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Choosing WordPress for your Website CMS

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Choosing WordPress for your Website CMS

WordPress was initially a blogging site developed in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little and has evolved over the years into a CMS platform. Today it has become one of the most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) widely used across the globe. It is an open-source platform that simplifies the process of developing a site. Its flexibility and ease of understanding have attracted a huge share of the market.

Renowned market players like Microsoft, Zoom, Etsy, Grammarly, Walt Disney, and Sony Music to name a few have their websites developed with the CMS. WordPress at its core has excellent features with thousands of plugins and themes to offer. In case you are planning to develop a WordPress site we have listed some of the advantages and challenges for your knowledge.

According to a survey on the content management systems, 64.1% of websites utilize WordPress. That represents 43.0% of all web pages.

Pros of using WordPress

WordPress is a popular site development platform. Here’s a list of top reasons to choose WordPress as an enterprise CMS. 

User-Friendly CMS: 

WordPress was initially a blogging platform and has evolved as a content management system over the years. The main factor behind the success is the ease of usage. One does not always have a dependency on the developing team to fix every small bug. 

Highly Modular (Plugins and Themes): 

WordPress has a powerful directory of over 60,0000 plugins and over 10,000 theme templates for almost every functionality that forms one of the reasons for its popularity. With a massive collection of enterprise-grade options available in the Plugins Directory and Theme Directory, one can use any combination to develop an enriching website. 

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Flexibility: 

WordPress is the most versatile CMS platform today. One can easily develop a complex website(s), simple brochure site(s), or blogs, and one can create their own themes, for any functionality to be added the plugin directory has huge options, and any Hosting provider/type (managed, cheap, e-mail) can be chosen from ample of options, one can run/construct any sized website (small or large) and one can have full control over the customization.   

SEO-friendly: 

The WordPress core is fully SEO-friendly based on the sense that the website(s) developed will be indexed higher by search engines. Many WordPress themes are built keeping SEO in mind. The plugins like Yoast help in streamlining the pages or blogs for organic traffic.

Cost Effective: 

Using WordPress for developing the website(s) can really be very budget-friendly as it is an open-source platform requiring no licensing cost to gain its access. One can start building the website with the important stuff and a pre-decided budget with spending on website development, premium themes, and plugins. 

E-Commerce features: 

With an increasing trend of online shopping, many entrepreneurs are seeking the advantage of developing commercial websites using WordPress. CMS provides a number of plugins one of them being WooCommerce which adds powerful eCommerce features to the website. Social accounts can also be integrated with the website which can direct more traffic and it can automatically update the feeds with the new products/services when added to the website. 

According to a survey on statistics, 20.1% of all WordPress-using websites use WooCommerce.

Managed Hosting: 

WordPress comes with a number of hosting options to choose from like WP Engine, Kinsta, Siteground, and the like to develop an enterprise website that needs high scalability, great performance, a secure environment, and robustness. These managed hosting providers provide reliable hosting solutions to WordPress compliantly. These providers will take care of regular and automated backups, offer low operational costs, have high performance, scan sites for security breaches, have optimized speed, and provide multiple staging environments and expert support.

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Mobile Friendly and Responsive: 

WordPress is designed to be a responsive and mobile-friendly platform where a large part of searching is done via mobiles. Content creation takes a back step when it comes to compliance with digital platforms, as websites should convert well on mobile devices else they are placed lower in search. Most WordPress themes and designs are responsive so one can easily choose what would give an excellent mobile experience.    

According to a survey published by Google, more individuals search at home on mobile devices than on desktops and laptops combined! Statistics indicate that it will still be expanding in 2023.

Strong and Active community: 

WordPress has an evolved massive support community. There are a myriad of blogs and forums with hundreds of communities across the globe readily available to answer queries, fix bugs, and constantly contribute towards developing the platform. It runs as the backbone for the CMS development where personnel network to learn and grow.        

Frequent Upgradation: 

WordPress sites are frequently upgraded for new software, bugs, security issues, the latest themes and plugin features, and many more. Thus, WordPress ensures its users are running the latest version site.

Increased Security: 

WordPress offers WordPress security plugins to protect sites from vulnerable threats. Using safe plugins, following secure login procedures, and updating regularly provide a hack-proof experience.

Cons of using WordPress

There are many reasons to use WordPress for developing websites. After covering the pros, we’ll check out some of the reasons that make it challenging to use WordPress as an enterprise CMS.

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Plugin Bloat: 

This refers to a state where excess usage of plugins can affect the speed and performance of the site. Due to the presence of a variety of plugin options for almost every functionality, one tends to use a lot of plugins for their site which in turn becomes heavily loaded with codes of plugins affecting the functionality. 

Security Vulnerabilities: 

WordPress being an open-source platform is prone to a number of threats and malware. The development of plugins by many developers can lead to the transition of malicious code into your site. Maximum vulnerabilities are sourced from plugins. Even adding a security plugin does not solve the corn completely.

Frequent Updates: 

Keeping up with updates can become a major concern. Frequent upgradation is good for security issues for any site but this can soon turn into an overwhelming process as a site comprises a number of plugins and themes and keeping up with the update process can be quite challenging. The more the number of features added to the site the more compatibility issues one has to deal with.

Overwhelming Options: 

With a wide range of options available to choose from while developing a website, selecting what is required can become a difficult task. For beginners, selecting through a number of options and having the knowledge to process them could prove to be a cumbersome process. If one does not have a clear strategy before development it can lead to confusion while navigating through web designs, maintenance options and robust site development is out of reach.

Customization: 

WordPress is an open-source platform that has thousands of free plugins and themes to make the development process cost-effective. But if one is looking to develop a unique site to give its user an enriching experience then one has to opt for paid/premium features which increase the cost of building the website, as the free available features have already been overused. Adding to this cost are the feature updates that pop up frequently add to it 

Speed: 

Page speed is a crucial factor and WordPress is one of the slow platforms due to the presence of additional plugins, themes, oversaturated databases, and codebases. Adding to these are the content, enlarged image(s), and unpredictable hosting affects the loading speed of the page. Each plugin adds to the loading time. Therefore, the web page takes time to develop and then load. Site speed is an important factor in deciding Google’s ranking as low-speed sites are ranked lower in searches.

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Dedicated Support: 

WordPress has a vibrant and one of the biggest communities available but still it is not a commercial product that can provide dedicated support to customers. Fixes for bugs, resolution of issues, and troubleshooting remain unheard of sometimes. One is on his own on such an open-sourced platform.

Back-up system: 

One can easily lose data if not backed up. WordPress has no feature to automatically back-up data. One can use the plugin(s) to do so, but these plugin(s) require configuration to fit in the system also concerning the storage limit. In case the plugin does not automatically backs-up the data one has to remember to take the backup. Another concern is to keep a constant check whenever WordPress releases updates, these plugins should be compatible with the newer versions.

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that WordPress is one of the most popular development platforms for enterprise-grade CMS. We have tried to discuss the advantages and shortcomings of choosing WordPress as an enterprise-grade CMS. The challenges discussed above can be overcome with the help of experts, one can easily hire dedicated developers who will take care of your website. After analyzing the information, one can make an informed decision on how to proceed further.

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New WordPress.com Themes for March 2024 – WordPress.com News

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New WordPress.com Themes for March 2024 – WordPress.com News

Five of our favorite new themes.

The WordPress.com team is always working on new design ideas to bring your website to life. Check out the latest themes in our library, including great options for small businesses, sports fan, nostalgic bloggers, and more.


Feelin’ Good is a vibrant (to say the least!) blog theme with a bold vaporwave aesthetic. Its nostalgic atmosphere pays homage to the daring, over-the-top visual art and advertisements of the ’80s and early ’90s. We’ve combined a lot of elements that shouldn’t work together, but do. If you’re looking for a dynamic, attention-grabbing, eye-popping visual feast of a theme, try Feelin’ Good.

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Click here to view a demo of this theme.


1711610762 938 New WordPresscom Themes for March 2024 – WordPresscom News

Low Fi is a simple blog theme featuring a narrow column layout that’s optimized for seamless browsing on mobile devices. With six style variations, you’re sure to find a palette you’re drawn to. Taking inspiration from the lo-fi beats music scene, the theme’s design cues, such as the square header image, offer a nod to album artwork.

The overall aesthetic is deliberately understated, with each element—from the muted color schemes to the textured background—crafted to evoke a sense of nostalgia and warmth.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.


1711610763 567 New WordPresscom Themes for March 2024 – WordPresscom News

Cakely is the ultimate WordPress theme designed specifically for passionate bakers, cake enthusiasts, and dessert lovers. Tailored for small businesses aiming to shine in the world of sweets, Cakely effortlessly combines style and functionality to showcase mouthwatering creations. Its vibrant pink color scheme exudes joy while maintaining a classy, clean layout with easy navigation. This theme ultimately strikes the perfect balance between professionalism and playfulness, making it an ideal choice for showcasing your delicious masterpieces.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.


New WordPresscom Themes for March 2024 – WordPresscom News

Treehouse is a carefree, fun, and friendly theme ideal for Woo stores selling children’s products. With its unlimited customization options, Treehouse enables you to set up an online shop with just a few clicks. Utilizing a soft color palette, playful design details, and simplified layouts, your site will attract a wide range of customers, from young parents to over-the-moon grandparents. This theme is fully responsive and cross-browser compatible.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.


New WordPresscom Themes for March 2024 – WordPresscom News

Major League Baseball’s 2024 season kicks off on Thursday, March 28. What better way to show your home team the love it deserves than with a baseball-themed fan site! With a somewhat old-school layout, this theme evokes some of the classic sports sites of the ’90s, back before fantasy leagues took over. The header and accent colors are customizable, ensuring that your favorite crew is properly saluted.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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To install any of the above themes, click the name of the theme you like, which brings you right to the installation page. Then click the “Activate this design” button. You can also click “Open live demo,” which brings up a clickable, scrollable version of the theme for you to preview.

Premium themes are available to use at no extra charge for customers on the Explorer plan or above. Partner themes are third-party products that can be purchased for $79/year each.

You can explore all of our themes by navigating to the “Themes” page, which is found under “Appearance” in the left-side menu of your WordPress.com dashboard. Or you can click below:


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How to Get Started: Investigating Payment Gateways Online

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How to Get Started: Investigating Payment Gateways Online

When investigating a website, app, or online shop, one of the key questions you may need to answer is ‘How are they making money?’ 

Investigating the financial transactions of an organisation can reveal details about its connections and funding. Furthermore, if the website or app is engaged in illicit transactions, tracing the payment gateway can help achieve accountability by identifying what sites they are using to earn money.   Bellingcat has looked into the payment processors in previous investigations on far-right merchandise, Britain’s far-right influencers, and non-consensual deepfake pornography.

Credit: Nicolas Guyonnet / Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect

Payment gateways are a technology that takes a customer’s payment information, checks it with their financial institution, verifies that the transaction is legitimate, and then completes the transaction. As explained by Forbes, online stores need a payment gateway to be able to facilitate payments. Companies including PayPal, Stripe, and Square are commonly used as a payment gateway for online purchases.

Most mainstream payment gateways (like Stripe and PayPal) prohibit their services from being used in illegal transactions including the sale of illegal drugs, the promotion of hate or racial intolerance, and non-consensual adult content. Finding evidence that someone is violating the Terms of Services of these companies – and how they are doing so- can lead to the closure of loopholes and accounts. It can also provide additional information about an organisation’s revenue streams. 

It is nearly impossible to conduct online transactions without a payment gateway. So it should be possible to find the payment gateway of an organisation earning money, even if it is not obvious at first. One resource that is extremely useful is Chrome’s built- in developer tools (other browsers also have similar tools). Below we’ll provide an overview of the tools to use and questions to ask when scrutinising payment systems. 

How are they Taking Payment?

For online transactions, you’ll typically see websites accept traditional forms of payment including credit cards, debit cards and, more recently, cryptocurrency. Since cryptocurrency is not subject to the same regulations as traditional financial systems, cryptocurrency is often used to process payments for illegal services. Since this does not need to be ‘hidden’, websites will usually disclose which currency they accept and how to transfer funds into a crypto wallet. There are other ways you can track funding through cryptocurrency, as discussed in this guide.

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If none of the above apply?  Other sites that use a payment gateway will accept money directly via credit card payment,  bank transfer, or through peer-to-peer payment apps (i.e., PayPal, Cash App, Zelle). If this is the case, you should be able to identify the payment gateway being used. In the case of the peer-to-peer apps, these services may be used by businesses and not just individuals’ transactions. They also require a bank account or credit card to use them. It is helpful to view transaction options on both the mobile app and web browser, in case the options differ.  It is also worth checking the currency that payments are being taken in – if it is a US website taking payment in a foreign currency, that can also provide clues. Further, if a website is using different payment gateways depending on the currency, this can lead to additional leads in your investigation. Payment options may also change depending on what IP address you are using. In other words, setting your IP address in the UK and then changing it to the US may result in different payment gateway options.

Where are they Soliciting for Payment?

Organisations may solicit for payment via a website or a messaging app like Telegram. It is important to investigate all avenues where  payment is being requested as each method may provide different clues for your investigation. For example, for some of the AI deep fake services we investigated here we found that companies would accept different payment methods depending on how you tried to pay – via their website, via a web browser or via Telegram. Sellers may want to direct their users away from their website to more private forums such as Telegram to facilitate transactions and avoid detection.

Is the Organisation Trying to Hide How Payment is Taken?

For some sellers, using a mainstream payment gateway may  violate the terms of service of that company. To be able to use their services, these sellers may  try to hide the nature of their goods from the payment gateway company. 

A Walk Through Example

Some sites may not show their payment options without signing up first. 

This was the case with the Nudify.VIP site which offers non-consensual AI Deep Fake pornography.  

Initially, the website states that their services are free. 

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“With our service you can undress any person in a photo absolutely FREE!” 

However, this is misdirection, as you are then prompted to log in or sign up. Only once you create an account do you discover that you need to pay to access the service and how much it costs.

After creating an account, we were presented with two options to pay, by card or crypto. 

You are then presented with an option to pay via crypto or via credit card, but it does not yet say what cards they accept or what payment gateway they use. 

Clicking through to ‘Go To Payment’ gives us a new screen that lets the user pay via credit card (ie MasterCard, Visa), a US Bank account (ie Wells Fargo, USAA), or through Cash App. 

There is no indication of the payment gateway they are using, but if we look at the URL on the checkout page, we can see that it no longer says that we are on a Nudify.VIP domain. This is a clue that users are being directed to the checkout page through another website. This method is used to hide the true source of purchases from payment gateway providers. There’s another clue  that the domain has changed- in the fine print at the bottom of the checkout page. Via the Checkout Page using either Cash App or credit card options, it discloses:

“By providing your card information, you allow aiphotos.art to charge your card for future payments in accordance with their terms.”

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This is another clue that the payment gateway does not know this belongs to an AI Deep fake service Nudify.VIP.

Three checkout options for Nudify.VIP: credit card, US bank account, and Cash App.

Use Browser Developer Tools to Investigate Further

All modern browsers have some form of built-in developer tools. You can search online for your specific browser (e.g. Firefox, Chrome, Safari). If you are in Chrome, you can right-click anywhere on the screen to get a menu and an option to ‘Inspect.’ You can also use keyboard shortcuts which can vary between MacOS or Windows. For Windows, you can click CTRL + SHIFT + I and on MacOS you can click Option + Command + I on your keyboard. Any of these actions will open the developer tools which allows you to  view the code of a webpage (such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript). This should appear on the right-hand side of your screen. While developer tools are designed to check for bugs or errors in a website, you can use them in your investigation.

There should be a list of tabbed options for you to view on the top menu bar. Clicking on ‘Sources’ shows you all the resources that the website is using. 

This is a good place to start to look for any clues about what piece of code is being used in the checkout process.  In the example below, one of the listed sources on the page is titled ‘js.stripe.com.’



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15 WordPress Pro Developers You Should Follow in 2024 – WordPress.com News

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15 WordPress Pro Developers You Should Follow in 2024 – WordPress.com News

The WordPress community can sometimes seem like a vast ocean of people, information, and resources. Here are 15 folks to follow to stay on top of everything you need to know.

WordPress is so powerful and versatile that the WP community can sometimes seem like a vast ocean of people, information, and resources. In today’s Build and Beyond video, Jamie Marsland shares 15 of the most influential developers he follows to keep on top of new features, learn cool new tips, and, ultimately, get the most out of WordPress. 

Of course, we couldn’t feature all the great people in this space, so be sure to comment below with your favorite WordPress-related follows.  

Ready to build on WordPress.com? Start a free trial today:

Here are the folks mentioned, as well as where to find them on the web: 

Nick Diego

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nickdiego.com
twitter.com/nickmdiego

Sarah Norris

twitter.com/mikachan_

Brian Coords

youtube.com/@BrianCoords
twitter.com/briancoords

Carolina Nymark

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fullsiteediting.com
twitter.com/carolinapoena

James Kemp

jameskemp.blog
twitter.com/jamesckemp

Anne Bovelett

annebovelett.de/en
twitter.com/bovelett

Justin Tadlock

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justintadlock.com
twitter.com/justintadlock

Ryan Welcher

ryanwelcher.com
youtube.com/@ryanwelchercodes

Aki Hamano

twitter.com/tetsuaki_hamano

Aurooba Ahmed

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twitter.com/aurooba
youtube.com/@AuroobaMakes

Eric Karkovack

twitter.com/karks88
twitter.com/speckyboy

Keith Devon  and Mark Wilkinson

youtube.com/@HighriseDigital

Joost de Valk

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joost.blog
twitter.com/jdevalk

Elliot Richmond

youtube.com/@elliottrichmondwp

Rich Tabor

rich.blog
twitter.com/richard_tabor

Jessica Lyschik

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twitter.com/jessicalyschik
youtube.com/@jessicalyschik


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