WordPress
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) licensed under GPLv2, meaning anyone can use or modify the software for free. It is the most popular way to create a website or blog – WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet.
A CMS simplifies managing every part of a website, from pages to email addresses, without programming expertise. WordPress uses PHP and a MySQL database to power site creation.
What Kind of Websites Can You Make with WordPress?
WordPress is an excellent website creation platform suitable for a wide range of sites. When it launched in 2003, WordPress was intended primarily for blog creation. Today, it supports everything from portfolios and learning sites to ecommerce stores.
Part of what makes WordPress such a flexible open-source CMS, is its plugin ecosystem. The plugin architecture of WordPress means you can implement additional pieces of code which give your website new capabilities. For instance, you could add member accounts to build a membership site or learning management systems for online courses. WordPress can now create:
- Blogs
- News sites
- Business websites
- Ecommerce stores
- Portfolios
- Resumes
- Forums
- Social Networks
- Membership sites
What’s the Difference Between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
When defining WordPress, one of the biggest challenges most people face is understanding the difference between the two types of WordPress. WordPress.org and WordPress.com both use the same fundamental technology, but there are a lot of differences between them:
- Wordpress.com is a for-profit service powered by WordPress.org’s open-source software. You can access things like hosting and managed services through WordPress.com, which makes it easier to use for beginners with no coding knowledge. However, you won’t get as much flexibility with your site.
- Wordpress.org is the original self-hosted software for the WordPress CMS. This software is free to use and install, and you can use it to create any kind of website you choose. However, you also have to handle things like hosting and security on your own.
What are the Benefits of WordPress as a CMS?
Over the years, WordPress has evolved into an incredibly comprehensive tool for site building. It powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, making it the most widely used CMS by a wide margin. While not everyone will love the features of WordPress, most fans appreciate it for the following reasons:
- It’s free: WordPress.org is free to use, though you will need to pay for hosting, domain names, and other essential aspects of building your own website.
- It’s open source: An open-source CMS is constantly evolving thanks to input from a global community of developers. It’s also extremely flexible.
- It’s extensible: Even if you’re not a developer, you can customize your site with easy access to a wide range of themes, plug-ins and add-ons.
- It’s easy to use: Most hosting providers will offer to pre-install WordPress for you or give you a one-click installation process.
- It’s great for SEO: WordPress has excellent content creation and SEO features, so you can improve your chances of ranking high on the search engines.
