We intend to publish a series of articles dedicated to WordPress to share knowledge and resources about this website development platform with CMS (Content Management System).
There are many platforms and systems that we can use to create websites and we intend to write about some of them too, but we will start with WordPress as this is our preferred system and also the preferred one by the majority of users.
With these articles, we intend to share knowledge of the WordPress ecosystem so that anyone can use it to create and maintain their websites.
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to create websites, blogs, or online stores from scratch or improve existing websites. It has become one of the most popular website-building platforms in the world. As of October 2021, it was estimated that WordPress powers around 43% of existing websites!
You can find more information about WordPress and its history on Wikipedia as well as on its own website: https://wordpress.org.
You probably also found https://wordpress.com. But you shouldn’t confuse the two! wordpress.com is a service run by Autommatic (developer of WordPress) where we can subscribe to an integrated system with a domain name, web hosting, and a website built on WordPress. However, while we can talk about wordpress.com later, the focus of our articles is on using WordPress as a CMS platform for our websites while maintaining complete independence for choices like web hosting and domain registrations. Therefore, the address that interests us here is wordpress.org!
Websites that use WordPress as their platform are referred to as WordPress sites or WP sites and can be found anywhere and in any form, from small business websites to high-traffic blogs and online stores. If you are thinking about creating a website, blog, or online store, there are many reasons why you should consider using WordPress as your platform of choice:
It is relatively easy to set up and maintain.
It works with a virtually infinite variety of themes so your website has a unique look and can change whenever you want.
It is constantly updated and regularly introduces enhancements and new features.
It is one of the most secure website platforms on the market. Its popularity means that there is a large community of people dedicated to keeping it secure and updating it regularly.
WordPress itself is open source, which means anyone can see how it works and make changes as per their own needs.
WordPress Themes
There are two types of WordPress themes available: free and premium.
Free WordPress themes are available for download from wordpress.org and can be installed directly through your WordPress admin panel. Some may be open source and not supported by the developer, but many are actually simpler versions of premium themes that we can use for free and purchase later to unlock more advanced options and features.
Premium WordPress themes are paid themes that come with additional features and developer support. In addition to finding many through the administration panel, we can also buy these themes on online marketplaces like Themeforest.net, for example, or directly on theme developer websites.
WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins are software programs created to perform a specific function or set of functions on a WordPress website by functioning as extensions.
There are plugins for almost everything you can imagine! This way, we can virtually create a website with the exact features we need or want.
Most plugins are available for free in the WordPress.org plugin repository and, like themes, can be purchased to unlock more advanced functions.
Also like themes, plugins can be installed directly from the WordPress admin panel or can be manually uploaded via FTP. Once installed, both plugins and themes can be activated or deactivated as desired.
WordPress Widgets
Widgets are a great way to add content and features to your website. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy way to add design elements to a website. Nowadays, they have become an essential tool for web designers and developers. There are a variety of widgets available, ranging from simple text boxes to complex contact forms. The most popular widget types include:
Text Widget: Allows you to add text or HTML code to the sidebar or other widgetized areas.
Image Widget: Allows you to add an image to the sidebar or other widgetized areas.
Search Widget: Adds a search form to the sidebar or other widgetized areas.
Calendar Widget: Adds a calendar of your blog posts to your sidebar or other widgetized areas.
Recent Articles Widget: Shows a list of the most recent articles from your website or blog in the sidebar or other widgetized areas.
Category Widget: Shows a list of categories in the sidebar or other widgetized areas.
There are also many plugins that add widgets to WordPress. These plugins often provide more features and options than standard WordPress widgets. Some popular widget plugins include:
Gravity Forms: Adds a drag-and-drop form builder widget to WordPress.
WPForms: Adds a drag-and-drop form builder widget to WordPress.
Contact Form 7: Adds a contact form widget to WordPress.
WordPress Menus
Most WordPress themes come with built-in menus that we can use to navigate around the website. WordPress menus are user-friendly and easy to configure. After creating a menu, we can customize it by adding submenus, changing the items’ order, specifying which menus should appear in each location on the site, and more.
WordPress Settings
WordPress settings allow us to control how our website works. We can set things like our site name, contact information, how we want articles organized, choose which plugins and which theme we want to use, and many other options.
WordPress Security
WordPress security is a critical issue for any WordPress website. As the most popular content management system (CMS) in use today, WordPress websites are often the target of attacks by hackers and cybercriminals. There are several steps we can take to secure a WordPress website, but it’s important to remember that no system is 100% secure. The best way to protect our website is to keep your WordPress installation and all plugins and themes up to date and to use strong passwords for all user accounts.
In addition to taking basic security measures, there are many security plugins available for WordPress that can help further protect our website. These plugins add layers of protection like two-factor authentication and checking for malware, for example.
While we cannot guarantee that our website will never be hacked, following these tips will help make it more difficult for hackers to gain access.
WordPress Maintenance
It is important to keep your WordPress website updated. Outdated WordPress versions, themes, and plugins can be a security risk. Every new WordPress version, theme, or plugin includes security updates and maintenance fixes. They are released frequently and should be installed as soon as possible. This means that a WordPress website needs regular care. Neglect this and your website will be headed for trouble.
What’s next
In the next articles in this series, we will talk about how to register a domain name for your website, find a web hosting provider, choose a hosting plan, install WordPress, themes, and plugins, and configure options and features.