good as far I am concerned. Plus you already know it.

Good luck.

EssentialHummus · 05/04/2016 09:30

Look at Jimdo (free - £, various packages).

I had a bad experience with someone else making my website, and ended up with something a bit dark and which required my computer programmer DP to edit. I sound like I'm working for them, but Jimdo has super templates that don't look like templates, the customer support was really prompt, and you can genuinely do it yourself.

OrchardDweller · 06/04/2016 00:02

Have a look at the website builder templates with GoDaddy - business option gives you a mobile version as well which is essential

InsufficientlyCaffeinated · 06/04/2016 00:08

Wix & Weebly are awful. I use Wordpress & love it. Fairly simple for the nontechnical but powerful and flexible enough for those who can build a custom site. There's also a lot of people using it so easy to find answers when you get stuck! I use it with Woocommerce for my shop.

Squarespace is also quite good.

MugsLife · 06/04/2016 08:12

I'm a Web Designer and use WordPress all the time. It's extremely powerfly and flexible and nothing really compares. It's also free and you can get free, or inexpensive templates - go for something very customisable so you will look unique. Better than being tied into monthly costs for restrictive website builders. You can look through the thousands of plugins to get all the functionality you need - for example you might want to add Woocommerce for your shop (also free, but with paid add-ons), but make sure the theme you choose supports woocommerce (or whatever shop plugin you choose).

DameDancealot · 06/04/2016 09:52

I use Wordpress with woo commerce and find it great, and can do all the updates myself.

akkakk · 06/04/2016 12:44

I am not sure that nothing else compares :) My business builds bespoke systems for our clients and ultimately that is the only solution which completely matches what a company needs - but it is very expensive!

Wordpress is very good - but it is full of compromises, we run a number of wordpress systems for clients and have far more issues with that than almost anything else - the biggest issue is the one you highlight - needing to make sure that each thing you plugin / download / use works with each other 'thing'! e.g. get a great template, modify it, get it exactly right - then find it doesn't work with woocommerce!

Ultimately wordpress fills a need because there is no easy way to deliver into that space in the market - a need for customisation / flexibility / on-technical approach / at virtually no cost - but as a result it is equally hugely compromised - it still hasn't escaped its blogging roots and that causes compromise - you are dependent on 3rd parties who may or may not be good at what they do - and may or may not cause as many issues as they fix...

but it is still the strongest in its sector because there is no commercial value in businesses such as mine playing in that sector which is primarily people / businesses who want everything but are not prepared to pay for it!

For the OP it is likely to be ideal - that doesn't however make it a good solution in the abstract...

MugsLife · 06/04/2016 14:31

That's a bit negative! There's a reason why WorpPress is amazing popular...

I agree there are a lot of people who seem to think that websites should be cheap or free and don't invest as much time or money into their websites as they should. (Actually think this might be worse in the UK, but luckily I get much of my work from the US!).

When I said nothing else compares - I really should have said that the likes of Wix and Weebly don't compare as they are merely website buidlers. Drupal, Joomla do compare - but obviously not as popular or as easy to use (IMHO). Bespoke systems can be fantastic off course, and probably brilliant for companies with huge budgets and particular needs. But you'd have to really trust the designer company and hope you never fall out with them...

Original poster

hazelisours · 06/04/2016 14:44

Thanks for your input everyone

I'll stick to Wordpress I think. I'm by no means an expert but it's quite intuitive and there are heaps of past forums asking the questions I might have.

Thanks again

OP posts:

Wordsmith · 06/04/2016 17:10

I love Wordpress. I paid someone to design a site for me on Wordpress but I added all the content/did the SEO myself.

Having said that I'm looking into this for a site I'm planning for a client. haven't spoken to them yet but it's on my 'to do' list.

Wordsmith · 06/04/2016 17:13

akkakk I agree up to a point. I commission designers to create bespoke sites for my clients and then work with their CMSs to upload content - but I haven't found anything that's as user-friendly as Wordpress.

LineyReborn · 06/04/2016 17:15

I can't even read all the text on that website, Wordsmith. Too much grey on grey.

wallywobbles · 06/04/2016 17:17

I second sticking with Wordpress. I've created some major sites and honestly Wordpress is up there with the best. Helpful forums, free or cheap, templates. For me the biggest plus is the hassle free auto updating.

LunaLunaLovegood · 06/04/2016 17:22

Depending on your business could you just use facebook? I've noticed more and more businesses seem to do this now. Things like hairdressers and massage therapists.

AgainstTheGlock · 06/04/2016 17:28

Wordsmith - why would you use that site? Its bottom rate is 10/month which is many multiples of one of the MAJOR premium themes found on themeforest.net which includes unlimited version releases - AND, as a professional and commercial enterprise has a vested interest in being compatible with WP upgrades and other high-profile paid-for plugins.

Does it for example cover everything that major plugins do? I'm thinking Akismet/Yoast/Woocommerce/Contact Form 7 etc.?

I'm from a software engineering background. Rule #1: Don't re-invent the wheel.

I'm struggling to find the value in that site - although I can see how it might appeal to someone who wants to build their own site but for some reason is scared of WP.

Weebly/Wix - awful. Beyond awful. Crap. Shite.

GrumpyOldBag · 06/04/2016 19:35

I use Squarespace for my website, it's very good.

LineyReborn · 06/04/2016 19:43

Is Squarespace any good for a novice?

akkakk · 07/04/2016 00:09

wordsmith I will have to show your the system we wrote then - never had to do any training it is so intuitive :)

AgainstTheGlock the reason for systems such as that (no idea if it is any good) is that they are simple and non-technical. The problem with Wordpress is that it is a compromise full of promise, but also full of issues, it is not as simple as made out, except at a surface level - I had to add an extension to one of our servers the other day as the plugin / theme used b a client broke their system otherwise... A knowledge of Ubuntu and root access is not normally the expected level of technical knowledge for a consumer led system. The Wordpress systems on our servers are small in number and cause more issues than all other sites combined...

It is still though a good solution for the OP

Flip

1 2