Changing landscape of website building on WordPress with Pete Everitt – SWC 53
October 10, 2019 October 10, 2019 /
WordPress has been around for a while now and it has seen so many changes over this period. How has WordPress landscape changed with regard to building websites, tools we use, client expectations, features, and more?
Pete Everitt shares his WordPress journey and changes he has seen while building websites, and creating other useful products in this ecosystem.
01. Early WordPress days
- You started building websites on WordPress around the year 2000. How was the WordPress ecosystem for building client websites then?
- I believe it was more custom code for adding additional functionality as we did not have many WordPress plugins then and not even page builders?
02. Big changes moving forward
- I think the biggest change over the period of these years is, now we can build WordPress websites way faster than before. But this is sort of offset with more client needs and functionality as the whole ecosystem has become more feature-rich. What is your take on this?
- The extended WordPress ecosystem like themes, plugins, and applications has exploded in a big way. This for sure is a good thing for seasoned users but can be a confusing introduction for new WordPress users, what say?
03. Workflow changes
- The workflow from the first contact by a client to actual websites building. How has this workflow process changed for you over the past few years?
- WordPress tool stack for me changes a lot every few years. How has your WordPress tool stack changed with your WordPress journey over the past few years?
04. Getting more organized
- Earlier it was just about a website that looks good and gives a business an online presence. Now focus is more on a website that brings conversions for the business. Are people just talking about this more or you have seen an actual change of people factoring in conversions aspect while building websites?
- Another reason for this could be, clients are more informed about what they need from their websites as compared to say 5-6 years back. Have you noticed that change?
- There is more buzz in productized website building offering and less buzz for big-ticket custom website projects. Is a website becoming more of a commodity on a cheaper side now?
05. Looking forward
- Page Builders are ruling the WordPress ecosystem with regard to website building. With Gutenberg getting better with each version bump, what is the future of website building on WordPress?
- Now we see a lot more SaaS apps that connect with WordPress websites for that special extra functionality. Can we expect this SaaS ecosystem for WordPress to grow further or is it just a passing fad?
Pete Everitt’s ToolBox
- Beaver Builder is a tool of choice for building website layouts.
- For WordPress websites use Page Builder Framework as a base theme.
- Use Pippa.io for hosting podcast files of own podcast.
- Zoom(us) for video communication needs with clients.
- Use Cloudways for web hosting all client websites.
- Recommends checking Split Hero service for split testing.
About Pete Everitt
As a college project, I built my first application for the local milkman I used to work for. It was an order/billing platform to help him manage his customers. The thing I liked about this the most was making the app DO something – and it got me hooked!
After University (in the early 2000’s) I started working for design agencies as a developer making designs “work” – mainly using WordPress. I excelled in thinking more laterally about projects and adding value and marketing strategy to client projects.
After a few years, I became a freelancer doing more of the same. I was eventually headhunted for a position as Head of Digital Marketing at an eCommerce agency. In this role, I got to use my lateral thinking and desire to make things work not only in development but also complete marketing strategy and delivery.
After 3 years in working there, I wanted to set up on my own and SO Digital was born. We offer strategic branding and digital communications particularly to education and third sector clients (although we do work across the board too!).
More: Pete Everitt / LinkedIn / Facebook
