What is WordPress? And how do you use it in your work?

At Sparkjoy, we focus on using WordPress as a CMS (Content Management System) for the websites we build. However, much of our work is custom code we develop in a way that plays well with WordPress and extends this framework in new and wonderful ways.

So this question comes up a lot. The short answer is that if you’re familiar with WordPress then you’ll feel right at home managing content in one of our custom build websites. The simplicity, ease of use, and familiarity is a real benefit — if not a bit deceptive though — since we build our own extensive layer on top of the familiar WordPress in order to make the website function as intended.

Our websites go far beyond a generic WordPress site you can configure yourself with a few clicks and downloads. Its more like a pairing of WordPress and Sparkjoy technology to realize a spectacular contradiction: A complex website that is simple to use.

History of WordPress

WordPress began as a blogging tool back in 2003. Its creators made it so user-friendly that many general website enthusiasts adapted it over other competitors. The creators of WordPress went further by making their work ‘open source,’ meaning other developers could use it as a foundation upon which to freely build their own websites and tools, which they often then recirculated back into public use. Today, WordPress is recognized as the world’s most popular and widely used CMS and it is estimated to power 43% of all websites on the internet. And there is a planet-wide ecosystem of WordPress developers who are all sharing and contributing to the evolution of uses and applications. We are one of those developers.

WordPress as a CMS is essentially a framework upon which developers can build layers to make a website. Most of the general public would never know that a website used WordPress as a CMS just by clicking around, buying items online, or reading articles.  The unique quality of WordPress to most website owners or administrators is the unique back-end dashboard. This is a private area of a website where an administrator may log in and use the interface to add new content to the website, such as pages or posts or products, and publish to their public facing web pages. Due to its popularity WordPress is a familiar tool for many people and it’s easy to pick up and begin managing the content within a website.

WordPress’s versatility and popularity means there are many skilled people who can work on the platform. And as a website owner you’re never locked into any arrangement that may no longer suit you. You have the freedom to have your website altered and maintained by anyone who understands the WordPress platform – including you.