CMS – Content Management Systems

What is WordPress?

WordPress is software that allows a person with NO programming skills to maintain information on their website.  Text, photos, and videos can be managed by a user with an interface that is as easy to use as Microsoft Word (some say easier!).  The generic name for this type of software is called a “Content Management System”  or “CMS” for short.

Why do I need a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress?

Websites are useless if they do NOT get you new visitors.  The search engines are a big part of getting you new visitors, and one of the things that the search engine likes to see when ranking your website is that the text is updated often with FRESH CONTENT!

The best way to get fresh content on your website is through a CMS.  Most web companies charge you by the hour to make changes to your website.  That is NOT a good incentive to make a lot of changes, is it?

And it is NOT just about the money.  The additional time it takes to work with some one else to get your website content updated means its a pain, so you don’t do it very much.  NeoNexus has many customers that use our free text update service, and yet those customers that have a NeoNexus WordPress CMS update their websites WAY more often than the customers who use our free service to do it for them.

Is blogging a way to keep your website content fresh?

YES! Keeping a blog going can be a GREAT way to increase website visitors.  With a blog, you are not just using your website as an on-line advertisement.  You can have discussions within your area of expertise with customers AND potential customers.  You can also educate visitors, take surveys, post photos, and maintain a whole community around the topics of your website.

People love to participate.  People would much rather see how 3500 Yahoo users rated a movie than read a boring article from a high society movie critic.  TV reality shows that allow audience participation via the internet are very popular.  Why not take advantage of this on YOUR own website?

Is WordPress just a blog?

No. Wordpress has become famous as a blog, but it is a powerful content management system as well.  You can post static pages like your “About Us” page, maintain your website menu and add new pages.  You can create forms that email information when processed.  You can add polls, calendars, and many other powerful modules to manage different parts of your website.

What does WordPress cost?

WordPress is open source software that is available to the public FREE of charge.  If you are a do-it-yourself technology person, you can log on to http://wordpress.com/signup/ and create a free blog yourself.

If WordPress is free, why do I need NeoNexus?

If all you want to do is create a free blog, you don’t need us. You can be up and running in a few hours, depending on your level of technical competence.  If you are just getting started with your idea or business, its a good way to start.

The downsides of setting up your own free blog are as follows:

• Your blog website URL will be something like janesblog.wordpress.org.  Its functional, but its not exactly professional (sort of like using a hotmail email account for business).
• If you already have a website, then you are trying to drive traffic to TWO websites instead of ONE.  You have to send people from one website to the other, depending on what the website visitor wants.  It is harder to get high on the search engines for both your regular website and your blog at the same time.
• Your existing website may have a cool design, but your WordPress blog will look pretty plain.   You can load themes to improve the look of your WordPress blog, but that is more do-it-yourself time that you may not have to spend.
• If you want to use WordPress as a full CMS and not just a blog, you usually need professional programming help.  There are limits to what you can do through their control panel.

If I already have a website, can NeoNexus convert it into WordPress?

YES! There are many websites using WordPress.  Unfortunately, it is very obvious because it looks like hundreds of other WordPress websites already out there.  Can you say BORING?

NeoNexus can build a design OR take an existing design and completely integrate it into WordPress.  Here are some examples:

http://geminisecurity.com/

http://warncalling.com/

http://www.vidalco.com/

http://www.doglivingmagazine.com/

How long does it take to build a WordPress blog with a custom design?

Once the design is done (by you, your old web company, or NeoNexus), it generally takes about two weeks.  There is one week of programming, and then one week of loading content, training the users, testing, and getting the details right.  We can do it faster if need be (rush fees may apply).  Additional features like custom databases and shopping carts add additional time.

Can you help with a simple WordPress blog?

YES! Not everyone is ready for a fully integrated WordPress blog with their website.

Some franchise businesses have a corporate website, but are allowed to have a separate blog.  Some business owners want to  start with a blog to see if they are going to commit enough time to make it work.  Some people have 100% flash websites, but still want a blog.  And then there are those that just don’t have the time to set-up their own free blog.

NeoNexus can setup and host a WordPress blog, train you on how to use the software, install a public domain theme to change the look without a lot of custom programming, and install any modules that you need.  We can train you in person or remotely through our on-line training technology: gotomymeeting.com.

The cost for a simple WordPress blog is $200, and then monthly hosting with NeoNexus is $19.95 per month.  A simple WordPress blog without full customization can be done in 48 hours.

Can you use a shopping cart with WordPress?

YES! There are several shopping carts that work with WordPress.  In fact, the NeoNexus website uses WP Shop, a WordPress Module, for our shopping cart.

Is WordPress software reliable?

WordPress started in 2003 and has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on hundreds of thousands of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day.

How do I get started?

Call NeoNexus today at (910) 399 – 7603 and we can have you up and running in no time!

NeoNexus Corporation offers many content management system solutions for people interested in maintaining their own website content.