Launched in 2003, WordPress has today become synonymous with website building. Any conversation that revolves around building a website will definitely mention WordPress. Experienced web developers are well aware of what WordPress is, how to use it, etc. But if you are a beginner, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with all the information available out there. To make it easier for beginners, we have created this detailed blog which will help you understand WordPress, thus, helping you kickstart your website-building journey.
In this blog, we will cover the below topics:
- What is WordPress?
- Difference between WordPress and WordPress.com
- Types of websites you can make using WordPress
- Benefits of WordPress
- Key features of WordPress
- How does WordPress work?
Table of Contents
What is WordPress?
Initially, when WordPress was launched, it was primarily used for creating blogs. However, with all the upgrades it has gone through, today it is used for creating different types of websites. So, what exactly is WordPress? In simple terms, WordPress is one of the easiest and simplest ways to create your own blog or website.
If you look at it technically, it is an open-source Content Management System that can be used to create websites and blogs without having the need to possess coding skills or experience. All you need to do is install the software, use it, and modify it as per your requirements – all for free. Today, more than 40% of the websites in the world are powered by WordPress, which means that one in every four websites is powered by WordPress.
Difference between WordPress and WordPress.com
There are two types of WordPress – WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
- WordPress.org – Also known as self-hosted WordPress, it is free, open-source software that can be installed on your own web host to create your own website.
- WordPress.com – It is a paid, for-profit service that is powered by the WordPress.org software. It is easy to use; however, it is not as flexible as the self-hosted WordPress.
In this blog, when we say WordPress, it refers to WordPress.org. It is recommended that if you want to completely own your website, then it is best to use self-hosted WordPress.
Types of Websites You Can Make Using WordPress
As mentioned earlier, over the years, WordPress has evolved a lot, thus enabling its users to not only create blogs but also various other types of websites. Some of the websites, apart from a blog, that you can build using WordPress include:
- E-commerce website – If you are in the business of selling goods or services online, then you can use WordPress to create your website through which you can sell and collect payments using various online payment services.
- Business Website – Having an online presence today is absolutely important, irrespective of what type of business you are running. Use WordPress to create your business website through which customers can gain information about your company, know about your products and services, contact you for support, schedule appointment, etc.
- Portfolio website – Build a portfolio website using WordPress to showcase your design skills, artwork, etc.
- E-learning website – You can use WordPress to build your e-learning website and use a WordPress plugin called LMS to offer online courses, track student progress, download resources, and more.
- Event website – Are you planning to host a website? Make your work easier by creating a website using WordPress to provide information about your event, sell tickets, share event details, etc.
- Forum website – Many of the forum websites out there run on WordPress. A forum website is a place where users can post questions, have discussions on various topics, provide answers, etc.
- Membership website – WordPress offers support plugins that can help you monetize your efforts by offering premium content only to members who have a subscription.
Benefits of WordPress
Below are some of the benefits of using WordPress:
- Ease of use – WordPress is quite simple to use, thus making it easy even for beginners to get started on building their websites and blogs.
- Cost – WordPress.org is completely free software that you just need to download and install. However, you will need to spend on web hosting and domain name.
- Flexibility – As mentioned in the previous section, WordPress offers a great deal of flexibility, which in turn allows its users to create various types of websites – from personal blogs to online stores to online magazines.
- Open-Source – WordPress is an open-source software which means that you can easily modify the source code and redistribute the software. It is basically designed to encourage people to contribute ideas that can improve the platform.
- Coding Knowledge – People who do not have any coding knowledge or skills can also easily build a website using WordPress. Although WordPress itself uses various coding languages, it is not required for the user to be aware of those languages.
- WordPress Plugins – You can use various WordPress plugins to make your WordPress software extendable. These plugins can be uploaded to your website to add more features. You can choose from thousands of free plugins available in the WordPress.org plugin directory.
- Media Types – You can use different types of media on your WordPress website, such as different combinations of text, images, and videos.
- Security – Keeping your data safe and secure is of utmost importance and with WordPress, you can rest assured that all your data will be safe and secure as long as you keep all your passwords secure and plugins updated.
Key Features of WordPress
WordPress offers a wide range of features:
- SEO – WordPress offers a robust code base for Search Engine Optimization. Various SEO plugins like Yoast SEO can help boost your rankings.
- Mobile-friendly – It is very important to have mobile-friendly websites and most of the themes in WordPress are quite mobile-friendly.
- User Interface – WordPress does not have any complicated settings which makes it really easy to use and navigate. It is as easy as using a word processor.
- Media Library – WordPress comes with a built-in media library and you can upload and embed your media files. You can also perform basic image editing in WordPress.
- Custom Menus – You can easily create navigation menus by using the custom menu feature in WordPress.
How Does WordPress Work?
Here is a quick guide on how WordPress works:
- The first step is to install the WordPress software.
- Once the software is installed, you will see a dashboard with links to various areas on the left-hand side. This is an easy-to-use dashboard and you can start creating your website pages or your blog posts from here.
- You can also choose a specific theme for your website. WordPress offers thousands of free WordPress themes or you can also choose from the Premium options which offer advanced features.
- Once you have selected your theme, you can customize it as per your requirements.
- One of the areas that you should focus on is WordPress plugins. These are typically like apps for your website which will enable you to add new features and functionalities on your website. You can explore and choose from the 60,000+ free WordPress plugins.
Conclusion
We hope the information provided in this blog helps you in getting started in building your website. Since it’s free software, you can always install and explore it which is a great way to understand how the WordPress software works. You can also check out some of the other website builder software available in the market.
We also recommend that you visit SaaSworthy where you can find information about various other useful software, such as Web Design Software, UX Software, Application Development Software, etc.
