Arts Spark is built on the WordPress platform and we automatically install WordPress for artists who choose to create their space with us. WordPress began its life as a blogging platform, but has grown into a full-fledged Content Management System (CMS). There are a number of CMS options out there, but we felt WordPress was the best option for a variety of reasons.
Ease of Use
WordPress is one of the easiest programs out there. We often say “if you can use Word*, you can use WordPress.” Once your theme is set, it is just a matter of updating content on a regular basis. Everything will flow into your theme. We know that visual artists want flexible themes and image galleries that are easy to use. We know that musicians want flexible themes and the ability to easily add music and video. WordPress can accommodate both groups of people. You can also easily add images, videos, and music. The Arts Spark Knowledge Base has documentation to help with all these features.
Community Support
WordPress is Open Source, meaning it is freely shared, used, and changed by anyone. WordPress has a large international network of coders who help keep WordPress bug free and add new features. It also has a large network of people creating plugins and other functions that users can incorporate into their website. Additionally, there are online forums and dozens of valuable websites providing help and ideas for extending and growing your WordPress website.
Cost
Because WordPress is Open Source, it is free to distribute, costing you less in the long run. Some plugins do have one-time or annual fees, but those are minimal compared to what other proprietary CMS software costs. By keeping our costs lower, we can keep your costs lower.
Ability to Grow With You
Finally, WordPress is flexible. You can start with a very basic informational site and grow into a full-fledged international eCommerce website, all by adding plugins. It will support thousands of site visitors and let you add features as you need them. Change your branding? You can change your theme to match without having to rebuild the website from scratch. It is incredibly flexible and extendable.
WordPress is the best option out there, especially for the variety of sites that artists need today.
*Word is a product of Microsoft Corporation