What is WordPress?
WordPress goes beyond a basic website builder; it’s a powerful content management system (CMS) that lets users create, manage, and publish digital content without needing programming skills.
With an intuitive interface similar to simpler website builders, WordPress provides extensive plugins, themes, and extensions for customization, making it easy to build a professional and adaptable website without coding. As the leading CMS, WordPress powers 43% of all websites (W3Techs, 2023).
Experienced web designers benefit from its open-source nature—it’s free to download, edit, and distribute, licensed under the GNU GPLv2, and developed in PHP. Installing WordPress takes just five minutes, and it requires only a hosting service to run once set up.
The History of WordPress
WordPress originated in 2003, evolving from a project called b2/catalog. Its primary aim was to provide a personal publishing framework utilizing PHP and MySQL. The initial version was developed by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. Due to its open-source nature, a vibrant community of contributors has since expanded the platform. Currently, Matt Mullenweg represents WordPress and is also the founder of Automattic, the company behind many popular plugins and the hosting service WordPress.com.
The inaugural version, WordPress 0.7, was launched on May 27, 2003. This marked the beginning of numerous updates leading to the latest iteration known as Gutenberg. The first release established essential features for modern content management systems (CMS), including comment moderation, software upgrades, SEO-friendly permalinks, and support for multiple tags and categories.
The history of WordPress is rich with significant milestones:
- 2003: Automattic appointed Toni Schneider as CEO, previously of Oddpost and Yahoo!.
- 2003: The inaugural WordCamp took place.
- 2003: Automattic acquired Gravatar, which provides avatars in WordPress comments.
- 2008: The launch of the WordPress Theme Directory, offering thousands of free themes.
- 2010: Release of WordPress 3.0, which transitioned it from a blogging tool to a comprehensive CMS.
- 2015: Acquisition of WooCommerce by Automattic, enhancing eCommerce capabilities.
- 2018: Introduction of the Gutenberg editor, offering a user-friendly block editing experience.
WordPress is expected to continue its evolution and expand its capabilities as a CMS.
How does WordPress work?
To begin building your WordPress website, start by selecting a theme. Themes define your site’s visual style, each with a unique design, layout, and features. Themes are fully customizable, and you can switch to a different one anytime without affecting your content.
Create and publish content using the editor, where you can develop pages or posts using blocks like headings, paragraphs, buttons, or images. This block-based editor lets you organize content with a clear structure, and you can switch to the code editor when needed.
Enhance your website’s functionality with plugins—installable features that can be free or paid. Plugins offer various benefits, from improving site performance and safeguarding against spam to optimizing SEO. Overall, plugins simplify the process of building and managing a WordPress site.
What is WordPress used for?
WordPress is commonly linked to blogging due to its origins in that realm, but its capabilities extend far beyond just blogs. In fact, it serves as a content management system (CMS) for virtually any kind of website, contributing to its immense popularity. Whether you’re looking to build a portfolio, set up a dropshipping business, or launch an online store using WooCommerce, WordPress can accommodate your needs.
Here are just a few examples of the diverse types of websites you can create with WordPress:
- Blogs
- E-commerce sites
- Business websites
- Portfolios
- News platforms
- Job boards
- Podcasts
The flexibility of WordPress means that if you can envision it, you can likely bring it to life using this platform.
Does WordPress Host Websites?
While WordPress is an incredibly versatile CMS, it does not host websites directly. To learn more about this aspect, stay tuned for a discussion on the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
What kind of websites can WordPress make?
In its early days, WordPress was mainly a blogging platform. However, that has changed significantly over the years. With updates to its core code and a vast ecosystem of plugins and themes, WordPress now enables users to create a wide variety of websites.
Today, WordPress powers countless business sites and blogs and stands out as one of the leading platforms for building eCommerce stores. Here are some examples of what you can create with WordPress:
- Business websites
- E-commerce stores
- Blogs
- Portfolios
- Resumes
- Forums
- Social networks
- Membership sites
- And much more!
With such extensive capabilities, the possibilities with WordPress are nearly limitless.
What are WordPress themes?
WordPress themes are pre-built templates that let you customize your website’s design without needing to write any code. They shape your site’s visual identity, including its color palette, fonts, and layout for elements like blog posts or product listings.
The official WordPress directory offers over 11,000 free themes tailored for various purposes, such as blogging, e-commerce, or corporate websites.
For more advanced options, you can explore premium themes on platforms like ThemeForest, which often include additional features and dedicated support for troubleshooting.
Astra is an excellent choice for beginners, offering a modern, lightweight design that ensures fast loading times. For more suggestions, check out our curated list of top free WordPress themes.
What are WordPress plugins?
WordPress plugins serve as add-ons that enhance the functionality of your website. They enable users to implement specific features, such as integrating a contact form, boosting site performance, or connecting to external services like Google Analytics.
The official WordPress repository boasts more than 59,000 free plugins. For those seeking advanced functionalities, premium options are available through marketplaces such as CodeCanyon.
A widely used plugin for search engine optimization is AIOSEO. This tool enriches your website’s backend with essential features, including a site audit and a page analysis tool that provides recommendations for content enhancements.
What Reasons WordPress is a great choice for building your website?
WordPress stands out as an excellent platform for building your website for several key reasons:
- Open Source and Free: WordPress is open-source software, meaning it’s free to download and use however you like. Additionally, a global community of volunteers continually works to enhance and improve it.
- User-Friendly: WordPress is simple to learn and operate, so you don’t need a web designer for every small update. You can easily manage and create content without any coding knowledge.
- Fully Customizable: With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can completely transform your website’s appearance or add features like e-commerce, photo galleries, or mailing lists.
- Ample Support Options: If you encounter issues or need custom features, help is easy to find. Along with WordPress tutorials, you can hire developers or use the official WordPress Forum for assistance. Local WordPress events worldwide provide opportunities to connect with other users and experts.
- Content Ownership: Unlike some platforms that restrict what you can do or risk losing your content if they shut down, WordPress gives you full control. You can easily import content from platforms like Blogger or Tumblr and export your data anytime if you decide to switch. You always own your content.
Benefits of using WordPress for websites
Flexibility and Customization: WordPress provides a vast array of customization options through its extensive library of themes and plugins. Whether you’re creating a personal blog, an e-commerce site, or a corporate webpage, WordPress allows you to tailor the design and functionality to suit your specific needs.
User-Friendly Interface: Renowned for its straightforward and user-friendly dashboard, WordPress enables users to easily manage website content, install themes, and update plugins without requiring any technical skills.
Scalability: From personal blogs to large-scale corporate websites, WordPress is designed to scale according to your evolving requirements. You can begin with a simple setup and expand your site as traffic grows, thanks to the platform’s rich ecosystem of themes and plugins.
SEO Optimization: Out of the box, WordPress is optimized for search engines. With robust SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, RankMath, and All in One SEO, optimizing your content for better visibility in search results becomes a seamless process.
Mobile Responsiveness: The majority of WordPress themes are fully responsive, ensuring that your website displays beautifully across all devices—an essential feature as most internet users now browse on smartphones.
Resources to Build Your WordPress Website
Building a website can feel overwhelming with so many hosting providers, page builders, and plugins to choose from. To simplify things, here’s a curated list of options to help you get started:
- WP Engine: Specializing in managed WordPress hosting, WP Engine offers secure and reliable solutions tailored for agencies, businesses, and enterprises.
- WPMU Dev: A comprehensive WordPress platform offering hosting, security, and marketing tools to help you create and manage a successful website.
- All-in-One SEO: This SEO plugin provides a complete toolkit for optimizing your site. Its TruSEO score and actionable checklist make it easy to boost page and post rankings.
- WooCommerce: Ideal for building an online store, WooCommerce offers flexible customization and integrated blogging to support business growth.
- Elementor: Used by over 3 million websites, this page builder allows you to design professional-looking web pages with pre-made templates—no coding required.
- Gravity Forms: Create advanced forms with ease using its visual editor. Its conditional logic feature adjusts fields dynamically based on user input, improving visitor engagement.
- WP Beginner: A free resource packed with tips and guides for WordPress newcomers to enhance and optimize their websites.
- The Events Calendar: A versatile WordPress tool offering free and premium options for creating event calendars, managing RSVPs, ticketing, and more.
- WordPress VIP: Designed for enterprises, this platform enhances content delivery, scales digital experiences, secures complex applications, and leverages data to drive growth.
With these tools and resources, you’ll be well-equipped to create a professional and functional website.
Is WordPress free?
WordPress is entirely free to use on its own. While some developers offer “premium” themes and plugins for sale, there are numerous free options available as well. When launching your website, the primary cost you need to consider is the web hosting service.
WordPress.com and WordPress.com are the two main platforms that are associated with the website. .org. Understanding that both platforms are owned by the same company is crucial.
This is the home of the core application. Here, you can download the latest version of the content management system (CMS), access plugins, and find themes for your site. The resources available here can also be accessed directly through WordPress itself. This platform provides the full WordPress experience, allowing you to install the CMS on your own web host, a personal internet server, or even a private network at home.
In contrast, WordPress.com operates differently from its software counterpart. On this platform, you can create free subdomain websites and utilize some features of WordPress. However, it has significant limitations; you cannot make extensive customizations or install many plugins and themes.
Many users prefer not to use WordPress.com due to its restricted access to administrative features that the main application offers. This limitation makes it challenging to achieve full customization. Fortunately, migrating your site from WordPress.com is relatively straightforward if you decide to expand your online presence.
