This week we’re taking a look at one of the behemoths of the website age, a platform which dominates the world of website design and build.  Shuttlefish uses it as do hundreds of thousands of other web designers and developers.  So what is it and why is it so good?

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites. It was first released in 2003 and has since grown to become one of the most popular CMS platforms on the internet, powering over 40% of all websites.

WordPress offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of customization options, making it accessible to both beginners and advanced users. It also has a large community of developers who create and maintain themes, plugins, and other tools to enhance its functionality.

WordPress can be used to create a variety of websites, including blogs, business websites, online stores, and more. It is highly customizable, allowing users to create unique designs and functionalities tailored to their specific needs.

 Why is WordPress Quite so popular?

1. Ease of Use: WordPress is easy to use, even for people with no coding or website development experience. Its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality make it easy to create and manage content, even for beginners.
2. Customization: WordPress is highly customizable, allowing users to create unique designs and functionalities for their websites. There are thousands of free and premium themes and plugins available that can be used to add various features to a website, such as contact forms, social media integration, eCommerce functionality, and much more.
3. Open-Source: WordPress is open-source software, which means it is free to use, distribute, and modify. This has led to a large community of developers and users who contribute to its development and maintenance.
4. SEO-Friendly: WordPress is designed to be search engine optimization (SEO) friendly. It has features such as clean URLs, customizable meta tags, and other SEO plugins that help to optimize a website for search engines.
5. Large Community: WordPress has a large community of users and developers who create and maintain themes, plugins, and other tools to enhance its functionality. This community also provides support and resources for users, making it easier for them to learn and use the platform.

Can I use WordPress Myself?

you do not need to be highly skilled to use WordPress. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to people with different levels of technical knowledge and experience.

WordPress offers a visual interface that allows users to create and manage their website content using a simple, intuitive dashboard. You can use the built-in editor to create pages and posts, and easily add media such as images and videos to your site.

Technical knowledge is, however, helpful for advanced customizations, website optimization and also speed of build, but none of these are essential to get started with WordPress. There are also plenty of tutorials, guides, and community resources available to help users learn and improve their WordPress skills.

Additionally, WordPress has a vast library of plugins and themes available that allow users to add various functionalities and customizations to their website without needing to know how to code. These plugins and themes can be easily installed and activated with just a few clicks.

There are many web builders out there, why do you use WordPress?

In addition to the list above of what makes WordPress so great, as an agency creating many websites for many different clients, we find that its flex and security are what makes it the platform of choice for us.

Flexibility: WordPress is highly flexible and customizable, allowing users to create unique designs and functionalities tailored to their specific needs. There are thousands of free and premium themes and plugins available that can be used to add various features to a website, such as contact forms, social media integration, eCommerce functionality, and much more.

Security: WordPress has a robust security system that helps to protect websites from common online threats. Additionally, it is regularly updated with security patches and bug fixes to ensure that it remains secure and up-to-date.

WordPress Themes – what are they and why do they matter?

A WordPress theme is a collection of files that determine the visual appearance and functionality of a WordPress website. It includes various templates and files that control the layout, design, and features of a website, such as the header, footer, sidebar, and content area.

A WordPress theme can be customized to suit the needs of a particular website or business. It determines the overall look and feel of the website, including the colors, typography, images, and other design elements. It also controls the way the website behaves, including its responsiveness, loading speed, and accessibility.

WordPress themes are available in both free and premium versions, and there are thousands of options to choose from. Some themes are designed for specific industries or website types, while others are more general and can be used for a wide variety of websites.

Installing and activating a WordPress theme is easy and can be done from the WordPress dashboard. Users can also customize their chosen theme by modifying its files or using a theme customization tool provided by WordPress.