What Is the WordPress CMS?

Why WordPress is our content management system of choice

The WordPress content management system provides a practical way to publish and update website content without editing every page by hand. Earlier websites often relied on hand coding and programs such as Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage. As blogging grew during the 2000s, many bloggers used a content management system of some description. As well as Google’s own Blogger, there was one other blogging client that stood out from the crowd: WordPress, which we use for Dreamkatcha web design.

WordPress was launched on 27 May 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It is an open-source CMS with a supportive community and began life as a fork of b2/Cafelog. Its present name was suggested by Christine Selleck Tremoulet. There is a wealth of themes and plugins available for free or at modest prices.

Visual website editor with content blocks and a page preview on a laptop.
Concept illustration: visual website editor with content blocks and a page preview on a laptop.

WordPress has developed beyond its blogging origins into a platform for many kinds of website. Its publishing tools separate routine content updates from the underlying layout, while themes and plugins provide ways to adapt the site. That flexibility is useful when a business needs to add pages, publish articles or introduce new features. The right setup still depends on the project: choose the features you need, review the quality of extensions and agree who will maintain them. A widely used platform does not remove the need for careful planning, testing and ongoing support.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

The .com and .org names can cause confusion, but the main distinction is the hosting arrangement. WordPress.org is the home of the open-source project, including software downloads, documentation and community support. You can install the software with a hosting provider of your choice, or ask a designer to manage the setup. Hosting, domain registration and maintenance are separate considerations. Always check for a currently supported release rather than relying on an old version number in an article. WordPress names its major releases after jazz musicians, as its release history records.

WordPress.com provides managed hosting using the WordPress software. It offers different plans for different requirements, so review the features and support included before choosing one. A WordPress site does not have to use a wordpress.com subdomain: domain options depend on the hosting arrangement and plan. Compare the complete setup, including maintenance responsibilities, rather than choosing purely from the .com or .org label.

Why we love WordPress:

  • Ease of use: you can create pages and posts, add media, save drafts and review changes using its publishing tools.
  • Expandable: besides enabling you to add posts and pages within the CMS’s user interface, you can add plugins to your installation.
  • Modular: there is a wealth of support for free and paid-for themes and plugins.
  • Community: contributors, documentation and support forums help people learn and improve the CMS. For project-specific support, agree responsibilities with your designer or hosting provider.
  • Security: ongoing updates, backups and responsible management of themes and plugins remain essential. Community development does not make a website automatically secure.

WordPress Projects Built by Dreamkatcha

The Marcella Woods artist website offers a music-industry example, bringing releases, artist information and booking details together. See my music website design service for the features and planning involved in an artist or music-business project.

For Kinetic Personal Training in Wokingham, I used WordPress to present personal training and sports massage services with clear enquiry routes and manageable content.

For Quick Circuits in Reading, the website brings together PCB manufacturing information, business credentials and a quotation request. These examples show how the same CMS can support different customer questions.

The platform is only part of the decision. Agree the page structure, editing access and ongoing hosting and website support around your business’s needs.
For practical uses of the platform, explore our guide to building a WordPress business website. If you have any further queries, why not give us a call on 07771 818111 or contact us on this form. We shall be happy to hear from you.

Dreamkatcha. Originally published 18 October 2016; updated 2 October 2026.

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