The images on this page link directly to WordPress websites built by HolmPage Productions.
WordPress is a widely-used, open-source application for building websites. It’s used by more than any other content management system.
It can be installed on a domain either as part of a site or as the basis of the entire site.
Edit it yourself: WordPress allows the site owner or other contributors to make additions to the site themselves.
All of the new sites and redesigns that I’ve built in the last 15 years or so are built on WordPress, whether my clients want to edit their own site or not. There are many other reasons to choose WordPress.
I also offer WordPress lessons and coaching in person or on the phone.
Mobile-Friendly: All my WordPress sites are built on a structure that is responsive and changes according to the device you are using. This is important for several reasons.
- People are increasingly using their mobile devices to access the web.
- If your site is one that people would be looking for while on the go, such as a restaurant or accommodation site, it is very important that it work on a smartphone.
- Google favours mobile-friendly websites in the search results.
Add functions! Contact forms, photo galleries, booking and events calendars, e-mail list signup forms, and almost anything you can think of can be added to a WordPress site.
Future proof: WordPress is a very active platform that is going to be around for a long time because there is such a large industry supporting it and depending on it, even though it costs nothing to buy the program itself.
WordPress keeps getting better with every update.
The core of the technology is updated regularly, and themes and plugins can be added, updated and changed as needed. Open source technology ensures that developers continue to create new functionalities via plugins as the internet evolves. And as your needs change, you can choose the plugins you need.
Organize and re-organize:
WordPress allows you to organize and display information in different ways, and to change how information is displayed as your site grows or your needs change.
Once posts are in the database, they can be organized in different ways as the project – or your business – grows and evolves.
Multi-lingual: WordPress is available in many languages. Multilingual plugins are available that help the user switch from one language to another, and help the site managers to coordinate the pages in the different languages.
Search Engine Friendly: WordPress plays well with search engines right out of the box. Posts and pages can be further optimized with the help of excellent plugins.
E-Commerce: WordPress can be used for e-commerce sites using plugins such as WooCommerce. If you needs are simple, a PayPal “Buy” button may suffice.
Blogging and building over time
And of course WordPress can be used to create a blog, or to build a website that you are going to develop over time. The menu can be rearranged as your needs change without redesigning the whole site. I can help you think through the site organization as your needs change.
Some personal projects:
A fun WordPress project of mine is SpiroGraphicArt, in which I get to play with the old and new Spirograph and similar drawing tools. I have rearranged the navigation as the site has grown.
I’ve set up many other WordPress installations for clients.
I maintain some as legacy sites for family members who have passed on, notably my songwriter sister at PamelaHolm.ca where I publish her songs and artwork. I also maintain sites originally set up for my nautical historian stepfather (Long Hill Publishing) and my father (FlemmingHolm.ca) where his family history and opinions are preserved in electronic perpetuity, and a tribute site for my late mother, JuneMaginley.ca.
Can I learn to use it?
I offer one-on-one WordPress tutoring using Zoom. Private lessons are highly efficient, as we cover what you need to learn at the time to get over the hurdles you have encountered.
If you are comfortable using Word or other word-processing software, and can upload photos to Facebook, you can learn to update your WordPress website yourself.