What is WordPress? The Blog and Website Tool Explained
WordPress is the world‘s most popular content management system (CMS), powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. From humble beginnings as a simple blogging platform, WordPress has evolved into a powerful and flexible tool for creating websites of all kinds, from personal blogs to complex business sites and ecommerce stores.
At its core, WordPress is open source software that helps users easily create, manage and modify content on a website without needing to dive into code. Its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and large community of developers and users have made it the go-to choice for millions of people looking to establish a presence online.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into what WordPress is, how it works, and why it has become such a dominant force on the web. Whether you‘re a blogging beginner or a seasoned web developer, understanding WordPress is key to thriving in today‘s digital landscape.
The Rise of WordPress
WordPress got its start in 2003 when developers Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little created a fork of the blogging software b2/cafelog. Their goal was to build a better blogging platform that was both easy to use and easy to modify.
The first version of WordPress was released in May 2003 and included basic blogging functionality. Over time, a community of developers formed around the project, adding new features and improvements with each release.
A major turning point came in 2004 when the competing blogging platform Movable Type changed its licensing terms, driving many users to seek out an open source alternative. WordPress was there to welcome them with open arms. Its popularity grew rapidly from that point on as it became known as the most user-friendly and flexible blogging software.
As WordPress‘s feature set expanded, people began to see its potential beyond just blogging. With the release of version 1.5 in 2005, WordPress introduced static "Pages" in addition to chronological "Posts", making it more viable as a full-fledged CMS. Later additions like Themes and Plugins allowed users to easily customize the look and functionality of their sites without writing code.
Today, WordPress is used by over 60 million websites, including 40% of the top 10 million sites. While it still maintains its roots as a blogging platform, it now powers websites of all stripes, from small personal portfolios to major publications and ecommerce retailers doing hundreds of millions in online sales.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
One common point of confusion with WordPress is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. While they are both run by the company Automattic, which was founded by WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg, they serve very different purposes:
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WordPress.org is the home of the open source WordPress software that can be downloaded and installed on your own web host. It provides full control over your website but requires you to manage your own hosting, security, backups and maintenance. This is the most flexible option and powers most large WordPress sites.
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WordPress.com is a for-profit, paid hosting service that lets you create a WordPress-powered website without worrying about the technical details. It takes care of hosting, security and backups for you but limits your ability to upload themes and plugins. It‘s a simpler but less flexible option best suited for blogging beginners.
Most of this guide will focus on the self-hosted WordPress.org software, as that‘s what the majority of WordPress users and developers interact with. But the WordPress.com service remains a popular choice for those who want an easy, hands-off way to start a basic WordPress blog.
How WordPress Works
At the heart of WordPress is a simple idea: separating a website‘s content from its design and functionality. Using WordPress, a user can log in to an admin area to write content, choose a visual theme, and install plugins to add functionality – all without touching the underlying code.
Let‘s go over the key building blocks that make up a WordPress site:
Pages and Posts
The main units of content in WordPress are Pages and Posts. Pages are static, timeless content (like an "About" page) while Posts are timestamped entries listed in reverse chronological order (like blog posts). Creating them in WordPress is as easy as writing an email thanks to the intuitive Gutenberg editor:
WordPress organizes content as Pages, Posts and custom post types.
Behind the scenes, all this content is stored in a MySQL database. One of WordPress‘s key innovations was its use of "Themes" and "Plugins" that can plug into the database and change how content is displayed or add new features.
Themes
WordPress Themes are collections of files that determine the visual design and layout of a website. They are made up of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP files that plug into WordPress and pull content from the database to be displayed to visitors.
The WordPress Theme hierarchy determines which theme file controls different pages on your site.
There are thousands of free and paid WordPress Themes available that make it easy to get a professional-looking website up and running in minutes, even with zero coding knowledge. For developers and advanced users, creating a custom WordPress theme is a great way to have full control over your site‘s design.
Plugins
If Themes are the skin of your WordPress site, Plugins are the muscles that power it under the hood. WordPress Plugins are bits of software that "plug in" to WordPress to add new functionality or change default behavior.
WordPress Plugins hook into events to add or modify functionality.
There are over 50,000 free WordPress Plugins available that add every imaginable feature from simple contact forms to full ecommerce stores. Some of the most popular plugins are:
- Akismet: Filters comment spam
- Yoast SEO: Optimizes content for search engines
- WooCommerce: Adds ecommerce functionality
- Contact Form 7: Easily add contact forms
- Jetpack: Provides site stats, lazy image loading, CDN, and other features
Using too many Plugins can slow down your site, so it‘s important to choose carefully. Well-coded Plugins from reputable developers are generally safe, but a poorly-coded Plugin can cause performance and security issues. Always vet Plugins carefully before installing.
Advantages of WordPress
So with all the different options available for building websites, why has WordPress become so dominant? Let‘s go over a few key advantages:
Cost
The WordPress software is completely free and open source. All you need to get started is a domain name and web hosting, which can cost as little as a few dollars per month. Compared to pricey website builders or custom-developed sites that can cost many thousands, WordPress offers an incredibly low barrier to entry for creating a website.
Ease of Use
One of WordPress‘s greatest strengths is its user-friendliness. The admin dashboard is intuitive and requires zero coding knowledge, making it easy for even complete beginners to create content, customize their design, and install Plugins. Its famous 5-minute install has made WordPress the fastest and easiest way to get a website up and running.
Customization
In addition to ease of use for beginners, WordPress offers incredible flexibility and customization options for more advanced users. With thousands of Themes and Plugins and a huge developer community, it‘s possible to tweak and tailor your WordPress site to meet your exact needs and specifications – all without being locked into a closed, proprietary system.
Community and Support
As the most popular CMS in the world, WordPress benefits from a massive ecosystem of users and developers. The official WordPress.org forum has over 2 million registered users and provides support 24/7. Regular WordCamps and Meetups bring users together to learn and share ideas. And a cottage industry of WordPress developers and consultants makes it easy to find professional help and support when needed.
Potential Disadvantages
Of course, no technology is perfect, and WordPress does have a few potential downsides to consider:
Security Risks
As an open source CMS that powers so many websites, WordPress is an attractive target for hackers. If not properly maintained and updated, WordPress sites can be vulnerable to malware, DDoS, and brute force attacks that take advantage of security holes. Using reputable plugins, keeping software up to date, and following security best practices is critical.
Performance Issues
WordPress sites tend to be more resource-intensive than static HTML websites, which can result in slower page load speeds (especially on bargain shared hosting plans). Choosing a quality host, using caching Plugins, and optimizing images and scripts becomes important to maintain fast performance and avoid frustrating visitors.
Maintenance and Updates
While WordPress is free, it does require some regular maintenance. Updating the WordPress core, Themes and Plugins is important to getting new features and security patches. It‘s also critical to perform regular backups in case of data loss or website crashes. For a business website, it‘s smart to budget for ongoing WordPress support.
WordPress is More Than Just Blogging
While WordPress started as a humble blogging tool, it has grown to power much more than just blogs. Thanks to its flexibility and large library of Plugins and Themes, WordPress is now used to create:
- Business websites
- Ecommerce stores
- Membership sites
- Online courses
- Portfolios
- Forums
- Social networks
- Mobile apps
Here are just a few examples of major brands and organizations using WordPress:
Well-known brands like Sony Music, BBC America, Beyoncé, and The New Yorker all use WordPress.
The fact that everyone from garage bloggers to the Fortune 500 rely on the same core WordPress software is a testament to its incredible flexibility and reliability. It‘s truly a platform that can be whatever you need it to be.
Learning WordPress Development
In addition to allowing non-technical users to easily create websites, WordPress is also a great platform for developers to learn programming and hone their coding skills.
At its core, WordPress is built on the PHP programming language and MySQL database. By learning how WordPress Themes, Plugins, and APIs work, you can gain transferable skills in key web technologies that apply far beyond WordPress.
Learning WordPress development teaches valuable, transferable skills.
What‘s more, because WordPress is open source, you can crack it open and study how it works. Seeing how a mature, popular codebase is structured is invaluable for learning best practices and leveling up as a developer.
Digging into WordPress development is also a great way to get involved in the larger open source community. Contributing to WordPress core or popular Plugins is a rewarding way to collaborate with other developers, improve your skills, and gain recognition in the industry. Many web development careers have been launched in the WordPress world.
The Future of WordPress
From its humble beginnings as a basic blogging tool, WordPress has grown to become a dominant force on the web. Today it powers over one-third of all websites and continues to grow in popularity every year.
WordPress now powers over 40% of websites and continues to grow market share every year.
While new competitors have emerged over the years to challenge WordPress‘s dominance, the CMS has shown remarkable staying power. Its ease of use, vibrant community, and open source ethos have helped it stand the test of time even as web technologies continue to evolve.
Looking to the future, WordPress shows no signs of slowing down. The platform continues to be the go-to choice for bloggers, small businesses, and the enterprise alike. Ongoing improvements to the editor experience, REST API, and ecommerce toolkit aim to keep WordPress simple for beginners while offering more power under the hood for developers.
As the web becomes increasingly central to people‘s lives and livelihoods, the need for easy-to-use tools for publishing content and building communities online will only grow. By democratizing publishing and putting the power of the web in the hands of everyone, WordPress has changed the online world forever – and its story is still being written.
Whether you‘re an aspiring blogger, an entrepreneur building an online business, or a developer looking to learn new skills, WordPress is a platform that welcomes you. Its low barrier to entry, helpful community, and infinite customization options make it a tool that truly anyone can use to establish their presence on the web.