WordPress is the easiest and the most popular way to create your blogs and websites. Launched back in 2003, it has grown to become the most popular tool to create blogs and build websites worldwide.
On a more technical level, WordPress is a free, open-source content management system released under the GNU public license. It is free to download, use and modify to one’s needs. Its versatility and flexibility make it easy for anyone to use, developer or not. Maybe because of that, today, WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites on the Internet. In other words, it powers more than one-third of the web.
Learn what open-source means here.
About WordPress
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS). Meaning, a huge community of contributors keeps it up and running. But it was originally a collaborative creation between Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It was written in PHP and uses a MySQL database.
WordPress might have started as a simple blogging tool rather than a traditional website building tool, but today it is a powerful way to create any kind of website; from eCommerce and business websites, mobile applications, and portfolios to lifestyle blogs and forums. WordPress is the simplest solution to creating websites and content regardless of one’s technical background.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
If you are new to WordPress, the difference between wordpress.org and wordpress.com can be a little confusing. Because despite the similar names, they are not the same.
In short, wordpress.org is the self-hosted WordPress. It is free and open-source software managed by the non-profit WordPress Foundation. It is free to install and use any way you want. To use it, you need to buy your domain name and web host from any other platform, like Liquidweb.
WordPress.com on the other hand is a for-profit and paid service owned by Automattic. It is the hosted version of and powered by WordPress. You can use it to create a blog or website. By default, your website’s URL or domain will include the word ‘WordPress’, for instance, yourblog.wordpress.com.
With wordpress.org, you need to have your domain name and install the software on your own host. Most web hosting platforms help you install WordPress with a few clicks. Web hosting and domain names are like paid subscriptions; you have to pay to use them for a time period. That is about the only expense in wordpress.org.
Both platforms make it easy to create websites and content. It is even easier to do so with wordpress.com as you don’t need to have your own domain name web hosting. You can use it for 100% free or a paid plan. With a free plan, your website is a subdomain of wordpress.com like mentioned above. WordPress.com ads will be displayed and you have limited storage. With a paid plan, however, you can use your own domain name and remove WordPress ads.
Officially, wordpress.org and wordpress.com two are separate entities. But since Matt Mullenweg is the founder of both WordPress Foundation and Automattic, they remain closely linked.
WordPress Website
A WordPress website uses WordPress as its content management system (CMS). WordPress powers both the backend and frontend of the website. And thanks to its vast array of plugins and themes, one doesn’t need a developing and programming background to use it.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to customizing a WordPress website. You can use plugins and themes from the vast choices available to introduce new designs and functions to your website.
Notable Websites Using WordPress
If you decide to use WordPress to build a website, you are in good company with many others.
WordPress is not only relevant for small businesses and bloggers. Here are some notable websites that use WordPress.
- Etsy Journal
- Microsoft News
- TED Blog
- BBC America
- Playstation
- Skype
- Star Wars Blog
- The Walt Disney Company
- Yelp
- MTV News
- Vogue
- The Rolling Stones
And these are only some of them. Recognize a few?
Read: Notable Businesses And Brands Using WordPress
Why Should You Use WordPress
But don’t listen to these entities to use WordPress for your own website. Here’s why WordPress is suitable for YOU.
- WordPress is open source
WordPress is an open-source platform, which means that you can download and use it for free. You can even modify the source code and redistribute it. Many contributors around the world contribute to improving WordPress by doing so. The community is what makes the platform all the more friendly and better.
- It is completely free
WordPress.org is completely free to use. You will need a third-party hosting service to make your website available online though. Even with wordpress.com, the services are much cheaper than anywhere else and extremely easy to use.
- It is beginner-friendly
Creating a website is a daunting task. The setup takes a lot of time, energy, resources, and skillset. The solution is WordPress. You don’t require an engineering or IT degree to use it. In fact, WordPress is actually aimed at people with a non-technical background, so that anyone can create beautiful websites and engaging content.
The user interface is simple and friendly. To add a new design, you can simply download a new theme. You can install a plugin to add a new feature. What would take hours for a web developer to do can be done within minutes.
- WordPress is SEO friendly
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) makes your website visible in search engines like Google or Bing. And WordPress offers an exceptional codebase for SEO so that you can optimize every page and post on your website to rank higher in search results.
With SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, you can edit your content easily. It gives suggestions on what you can change or improve, like meta descriptions, adding images, readability of your text, internal/external links and so much more.
- WordPress is secure
If security is your major concern, then there is no better alternative than WordPress. Keep your plugins updated and passwords secure and it is the safest CMS platform out there. WordPress offers many features like two-factor authentication and logging out idle users to secure your website and data.
- Highly Customizable and Flexible
You can create many different types of websites using WordPress, from personal blogs and online stores to mobile applications and membership sites. And you can change the layout, design, and modify the functionality with a few clicks. You have even more control over the design and look of your website.
- Premium Plugins
WordPress can be extendable with the vast plugins that it offers. These plugins are software that you can upload to your website to add a new feature; SEO, social media, page builder, and security plugins are some to name a few. There are over 50,000 free WordPress plugins and 5,000 free WordPress themes, and not to mention a ton of premium ones. To say you have plenty of choices is an understatement.
To conclude, WordPress is the best tool to create your website and manage content for it. It is free to download and easy to use. You can find a large selection of themes and plugins. It supports different forms of media and is secure. The ever-growing community of contributors and developers that constantly make it better ensures its long-lasting future. It is highly customizable and there is just about nothing that you cannot do with it. So, we fail to think of any reasons why you should not use WordPress.