Someone sent me an email and asked me a good question. Why did we choose WordPress for this site instead of Site Build It!?
Good Question.
Funny you should ask because I think that will be a big focus of this Sunday’s Tampa Group meeting.
When you compare Site Build It! to WordPress… well… in many ways it’s like comparing apples to oranges… but on the other hand they are both fruit.
What is WordPress exactly and how does it compare to SBI?
Both are Content Management Systems (CMS) in terms of the architecture of the site building process. That means that sites can be created online using a simple “fill in the form” browser-based process. The data of the site is then stored in a database. And when a browser requests the page, the parts of the page are assembled and then sent to the browser as static HTML. Sorry I know that’s pretty technical sounding.
So the benefit of a CMS is it’s easy to build a site for any skill level.
That may be about the end of how WordPress and Site Build It! are similar though.
Site Build It! is a whole lot more than just site building. It’s a step-by-step process, with someone holding your hand all the way to guide you to building a successful “content type” of website. It’s as much an education in online marketing as it is anything else. All the tools required are supplied along with a healthy dose of encouragement and “stay-on-track” advice.
It’s also a community of like-minded people who are willing to help each other. WP may offer this too but I haven’t found it yet.
On the other hand, the SBI! process is not unique. Many people have figured out and used the same process to build a successful online business. They just didn’t have the same toolbox or guidance along the way. They figured it out on their own and found other tools to help them. They were smart and motivated people and probably did a lot of trial and error to get there.
Building An SBI! Site Helps With WordPress… and Vice-Versa
I think having built an SBI! site and gotten the complete education is great preparation for building a WordPress site. You’ll know what to look for in terms of add-ons and plugins to turn a WP site into something that can succeed. With WordPress you have to add things like sitemaps, and search engine submission, and Search Engine Optimization, and email list buidling, and developing a link exchange program. These add-ons are free with WP so they don’t cost but unless you know you need them you may not be looking for them. SBI! can teach you this.
WordPress has some advantages though…
The templates or WordPress layouts (what WP calls Themes) look better to this graphic designer’s eyes, and there are many more available, some from professional designers (at a cost). Also if you know CSS and a little PHP you can really get under the hood and make some changes to the architecture. That’s because WordPress is what’s called “Open Source” and developers have to keep the architecture editable and well… open.
This also means developers can create lots of powerful add-ons. With so many WP users and developers out there you can potentially have a much more powerful site.
I also like the whole collaboration vibe that WordPress offers. It’s easy for people to make comments and become active members of your site. This helps build relationships with your visitors. And if you open your site up so anyone can register they can even write posts (content) for you. This is the real reason we chose WordPress for the Tampa Bay SBI! group. It makes it easy for everyone to work on the site at the same time. It’s easy for beginners and still deep for more advanced webmasters who want to get under the hood.
Anyway, I’m no WordPress expert so other differences will be revealed over time as we use it.
But one last point.
If you plan on becoming a real online marketing professional you’ll want to understand the “big picture” of how site’s are built and how to market online in general. Building a WordPress site will help you understand that big picture better and I think also help you understand and appreciate Site Build It! that much more. After all you’ll probably want to have 5-10 sites by the time your done… right? So why not a few SBI! sites and a few WP sites… and maybe a Joomla site too (whoops… that’s another subject).
Rick Hart
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