I had a funny conversation with someone this weekend. They were thinking about building a website using FrontPage. Now, don’t get me wrong, FrontPage was OK once upon a time, but the idea of creating a static site these days using a tool like FrontPage makes my skin crawl.
Now my conversation was non-technical. So, I thought other people might be interested in a non-technical view of this issue. There is plenty of room for technical debate, but the people making these decisions are often decidedly non-technical.
So, if you are in the process of designing a website for your business, you may be wondering if you should use Frontpage or WordPress. Or, if you have already created your website, you may be wondering if you should make the switch to WordPress.
The Non-Technical Difference Between FrontPage And WordPress
For many people, price can be a big issue. FrontPage and other competing programs are available for retail purchase at prices around $100 and higher. In the case of FrontPage, this is already outdated software, as Microsoft has since released Expression Web, an updated HTML editor that replaces Frontpage.
WordPress is a free, open source blogging platform that can also be used to create websites. It is very easy to install and new versions are being released all the time. These “upgrades” are also free.
There is a large community of WordPress users, and if you ever need assistance you can find help through one of their many forums. Many WordPress have also created widgets that can be used to make WordPress work exactly how the owner wants it to work.
For instance, there is a widget that creates a message that can be displayed at the beginning and end of each post which thanks the reader for visiting and invites them to sign up for the site’s RSS feed.
FrontPage is a program that needs to be installed on your computer. If a business owner hires an assistant or helper for website updates, that person will need to have FrontPage to make sure everything is compatible.
WordPress is web based, which means that a user can sign into their account from any computer with an internet connection. If they hire an assistant that person can log into the site from their computer and upload their own work. This can save the business owner a lot of time and open up the range of people with who they can work with.
Anyone who is familiar with Microsoft’s word processing software, such as Word or Works, will find it easy to navigate FrontPage. The program offers various windows that allow users to build their website in different ways. New users can choose to use the “design window”, which features the “what you see is what you get” editor, also known as WYSIWYG for easy website building. Experienced users can use HTML code in the “code window”.
WordPress is also very easy to use and allows their users to use the WYSIWYG editor or view their entry in code.
Both programs offer many benefits, but one thing is for sure: more and more people are switching over to WordPress. Even if you decide that WordPress isn’t for you, it may be worth your while to get at least a little comfortable with it, since so many other people are using it.
Got a question about FrontPage or WordPress? Drop me a comment.
