The SA Web Process: Step 6 (Why We Use WordPress)

WordPress is an open source* Content Management System (CMS) that focuses on web standards, usability, and aesthetics. Basically the backend of your website. Instead of changing code text and uploading a new HTML file to your hosting server, you make edits in realtime and publish them to your website through a browser window.

* Open source software is software that can be freely used, changed, and shared (in modified or unmodified form) by anyone. Open source software is made by many people, and distributed under licenses that comply with the Open Source Definition.

So why do we use the WordPress CMS?

• It’s easy for you to use! Seriously, if you can use Word, then you can change words and images on your site. But we also provide you with training and a training document when we create your site, which makes it even easier to learn.
• A variety of plugins, themes, and options. Since WordPress is open source, that means developers can freely make and produce plugins and themes. This benefits you, because if there is something that you want on your site, say a Facebook Feed, then there is a plugin for that. If you want an event calendar, guess what? Theres at least 340 event calendar options. (Probably more!) You have about 29,000 plugins to choose from. Also, whatever look you are going with for your site, there are thousands of themes out there to meet your needs.
• Its always updating, which is important in an ever-changing internet. Threats are constantly coming out, so WordPress is always staying on top of these threats and tailoring its code. WordPress also recommends plugins that continue to make updates to their framework to keep your website safe. It is so simple and easy to update.
• Its Free to use the CMS. Again, it is open source, which means we don’t have to charge you thousands of dollars just to have the CMS framework. (Often times, there are recurring CMS licensing costs.)
• It is Search Engine Friendly. Because WordPress upholds web standards by using quality code and mark up, search engines tend to recommend your site to their users. What does that mean for your rankings? YOU CAN RANK HIGHER!
• Uploading media is a breeze. It is not only easy to upload images, audio files, and video to WordPress, it also supports a variety of formats. It is easy to embed other media, like YouTube videos, straight to WordPress.
• It has a blog and pages built in (among other features.) The WordPress framework has the ability for you to create blogs/news/articles and pages built right in and definitely encourages you to use it. WordPress makes it easy to acquire more plugins, widgets, update the CMS, manage users, and so much more.
• It’s popular! Ignore what your high school teacher told you for a moment. Currently around 74.6 MILLION website uses WordPress (37 Million using WordPress.com*). That is 18.9% of ALL self-hosted websites. Its also been around for over 10 years, which means they’ve been doing something right.

* Difference between WordPress.com & WordPress.org/CMS. WordPress.com is a free website/blogging platform that is build on WordPress.com, which means WordPress.com is where it is hosted. There are also limitations for what you can do with a WordPress.com site. WordPress.org/CMS is the framework which we download and use to create your custom site.

• It has great documentation. Why does this matter? If there is any issue with your site, a plugin, or you are trying to get something to work, WordPress has clear and concise documentation. WordPress also has its own forum where users are free to ask and troubleshoot with the WordPress Support Team. Plugins and themes tend to be well written, have good documentation, and often times have their own support through direct contact with the developer or through forums.