Even if you haven’t used it directly, you’ve certainly heard of WordPress. But if you haven’t, here’s a quick overview.
WordPress is a massively popular content management system (CMS) used to build websites and host content online. It’s so popular, in fact, that recent statistics show that 27% of the internet is powered by WordPress.
Many web development agencies have WordPress experts on staff who can work with you to build a customized website for your hotel. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of this CMS, including how it works and why it’s so popular, and offer some tips on how to get started creating your hotel website on WordPress.
Why is WordPress so popular?
These days, WordPress is incredibly popular – but why is that the case? For one, WordPress is extremely easy to use and learn. Even if you don’t have deep technical experience, you can create a basic website. There are many free resources available online to walk you through the process.
WordPress is also highly customizable. Once you’ve developed your site, you can drag and drop objects into place, such as reservation forms and featured guest reviews. It’s easy to clone individual pages and quickly spin up blog posts to make sure your site is jam-packed with relevant information for your guests.
On an individual level, using WordPress is also a great career skill to have. Because so many companies use this CMS to host their sites, your WordPress skills are transferable if you choose to find another job down the line.
How does WordPress work?
If you decide to use WordPress to power your website, you’ll first need to choose a theme. Themes are essentially the look and feel of your site and include all content that appears on your WordPress sites, including your headers, footers, and main content.
There are plenty of free and paid premade WordPress themes available for download, but if you want one that’s more personalized for your site (which can be important for hotels), then you’ll want to seek out a WordPress specialist. You can engage an agency or find a freelancer who will learn more about your vision and transform it into reality.
Once your WordPress theme is up and running, you can start creating individual web pages, such as reservation request forms, detailed room information, and photo galleries. During the page building process, you’ll want to seek out WordPress plugins that can help you with important things such as search engine optimization (SEO), page load speed, and site security.
How can I get started with WordPress?
If this is your first experience creating a website, reach out to a digital marketing firm to make sure you’re considering all important factors. These firms can create a website that looks good, loads fast and is designed to all user experience (UX) best practices.
Professional firms have extensive WordPress know-how and creating your theme can be a nearly turnkey solution. Your website is your most important marketing asset, so make sure that yours is optimized to attract, engage, and convert potential guests.
