Now, there are many platforms or software available for creating websites. In connection with this, WordPress is an example of the most popular CMS (Content Management System).
It is known that this CMS is used by 43.3% of the websites worldwide. So, it’s possible that the websites you frequently visit also use WordPress.
The question is, why is WordPress so popular? What is its function? What are the strengths and weaknesses of WordPress? To satisfy your curiosity, let’s explore the explanations in this article!
What is WordPress?
WordPress is software developed by Matt Mullenweg along with Mike Little and released in 2003.
Initially, this CMS was a breakthrough to replace b2/cafeblog, which was discontinued at that time.
In its early release, WordPress was only used for creating blogs. However, over time, it has been continuously developed to have broader functions.
WordPress (WP) is an open-source CMS that can be used by anyone. It allows users to manage blog content and create various types of websites.
In essence, WordPress is a platform for creating various types of websites and managing their content.
Functions of WordPress
After understanding the definition of WordPress, you might wonder about its functions.
As mentioned earlier, this CMS functions to create websites. But what types of websites can be created using WP? Here’s the explanation.
- Creating Blogs
WordPress can be used to create blogs without the need for complicated coding. Additionally, you can use WP to manage the content within it. WP provides various features that support content management activities, including posting, editing, tagging, and more.
- Building Company Websites
Unlike blogs, creating a professional company website requires more complex features. The good news is that WP can also be used to build your company’s website. WP provides various themes that can be customized according to your needs. Moreover, WP supports plugins that you can install yourself to create more complex website features and functions.
- Building Portfolio Websites
Creating a website with WordPress is relatively easy because you don’t need to engage in coding. That’s why many people use WP to create personal websites, such as portfolio sites. You can use WP to create a portfolio website by utilizing available features. For example, you can use the pages function to create homepage, about, and contact pages.
- Creating Online Stores
In its early days, WP was only used for content management and blogging. However, as it continued to evolve, it can now be used to create online stores or e-commerce sites. You can use e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce to add payment and shipping functions and manage products.
- Mobile Applications
Nowadays, many internet users access websites using smartphones. This fact increases the demand for developers to create responsive websites that can adapt to the user’s device screen. Additionally, there is a growing demand for mobile applications to enhance the user experience. With WP, you can easily turn your site into a mobile application using available plugins.
- Creating Online Forums
Another function of WordPress is to create online forums. There are various forum-specific features or plugins that you can utilize. For example, you can add features that allow visitors to leave comments, create accounts, and upload content.
Advantages of WordPress
WordPress is the right choice for beginners who want to create a website. Why? The reason for choosing WordPress is that it offers various advantages to its users. What are they? Here’s an explanation.
- Open Source
The cost of creating a website is usually a consideration. So, is WordPress free? As mentioned earlier, WordPress is an open-source CMS. This means anyone can use and modify it without paying for a license. However, if you want your website to be found on the internet, you’ll need to pay for third-party hosting services.
- SEO-Friendly
Do you want your website to be easily found by users? If yes, you need to maximize your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. WP provides SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, allowing you to build an SEO-friendly website.
- Supports Various Types of Media
To create an attractive website, you need to add various types of media such as images or videos. WordPress has an advantage in supporting various types of media. This allows you to add images, text, and videos to capture the attention of website visitors.
- Great for Beginners
Don’t you understand coding? Or are you still unfamiliar with technical aspects related to website creation? Don’t worry; the advantage of using WordPress is that you don’t need to have a degree or specific skills. You can create a website using the provided features without bothering with coding. Moreover, the WP installation process is relatively easy. That’s why WordPress is a good CMS for beginners.
- Many Plugins Available
Another advantage is that WP has many plugins. Plugins are additional features that can be used to add functions or menus to your website. So, you can download and install various plugins to add functions and enhance your website’s performance.
- Mobile Friendly
The benefit of WordPress is that it helps you create a mobile-friendly website, ensuring optimal site performance. WP provides various themes that are mobile-friendly, allowing your site to be easily accessed via mobile devices.
- Easy to Seek Help
As mentioned earlier, WordPress is the most popular and widely used CMS, so it has many forums. Additionally, there are now many articles and tutorials discussing WordPress. So, if you encounter difficulties, you can easily seek help.
Disadvantages of WordPress
Despite the various advantages offered, there are some disadvantages that are usually considered by users before using WordPress. The disadvantages of WordPress are as follows:
- Frequent Target for Hackers
The open-source nature of WP is advantageous because it can be used by anyone without incurring costs. However, this nature can expose vulnerabilities to hackers. To prevent this, you need to be cautious when using themes and plugins. Ensure that the themes and plugins you use are safe and of high quality.
- Requires Many Plugins
To create an interactive website, you have to add many plugins. The problem is, the more plugins you use, the more challenges you’ll face.
- Too Frequent Updates
If you want WordPress to run at its best, you need to install plugins, themes, and perform updates. However, it should be noted that too frequent updates can affect the functionality of the plugins you use. Sometimes, updates can cause plugins to malfunction.
- Loading Speed
Did you know that the use of plugins can affect site speed? Yes, the more plugins you use, the slower your site will be. However, it should be noted that the loading speed of a website is also influenced by other technical factors.
That’s the complete explanation about WordPress. From the explanations above, it is understood that WordPress is software for creating websites and managing content.
The types of websites that can be created using WordPress include company websites, portfolios, blogs, and even e-commerce sites.
Creating a website with this CMS is not difficult because you can use themes and plugins that are already provided.
However, it’s important to remember that using too many plugins can affect the loading speed and performance of the website.