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“Ask Anca” is a column written by WordPress expert Anca Mosoiu. Anca is owner of Tech Liminal, a co-working space and technology hotspot.

Anonymous asked:

“Should I use WordPress to replace my entire HTML site or just for my blog?”

That’s a great question. My answer?

Yes, you should use WordPress to replace your HTML site. Here are several advantages:

• You minimize the time you spend changing HTML code and making sure that all of your links. With WordPress, you choose (or build) a theme and then add pages, blog posts and images.  (You don’t have to worry about breaking the framework of your site or having to update lots of pages when you need to change a single link.)

• You don’t need any special software to use WordPress – the web interface works from anywhere.

• WordPress provides a reasonably simple text editor with formatting buttons. It provides the ability to load images and link to video and audio.

• There’s a form plugin that you can use to create simple contact pages. These pages allow people to contact you and send you information.  There’s no programming required, so you can set these up on your own.  Here are some example forms that we’ve built using this plugin:
• Pacific Pearls - contact form with reseller information
• Lakeshore Avenue Business Improvement District – just a basic contact form.

If you want to make a change that will affect your entire site (like a different header image or a color or font), you make that change to the site theme in one place. It’s immediately available all across your site.  Even if you want to change the look completely, you won’t have to rebuild all of your pages from scratch.  The content in WordPress is stored in a database, separate from the look and feel.

Anca and her team are available for all of your WordPress needs. Contact Tech Liminal or leave a comment below.

Anca Mosoiu runs Tech Liminal, a technology salon in downtown Oakland, CA, where people just like you can get help with their websites, web applications, and general technology concerns. She is translating her background as developer, analyst, and information architect working on large-scale corporate web applications into practical, straightforward tools for the motivated entrepreneur and small-business owner.