Spinning a negative web project into a learning experience was the only way to turn a series of failures into an overall success.
After I finally let go of my original, unsuccessful website project, I found powerful web solutions for a fraction of the price. How incredible is that? Not only does it directly benefit me, but also my clients. From my experience, I decided that WordPress is the best way to go: it's easy, expandable, and affordable.
With WordPress, you get a plethora of free plug-ins that can keep your site fully integrated with social media and make updating your site easier. It also gives you control over your site and it's future development. And you can't get more affordable than free, which WordPress is.
When selecting your WordPress theme, the main things to consider are:
* Support - Does the developer offer forms and documentation to support the theme?
* Widgets - Think social media icons such as Facebook, RSS, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn; check which content areas allow them.
* Layout - Look at the layout of the "containers" or content blocks. For example, where is the main navigation? Can it be expanded? Is there a right sidebar, a left sidebar, or both? Also, you ideally won't grow the number of main pages rather you'll install a plugin for a dropdown menu and expand the number of pages on the site that way. So, if you plan to customize a theme yourself, you may want to choose a layout that has the same number of pages indicated in the main navigation. Another consideration is the length of the words you'll use as names for your main pages; the fields will likely allow so many characters, but if you max them all out the resulting effect could mean your navigation will end up wider than the rest of your template. Caveat- this refers to themes with horizontal navigation. A vertical navigation in a sidebar is easier to expand without effecting design.
* Is the theme sponsored? This may mean that there are areas of the footer that you can't change.
Remember that with free themes there are limitations. A designer with HTML knowledge can help you surpass these limitations to create the perfect site for your business. If you're having a designer or developer help with your site, don't concern yourself with color and graphics as these elements are easily changed. Plugins exist for galleries, live feeds, etc. If you're going it alone, do seek a theme that suits your taste and/or corporate identity.
Amy Perzan Merrill is a graphic designer in Calgary, Alberta. Her company, Meringue 3.14, specializes in creative branding and cost-effective print solutions for small business. For more great tips on how you can turn your material into powerful marketing and communication tools, visit http://www.mmm314.com.
