There is little doubt that WordPress, powering nearly a quarter of all websites, is the top Content Management System. Everyone from personal bloggers to large news organizations at least considers WordPress when choosing what to use for a new website, and many find that it meets their needs well. WordPress’ formula for success is actually quite simple. By making every aspect of building a website easy, from finding hosting to getting support, it established its place on top of a rich field of contenders.
Easy to Host
Web applications are complex. Written in a variety of programming languages, each requires varying levels of configuration on the server in order to run. Further, databases and other external components are necessary to provide a good web experience. Installing and securing all that is needed to run a modern website is well beyond the technical abilities of many.
WordPress hit upon a winning formula by relying on a standard, well-understood set of technologies. By using a simple-to-host programming language, a well-understood database engine, and a reliable web server, anyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of servers could install WordPress. The installation process is also extensively documented.
This simplicity had another consequence. Because the installation process is so well understood, it was easy to automate. The result is a rich ecosystem of WordPress hosting providers with one-click installation procedures that makes installing and maintaining WordPress a task easily performed by anyone. By being easy to host, WordPress lowered the technical barrier to a point where it isn’t an issue for almost any potential user.
Easy to Use
WordPress and other CMSs vastly simplified the process of web content creation. Before WordPress, creating websites involved using HTML editors, working directly with a site’s underlying code, and transmitting any changed pages over the network to the web server. Site creation required a deep understanding of several technical subjects, along with an appreciation for aesthetics and design.
WordPress removes technology almost entirely from the equation. Its administrative and publishing interface has been refined for over a decade, and has been the subject of many revisions by user interface designers. The result is a plug-and-play, drag-and-drop content creation experience where content is separated from appearance.
Creating a site with WordPress plays to the skills of the site’s owners. Those familiar with design can customize a stock theme, or can create one from scratch. Developers can extend WordPress in any number of ways. But if someone only writes, they can easily tap into the creative power of others, and need not concern themselves with the many other aspects of creating a nice website.
Easy to Extend
Much of WordPress’ success is owed to its extensibility. Very few website creators want to create a simple handful of interconnected pages. Companies want contact forms, mailing list subscription pages, and other features to create strong sales funnels. Entrepreneurs want mechanisms for accepting subscriptions, and for placing content behind members-only paywalls. Still others want forums, knowledge bases, and other esoteric features that don’t fit neatly into the traditional model of what makes a good website.
WordPress plugins achieve all of these goals and more. Plugins make just about any business model or content distribution scheme possible using WordPress as a base. While a forum plugin for WordPress might not be as good as software dedicated to the purpose, making WordPress a possible solution for any website project has secured much more developer mindshare than would have been possible with a plain CMS.
Themes are another area in which WordPress excels. Just as plugins make WordPress a practical choice for many problems faced by web developers, so do themes make it great for any type of website. Its default themes are good for blogs and traditional websites, while third party themes make WordPress suitable for landing pages and other niche use cases.
Easy to Support
All of these benefits would amount to little without WordPress’ extensive community. Designers build out a rich ecosystem of themes and widgets. Developers contribute plugins that add new capabilities while enhancing existing features. Consultants integrate themes and plugins into complete sites for specific purposes. Hosting companies provide easy installation and upgrade processes, and secure WordPress sites against external threats. This vibrant professional network solidifies WordPress as a strong choice for just about any web-based property.
Conclusion
In short, WordPress owes its success to the thoroughness with which it has addressed every aspect of the web development process. From setup to support, the WordPress ecosystem is a shining example of how to establish one product as the defacto choice when considering what to use for a website platform.
