Skip to the contentWhat is WordPress?
WordPress is an open source Content Management System (CMS) that powers 37% of all websites as of July 20201. Since it is open source, many developers have created plugins and features, making it one of the most versatile CMS in the market. Despite its prevalence, there are many misconceptions surrounding WordPress. It’s not just a blogging platform, a simple website builder (like Wix, Square Space, or others). Although WordPress can function as these things, there are a number of powerful features that truly make it a solution for anyone or any business looking to have their very own website.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
WordPress comes in a variety of formats that cater to different users and their needs. WordPress.com is geared towards a blogging platform use, or those who want to start out without the hassle of setting everything up. WordPress.org allows you to set up your very own site, on your very own domain, host, and more, with the flexibility and freedom that comes along with a DIY platform. VIP Go, the enterprise level version of WordPress, allows for high level development with a philosophy of “Code moves up; content moves down.”
WordPress as a Blogging Platform
As mentioned before, WordPress can be used as a blogging platform. WordPress.com is an easy to use system and allows its bloggers to quickly get their blog up and running, without having to worry about setting up their own hosting or having to deal with servers. This makes it a popular option for many, due to the ease of setup.
WordPress as a website builder
For those looking to use WordPress as a website builder, there are many impressive features that allow anyone to create a more complex website. With tens of thousands of plugins and themes for users to choose from, the options are endless. Included in those themes and plugins, are some drag and drop based page builders (similar to Wix and Squarespace), which cater to those who aren’t familiar with coding. Some of the most popular page building themes and plugins available are:
WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS):
While we have covered great features (all with their own set of seriously fantastic benefits), WordPress gets even cooler than that. Enter: WordPress as a CMS. A traditional CMS is a platform that lets its users create, edit, archive and publish content with an easy to use Graphic User Interface (GUI.) Most have come across HTML in their life, but it’s not a mainstream skill. A website developed in pure HTML can look and feel great. However, when a change needs to be implemented, the client or developer has to dive into code to make simple changes to content. A CMS allows anyone to be able to handle and manage the content without having to dive into code. This is done with a language called PHP, which works in tandem with HTML to create a truly dynamic experience.
PHP is the language in which WordPress is written, and along with a database system like SQL, this allows developers to create custom tailored themes for their clients. A theme is essentially everything visual on a website. This includes fonts, colors, layouts and other elements that you would consistently see throughout a website; the pretty stuff that makes a website stand out (or not stand out). Developers can create these layouts, and together with PHP and WordPress, make these layouts into Themes. The content of the theme, like images, text, pages, posts is then added to WordPress once all the theme code has been completed. This is a huge benefit to clients and developers as it allows the creation of remarkable custom-made websites while maintaining control of the content on the website, with little to no assistance from the developer. Chances are you’ve come across a custom-made theme, here are some of the notable (and impressive) websites we like::
WordPress as an Enterprise-Grade Experience Platform
WordPress VIP (VIPgo platform) is the best choice for those who are looking for an enterprise level website. All the great features of WordPress are still included, but, it hosts the website (similarly to WordPress.com for blog and smaller sites), but with the freedom of having your own domain. VIP sites are cloud hosted and supported by the WordPress team and come stock with premium tools including:
- Jetpack, VaultPress, and Akismet
- New Relic (for application monitoring).
- Supercharged search via Jetpack Search, powered by Elasticsearch (optional).
- Scanning for coding issues on each PR.
Final Thoughts
WordPress is an extremely powerful and versatile, open-source software. It can be used by individual or companies looking to create their own website, blog, or store. WordPress has the flexibility to help create and manage custom websites and can be an appropriate fit for anyone looking to create a wonderfully unique web experience
To learn more about our WordPress services, builds, and how we can help take your website (or website dreams) to the next level, drop us a line.
