Whether you choose to become a business owner or a web developer creating websites from scratch will be a critical aspect of your work. At present, there are a series of options to make the task relatively easy. One of them is using an efficient content management system like WordPress.
WordPress is one of the most well-known content management systems of the present time. It has become the most preferred platform for content management and web design. However, WordPress was initially introduced with a completely different purpose. WordPress became public in 2003 in the form of a basic PHP-based blogging application. The application quickly developed a community of thousands of developers as a result WordPress now has a rich selection of plug-ins and themes.
Over the years WordPress website conversion has gained immense popularity even though it has its share of pros and cons. The following section of this article talks about them from the perspective of a web developer.
First, let us take a look at some of the benefits of using WordPress as a Content Management tool
If you are completely new to the idea of web development, hosting, or blogging. It would be best to create a website using WordPress. It allows you to create and publish a web platform within a few minutes. The website will have features for posting as well as receiving content.
One of the notable perks of using WordPress is its easy installation. Majority of the web hosting providers today have access to online tools for the installation of CMS without much difficulty.
On the other hand, if you are just starting you can visit the WordPress website and the help of experts for the task. You only have to create and register an account and get a valid domain. Besides WordPress is easy to use and customize.
You will not require much technical understanding to create WordPress websites. Post-installation the simple and engaging interface makes the task of publishing pages, posts, and other content easy. The learning curve is zero and you can become familiar with the features and functions within a couple of days.
If you choose to make changes to your website be it in the layout or function. You can easily do so with a few simple clicks. WordPress offers an extensive selection of plug-ins and themes that are available for free.
Themes allow anyone to alter the appearance of their website. Besides the plug-in offers vital website functions. Being a web-based CMS you can easily download the latest version and install it on your website. After installation, you can use WordPress by using a browser-based login. So the only prerequisite is a computer or laptop and an active internet connection.
Another notable aspect of WordPress website conversion is that it is based on PHP and uses a framework called WordPress Core. The supporting database for the CMS is MySQL. The front-end functions are taken care of by JavaScript and CSS. Since the platform is based on CSS you will need not use HTML editors like Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expressions.
Some believe that WordPress impacts the technical learning for developing and managing websites. However, the reality is that it can help learn a lot if you choose to take a look under the hood. WordPress is not a proprietary CMS and the inner workings are accessible to every user. And it is beneficial for someone learning PHP. At the same time, you get to work on themes and plug-ins. Accessing these can help explore and learn about JavaScript and HTML.
Prominent Search Engines Prefer WordPress Websites
WordPress offers a simple layout and interface for non-technical users. Hence websites get proper indexing from search engines. Also one can choose to use advanced search engine optimization with plug-in. Even a basic WordPress website performs better than a website based on Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expressions. It is a notable benefit of using WordPress that one must not overlook.
WordPress is extremely powerful because of its rich selection of plug-ins. A plug-in serves as an additional piece of script that adds more functionality to WordPress. You get to easily integrate different features and functions using the various plug-ins. Also, you can add videos, audio, sliders, and more with plug-ins. The best installation is pretty simple via the dashboard. So you will WordPress plug-in for every possible feature in a website. WordPress even allows you to convert website to WordPress theme just by installing plug-ins.
If you need a web platform just for blogging there is no match to WordPress. As you know WordPress was initially designed as a blogging platform and has features like RSS feed, control features, blog commenting, and more. You get to easily share posts through the Social sharing plug-in. making the blog highly dynamic and interactive. WordPress also has a powerful text editor for post formatting. You can choose to categorize posts, edit, and soft delete, permanently delete, save, or draft before publishing.
WordPress has a multi-user feature that makes the platform extremely dynamic. With this, the administrator can configure different users for roles like editor, shop manager, contributor, etc. For additional functions, one can simply choose to install a necessary plug-in to get control over users. So as a web developer one has all admin rights the client rights are available for publishing new content.
WordPress is now a part of more than 60% of websites around the globe. It brings some notable advantages for users that have made it an extremely popular choice. However, there are certain drawbacks as you convert website to WordPress theme.
WordPress is an open-source platform with a thriving community contributing regularly. As a result, the plug-ins and themes come from different organizations and individuals. There is very little control over the system in terms of security and integrity. WordPress websites are quite prone to hacking as there are numerous loopholes in these themes and plug-ins. So if you are planning to use WordPress for your business website consider using professional help for the safety of the websites and the end user.
There are endless possibilities for installing themes on a WordPress website. It increases the chances of ruining a website as you convert your site to WordPress.
You need to keep in mind that all themes and plug-ins are not created equal. So if you install a theme that is not compatible. It can have a significant impact on the overall functioning of the platform.
As soon as there is some technical glitch in WordPress software updates come from the contributors. However, the frequency of updates sometimes becomes quite annoying. During WordPress website conversion, a theme or plug-in can become incompatible. This becomes a severe problem in managing a website.
As long as the requirements are met using themes and plug-ins WordPress is perfect for managing a website. However, in a situation where you choose to add a custom function, it can become difficult. Implementing a new function in WordPress is no easy task with WordPress. Even web development services give it a pass because of the complexity.
You must not entirely rely upon WordPress for developing your website. Always have a clear understanding of your requirements and then pick a CMS tool. There are numerous alternatives and WordPress is not a one size fits all solution. Only an experienced developer can work around the complexities of managing a WordPress website. Even though the basic version of WordPress is free. You need to spend money to try out all the features and functions and see if it suits your requirements. Now you can take a more informed decision to convert your site to WordPress.