Did you know WordPress powers over 30% of the top 1000 websites? Find out why.
In this digital era, WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) used to build websites. According to online statistics, 30 percent of all top websites are powered by WordPress.
Some of the top websites built with WordPress CMS include Quartz, BBC America, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC America, TechCrunch, and lots more. Even more than 500 new websites built daily utilizes WordPress as its CMS.
What is WordPress CMS?
WordPress is a free and open-source CMS for creating websites.
With WordPress, users can create diverse types of websites ranging from simple blogs to some of the top most popular and high-profile sites in existence.
It is a powerful web publishing tool used for publishing more than 30 percent of all websites. More users these days are switching to wordpress which isn’t surprising at all.
WordPress usage does not require any programming knowledge or skill; hence, you don’t even need to learn HTML before using WordPress.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
- WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a WordPress Platform for setting up and hosting your website without any coding knowledge.
All you need to do to use WordPress.com is to sign up to create a site on WordPress, choose a theme (web layout and design style) of your choice and publish. Its simplicity and ease of use make it a top choice amongst students and new bloggers.
However, WordPress.com is hosted only on WordPress Platform and also has limited access to plugins and themes.
- WordPress.org
WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress. Users who implement WordPress.org have access to a wide range of themes and plugins for additional features.
Also, WordPress.org gives users access to all its files and codes for modification. Since it is self-hosted, users are free to use any domain name of their choice and also use any hosting provider to host WordPress sites.
Top-rated websites that use WordPress CMS
Estimates show that WordPress controls about 60 percent of the CMS market, making it a preferred CMS choice for web creation.
10 top Websites created with WordPress
- Quartz – global business news and insights
- The New Yorker – Reporting, Profiles, breaking news, etc.
- BBC America – American news and shows
- Time Inc. – Media
- TechCrunch – startup and technology news
- Thrive Magazine – Nutrition and health magazine
- Fortune Magazine – Future 50
- Beyonce – Official website of Beyonce
- AMC – TV series
Benefits of Using WordPress
- Ease of Use
WordPress comes with an easy-to-use WordPress interface. You can add new content, media files, new pages, etc. to your WP site efficiently; hence, reducing the amount of time spent on updating websites.
- Flexibility and Adaptability
Initially, WordPress was created for blogging purposes; however, WordPress has grown to become a powerful CMS tool for managing large websites belonging to multinational corporations, businesses, e-commerce platforms, social media platforms, online forums, and more.
- Versatility
WordPress users are provided with access to thousands of themes (either free or premium) available on WordPress Repository or third-party sources.
Also, the WordPress repository consists of several plugins for specialized functions. Hence, users can easily customize and extend their WordPress site without hassles.
- SEO-Friendly
WordPress CMS is built to be a search engine optimized (SEO) platform; hence, they are usually ranked on Google as well as other search engines.
- Immense Community
Loyal WordPress users and enthusiasts have contributed in one form or the other towards the colossal WordPress progress.
For instance, WordPress has been translated into over 70 languages. Also, several WordCamp meetings are set up across several regions to connect WordPress users across the world.
WordPress Key Features
Most users much love WordPress for its advanced, yet simple to use features. Below are four key features that make WordPress a CMS of choice for 30 percent of the top 1000 websites in the world.
- Easy Installation
WordPress is one of the CMS that is easy to install and upgrade. Most web hosting companies have a WordPress Installer feature by which you can install WordPress with a single click.
You can also use an FTP program to upload your WordPress site to a host server, create and manage your Database, and also run WP installer.
- Multiple Access Roles
WordPress facilitates multiple users’ functionalities. For instance, the administrator can grant multiple accesses to other users to create, edit, and publish posts on their WordPress site. Other basic roles available in the WordPress CMS include Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.
- Plugins
Plugins are software or tools you can install on your WordPress websites for additional functionality. Besides, WordPress APIs make it possible to extend your WP site functionalities through custom integrations.
Also, WordPress has an extensive repository of plugins you can download from for extended functionalities.
- Themes
WordPress has an extensive directory of theme designs for users to choose from. Also, users can create custom themes for their WordPress site for private use or public usage – by adding it to the WordPress theme repository for other users.
The WordPress theme I am using is WP Astra Pro and it is amazingly fast and super customizable. Grab it now.
WordPress Competitive Edge
WordPress has a competitive advantage over other types of CMS or custom-built websites for the following reasons:
1. WordPress is Free
WordPress is a free CMS tool for creating your website. However, to install a WordPress site, you need to buy a domain name from providers and also pay for web hosting services.
WP Engine and Bluehost are some of the top WordPress web hosting services you can use to host your WordPress sites.
2. Easy to customize using Themes and Plugins
WordPress has several thousands of themes you can choose from to customize your WP site. You can find a perfect template for your website project from the WordPress Theme repository.
Therefore, you can change theme color, background, add logo and sliders, change headings, and customize your WordPress site based on preference.
Also, WordPress’s diverse plugins allow you to extend your WP site with myriads of functionalities. You can also install plugins from a third-party developer on your website.
3. SEO friendly
WordPress site structure makes it easy for Google and other search engines to index your WP sites. Also, you can install SEO plugins to improve your site’s SEO ranking on Google and other search engines.
4. Easy to manage and update
You can upgrade your WP site to the latest WordPress version from your dashboard with a single click. Also, WordPress built-in management tools make it easy to update plugins and themes from your WP dashboard.
5. WordPress can handle different media types
WordPress has a media uploader for adding images, and multimedia files to your WP site. You can also embed YouTube videos, Tweets, SoundCloud audio, etc. by simply adding the YouTube video URL (or other media URL) to the WP post editor.
6. Safety and Security
WordPress CMS is a safe and secure CMS for powering websites. WordPress core is highly secure; however, some WordPress sites get hacked due to bad webmaster principles. Hence, it is highly recommended that you update your WordPress to the latest version and utilize reliable WordPress security plugins as well.
Conclusion
WordPress, with its thousands of themes and plugins, makes it a much loved CMS for several websites most especially the top 1000 websites in the world.
Furthermore, WordPress is much loved by beginners and experienced web developers alike for its ease and simplicity of use.
Due to its open-source framework and the endless customization possibilities WordPress CMS offers, there is no limit to what you can do with WordPress.
The post is written by Tulip. Inbound Marketing Expert at Snewscms
Tulip is a Content and Inbound Marketing expert at Snewscms. Over the years, she has helped dozens of businesses in defining their content strategy. She believes that creativity doesn’t inspire customers anymore. A true story when recited well, is enough to build a connect.