How to Replace Dreamweaver with WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) and blog (website) publishing platform that is completely free to use. It is based on the popular PHP programming language and utilizes the popular MySQL database. Because it is open source and community driven, it has a large collection of plugins that can be utilized to enhance website functionality and appearance. Its popularity has led to a considerable number of third-party developers creating WordPress-based custom themes and templates for use in commercial and personal websites. This article will discuss why you may want to consider making the switch from Dreamweaver to WordPress and how to do so successfully.
The Evolution Of Web Design
Although WordPress grew out of the blogging sphere, it has since developed into a robust web design and development tool that can handle all types of website tasks. Its versatile feature set and large array of add-ons allow for endless customization options, and because of this its usability and versatility have increased dramatically. This has resulted in its popularity increasing amongst web designers and developers, making it a realistic option for anyone looking for a content management system to rival Dreamweaver in terms of functionality and popularity.
Why Dreamweaver?
When discussing replacements for Dreamweaver, the first thing that usually comes to mind is: what is Dreamweaver?
Dreamweaver is a venerable piece of software that has been around since 1995 and was originally designed for creating and editing websites. It was initially seen as a competitor to Microsoft’s FrontPage. Over the years, it has attracted a devoted fanbase who use it for creating websites and blogging platforms. Today, it is estimated that there are over 2 million active users of Dreamweaver and it is the most popular content management system (CMS) of all time when it comes to website creation and editing. This makes it the perfect choice for anyone who is looking for a versatile, reliable and highly functional CMS.
Replacing Dreamweaver With WordPress
If you are reading this, I assume that you are either considering making the switch from Dreamweaver to WordPress or have already done so. Before you begin your journey towards WordPressifying your website(s), it is important to take a few moments to reflect on your past experience with Dreamweaver and why you may want to make the switch in the first place. Below, we have compiled a list of the top reasons why Dreamweaver is (and is not) the best choice when it comes to web design and development.
1. Stability.
One of the major criticisms that can be leveled at Dreamweaver is that it is, in fact, not that stable. When it comes to using the software, you will often experience crashes and bugs. Not only does this cause you significant headaches, but it also means that you have to spend large amounts of time debugging issues and fixing problems. This is particularly frustrating when you are trying to create a website with a custom theme or plugin that depends on certain functionality that is not working properly. It is also worth noting that many people who use Dreamweaver for blogging and website building report that the WordPress-based blog platform offers more stability and reliability.
2. Customizability.
While WordPress has a relatively small collection of basic templates included with the platform, it offers an almost endless selection of options when it comes to creating a custom design. This is largely due to the fact that WordPress is designed with a customizer which allows for complete control over the template’s appearance. You can change the colors, layout and even the icons used on the page. If you are looking for a platform that you can fully customize, WordPress is a viable option. Additionally, you can use the WordPress customizer to preview how your website or blog will look before publishing.
3. Extensibility.
Even if you are a seasoned web developer who has built numerous websites using various CMSes, you will definitely appreciate the fact that WordPress has considerably more add-ons and is more extensible than platforms such as Drupal and Joomla. This means that you have many more options when it comes to customizing and enhancing your website’s functionality. Not only can you add new plugins, but you can also modify and enhance existing plugins to fit your needs. In order to do this, you will need to have familiarity with PHP and JavaScript, which are both freely available. Additionally, you can utilize various plugins such as jQuery and Bootstrap to make customizing and enhancing your website’s functionality a more effortless process.
4. Security.
When it comes to ensuring the security of your website data and transactions, you should look for a CMS that is equipped with the most up-to-date security measures. One of the most popular platforms for blogging and website creation, WordPress is actually a very safe choice when it comes to securing your data. This is primarily due to the fact that it uses OpenSSL for all of its connections to ensure security. It also implements a login page where users must enter a password to access content, and requires users to register before they can post comments or use certain features.
5. Scalability.
Website scalability is becoming an important consideration for every organization and business that has a website. In order to meet the needs of today’s users who have higher expectations when it comes to website performance, you must choose a CMS that is capable of handling high traffic and has the ability to be scaled efficiently. One of the things that makes WordPress so popular is its efficient and robust architecture which allows for quick and easy scalability. This is largely due to its use of database abstraction layers (DALs) which allow for simplified database queries and caching layers which improve performance. The built-in HTTP Cache and Expires headers support efficient caching strategies that can significantly reduce your website’s load time.
6. Reliability.
An essential element of any successful web design and development platform is the reliability of the code that creates and edits websites and blogs on the platform. While there are multiple plugins and themes available for WordPress that can be utilized to generate professional-looking websites quickly, you must be willing to take the time to learn how to use them properly. On the upside, if you do pick WordPress, you can be sure that the code that creates your website will be stable and reliable. Additionally, because WordPress is designed to be user-friendly, you can be sure that any problems that you experience are most likely due to your lack of knowledge rather than any bug in the software itself. For these reasons, among others, we consider WordPress to be a reliable option for those who want to make the switch to a new CMS.
7. Functionality.
One of the primary reasons why Dreamweaver is so popular is its extensive and highly functional feature set. It can be used to create websites, blogs and e-commerce stores, in addition to being able to handle all of the common tasks that one would need in order to create a professional-looking website. If you are looking for a versatile, robust and fully functional CMS, then Dreamweaver is the right choice for you. Additionally, if you are looking for a solution that can be used for all of your website needs, then Dreamweaver is the clear choice. It can handle the functionality of a small to midsized business website, in addition to being able to scale to handle the functionality of a large enterprise website. If you are looking for a reliable and stable solution that has a large number of features, then Dreamweaver is the clear choice.
8. Community.
One of the things that make WordPress so popular is that it is based on a popular open source content management system (CMS) that is supported by a large and active community. This means that you can be sure that whenever you have a question or encounter an issue while using WordPress, there will be someone available to help you out. If you are looking for a solution that is supported by a large community, then WordPress is the perfect choice. It is a popular solution that is supported by a large and active community which makes it more stable and reliable than other options. In general, the more community support the better as far as reliability and stability are concerned as other users can verify that the solution has not been affected by unexpected patches or glitches.
9. Open Source.
Open Source CMSes and platforms such as WordPress are supported by a thriving open source community. This means that you can rest assured that any modifications or enhancements that you make to the code will be made available to everyone else. Because the code is available, you can be sure that you are not going to run into any significant problems while trying to make modifications or enhancements. If you are looking for a robust, stable and fully functional CMS that is completely open source and supported by a large and active community, then WordPress is the clear choice. Not only will you find an extensive collection of plugins that you can use, but you can also contribute to the open source community which makes it more stable and reliable.