What Is WordPress?
I'm here to explain WordPress directly to you as a powerful open-source content management system (CMS). It started out mainly for personal blogs, but now it's used for all sorts of sites, including professional publications and e-commerce platforms.
Since launching in 2003, WordPress has grown massively, powering about one-third of the world's websites. It has a huge developer community that's created over 50,000 plugins to extend its capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- WordPress stands as a leading open-source CMS platform.
- It's highly customizable, supported by a large community of plugin developers.
- With its big user base, it's often targeted by hackers, so keep your WordPress software updated to minimize risks.
How WordPress Works
You have two main options with WordPress. First, there's the hosted version at WordPress.com, where your site runs on their servers. This is great if you're not technical and want to skip the hassle of managing your own server. Plus, it automatically updates to the latest software, which helps with security.
If you're more advanced, download the software from WordPress.org and host it yourself or through a third-party provider. This gives you full customization freedom, but you're on your own for updates.
Remember, WordPress sites are prime targets for hackers exploiting old versions with known vulnerabilities. Unless you're confident in securing and updating everything, including plugins, stick to the hosted option.
Important Aspects of WordPress
WordPress is built for customization from the start. Its API handles everything from databases to themes, keeping things standardized so developers can build on top without issues, as long as installations stay current.
Real World Example of WordPress
Many companies offer plugins and themes to expand WordPress. Take WooCommerce—it's a top e-commerce plugin that lets you handle orders, shipments, and more on your WordPress site.
Other plugins cover SEO, contact forms, newsletter marketing, social media integration, commenting, and design enhancements to make your site look better.
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