Creating a website might look like a complex and tedious job. You might think that you will have to learn from coding to web designing or hire professionals with the skill set for this purpose. 

But worry not, WordPress is here for your rescue. You can create beautiful websites for any purpose with the help of this software.

Introduction to WordPress

It won’t be a beginner’s guide to WordPress without giving a little introduction. WordPress is a free, open-source software and web Content Management System (CMS). Initially, it was launched as a tool for publishing blogs. At present, WordPress has become the world’s most popular CMS. Data from W3Tech states that 45.8% of the websites around the world have been made using this open-source software. 

The popularity of WordPress is partially due to it being a free software that anyone can get access to. Anyone looking to build websites or blogs can install the software and use it without spending a penny.

Difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

For beginners, both platforms might look similar but they are not the same. Without knowing their difference there can be no beginner’s guide to WordPress!

WordPress.com is a paid service operated with WordPress.org software. It comes with a setup guide. However, there is less flexibility when it comes to customization. You can get a premium plan to get full flexibility in the platform. 

WordPress.org on the other hand is a self-hosted platform and is 100% free. You can install the software easily and create a website on your own. It only requires you to create an account and select a plan. There is full flexibility and customization in this platform. 

Since there is a significant difference between the two, you can choose based on your requirements. If you are looking to own your website, WordPress.org is the best choice for you. 

Websites you can create using WordPress

With WordPress, you can create any kind of website. Lifestyle websites, online business stores, professional portfolios, e-commerce websites, membership websites, corporate websites, or others, WordPress can be used for all purposes. 

There are thousands of themes and plugins – free and paid to cater to your needs. Based on your requirement for a website, you can choose either WordPress.com or WordPress.org.

Click here to read about the 10 best web hosting for beginners! 

Why you should use WordPress

By now we know that WordPress is a free and open-source platform. But aside from these pros, there are other reasons that you should use WordPress. 

1. Beginner-friendly

WordPress is a flexible platform that is built for non-tech and novice users. There is no need for you to learn coding to use this software. It is easy to use thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly platform. 

2. SEO-friendly

What makes WordPress arguably the best CMS is it is SEO-friendly. You can use the WordPress SEO plugins to further optimize and generate organic traffic to your website. Similarly, it helps to boost your website rankings, directing the target audience to your site. Some of the popular SEO plugins in use are Yoast Seo, All in One SEO, and SEO Framework. 

3. Accessibility and Security

You can access WordPress from any part of the world and it is the safest among CMS. You can access and make adjustments to your site from any part of the world using your smartphones, laptops, or tablets. The platform regularly posts updates and has an auto-update option for security purposes. 

4. Flexible and Customizable

One of the perks of using WordPress is that it is flexible and easy to customize. There are thousands of themes and plugins – both free and paid, that you can use to customize your website. There is no shortage of free themes and plugins for beginners to test the water.

5. WordPress Community

Using WordPress means joining the WordPress community. Thousands of active users readily provide helpful materials. Any problem you have related to the platform, you can ask in the forums. It helps the beginners to get the necessary information to build their websites. 

Conclusion

WordPress has established itself as the best CMS and website builder. Some of the big and reputed companies like CNN Press Room, PlayStation, Time Magazine, Sony Music, Microsoft News, etc. are known users of WordPress. 

We hope our beginner’s guide to WordPress will come in handy for you. It is a daunting task to make a website, however, WordPress has greatly minimized the process. The array of features provided by the platform is greater than any other CMS. Consequently, WordPress is a popular choice among website builders across the globe.