Whether you are a timid (non) professional designer or a professional professional, you are sure to know the word WordPress Multisite. You may have already encountered several examples that use WordPress Multisite to build a strong community site.
What is WordPress Multisite?
WordPress Multisite is a feature that came along with WordPress 3.0. It was launched in 2010 and replaced WordPress MU. This feature allows you to customize large blog networks.
In addition to this capability, it offers the ability to have one hosting for different websites on one installed WordPress version. The entire site runs on WordPress, but each blog has a different domain name.
To give you a better idea, I will give an example. Imagine a website that includes an e-shop. But this e-shop is not an anchor of the website. It is only one part of this site. Such a website has its main page and ecommerce page. Both built on one WordPress.
In this case, Multisite works by navigating the user from the main page to the e-commerce page (to the e-shop) without having to leave the main page. The domain name of this e-shop does not have to match the main name of the website.
This is how blog.sme.sk works, for example. One platform that runs on a single hosting, but each contributor has their own domain name.
Where to look for Wordress Multisite?
Blog networks
Multisites have started to work well for various larger communities or often for universities, for example. Multisites allow you to create your own blogs on multiple platforms. In addition to universities, this type of multisite is often used among groups that share similar interests, such as websites presenting photography, art, technology…
Corporate sites, common domains
Large companies and corporations need larger and more complicated websites. At the same time, they want to prevent unnecessary people from having access to all the features of multisite. WordPress thus allows everything to remain under one roof with the possibility of running multiple internal websites for networking purposes.
Usage examples
Let’s look at specific examples:
1. WordPress.com
It is a prime example. It hosts millions of websites that you can use freely. However, premium topics and modules are already paid for.
2. EduBlogs
This platform allows schools and educators to create their own blog and use millions of websites using a single multisite network. Users can create their blog for free. In the basic version, teachers manage their own blogs, to which they can add students. If they decide that they would like to use more extra functions and options, they activate a Pro Account. Since 2005, Edublogs has hosted more than 3.3 million blogs. Decent.
3. BBC America
Did you know that the BBC also runs on WordPress? Each of the shows that the BBC broadcasts has its own website. It uses Multisites for its network of blogs.
4. Courvoisier
If you are a cognac fan, you have probably heard of this brand. Courvoisier is sold in several countries and in order for the brand to increase the level of its brand, it has created a unique website for each region. All these regional websites operate under one roof.
5. New York Times Blogs
The legendary New York Times was founded in New York in 1851. It is one of the oldest American newspapers. Times have changed, and the New York Times has long understood that avoiding online and staying on paper would not be a good move. The New York Times currently has more than 60 blogs to which it contributes regularly. All blogs are in WordPress and all use multisites.
6. Reuters Blogs
Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 in the United Kingdom. Like the New York Times, Reuters Blogs also operates online in addition to offline. Like the New York Times, their blogs feature multisites.
7. Harvard
One of the top private schools in the United States also has blogs on WordPress. Blogs cover a number of topics that students have the opportunity to comment on by creating a blog post. Anyone who has the end addresses harvard.edu , radcliffe.edu or hbs.edu can create a free blog and enjoy all the benefits of a multisite installation.
8. BostInno
BostInno is a digital news agency that provides information on various topics and events that are currently taking place in Boston. The website is owned by the largest media company, Streetwise Media. Like the previous examples, BostInno uses multisites that are powered by other sub-sites such as technology news, lifestyle, education….
9. A way to garden
The blog dedicated to gardens and everything related to them has become one of the most successful gardening blogs on the web. This blog also works in cooperation with multisites on which several subpages are stored.
10. Cheapflights
Website that offers flights, hotels, various holiday packages. This site uses multisites to operate other sections, based on which you choose various travel tips, news and flights.
Conclusion
One hosting, multiple sites. This is a brief description of how mulitsite works. The fact that even large websites are built on WordPress clearly proves that WordPress is not only intended for small websites, but that a large website such as the one mentioned by BBC America can also work on it 🙂
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