Since June of 2010, WordPress has enabled theme developers to create custom post types. Custom post types can be used in a variety of situations. Whether you need a directory of businesses or a database of artists, custom post types can extend the functionality of your WordPress website in an infinite number of ways.
Why you might need a custom post type
If you need to deliver any sort of information that does not fit into a normal page or blog post format, a custom post type might be the best fit. New entries in a custom post type are extremely easy to add and even easier to maintain. When creating a custom post type, we also create custom fields that allow you to easily enter information to the post. Custom fields are a great way to maintain design consistency within your website, which is important to visitors.
Examples
Here are some real world examples of custom post types that we have implemented for our clients.
Events
Events are a very popular custom post type among our clients. We created a Tickets & Events database for the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater and an events calendar for the East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Kelly-Strayhorn Theater’s events custom post type was coded entirely from scratch, while ELPC’s events calendar was created using a plugin called The Events Calendar PRO, a very powerful events plugin for WordPress.
Projects/Work
The entire Work section of our own website uses a custom post type that allows anyone on our team to easily add new work to our portfolio. We also created a powerful Projects page for GTECH Strategies that allows visitors to search for specific projects.
Products
We’ve had clients that needed to display products on their website, but didn’t necessarily need full eCommerce functionality. You can see an example on the Thermablaster website and another on the Soltron
website. Thermablaster’s product section also features a powerful search functionality for visitors to easily find the right product.
Business Directories
If your website houses a large database of business listings, a custom post type is the way to go. We created a business directory for Only in Oakland so they could easily add and edit business information. We also developed an industry resource directory for AIA Pittsburgh that contains a useful list of contractors, engineers and more.
Testimonials
If you have many testimonials that you would like to feature in different sections of your website, a great way to organize them is with a custom post type. On Flaherty Fardo’s website, we featured different testimonials in the right sidebar that are organized by the different services they offer.
These are just a few examples of what can be achieved with the help of custom post types. If you think you might need a new website with one or more custom post types, contact us and we’ll lead you in the right direction!