That’s why WordPress is used by 45.8% of all websites on the internet (according to W3Techs web technology surveys).
If you have a WordPress website for your business then you’re on to a winner. In learning more about your wonderful WordPress site you will probably find it useful to understand some of the more common terms that are bandied about in relation to WordPress:
- Theme:
A collection of files that define the visual appearance of a WordPress website. Themes can be customised to change the look and feel of a site. - Plugin:
A piece of software that can be added to a WordPress website to extend its functionality. Plugins can add features, improve performance, or enhance security. - Widget:
Small blocks that perform specific functions and can be placed in various areas of a WordPress website, such as sidebars, footers, or within content areas. - Dashboard:
The main control panel of the WordPress admin area where users can manage content, settings, and other aspects of their website. - Post:
A type of content in WordPress used for creating articles or blog posts. Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order on the site. - Page:
Another type of content in WordPress, but pages are usually used for static information like About Us, Contact, or Privacy Policy pages. - Categories:
A way to organise and group content on a WordPress site. Categories help users navigate through related posts. - Tags:
Similar to categories, tags are used to organise and classify content but provide more specific details about the post’s content. - Metadata:
Information about web page titles, descriptions, keywords and that is stored in the WordPress database to help search engines crawl and rank web pages. - Permalink:
The permanent URL structure that points to individual posts or pages on a WordPress site. Permalinks can be customised for better SEO and user-friendliness. - Media Library:
A section in the WordPress admin where users can upload, manage, and organise media files such as images, videos, and audio. - Editor:
The tool in WordPress that allows users to create and edit content. There are two main editors: the Classic Editor and the Block Editor (Gutenberg). - Gutenberg:
The user-friendly block editor introduced in WordPress 5.0, allowing users to create content using blocks for various elements like paragraphs, images, and more. - Shortcode:
A small piece of code enclosed in square brackets that can be used to embed certain features or elements into WordPress posts and pages. - Theme Customiser:
A feature that allows users to customise the appearance of a WordPress theme in real-time, previewing changes before making them live. - Child Theme:
A theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme (parent theme) to allow for customisation without modifying the original theme files. - Responsive Design:
Designing a website to adapt and display appropriately on various devices and screen sizes, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones. - SSL (Secure Sockets Layer):
A protocol that ensures secure data transmission between a user’s browser and the web server, often required for secure transactions and data protection. - WooCommerce:
A popular plugin that turns your website into an online store. - Yoast SEO:
A plug-in that helps you optimise your website to be noticed and featured in search engine results. - Cache:
Temporary storage of data to reduce server load and improve website performance. Caching plugins are commonly used in WordPress.
These are just a few WordPress terms to get you started. The WordPress ecosystem is vast, and there are many more terms and concepts to explore as you delve deeper into website development and management with WordPress.
If you find all this a little too technical for your liking, never fear. When you have a WordPress website professionally designed by an expert team like ours at Dentons Digital, we’ll take care of the details and teach you just as much as you need to know to keep your site maintained and up to date simply, yourself.
