What is WordPress?

WordPress: definition and adoption

WordPress appeared in 2003 as blogging software and is now the most widely used content management system in the world. According to W3Techs, more than 40 percent of all websites run on WordPress in 2026; among sites with a known CMS, the share is just under 60 percent. The pool of specialists, themes and extensions is correspondingly large.

The software is open source and licensed under the GPL, so there are no license fees. What you do pay for is hosting, premium themes and plugins where applicable, as well as setup and maintenance. The current major version is WordPress 7.0, released in May 2026.

How WordPress works

WordPress is written in PHP and stores content in a MySQL or MariaDB database. Editors work in the block editor and assemble paragraphs, images, columns or forms with a click. A theme determines the appearance, and features such as SEO, forms or a store are added through plugins. User roles make it possible to separate permissions for authors, editors and administrators.

• Themes determine the layout and design of the website
• Plugins extend WordPress with forms, a store, multilingual support, SEO or bookings
• The block editor builds content from flexible building blocks
• User roles separate the permissions of editors and administrators
• The REST API provides data for apps or a headless frontend

Real-world example: a company website with its own editorial team

A machine builder with 60 employees wants to maintain news, job postings and product pages itself, without hiring an agency for every change. WordPress is well suited for this: marketing edits text in the editor, management approves posts, and the agency takes care of design, technology and updates.

A clean foundation is crucial: a well-thought-out theme instead of many additional plugins, clearly defined roles and a structure that remains maintainable even after years. That way, the website grows with the company’s tasks without becoming confusing. New employees find their way around quickly, and design changes do not affect the content every time.

Benefits, risks and operations

Wide adoption is both an advantage and a risk: there are many specialists and extensions, but also many automated attacks. Most security problems result from outdated plugins, weak passwords or missing updates. Regular updates, backups and limiting yourself to a few well-maintained plugins are therefore essential.

Nano Concepts builds WordPress websites, custom themes and plugins and looks after ongoing operations, including updates, hardening and backups, so your site stays secure and fast. If you wish, we also review existing WordPress installations for outdated plugins, security gaps and loading time and show which measures are worthwhile.

• No license costs, a large selection of themes and plugins
• Editing without programming skills
• Apply updates to core, themes and plugins regularly
• Remove unneeded plugins and test backups
• Use a current PHP version; older ones no longer receive security updates