Should I consider WordPress to host my website?

By Jamie Hoyles, Clook Internet Accounts Manager

This is a question we are asked a lot here at Clook Internet and the short answer is yes!

Don’t let the fact that WordPress is a free Content Management System put you off – It is one of the best available and has been for a number of years. Indeed, many large businesses make use of it including Forbes, LinkedIn, UPS & Playstation.

If done poorly then yes you will have a website that reflects badly on your organisation but it’s not difficult to add a premium theme, customise to your branding and add relevant text and images. In doing so you could end up with a website to be proud of.

How do I move to WordPress?

First choose a web host that supports WordPress and one that will be able to provide advice if necessary. You may wish to consider a host that provides Optimised WordPress Hosting. A service like this would see significant increases in page load times against standard hosting.

I’ve installed WordPress, what’s next?

You will now have a blank canvas for your website. First you will want to decide upon a theme / look for your site. There are 1’000’s of free and paid for themes available to you. Typically you'll find the difference between a paid for and free of charge template will be the number of editable features available. However, it has become more common for an author to release a free template with the option to pay a fee to upgrade and release all of the content.

These premium themes vary in cost but are generally priced between $30 - $60 dollars. Along with extra features, the user also tends to receive priority support from the vendor and help should they have any queries or encounter a problem.

Personally, I feel a premium WordPress theme is usually worth the money.

I’ve decided on a theme, what now?

Next you’ll want to populate your website with content. Use the pages tab to add pages – If you’re able to use word processing software then you shouldn’t have a problem using WordPress such is it’s simplicity.

You may wish to customise your site using plug-ins. These are add-ons that you download via the WordPress admin panel and then implement into your site. Typical uses would be for contact forms, displaying social media posts and search engine optimisation. One plug-in I have found useful for my clients has been for Facebook which pulls through galleries to a website – great if you may not be confident in maintaining a gallery on your site but find Facebooks photo upload facility easy to use. The list of customisable features using WordPress is endless and it’s very simple to quickly create a bespoke website that will have you standing out from your competitors. If you are considering a switch, then do so no longer – take the plunge!