Thinking about using WordPress for your next website project? Find out everything you need to know about the world’s most popular website builder.
Over 40% of websites worldwide are built using WordPress. This makes it by far the most popular way of creating a website.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source project, which started in 2003. It is built around the PHP programming language with MySQL databases. The core of the platform has had millions of hours of development and now powers over one third of all sites across the web.
WordPress combines simplicity for users and publishers with under-the-hood complexity for developers. This makes it flexible while still being easy to use.
Thanks to its huge library of themes, templates and plugins, you can build a simple website quickly in WordPress. Newcomers will swiftly get to grips with its Content Management System (CMS).
What is a CMS?
A CMS (Content Management System) is basically a system that allows users to change their website’s content. You can amend text, upload photos etc, without needing a website developer to update the code.
WordPress is an open-source CMS, which means that there are no licence fees for the core system.
Types of websites you can create with WordPress
WordPress was originally designed for creating blogs rather than traditional websites. It’s still a great tool for creating a blog.
However, the software has changed since its first release in 2003. You can now create any type of website using it, including:
- eCommerce stores
- Business websites
- Blogs
- Portfolios
- Forums
- Social networks
- Membership sites.
In fact, pretty much any type of website can be built using WordPress!
The six advantages of web design on WordPress
1. Straightforward to use
Firstly, if you haven’t used WordPress before, someone you know will have. After years of improvements, the CMS interface is intuitive and straightforward to learn, and makes it easier than ever to add or update compelling content.
At AB we can provide you with a streamlined interface that removes elements you don’t require. This allows you to focus on using the tools that you do need.
2. Stable and up-to-date
WordPress is well maintained. Updates are regularly released to keep the software up-to-date with the latest trends and user needs.
As it’s so widely used, you can be sure that any issues in the core software are quickly identified and corrected. This makes a WordPress site both secure and stable, and new features are being constantly added.
3. Flexible
WordPress is immensely flexible and can grow with your business. New functionality can be added as and when required. For example, if you decide to integrate a feed from Instagram or add a new set of content templates to the site, this can be achieved via plugins or bespoke development work from a team like ours.
4. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Thanks to WordPress plugins such as Yoast, ensuring that your website has the best possible SEO is straightforward.
When we build a website, we ensure that the initial build is SEO-friendly. When you add new blog posts or news articles, you can easily check that you have the best SEO in place with Yoast.
5. Open Source
WordPress is open source software. This means it can be enhanced and modified by anyone, without the restrictions of licensed software. With a large developer community of users, innovation and support are key benefits to using WordPress.
Our developers are experts at customising WordPress to suit a whole range of clients’ needs. We ensure your website can handle customer data, log-ins and financial transactions securely. Plus, we can customise the look and feel to match your brand.
6. Speedy and efficient
WordPress is pretty fast as standard but can be given a speed boost using new technologies. These include WebP images, caching and CDN’s. These all make websites slick and fast, which is important to your users as well as having benefits for SEO.
We help our clients to have the fastest page-load speeds in WordPress by using a mix of technologies.
Want to find out what WordPress can do for you?
Let’s have a chat about your website needs. Together, we’ll see how we can make WordPress work for your organisation.