Once upon a time, there was a PHP-based framework called WordPress which mostly used to be a blog-publishing framework. As time passed by, it continued to evolve with the help of its supporters. Today, WordPress is a name that has become synonymous with versatility. You can use it to craft a blogging platform, an organized CMS, or a stunning media gallery. Over the years, it has not only evolved to support a variety of web content, but it also has a non-profit organization dedicated to its overall development.
Some Juicy Stats
WordPress today is the most pursued platform for the creation of top-notch WordPress Web Development. The numbers clear the claims. Kinsta, a website that offers premium managed WordPress hosting services, has some interesting stats to show. Kinsta reports that:
- Around 500 websites are built each day by using WordPress
- The WordPress plug-in directory is home to 55,000+ plug-ins
- WordPress powers 34% of all websites present on the Internet
- WordPress holds a whopping 60.8% of the market share of the CMS market
It’s pretty clear that WordPress is a widely acclaimed web development platform. However, there are still many people who are unaware of its true potential. There are people who are zealous about starting their own website, and have probably heard about WordPress but are hesitant about it because they don’t know whether they can do more with it besides blogging.
The good news is that WordPress presents its users with countless possibilities to implement their website ideas. You can have a knowledge-based website or a networking site, but in case you’re wondering what it should be, then this article is here to guide you. In this post, we have shared the ideas of five different types of web content types that you can have through proficient WordPress web development.
1. A Stunning Blog
WordPress started out as a blog-publishing platform and even after so many years, it continues to rule as the topmost blogging platform. In its tenure of 18 years, its blogging components have become more refined and powerful. It is teeming with ready-to-go plug-ins and themes. All you need to do is find your blogging subject matter, decide on topics, create your content, choose your desired themes and plug-ins, implement them, and get started.
You will find help in the WordPress forum where active users solve each other’ s WordPress-related problems. To narrow your search and save your time, we have enlisted some premium blogging plug-ins. If you’re looking for motivational examples, then do know that TechCrunch, The Vogue, and The Village Voice are some famous publishing websites built with WordPress.
Resourceful Blogging Plug-Ins
Yoast SEO: Of course, you want to make your content readable and reachable. This plug-in helps your content to perform better by optimizing it for search engines and at the same time showing your performance results.
Content Theft-Monitor Plug-in: The Internet is a blessing but it has an ugly side too and content duplication is counted as one. This one’s a valuable plug-in as it alerts you whenever someone tries to copy your content.
Easy Social Sharing: Who doesn’t want to be famous? Install this one to enable easy sharing of your posts via multiple social networking sites.
2. A Profitable Marketplace
Online shopping is on trend and if you have skills and resources, then investing in an eCommerce store could be a profitable decision. But you can’t dream of competing with Amazon right away, right? With WordPress, you can start small and then gradually grow big. With a specific set of plug-ins, widgets, and API integrations, you can start selling your services and goods online.
Some renowned eCommerce sites built with WordPress are Louise Kennedy, Walmart, and H & M. Etsy Journal, the blog of the famous marketplace for art & craft supplies, which is built on WordPress. Once again, we will have a look at the most widely used business plug-ins for WordPress.
Resourceful eCommerce Plug-ins
WooCommerce: When it comes to conversion of a WordPress static site into an eCommerce one, it is the first WordPress plug-in that strikes the mind. Powered with some remarkable features like PDF invoices, storefront themes, and easy store management features, it is undoubtedly the best plug-in to go for.
Dokan: It is yet another powerful WordPress plug-in that allows users to create an e-store with all the required essentials. No coding knowledge is required to use it. You can simply install it, configure its settings and start with trading. It is multi-lingual and supports all premium payment gateways including PayPal.
WP EasyCart: If you are in a hurry to start your online store with minimum expenditure, then WP EasyCart is the one for you. Its configuration process is easy and its tools don’t require core technical expertise. Though most of its features are available for free, you can go for premium plans too.
3. An Active Forum
Forums are interesting platforms, especially for the exchange of information. The success of forums like Reddit, Stack Overflow, Github, and Quora has led people to think otherwise. A good forum will not only bring organic traffic to your site but will also make it more credible. Being a feature-rich blogging platform and a robust CMS, WordPress serves as an ideal platform to create online forums. With the help of correct plug-ins, you can add one to your existing website too.
Resourceful Forum Plug-Ins
bbPress: This one is said to be one of the best plug-ins to set up an online discussion platform. It is easy to set up and its maintenance is simple. Plus, it is lightweight which means that it doesn’t slow down your website.
Asgaros Forum: This one is another great WordPress plug-in with which you can build a lightweight and feature-enriched forum. It has a powerful editor, is SEO-friendly, offers multi-lingual support, and enables owners to conduct polls.
SimplePress: This plug-in is known for introducing enterprise-class forum capabilities. It offers you custom tables, user management features like restricting user access, post-management features like post moderation and moving posts between forums and topics, and comprehensive administrative settings.
4. A Community Website
Just like forums and blogs, an online community is also a good way to expand your global reach and garner loyal users for your business or service. An online community can also help you to gain market knowledge and initiate meaningful discussions. WordPress is a marvelous platform for the development of a steady and function-rich online community. Teachers Connect is a great example of a clean and well-managed community built with WordPress.
Resourceful Community Plug-ins
PeerBoard – This plug-in comes with a comprehensive suite of CRM and moderation tools, plug-and-play architecture, and group management automation features. You can create general discussion platforms, private groups, and collaboration groups.
ProfileGrid – It is another flexible and purposeful plug-in that can be used for building versatile online communities. It has a highly organized and neat interface and is ideal for building private and public communities. You can also create paid-membership communities with ProfileGrid.
PeepSo: This plug-in is just as enticing as its name. It comes with an easy setup and can be launched with a few clicks. Also offers a contemporary look and offers designing tools to customize the look and feel of your community. It offers cool features like real-time notifications and the use of hashtags.
5. An Impressive Portfolio Site
A good portfolio site goes a long way to impress visitors and bring potential clients. WordPress is largely used by rising stars to build an impressive portfolio website where they can showcase their skills in an aesthetically-appealing manner and stand out in their discipline. Because of the availability of free, customizable plug-ins and different subscription models, WordPress qualifies as a cost-effective way to garner attention.
Resourceful Portfolio Plug-ins
Portfolio Gallery: It is one of the top-rated portfolio plug-ins of WordPress. It is free, is responsive, and comes with a plethora of column layouts, filters, and spacing tools. You can use different formats and lighting options to make your portfolio visually enticing.
Portfolio Post Type: This WordPress plug-in has a unique approach to portfolio creation and management. Portfolio Post Type is ideal for people who have a large clientele or lots of projects to showcase. Users can generate custom post types and can add tags and categories.
WP Portfolio: This WordPress plug-in works best for freelancers, developers, and photographers. With WP Portfolio, you can choose from over 40 professionally designed templates and customize them with your style choice. It is responsive which means that your portfolio looks great on any digital device.
The above three portfolio plug-ins are good to go for anyone who wishes to go for a sophisticated display of their work. But one must remember that choosing the most suitable portfolio plug-in depends mostly on the type of work one does and that proper research work is due before doing so.
Summing Up
The different types of WordPress Web Development which certainly not restricted to the above five, but they are explicitly mentioned as they are the trending ones of the tech era. You can even go for a directory website or travel website, but these sites require unique content and high maintenance, which is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Another important thing to note is that while WordPress does offer the comfort of website setup without core technical knowledge, it still requires technical expertise in case you want to design the common themes with unique design ideas. The wise choice here would be to engage in the professional services of a recognized WordPress web development company.
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