WordPress is an open-source publishing platform that allows users and developers to create and share content hassle-free. It is one of the best website-building software in today’s market that does not necessarily require knowledge of coding. The main reason for its popularity is that it supports any kind of website. WordPress is a free, Content Management System, that contains plugins and numerous themes to customize the website according to need. The key elements of the WordPress ecosystem include Posts, Pages, Media, Themes, Plugins, comments, and Users.
Application of WordPress
With WordPress, you can create various types of websites. Some of the examples are:
Blog – It was originally designed as a blogging platform. It contains thousands of features for blogging.
Business Website – WordPress contains a lot of features for businesses that make it ideal for building and customizing websites well–suited for the type of business.
e-Commerce – It has advanced e-Commerce features thatallow transactions and manage inventory online.
Forum – It contains a few forum plugins that help at building an online community.
Portfolios – It is easy to create a creative portfolio that showcases your work for promotions and as well for job vacancies.
Information portal – It can be used for managing and distributing information among members of a particular online community.
Online Learning Portal – It is an easy resource for teaching and learning.
Key elements of WordPress
WordPress is the extensive open-source Content Management System that powers around 40% of all the live websites on the web. It is easy to use but beginners can need some guidance. So, here are the key elements of WordPress ecosystem essential to create a creative website:
The Admin Dashboard
This is the admin interface where you will arrive each time you sign in. On the dashboard, you can draft a new post, see what you have published, watch comments, and much more. The dashboard is divided into multiple pages, you can navigate between them using the menu on the left-hand side. Some options also have subpages. You can drag and drop the various modules on the dashboard to customize it. There is an Update option on the left-hand column under the dashboard. Keeping it up to date is important to include the latest security fixes and functionality improvements.
Posts
It is used to create different types of content. They are used for blogs. When you click on Posts, it will lead to all types of posts, published as well as draft and from here you can edit your post. Use Add New to create new content. To add a featured image for the blog, click at the bottom of the right-hand column when you are writing a post.
Media
This is the library of images, videos, documents, and other uploaded files. To add a new image, drag and drop a file into a dotted border, or click on Select Files. This uploads the file to your media library; you can use them in your posts or pages by clicking on Add Media button above your text editor.
Pages
Posts and Pages may look similar but they are two different entities. Posts are written as articles on your website and often can change with time whereas pages are evergreen content that is not likely to change very often. They both are created and edited using the same interface.
Themes
WordPress themes are used to change the appearance of your site. Although the default theme is included for beginners you can change it for a less generic view. There are thousands of themes available on the dashboard, start by accessing your current themes from Appearance > Themes.
Plugins
The plugin is the piece of software that “plugs into” your WordPress site. Plugins can add functionality to the site without touching the code. This is the most significant reason for WordPress’s popularity. You can install and upload plugins with just a few clicks.
Comments
Enabling comments on the website helps maintain visitors’ engagement with your content. This feature is usually for posts but is disabled on pages. Sometimes, you have to regulate the comment section. You could get spam comments. To sort out such issues, mark the visitor messages as spam over the comments screen and it will filter similar comments automatically.
Users
There is no means of the website without users. A user in WordPress is a person who can access your dashboard. Each user has a verified profile with their credentials and personal information.
You can control, add, edit or delete user profiles for your site. If you allow many people access, they will be listed here along with their role and the number of posts written. Subscriber is only allowed to view and manage their personal information.
For security, it is important to assign people the correct user role and avoid giving too many permissions to unnecessary users.
Concluding remarks
The core components are listed above, but there are some more areas of WordPress such as Categories, Menus, Tags, Widgets, and settings which makes it easy and flexible to use. With the information presented here , you will now be able to understand the various key elements of WordPress ecosystem and its role. This brief insight into WordPress will help you to manage your site like a pro.