WordPress is one of the most popular (and rightly so) blog and content management systems available to the general public today. The reason for the vast popularity of WordPress is that it is open source. While not all Open Source software is free software, WordPress is so, which means that we can use it to create sites for our clients for a lower price than we might otherwise be able to do.
Using WordPress also means that we’ve got a vast array of choices. Open source means that we can take the software and bend it a little to suit our needs. WordPress is open source, which means that the source is open to you and you can take that original code and use it in a way that makes the most sense to you. You may add to the code, detract from it and fix it in a way that allows you to use it for something different.
While you can’t claim the code as your own and certain restrictions will apply, such as not being able to sell the code, you can take all of the source code and create a site that has the benefits of WordPress as well as your own coding. In many cases, WordPress today is being used to house small sites that sell products. Adding to the code has allowed the user to create sales sites and make small shopping cart sites which will also house a blog as well as static pages that reflect well on the site and offer a better search engine optimization factor.
In the course of your work with WordPress you’ll find a lot that can be done with it to give the client or you the best experience that you’ve had online. WordPress is lightweight, search engine friendly and easy to use right out of the box. If that’s not reason enough to use it, how about the fact that some software can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars even without the installation and development fees. With WordPress being free, you’ll cut the costs and still get a superior site.
