WordPress started as a blogging platform and now runs millions of websites. WordCamp introduces new users to WordPress and features advanced sessions for designers, developers and others who work with it all the time.
By one estimate, 13 percent of the world’s websites use WordPress. By “use WordPress,” we mean that WordPress software – which is free – runs the site and keeps it humming.
Much WordPress elegance lies in its simplicity. People who work in the creative digital space have their own language – CMS, SEO, CSS, HTML – and newcomers often find it intimidating. With WordPress, it doesn’t matter. If you know the terms, great. If you don’t, you can still build a killer blog or epic website.
BloggingPro, an industry wonk, explains it this way: “Even the most obtuse, computer-illiterate user can create a genuinely professional looking blog/website that can gain followers over time ….From adding media to SEO, it makes it all much simpler than it was before.”
WordCamp is about spreading WordPress love. We want more people to understand that it is easy to use, a snap to update, a dream to customize, and can do everything expensive and difficult web platforms claim they can do. WordPress plays nice with e-commerce, is secure and slammin’ fast.
SEO is another great strength. SEO means Search Engine Optimization, which what is the Googles, Bings and Yahoos of the world use to read, evaluate and categorize content. WordPress has some SEO built in but the software makes super-charging the effort easy.
WordPress also is a powerful CMS, or Content Management System. Your pages, posts, photos, videos, forms, whatever all have a home that is easy to navigate. Even better-if you decide to change the look of your WordPress site, the content doesn’t go away. No starting over.
A true community also sets WordPress apart. Across the world, WordPress meet-ups take place every day. WordPress.org has great forums and plenty of other WordPress-related sites are generous with their information. For beginners, this is especially welcoming. No one laughs at questions because everyone wants to help you find the answer.
With WordPress, possibilities are endless. At WordCamp, you’ll learn about some of them.
