Do you plan on creating a website? Is there any understanding of what WordPress is and why it’s so popular? Starting a website from scratch might be a little nerve-wracking, we get it. Even with WordPress’s help, though, you’ll be on your own at first. The purpose of this article is to help newcomers understand what WordPress is, what it can accomplish, and how it is most commonly put to use.
History of WordPress
In 2003, or 18 years ago, WordPress 0.7 was launched by its creators, Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg. Initial development was learning about the needs of the web development community and the blogging world so that features and functionalities could be created.
Since WordPress was released under the GNU General Public License version 2, it is considered open-source software and is available for use and modification by anybody. Because it was freely available to the public, the WordPress community could rapidly and efficiently address any bugs that were discovered.
In addition, anybody may access the source code of WordPress platform and study it to find and repair bugs. Thousands of individuals all around the world have contributed their time and knowledge to make it better software.
In brief, what is WordPress?
WordPress is widely recognized as a top platform for creating a functional and attractive website. Over 35% of all websites run on this platform, making it the most used CMS (CMS).
Users of content management systems are able to make and edit web content without needing to know any programming language. Using WordPress’s website builder, you can design and edit your site’s core components with minimal to no coding skills. In addition to the sophisticated capabilities and plug-ins available in the more expensive plans, there is a wide variety of functionality available to users with intermediate to advanced skills.
WordPress was first designed for blogging, but its functionality has since been extended to other types of websites, such as online shops, portfolios, membership sites, and more. Imagine anything, and WordPress will help you build it.
How Does WordPress Work?
Unlike website builders, WordPress is not a hosted service but rather a piece of software. This implies that in order to have access to website building tools, you will need to download and install WordPress on your computer.
Keep in mind that the WordPress project does not offer any sort of assistance service. In the event of technical difficulties, it is up to you to determine a workaround. Since WordPress is so widely used, there are countless online tutorials, how-tos, and articles available to help you set it up. The WordPress team also has some great resources for setting up and fixing frequently asked issues, so I suggest checking those out as well.
A WordPress installation consists of:
- Pick a host and make a payment. Numerous webhosts exist, and the majority of them give WordPress users with discounted rates (like Hostinger, A2 Hosting, Kinsta). One of the few benefits of using WordPress is access to hosting providers at reduced rates. WordPress does not offer automated website monitoring or assistance with technical difficulties like other hosting services. Moreover, free hosting options like as Local are great for experimenting with WordPress’ functionality. However, only you will have access to your site and be able to make changes.
- Integrate your domain with the hosting. Consult the hosting company’s documentation for specifics on how to get started.
- Get WordPress from the web and set it up on your computer. Go to either www.wordpress.org or www.wordpress.com to get started.
- Make a database for use with WordPress. When you sign up for certain hosting plans, the initial configuration of your WordPress database is taken care of. At any rate, if you need additional information about database installation, contact the support team of your hosting provider. Furthermore, WordPress provides an in-depth tutorial on what a WordPress database is and how to set one up.
Once you’ve finished all of these things, you’re free to start making a website! Add the appropriate WordPress plugins and themes (if you intend to use them) to your site to do this. You may also find a complete set of necessary equipment in this location.
Explain Why WordPress Is the Best Option
#1. Multifunctionality.
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) whose code is freely available to the public. A variety of third-party plugins make it possible to get by without knowing how to code. There are already over 50,000 plugins available in the WordPress plugin repository, so you should be able to find all you need to succeed.
#2. Full control over the website.
Because it’s free and open-source, WordPress allows you complete control over your site’s appearance, functionality, and settings, including the hosting and the comments section. You are free to save copies of the website on your computer or other storage device.
Such flexibility is not possible with closed-source content management systems or website builders. You can’t execute server-side programming or switch hosting providers based on your preferences since, for instance, you don’t have access to the server. The CSS of a closed-source CMS cannot be modified (there are some exceptions, but still). You can add applications to the site, but doing so requires knowledge of how the site’s backend works. The potential for creativity in design is similarly constrained. Some closed-source content management systems don’t support GIFs or animations on websites, while others provide restricted facilities for modifying blog entries and other similar content.
#3. Low cost for beginners.
Price tags for managed hosting of a simple website often hover around $10 monthly. To put it another way, it’s a lot less expensive than other options.
#4. Vast and friendly community.
It brings together thousands of programmers, designers, and business owners from all around the world. The WordPress community is a supportive group of people who are always willing to provide a hand to a fellow member in need. Essentially, this group serves as a de facto WordPress custom support forum.
When building a website, why go with WordPress?
A few of the most important aspects of utilizing WordPress to create and manage your website or blog are briefly discussed here.
- Optimized for search engines WordPress is well-known for its in-built support for search engine optimization. Every page and post will have a title tag and meta description generated automatically. In this way, search engines may find and index your material, which might lead to higher ranks. As with every aspect of WordPress, additional functionality is available in the form of plugins and web-based tools.
- Mobile-Friendly: It adapts to every screen size or form factor. Your website will be easily navigable on any device, including desktop computers, mobile phones, laptops, and tablets.
- Compatible with any format: Most importantly, you will have complete freedom in deciding how to combine text, graphics, and videos across your site. Because you can use whatever kind of material you choose, and because WordPress gives you an open canvas on which to express yourself, WordPress is an ideal platform for your creative endeavors.
- Fun and simple to alter, its adaptability is its main selling point. To completely revamp your website’s appearance, you may choose from tens of thousands of available themes and plugins. Also, you’ll include nifty extras like galleries of pictures and lists of things to do.
- WordPress makes it simple to keep your plugins and themes up to date with a built-in update management system.
Therefore, it is adaptable since it can be used to power any kind of website. WordPress is versatile enough to power any kind of website, be it a simple business blog, a corporate website, a portfolio website, a wedding website, a fitness website, or even an online store.
Conclusion
WordPress is used for anything from personal blogs to online stores and beyond. In other words, it’s a great tool for beginners who don’t yet know how to code but want to build their first website. Also, there is no cost and installation is simple.
WordPress is a good starting point for anyone who wants to build a blog, use it to promote their writing or start an online store.
