WordPress: Powering the Internet

Anyone using the internet these days has almost certainly landed on a website powered by WordPress.

WordPress allows people to create blogs, e-commerce stores, professional business websites, and more with a reliable and easy-to-use interface, according to business.com. It is because of that interface that Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress do not require users to know how to write in HTML – the code handles everything.

Casual internet users might not be impressed with what exactly WordPress is, but what is impressive is that according to Forbes it is currently powering more than 25 percent of the s websites in the world. WordPress’s directory lists dozens of famous companies like The New York Times, CNN, Forbes, eBay, and more that make use of their service. Not bad for a service started in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg, a college dropout now worth about $40 million.

So why exactly has WordPress taken the world by storm? According to Entrepreneur magazine, there are a few major reasons for the rise in popularity:

Free – Sometimes the old saying “you get what you pay for” just doesn’t apply. WordPress is open-source and will remain 100% free for its users. New users can jump right in without having to worry about finances

Powerful – WordPress can be quickly installed on a server (or most servers already have it installed).

Flexible – WordPress can be used for anything from a personal blog about cats to a Fortune 100 company’s website. Thousands of plugins and designs allow for endless creativity.
Search Engine Friendly – The most popular search engines prefer WordPress sites in their rankings and Google’s own search team actually endorses the software.

Easy – WordPress offers support options, a huge community, countless tutorials, and powerful features for novice users.