WordPress has made a name for itself in the webmaster community Since being released nearly two decades ago, it's become the preferred platform among countless webmasters Whether you're planning to start a blog, a forum, an online store, or any …
WordPress has made a name for itself in the webmaster community. Since being released nearly two decades ago, it’s become the preferred platform among countless webmasters.
Whether you’re planning to start a blog, a forum, an online store, or any other type of website, WordPress offers a solution. Even if you know how to use WordPress, though, you might be surprised to learn the following facts about it.
1) Used By Over 42 Percent of All Websites
To say WordPress is popular among webmasters would be a gross understatement. According to a report by W3Techs, over 42 percent of all websites use WordPress.
Shopify, on the other hand, is used by 3.7 percent of all websites, whereas Joomla is used by just 2 percent of all websites. WordPress has become so popular that there are now service providers, such as web designers and website hosting providers, who specialize in it.
2) Emerged From b2/cafelog
WordPress emerged from an earlier content management system (CMS) known as b2/cafelog. Also known simply as b2, b2/cafelog was a blogging CMS written primarily in Hypertext Prepreprocess (PHP) code. In 2003, developers Matthew Mullenweg and Mike Little created WordPress as a fork of b2/cafelog. While b2/cafelog shut down shortly thereafter, its underlying concepts live on in the form of WordPress.
3) Major Releases Named After Jazz Musicians
All major releases of WordPress are named after famous jazz musicians. Version 1.0, for instance, was named after Miles Davis. Version 2.0 was named after Duke Ellington. Version 3.0 was named after Thelonious Monk. The most recent major release of WordPress, version 5.7, was named after Esperanza Spalding. WordPress has a team of hardworking developers, many of whom share a passion for jazz music. To honor jazz musicians, developers name major releases of WordPress after them.
4) Two Versions Available
WordPress is available in two primary versions: hosted and self-hosted. The hosted version is available at wordpress.com, whereas the self-hosted version is available at wordpress.org. Both versions offer a similar interface with many of the same editing features. The self-hosted version, though, is less restrictive and more customizable than the hosted version. You’ll have to host WordPress yourself by installing it on your website, but the hosted version offers a more complete experience.
5) Powered By a Variety of Coding Languages
WordPress is powered by a variety of coding languages. It uses Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), PHP, JavaScript and MySQL. Each of these coding languages plays an important part in WordPress’s operations. HTML, for example, serves as the templates for web pages and posts. Using PHP queries, WordPress will fill these templates with content that’s extracted from a MySQL database.
6) Free to Use
Unlike with many other platforms, there’s no cost to use WordPress. The hosted version has a free plan, and the self-hosted version is free to download and install on your own website. WordPress is distributed under the General Public License (GPL). Therefore, you can use and even modify WordPress for any purpose. You’ll still have to pay for hosting, assuming you use the self-hosted version, and you may have to pay for premium themes and plugins, but WordPress is
7) One-Third of All Installations Are Outdated
If you’re going to build a website using WordPress, you’ll need to keep it updated. Outdated installations can create vulnerabilities that make your website a target for hacking. They often have weaknesses that hackers can exploit to gain admin access or otherwise take over your website. Unfortunately, outdated installations are common. According to Digital.com, roughly one-third of all WordPress installations are outdated. For a secure website, you’ll need to update WordPress when developers release a new version of it.
8) One-Click Installation Available
Installing WordPress is easier than you probably think. You can use the standard installation method, which takes about five minutes, or you can use the one-click installation method. The one-click installation method requires a single click. It’s available as a feature in most web hosting-related control panels. From the control panel offered by your website hosting provider, you should see an option for one-click installations. This option will use a script to automatically install WordPress on your website.
9) Used for Digital Signage Systems
WordPress isn’t used strictly for websites. It’s used for digital signage systems as well. Digital signage systems are display devices, such as liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), that show visual content. Retail stores often use them to display advertisements, while other businesses use them for presentations during meetings. With WordPress, you can create and manage the visual content that’s displayed in a digital signage system. It requires more work than building a regular website, but you can use WordPress for a digital signage system.
10) Over 50,000 Plugins
WordPress has one of the largest plugin collections of all CMSs. There are currently over 50,000 plugins designed for WordPress. Plugins, of course, are software files that introduce new features to the WordPress ecosystem.
They offer a faster and easier way to customize your website. Rather than editing your theme’s code to add a new feature, you can search for a plugin. With over 50,000 of them, there’s probably a plugin for your desired feature.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t use too many plugins. WordPress doesn’t place a limit on how many plugins you can install on your website. Nonetheless, installing too many plugins can cause problems.
Some of the plugins may conflict with each other — or they may conflict with your theme — resulting in broken elements. Using too many plugins can also make your website slow. Plugins consume resources while running. The more plugins you use, the more resources they’ll eat up, which could lead to a slower website.
WordPress isn’t without competition. There are other platforms and CMSs that you can use to build a website.
WordPress, however, is typically the best all-around choice. It’s free, easy to install, accessible via a web browser and offers all the necessary tools for building a successful website.
