Everyone has access to the tools for building their own website these days. There are many software packages that do a really good job. Joomla is one open source program that has a pretty sophisticated array of tools and can build complex websites. But when you think about it, most sites have a pretty basic structure. And for good reason – sometimes simple works best. Here’s how you can easily use WordPress to create a site with the basic elements in place.
You’ll want a navigation menu of some sort that’s static across all your pages so visitors can easily move from section to section. Perhaps a little page introducing each category. Like if you’re selling a service, the menu can have “About Us”, “Solutions”, Contact Us” etc. These are all staples of any website and visitors have gotten used to this navigation structure. When someone visits your site, you want them to have a familiar experience without thinking too much about it.
WordPress has transformed itself over the years into quite a sophisticated Content Management System (CMS). It started off as a blogging platform but lots of people are harnessing its easy to use features for creating rich and interactive websites. A whole lot of its power comes from the large variety of plugins that can extend and enhance its functionality. And if you’re striving for that unique look to separate yourself from the competition, it can do that too.
Part of WordPress’ success stems from its wide popularity as a blogging tool. So many people have used it that it’s familiar to them. And those who haven’t used it can see for themselves how easy it is. Websites can be configured to show a list of categories or pages that are persistent throughout the site and simple extensions like the Jetpack plugin can even create contact forms so that your customers can get in touch with you. If you’re familiar with a bit of PHP and HTML, there’s literally no end to how much you can customize a WordPress theme so that it looks exactly the way you want it to.
Of course, design isn’t everyone’s forte. Some people (like me) have a horrible eye of color combinations even though I can appreciate work well done. You can either look to other websites for inspiration, or hire a professional to do it.