WordPress has revolutionized website content management and functionality expansion for millions of websites around the world. With its extensive ecosystem, it’s no surprise that WordPress has become the go-to platform for businesses and individuals alike. But here’s the catch: not all WordPress sites and developers are on the same level. And with so many developers out there, it can be tough to find the right one. So, what sets the experts apart from the rest? In this article, we’ll look at the unrivaled benefits of the WordPress platform, share our approach and philosophy, and show you how we unleash the full power of this platform.
Why We Use WordPress
WordPress dominates the website world, powering an incredible 43% of all sites globally. Major players like BBC America, Time Magazine, and TechCrunch rely on it, and it boasts the biggest market share of known CMSs at a whopping 63%. Indeed, with other individual CMSs in the single-digit percentages, nothing else even comes close. WordPress is the world’s de facto CMS.
SEO Friendly
WordPress is designed with SEO in mind, and its built-in features and plugins make it easy to optimize a website for search engines. We can improve search engine rankings through customizable permalinks, sitemaps, clean URLs, and page-level meta-data editing.
Rich Plugin Ecosystem
Using a vetted list of plugins that are well-coded, maintained, and secure, we’re able to extend functionality at a fraction of the price. This includes plugins for common things like form management and submission backup, user management and permissions, popup modals for marketing, internal search engines for site content, GDPR checks, performance optimization, and much more.
Versatile, Database-Driven CMS
The possibilities for creating custom data-driven pages are endless. Although WordPress was originally designed as a blogging platform, we can transform it into a versatile content management system (CMS) to handle any type of content, leveraging its database and infrastructure for things beyond blog posts, pages, and media. With intuitive interface for the content creation process, you can easily manage and update your website content without developer assistance. Database-driven content can be queried, used to build dynamic pages, or used as a headless CMS that powers multiple channels like mobile apps and e-commerce stores.
Security
WordPress security continuously improves, and when combined with security plugins, your website’s security is even more powerful. From a solid firewall, hiding sensitive pages, implementing password-protected pages, brute-force blocking, and IP blacklist checks, there are many ways we can protect your site and keep it safe from potential threats.
Performance
WordPress offers a range of performance benefits: It supports caching mechanisms that help improve site speed by reducing server load and minimizing the amount of processing required for requests; it utilizes an object caching system that helps to reduce the number of database queries required to load a page, which can speed up page load times; and it also supports Gzip compression for website files. With numerous optimization tools, WordPress is designed to help websites and applications run smoothly and efficiently.
Affordability
WordPress is open-source software, which means it’s free to download, use, and modify. As such, businesses don’t need to pay for expensive licenses or subscriptions to use the latest version WordPress. This also means that developers can customize WordPress to fit the specific needs of a business, making it a cost-effective way to provide a ton of functionality.
Our Approach
WordPress has long been hailed as the champion of website management and functionality expansion, but is it really all that it’s cracked up to be? The answer is a resounding yes – with a few caveats. While the platform boasts an unparalleled ecosystem, the quality of WordPress sites and developers can vary widely. That’s why Artonic has developed a systematic approach to building WordPress websites that incorporates bulletproof best practices. Our WordPress stack includes the latest version of WordPress, custom-designed themes, and a suite of essential plugins that allow us to extend the functionality of WordPress without sacrificing performance or security. All of this is undergirded with a proper hosting environment that includes a high-performance VPS (Virtual Private Server) or dedicated server hosting bundled with a suite of Managed Hosting and DevOps services.
Performance
Many WordPress sites are bogged down by slow page load times, poor caching, and subpar database performance. Additionally, amateurs often use theme builders, which can add a lot of overhead and increase avenues of attack. Beyond security issues, this can lead to poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. At Artonic, we optimize WordPress sites for speed and performance, using tools like tried-and-true caching plugins, CDN integration, and image optimization.
Security
Popularity is a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, without proper management, WordPress sites can be vulnerable to frequent attacks. To ensure security, we follow practices such as web application firewall (WAF) implementation, strong password policies, hiding sensitive pages, brute-force blocking, IP blacklist checks, and more.
Reliability
To enhance reliability, our WordPress installations are as clean and lightweight as possible. We install only the plugins that are needed from a vetted list – they are well-coded, maintained, and secure. Additionally, we do not use third-party themes or theme-builders. Instead, our themes are custom designed for each client to create unique and engaging user experiences.
Next Steps
At Artonic, we have a specific approach towards WordPress that sets us apart from run-of-the-mill WordPress shops. If you’re looking for a WordPress partner who understands the platform inside and out, reach out to us today at 517-902-7851 or [email protected].