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Created primarily as blogging software, one of the biggest misconceptions people have is that WordPress is a software used only by bloggers. With its state-of-the-art characteristics however, WordPress has now become an excellent open-source web publishing platform and content management system which boasts of impressive web standards, aesthetics, flexibility and great usability among its users.

Blogging softwares definitely have less functionality than Content Management Systems, but through the years, WordPress has been extensively developed to perform much more tasks than a simple blog program or application can. And since WordPress is free and released under GPL (General Public License), any user is allowed to modify it to suit particular needs. This should be the main advantage of using WordPress. A lot of users vouch that WordPress is one of the best content management system there is because it is easy to use and provides numerous features and so much flexibility out of the box.

First and foremost, WordPress operates on a template system, which includes widgets that can be reorganized without editing PHP or HTML codes. A wide array of themes is also available and may be customized by simple and minor editing of PHP and HTML codes, as well as new custom themes can be built by expert programmers. WordPress features also include integrated link management and a search engine-friendly permalink structure.

For WordPress to generate impressive content management functions, it is essential to remove or at least hide its blog-related features. This is nothing major and will not need modification of WordPress core files. There will never be the need to do anything to broaden its utilization because WordPress is an advanced system which lets its users extend its functionality simply by using plugins independent of its core files. WordPress is loaded with valuable plugin architecture, a key element which allows both users and developers to expand performance beyond its basic features. There are over 3,500 plugins one can use to extend WordPress functionality such as forum integration plug-ins, Search Engine Optimization packs, Photo Gallery add-ons, etc. And in instances when one cannot find the exact plug-in to perform a specified function, there is the option to modify an existing plug-in or formulate a new one from scratch.

The overall impression of a WordPress site is largely contingent on the theme it uses. Quality themes make your sites stand out from the crowd and help you gain the interest of prospective clients by making a respectable statement about what you have to offer. WordPress enables you to choose from a wide array of available themes or develop and design one of your own. Either way, WordPress makes it easy for you to modify your theme to suit your site subject. This is because it separates the presentation styles and template files from the system files so that the site can be upgraded without changes to the visual presentation of the site. Quick changes can be effected without the user having to master CSS, HTML or PHP, and presentation is customized according to your selected theme without too much work or complexities.

Another major advantage WordPress offers is the availability of a large amount of documentation for it. Superb build-in features such as the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor enables the direct manipulation of document layout without having to coding. This is especially valuable if you are not a code junkie and prefer not to rely on others to make changes to your website. Likewise, such capability allows the user to get a preview of the final output while the document is just being created. WordPress versatility also includes the ability to upload, manage and control images, audio and video material. Multiple tags and categories can be assigned to web postings and articles, user creation and permission level access can be assigned and supervised, multiple author capability may be enabled and script versions may be automatically upgraded, among others.

Because WordPress makes it easier to write, edit, organize and publish articles and manage web content, it has become a highly recommended and effective content management system for conventional websites. Its versatilety and its huge stock of available themes and plugins saves users a lot of work time. Coupled with its adaptability and user-friendly features, WordPress is an excellent choice for a flexible, low-cost and dynamic Content Management System for any website.