When designing a website in WordPress, you have two basic options to share the content you are creating. You have the option of creating a page or a post. There are different advantages for each of these options and it is important to understand the key differences as you begin to plan and design your website.
Pages
- Static Content
- Provides timeless information or evergreen content
- Can set up subpages
- Custom features and design
The biggest advantage is that you can custom design each of the pages. This allow you to create a static page with information about specific product or aspect of your website. You can use the custom plug ins to create a design that works well for whatever purpose you have. For example, if you are creating an author website, you may have a page with information about the author, another page with information about each book or book series, and another page with contact information on it. These pages will stay the same over time and not need to change.
Posts
- Posts are timely
- Post are archived by month
- Posts work well in RSS feeds
- Posts encourage comments
- Posts work well in social media
Posts are the blogging portion of your website. They are timely and allow you to share up-to-date or current information that may become stale eventually. Since the posts are archived and published with a clear date, you do not need to worry about keeping everything evergreen. Another big advantage is that posts allow comments which allows you to interact with customers. Depending on your type of business this can be a big advantage. You can also use the blog posts as part of an RSS feed, which makes keeping in contact with your customers much easier. Thinking about the author website example, a post would be a good place to announce new visits to a bookstore, share teasers about upcoming books and share news with your readers.
Choosing Between Posts and Pages
A website designed for a business will likely have both pages and posts as part of it. A page can be set up for each type of service that the business offers or to list different types of products. The contact information should be on a page since it should not change. However, aspects of your website should be able to interact well with social media. The posts or blog portion of the site can be used to announce new items or to share news about the store. As you design each new piece of content or page look at the purpose behind it and decide which tool works the best for you.
