WordPress Pages Or Posts: Which One To Use?
Since its launch in May 2002, WordPress has emerged as one of the most used CMS platforms globally. The platform powers over 37% of the top 1 million websites.
Given the low cost of developing a WordPress site, ease of installation, and the platform's flexibility, WordPress is used for various websites, from personal blogs to enterprise websites.
We have developed multiple websites on the CMS platform and can vouch for its ease of use. As WordPress website development services experts, one of the most asked questions we receive from clients is the difference between WordPress pages and posts, when to choose a post, and when to use a page.
While the two may look similar, there are several differences between them that one needs to know.
It can get tricky for a layperson to maintain and create posts and pages on their site; this is where WordPress development services come into place.
We have created this blog to explain the difference between the two and help you understand when you can use each.
What is a WordPress Page?
WordPress Pages must be strictly informational or functional, and they should not have blog-style content that invites comments from readers. For example, you don?t want users to be able to comment on your About Us page as this is not a discussion page or a forum.
Pages can be nested to create a directory-type structure by making one page the ?parent? of another. When you hire WordPress website development services, they will create a sitemap for your site, which will be a directory of all the pages on your site.
For example, we have a ?Development? page that serves as a parent page for the ?child? pages of different development services categories like PHP development, Website Designing & Development, ERP Solution, etc.
Organizing subpages like this allows for easy navigation and provides a precise categorization of topics for website users.
What is a WordPress Post?
WordPress Posts will make up the majority of your website?s content, and this is because they are meant to be social, engaging pieces of regularly updated content. This also means that your posts will rise and fall in popularity because their relevance is more about what is currently trending in your niche.
When you enable comments for your posts, your users can add commentary and agree or disagree with the post.
Although posts cannot be categorized hierarchically like Pages, they can be organized with the help of categories and tags. The WordPress CMS structure will naturally allow for this type of organization. So, when someone clicks on a specific category, they will see posts that fall under that category.
Technical Differences Between a Post and a Page
Now that you know what WordPress Posts and Pages are, let?s take a closer look at how they differ.
WordPress Pages contain content that is considered ?evergreen?. So basically, it will have static and timeless content. This does not mean you cannot change the content for your website ever.
Pages contain your website's core and informational content that will remain the same for a long time. This includes your Home Page, About Us, Contact Page, or Product/Service Pages.
WordPress Posts, on the other hand, were initially meant to hold blog entries and are displayed in reverse chronological order. Therefore, posts can be used to publish articles, the latest news, and other regularly updated/added content. The blog post you are reading right now is an example of a post.
Since both pages and posts are customized using a similar editor to add text, images and other media, they might seem identical to a layperson. However, there are a few key differences between a WordPress page and a post.
1. Timeliness
One of the main differences between a post and a page in WordPress is that posts are timely while pages are timeless. If you scroll to the top of this page, you will see a publication date. However, if you check out our Home Page, you will not find any such details.
This is because content on a post is time-sensitive and can change greatly with time. This does not mean that the content on a page is meant to be static and set in stone; you just should not have to update your pages that often.
2. Ownership
Apart from the date, each post also displays an author, categories, and tags. Depending on the page's theme, this information can either be at the top or bottom of your page. Since posts are meant for conversational writing or personal opinions, having a name on the post will help readers feel more connected with the writer.
On the other hand, pages are universal, and they do not have the author?s name, as it should not matter who published them. Their main purpose is to provide information about the product or service. So, pages are meant to reflect your website as an entity rather than belonging to an individual.
3. Organization
As mentioned above, posts can be organized with tags and categories. Categories help group similar content, such as ?SEO? or ?Digital Marketing?, on our blog. Adding categories and tags to your posts will help keep your content organized and make it easier for readers to find blogs on a specific topic they are interested in.
On the other hand, pages do not require categories and tags. Instead, they are organized hierarchically. For example, we have a parent page for PHP services and child pages like WordPress Services and CodeIgniter Services under these.
4. Social Engagement
Posts make for a perfect platform when it comes to interacting with your users. Posts come with a comments section, although this can be disabled. It also has many social media buttons so readers can instantly share your content.
Page cannot be shared or commented on. You wouldn?t want people leaving comments on your About Us or Our Services Page. However, if you want WordPress services can help you enable comments on your pages though we would not recommend this.
Which one should I use- Posts or Pages?
It can be challenging for users who are just starting out to make a difference between pages and posts. No need to worry; we are here to shed some light on how you can optimally organize your content as best as possible.
If you have a business site, it is quite likely that you will not be using much of posts, especially if you are not going to create a blog. However, as WordPress development services, we recommend you create posts to build a fan base or establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
One of the first things you will need to learn when building a WordPress site is the difference between a page and a post. While they might be the same at first glance, these two features are not interchangeable in any way and must be used for different types of content.
To sum it all up:
Pages are to be used for timeless and informational content that does not change often. Example: About Us and Contact Us pages.
Posts can be created whenever and are meant for sharing regular content.
While WordPress is known to be a beginner-friendly platform, it can get complicated for an ordinary person to create a website on the page. This is where WordPress development services in India like Hats-Off come in.
Apart from creating a WordPress website for you, we also maintain your website by adding regular posts to it. Well-written and well-designed pages and posts will help in boosting your sales and increase traffic to your website.
Do you have any more questions on WordPress pages or posts? Let us know in the comments below.
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