Creating a website, online store, or blog is one of the best ways to establish an online communication and sales channel with your audience and a very useful way to connect with new consumers.
For this, the most prominent tool on the market is WordPress. According to data from W3Techs, WordPress currently represents more than 65% of the content management systems (CMS) market. The competition is nowhere near them.
Furthermore, it is estimated that about 33% of active websites worldwide were created using its platform. One in three!
Keep reading this complete guide that we have prepared to know the compelling reasons why WordPress is the preferred platform for many to create websites.
What Is WordPress?
Explained in the most basic way, WordPress is a CMS ( Content Management System or Content Management System ), a platform specially designed to create and manage content, mostly web pages.
The mission of this CMS is to facilitate the creation and editing of content on a website without the need to use a programming language, making it possible for anyone without code knowledge to manage their store, website, or blog.
However, you can get more out of its features and create a personalized website if you know the programming language.
The good news is that there are a variety of really useful tutorials and courses to learn how to use this service. While many of the alternatives to WordPress require a higher degree of knowledge.
Among all the CMS services, WordPress is not only the most popular, but it is the most friendly to new users.
WordPress uses PHP and MySQL, languages compatible with all website hosting services, to build websites from scratch.
What stands out the most is that it is open-source software (also called “free software”), which means that it offers a lot of editing and customization freedoms, and it is completely free.
How Does WordPress work?
With a better understanding of what WordPress is, it’s time to explain how it works.
The first thing is to know that there are two versions available to users. On the one hand, there is the WordPress.com platform, and there is also WordPress.org.
At first, this cannot be very clear. However, both platforms work well and have a large user base, although the characteristics that differentiate them are considerable.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a hosting service that integrates with the WordPress CMS. By creating your website or blog on this service, you will get a website with myblog.wordpress.com.
Let’s say it’s a WordPress service that includes hosting.
Although in the standard version plan, you can get the domain “.com” for free. You can buy custom domains if you are willing to pay separately.
The downside to this service is that it is considerably less flexible than the purest WordPress service, which is WordPress.org.
WordPress.org
Having talked about what WordPress is in its “.com” version, it is time to talk about WordPress.org, the open-source version and the best known and most used, although throughout it, we will talk more about the differences between both versions.
The sites of this version are known as self-hosted, as they are necessarily hosted by WordPress to enjoy all its features. To use it, you have to download WordPress from the official site and install it on the server you want.
You’ll find a wide variety of themes and plugins to customize your site, but consider registering a domain and purchasing a website hosting plan as part of the process.
WordPress has a website administration interface, where you will see several categories, each one with specific functions for your business or personal website, E-commerce, or blog.
These functions include:
- Insert and edit multimedia files such as images, videos, and audios;
- Add, schedule, and edit posts on the website using a text editor similar to MS Word;
- Install and customize the WordPress themes of your choice;
- Create new pages, menus, categories, and tags for the website;
- Moderate visitor comments;
- Tracking data and basic metrics;
- Edit the layout of the entire site;
- Manage permission levels for page administrators;
- Create, add, edit and delete plugins and extensions;
- Export and import blog or website data.
Advantages of WordPress
We have listed the biggest benefits of knowing how to use WordPress and choosing it as the ultimate platform for creating a website with dynamic content.
Dependence on programming codes
With an intuitive interface, you won’t have to worry about knowing code or programming language if you choose to have a website hosted or managed on WordPress.
With a very simple system, the platform indicates buttons that allow you to edit the text just like any common text editor; even a block feature makes it easier to design and edit items.
Without the need to master web programming and write a single line of code, most WordPress functions can be accessed with just a few clicks.
Easy installation
Another great advantage is its quick and easy installation since no time is wasted in starting to use WordPress’s functions.
In addition to an installation, which can take between 5 and 10 minutes, WordPress updates can also be done automatically and even faster than the initial installation. Something unexpected in other programs such as software or operating systems.
Wide range of add-ons and extensions
It has more than 50,000 plugins, add-ons, and extensions to improve the user experience, both for administrators and visitors. Also, many of the most popular ones are free.
There are many options, from increasing website security, improving page loading speed, SEO, and marketing tools, among many others.
And if you are especially interested in providing excellent customer service, you may want to know the best free chat for WordPress.
Templates offer
Another great advantage in favor of WordPress is the simplicity of changing the appearance of a website without damaging the content already published. It doesn’t matter if you already have multiple posts. You can change the layout whenever you want.
Change only the way this content is presented to the public.
Use from mobile devices
Thinking of practicality and ease for users, WordPress has an application for Android or iOS devices that allows you to manage your website directly from a mobile phone or tablet.
Open source system
WordPress’s open-source system allows anyone to edit, improve, and customize templates, themes, and plugins to a level impossible to achieve with website builders-style platforms.
To modify WordPress code and further customize your website, you need a piece of good programming knowledge or a supportive web development professional, but not a translator
Constant updates
Thanks to its active community of volunteer developers, WordPress is constantly updated.
From version 0.70 to version 5.8.1, there were more than 75 updates, which improved the use of the system and made it more secure. The best thing is that these WordPress updates are done automatically on the system.
Advanced security
Talking about WordPress updates leads us to mention its high level of security. The development of security plugins, but especially the precise and active action of the community, makes it a much more secure platform than others.
If you want to protect your sensitive data, then WordPress is an option to consider if you wonder how to create a website.
Full control
WordPress has all the features that are needed for a website, from design to structure to support. It is the complete platform and has several robust solutions for any digital project.
WordPress is for you if you are looking for full access and control of all elements and from any device.
Usability and interface
Unlike other tools that invest in powerful solutions but do not provide a good user interface and usability, WordPress has all these solutions and offers a good user experience, both for those who create the site and for the end-users.
For example, the platform becomes easier to use with each update, allowing control through content blocks.
What Is The Difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
As we mentioned before, there are two versions of WordPress, “.org” and “.com.” Now that you know what WordPress is used for in its two versions, it is convenient to talk more in-depth about one and the other and the criteria that should lead to your choice.
WordPress.org
The WordPress.org version is the community site to download the software, and it is open-source to install on any server. It is necessary to have a registered domain and to have hired a server to host your site once you download WordPress.
How you will discover in our article about the best hosting, there are specialized and optimized servers in hosting WordPress sites.
The open-source of this CMS makes it compatible with various plugins, themes, languages , and many other features without any limitation.
Precisely the point of the limitations between the versions of WordPress is the great difference between the platforms.
WordPress.com
Now it is time to talk about what WordPress.com is, a website hosting service with WordPress software, in which you register for free and create a website with a domain “mysite.wordpress.com,” or pay for have a custom domain.
Creating a website in this version is unnecessary to have a hosting or a registered domain because you can contract it right there. However, there are several limitations of use, such as:
- Inability to use custom themes (only those provided by WordPress);
- Minimal customization in the way the links are presented;
- Impossibility of monetizing the blog or website (or only if you contract two more expensive plans);
- Viewing WordPress Ads;
- WordPress branding and tagline at the bottom of the website;
- Inability to edit source code;
- Limited storage space in the free plan and also in the cheapest ones.
Also Read: CRM: What It Is, How It Works, And Examples
What is The Best Version of WordPress?
This will depend a lot on your objective. If you are looking to create more robust projects such as an E-commerce or a website with numerous pages, you will need to use WordPress.org due to its customization possibilities from the source code.
While you need other investments like hosting and domain registration (although you can get a free domain ), this model is worth it if you want to get the most out of the software and have the least amount of limitations.
On the other hand, WordPress.com may be the best option for playing a more personal project. Who wants to create a basic website or blog with some features to stand out but nothing too great.
How To Create Your Website on WordPress.com?
It is very easy to create your website using WordPress.com. To get started, go to the WordPress.com website and click on the “Get started now” option.
Then, a screen will appear with three design options, choose one, and you can continue to the next step, where you must select a temporary theme for your website or blog. This step can be skipped if you prefer.
In this next step, it will be time to name your site. Remember that your domain will show “.wordpress.com” at the end; if you prefer a custom domain, you must pay.
Then, choose one of the four plans that WordPress offers, analyze the characteristics and advantages, and select the best option for your project. Either way, you can change plans later.
Finally, enter your email address and password to complete the registration.
The plans available for WordPress.com are:
- Personal
- Premium
- Business
- eCommerce
How To Create a Website on WordPress.org?
If you want to create your website or blog on WordPress.org, you must bear in mind that it involves a greater number of steps and responsibilities but also more freedoms.
But don’t worry, we’ve put together a guide to help you meet each of them and successfully learn how to use WordPress to create a website.
Choose a domain
The first step in creating a WordPress.org website is registering a domain, as WordPress.org does not provide it.
Currently, there are several companies on the internet where you can hire a domain without paying a high price. We talk about this in our article on how to create cheap web pages.
Now, when choosing a name for your domain, go for one that is easy to write, simple, and contains a keyword embedded in the URL, be it your brand name or something that links you to your industry.
Choose a hosting provider.
With the domain created and registered, the second step is to hire a hosting provider, the virtual (and also physical) space where your blog is located. If the domain is the address, the hosting is the land on which the site is built.
There are several hosting options on the market, and if you search on the internet, you will undoubtedly find several options. We have separated some recommendations for their performance:
- Hostinger
- Siteground
- GoDaddy
Once you hire your hosting service, you must point it to the DNS settings of your domain. If you don’t know how to do it, you can contact the support service, and they will inform you about the necessary information.
Download WordPress
Once you’ve completed the website and domain hosting steps, it’s time to learn to install WordPress. Within the WordPress.org website, it is possible to download the installer that comes in a compressed file.
After the download is complete, go to your hosting service’s control panel and look for File Manager. Inside it, a folder called “public_html,” drag or drop the compressed WordPress installer and extract the files there.
You can then access the installation panel for your site at yourdomain.com/wp-admin. However, before continuing, it is necessary to move on to the next step, which is …
Create The database
There are two ways to create the database: using cPanel or using phpMyAdmin. If you choose cPanel, you must follow these steps:
- Login to your cPanel panel;
- Click on the MySQL Database Wizard icon under “Database”;
- In “Step 1. Create a database”, enter the name of the database and click Next step;
- In “Step 2. Create Database Users”, enter the username and password. Then click Create user;
- In “Step 3. Add user to the database”, select the All privileges option and click Next step;
- In “Step 4. Complete,” the bank and user names are displayed. You only need to fill in the hostname, username, database name, and password values.
Now, if you choose to use phpMyAdmin, this is the step by step to follow:
- Click “Create new database,” select a name for the database and click “Create”;
- Now create a user for the database. To do this, click “Add a new user” to enter the username and password.
Now that your database is created, you can proceed to the last step to install your WordPress.org.
Install WordPress
Now, the last step is to know how to install WordPress. To complete it, you can follow the instructions that WordPress shows on yourwebsitename.com/wp-admin. There you enter the website or blog title, username, password, and database information.
Click on “Install WordPress” and the message “Success! WordPress is installed”, as simple as that, and you will have completed this step to create your website or blog.
Plugins – An Essential Part of WordPress
Having explained what WordPress is and how to create a website, it is time to talk about plugins or add-ons.
WordPress plugins are almost 60,000 and are extensions of extra functions. They often come from third-party services or products, or simply developers created an extra function for WordPress.
We have already mentioned the importance of plugins and functionalities that these extensions can help and improve the experience of using the platform.
It is important not to limit yourself to just these plugins, and this list contains a few worth checking out. But we invite you to look for new options that serve your goals well.
Many examples of web pages that use WordPress plugins for their marketing strategies to facilitate inventory or shipping management, optimize site performance, and more.
Do You Already Know What WordPress is and How to Use it?
We hope this guide has helped you understand what WordPress is and how it works more deeply, all with the vision of creating your website, blog, or online store more easily.
Also Read: SSL Certificate – Definition, Types And functions