What is WordPress?
The world's most common tool for building sites. So common that roughly one in three pages on the web runs on it.
WordPress is the world's most widely used system for building and managing websites. It is a CMS — a tool that lets you manage your site's content without coding — and the core software is free to use. A large share of all websites in the world are built on WordPress, from small blogs to large corporate sites.
It became so popular because it is flexible and has a huge library of ready-made add-ons. Want a booking feature, an online shop, or a contact form? There is usually a ready-made "plugin" — a small extension — you can switch on. Think of it like a phone where you can install apps for almost anything.
That popularity has a downside too: because so many sites use WordPress, it is a popular target for people who want to hack sites. That is why keeping it updated and secure is especially important.
Why is WordPress important for your business?
WordPress makes it relatively cheap and fast to get a working site, and there are plenty of people who know the system. You are not locked to a single supplier — if one agency is not the right fit, another can often take over, because so many people know WordPress.
At the same time it needs maintenance. Plugins and the core system must be kept updated so the site stays secure and working, a bit like a car needing a service.
WordPress in practice
A small interiors shop wants a site where they both tell the story of the shop and sell a few products online. An agency builds the site in WordPress, adds a plugin for the shop and one for the contact form.
The owner then logs into WordPress's own panel to add new products and write blog posts about styling tips. The technical side is handled by the plugins, and maintenance — security and updates — can be taken care of by the agency on an ongoing basis.
Common questions about WordPress
What is WordPress?
WordPress is the world's most widely used system for building websites. It is a CMS that lets you manage content without coding, and it is used by everything from small blogs to large corporate sites.
Is WordPress free?
WordPress itself is free, but you still pay for web hosting, a domain, and often for themes or plugins. If you build an advanced site, development and maintenance costs apply too.
Is WordPress secure?
WordPress can be secure if it is kept updated, but because it is so common it is a popular target for hackers. Regular updates and good security practices are therefore important.
Related terms
CI/CD
Continuous Integration / Deployment — automated testing and release. Code goes live in minutes, not days.
CMS
The engine that lets you edit your website without coding. Like a word processor for your site.
Docker
Packages your app with everything it needs in a container. 'It worked on my machine' is no longer an excuse.
Figma
A design tool that lives in the browser. The whole team can work in the same file at once. It overtook Sketch almost overnight.
Git
Version control for code. Think of a magic undo system with unlimited levels. A lifesaver since 2005.
GitHub
Where code lives. Version control, collaboration, and the world's largest code library. Microsoft owns it now.