Sometimes good things come in small packages. That’s definitely true of websites in developing nations where residents don’t have the time or money to load big websites that use a lot of data. Now, by installing a plugin for WordPress, big websites can be made smaller — which means that they can reach audiences in developing nations who wouldn’t otherwise have the bandwidth to load the sites.
Actually, there are two plugins, both designed by WordPress that serve a similar function. The plugins are called AMP and Instant Articles and are simple to install on any WordPress site. Once installed, they allow complex websites to be transformed into smaller, more efficient formats. By taking out some of the fancier features like animation, videos, and large images, the plugins create websites that load much faster. As a result, people who otherwise would not be able to interact with certain websites because of data limitations and slow internet connections are able to see them.
This makes a huge difference, given that over half of the world’s population doesn’t use the internet, largely due to prohibitively high costs, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Despite the expense, internet usage has been steadily increasing each year. As of 2014, almost 32 percent of people in developing nations were using the internet, the ITU reported. However, they were not accessing high-data sites because they were simply too expensive and time-consuming to load.
With WordPress’ new plugins, website are now easier to load and therefore cheaper to view. Because they cost less, more people can afford to engage with them, connecting more people to a global flow of information. Small plugins, big impact.
Here’s another striking story to illustrate why these plugins for WordPress are so exciting. According to TechCrunch, for someone in India making minimum wage, it would take at least “three hours of work to pay for just a single hour of connectivity.” For most people, that impose severe limitations on their internet usage. The more complex a site, the longer it takes to load, and people in developing nations can’t afford those costs. But if stripped-down versions of websites that load quickly and don’t take up data? People would engage with them.
Want to add AMP or Instant Articles to your WordPress site to reach a more global audience? Our talented developers can add the plugin to your site. Just ask.
