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WordPress WOW: Eight Top Sites using WordPress as a CMS…

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by Scott Frangos

Where’s the Blog? Answer: maybe nowhere on your WordPress website. As a WordPress developer and consultant, it never fails to amaze me how creative and wide ranging the websites developed on the WordPress platform have become. And, how companies are sometimes using it to power their websites without even using the blogging function.

We’re going to look at some companies doing just that, but first what is a “CMS”? Well, it stands for Content Management System, and if you’ve used a shopping cart online where a lot of the pages in the cart are automated, then you’ve seen one at work. The same kind of automated system to build dynamic pages can be set up and built on the WordPress platform. We’ll leave the administration details for another post, but here’s one key concept in using WordPress as a CMS:

How to use WordPress as a CMS

Above, using the Settings>Reading (in WordPress 2.5) options to set up a static front page, with another page designated for blog posts is the key to using WordPress as a CMS. We’re take a closer look in future posts — be sure to post any good examples here in the comment section.

Now Let’s take a look at WordPress CMS Website Solutions (click to view example sites larger):

1) Comacho Cigars - WordPress has grown beyond a Blog Baby

WordPress CMS solution for Comacho Cigars

Yes… it really is WordPress running the entire site… but where’s the blog?

Blog Disguised as Press Room at Comacho Cigars

It’s there (above - click to enlarge), they’ve just chosen to rename it Camacho “Press Room”.

2) Furniture Warehouse - Blog Completely Gone?

WordPress and no blog at Furniture Warehouse

Here’s one that works simply, and directly for the Furniture Warehouse to showcase professional photos of their merchandise. There is no blog showing. I like it because it’s straight forward, but I think they are missing the added SEO, social awareness, and customer engagement factors that a blog section (call it “Furniture Talk”) would bring.

3) AstroDaija.com - CMS Website & Blog

AstroDaija.com uses WordPress as a CMS and blog
An online service professional’s website that functions as a CMS website with a blog section.

4) WordPress Goes Postal - Deliver Magazine

Post Office using WordPress as a CMS Solution

Yep… it’s official, the Post Office digs WordPress, and their site delivers it all up in a very professional magazine style layout. Things are so calm at the Post Office lately.

5) Ford Autoshow Site - Voted “Most Likely To Not Be Recognized as WordPress”

Ford Motors using WordPress as a CMS website solution

Voted? Yep — by one person… me. This one seems least likely to be recognized by anyone as a WordPress installation, but it is. It’s been totally re-concepted for corporate use, with the blog taken out and replaced by the “Most Recent Topics” section that begins halfway down the front page (below):

Ford using \

6) Tribulant Software - WordPress as an eCommerce Site

WordPress as an eCommerce CMS at Tribulant.com

Why not use WordPress as the CMS for your web store? Tribulant does, and sells WordPress software, among other things.

7) sfumevlana.org - An online society using WordPress as a bookstore, blog and website

Society for Rumi using WordPress as a CMS solution

Here’s an example of a combination CMS website with a blog section, and an ecommerce store built with a plugin for WordPress, so it’s all administrated in one convenient location. They’re one of our clients at WebFadds.com.

8) Voted Most Creative - The Fully Featured Web 2.0 Site for Colour Lovers

Sophisticated color lovers site using WordPress as a CMS

It’s an application, it’s a laboratory, it’s a social community, it’s a trend setter, it’s WordPress CMS with a blog. That’s right… it’s Colourlovers.com.

There you have it… WordPress is a CMS solution, and a good one at that — there are currently over 1,800 plugins to add functionality to it. Time to convert your old school site into a dynamic CMS website solution on the WordPress platform.

About the Author: Scott Frangos is Managing Editor for WebHelperMagazine, and as Managing Partner for WebFadds.com he installs and develops Blogs and CMS website solutions based on the WordPress platform, for a variety of clients. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Pepper, and their three dogs: Wisdom, Spirit, and Steggman.

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6 Responses to “WordPress WOW: Eight Top Sites using WordPress as a CMS…”

  1. Introduction To Creating Your Own ECommerce Webstore. | 7Wins.eu said:

    [...] Powering Your Web Store With Shopping Cart Software | E-Business | Tanpola Articles Directory Eight Top Sites using WordPress as a CMS Tags small business ecommerce shopping cart making money business ecommerce shopping cart [...]

  2. Michael @ StealthMoneyMaker said:

    What a great blogg this is. I could not agree more with what I have read here today. I too have made similar experiences to what I learned here and now run a successful online business. But I am forever reading bloggs to learn more about what is “out” there.

  3. Posicionamiento Web said:

    Is no surprising why wordpress is used in many sites like those listed here, is not only a very handy CMS but its SEO facilities and super friendly search engine capabilities (even without making a thing, just by default) make it leader in this field.

  4. WebMaster said:

    Hi - thanks for the comment… I visited your site and enjoyed your work — strong, attractive graphics. - Scott

  5. 10 top websites build with WordPress as CMS at Erno Hannink said:

    [...] User:Matt/WordPress as CMS WebHelperMagazine - WordPress WOW: Eight Top Sites using WordPress as a CMS… Graphic Design Blog - Wordpress as a CMS - Content Management System [...]

  6. onimodglobal said:

    I also like the Ford Autoshow Site :)
    I have looked at all these sites in turn and as i have not been active as such when it comes to wordpress this has started the ball rolling for me the potential is amazing this will certainly keep my idle hands busy.

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