WordPress

Opmerkingen: I used Wordpress to host my start-up Journo Resources and it's been a well functioning and customisable solution. It was easy to set up, I'm able to do the majority of it myself, and I've found it easy to integrate the work of outside developers. As my business is based entirely online, it's important for me to have a lot of control, and this helps me to do this is a customisable way.

Pluspunten: There are a number of features I'm a big fan of on Wordpress.org, mainly centred around ease of use, customisation: • This is one of the easiest pieces of kit to set up in terms of your website, and they're very good at walking you through how to tie it all together when you're starting out.
• It's intuitive, so you don't have to spend a lot of time explaining to people what they need to do, and there are good (and customisable) permission levels so you can make sure the right people have access to the right things.
• The platform is free! All you need to pay for is your own hosting.
• It's incredibly customisable. There are no shortage of Wordpress developers out there if you're looking for a custom build, and there are thousands of plug-ins and themes which can sort you out if you're looking for an out of the box solution. For the most part, I don't need anyone else to look at the website on a day to day basis, and am able to effectively manage it myself.

Minpunten: There is a ratings system on the plug-ins, but it would be good to make this more robust. Generally, though, I'm very happy with the service.

Opmerkingen: Years ago, when I first started using WordPress, it was because I'd been doing the occasional client website from scratch for many years. HTML, coded by hand, graphic and colors layouts, etc. Eventually it no longer made sense, especially as we moved into the era of working with databases, caching systems, etc. It just made sense to find a solution that already had that backend in place, rather than reinventing the wheel every time. So I tried several systems: Drupal, Joomla, and others, before finally coming to WordPress. When I finally tried it, it was a revelation: lots of clear documentation, a massive community of users who help each other through the learning curve and the assorted issues that inevitably appear, more plugins and themes than you could ever imagine. I stumbled a bit with the learning curve back then, though mind you, this was at least a decade ago. WordPress, in the time since, has become so easy to setup that most web hosts these days will, in fact, do it automatically at the press of a button if that's what you wish. Basic setup couldn't be any easier, in my estimation, and for a lot of people, that will be enough. If you're a more advanced user, however, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to extend the system's capabilities. Beyond plugins, there are also countless cloud services that integrate with WordPress in various ways. For example, FreshWorks offers a number of systems, such as help desk ticketing, live customer support chat, etc.

Pluspunten: I've been using WordPress for many years, and the thing I like most is that it's constantly evolving, changing, becoming more than it was. Year after year, absolutely without fail, WordPress becomes a more sophisticated, more streamlined, more functional system for managing websites, and I can't recommend it enough.

Minpunten: Like any software system, WordPress has a learning curve that can be a little challenging if you're new to the world of Content Management Systems. You'll hear a lot about all that WP can do, and it's true, but often, that functionality comes via plugins or custom built themes you'll have to add yourself. It's not hard, and if you're an experienced web person, you'll get it easily, but for the newbie it might be a challenge. Don't worry, you can manage it, though.