What’s WordPress and What’s New with Version 6.0?

WordPress creates nearly 50% of the websites you visit on the Internet.  It is the go-to website software for Intrada. It is used by businesses and governments around the world.  Almost every website we create from scratch is a WordPress-made website. So, let’s review what WordPress is and how it can help your business.

What is WordPress? 

Launched in 2003, WordPress is an open-source content management system ( CMS A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that facilitates the creation, management, and modification of digital content without requiring specialized technical knowledge. CMS platforms are widely used for building and managing websites, blogs, and other digital assets, providing users with an intuitive interface to publish content, organize information, and customize the design and functionality of their site. The core features of a CMS typically include a user-friendly editor for writing and formatting content, tools for uploading and managing media files (such as images and videos), and options for categorizing and tagging content for better organization and navigation. More advanced CMS platforms may also offer additional capabilities like version control, workflow management, multisite support, and integration with external applications and services. Popular examples of CMS platforms include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, each offering a range of templates, plugins, and extensions to tailor the platform to specific needs and preferences. WordPress, in particular, is renowned for its ease of use and extensive ecosystem, making it a preferred choice for both beginners and experienced developers. By streamlining the content creation and management process, a CMS empowers individuals and organizations to maintain a dynamic and interactive web presence. It eliminates the need for in-depth coding knowledge, allowing non-technical users to update and manage their content effectively. This accessibility and flexibility make CMS platforms valuable tools in the fast-paced and ever-evolving digital landscape. ). In layman’s terms – it is publishing platform that can build and edit a website easily, quickly, and professionally.  

WordPress’s editing tool is simple to learn and manage. Individuals without any coding experience who want to easily edit pages on their website can do so using the platform. The price is quite friendly as well. WordPress doesn’t cost anything. Anyone can install and use it for free. It has also made a huge effort to be SEO Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of enhancing a website's content, structure, and technical elements to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). Unlike paid advertising, SEO focuses on organic (unpaid) search results, aiming to attract more quality traffic to the site through search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. SEO encompasses a variety of strategies, including keyword research, on-page optimization (such as optimizing titles, meta descriptions, and content), link building, and improving site usability and speed. By aligning a website's content with search engine algorithms and user intent, SEO helps increase the site's relevance and authority in search engines' eyes. Effective SEO can lead to higher rankings, increased web traffic, and better user engagement, ultimately contributing to the site's overall success and reach. friendly to help with organic placement and listings of our client’s site. 

WordPress was originally created to build blogs, but today you can use it to build all types of websites, including business websites, e-commerce stores, and mobile applications. 

Unfortunately, WordPress is very popular – making it a target for hackers. This can cause companies problems if companies and developers don’t keep the WordPress framework and all the modules and plug-ins updated. Intrada stays on top of this. Whether it is a bug or a glitch that is found, we immediately fix or patch it so hackers can’t get into places they shouldn’t be.

In addition to WordPress patching, Intrada has started to make MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) a standard configuration when setting up a WordPress framework. By adding MFA, we can prevent the most common threats against the popular framework.

Read about a WordPress site that we made for the Army Heritage Center Foundation last year.

What’s New?

The newest version of WordPress, Version 6.0, was launched on May 24^th. This is the second time a new major version has been released in 2022, and the seventh new version of the year. Most changes are to the block editing function and will improve User Experience User Experience (UX) refers to the overall experience and satisfaction a user derives from interacting with a product, system, or service. It encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction, including ease of use, accessibility, performance, aesthetics, utility, and emotional response. The goal of UX design is to create meaningful and relevant experiences for users, often by understanding their needs, preferences, and behaviors through research and testing. This process involves a range of disciplines, including psychology, design, usability engineering, and interaction design. By focusing on user-centric principles, UX aims to optimize the effectiveness and enjoyment of the product, ultimately leading to increased user satisfaction and loyalty. Businesses that prioritize UX design can benefit from improved customer retention, lower support costs, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. . The WordPress team also made optimization changes which are expected to increase website speeds. Some of the new updates include:

• Easily switch theme styles - WordPress 6.0 comes with an easy way to switch your entire theme style with a single click.
• New blocks in block theme editor – WordPress 6.0 brings many new blocks that you can now use inside the theme editor. The Block Editor, previously known as Gutenberg, was added in version 5.0 and is a step in a more visual direction. The content is added in “blocks” which can be moved around the page or placed side-by-side easily. It also lets you save blocks as templates so you can re-use them in other parts of the website.
• Easier text selection in multiple blocks – In earlier versions, it was difficult for users to select the text between multiple WordPress blocks. Version 6.0 has changed that.
• Ability to choose a page pattern - Your WordPress theme can now include patterns for must-have pages for most websites.
• Easy integration of plugins for just about anything you can think of allows for an easier way to customize your website. Intrada currently uses Elementor in conjunction with WordPress. It is a visual editor to see real-time changes in the pages you are editing.
  "We are using Elementor on a lot of our websites now,” shared Intrada Web Developer James Schwemmer. “This plugin makes it easier for clients to make changes to their websites and it’s a visual editor, so people can see the changes on the pages while making them.  It gives the editor more control.”

What Did We Learn?

We learned that WordPress is user-friendly and cost-effective. It is used by companies and government agencies around the world. It is continually making updates to make its customizable content management system better and better. So, why aren’t you using it?

How can Intrada help?

To learn more about how WordPress can be used for your business, contact Intrada Technologies today at (570) 321-7370. We would be happy to explain all of the software’s benefits to see if using it would be the right move for your business.