If you were to ask just about anyone online today on how to create a website, more than likely they are going to tell you to use WordPress. If you�ve never created a website before, then you�re probably thinking what is WordPress and how does it work?
I know when I first started out online, I thought creating a website was going to be a huge ordeal taking several hours to do.
However what I later realized was that WordPress actually made website creation very easy, and today I can now create a website in about 30 seconds.
Before I get into the details on how WordPress works, let me first explain a little bit more about what it is.
What Is WordPress
WordPress is basically a software that manages content people put on their websites.
Whether you want to start a blog about a passion you have, or start an e-commerce store and sell physical products online � WordPress is the place to go.
What you may not know though is there are two different WordPress programs you can choose from.
1. WordPress.com: Create a free website or blog
2. Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS
While you may think they are the same, there is one major difference you want to be aware of before you go choosing one or the other.
What�s The Difference Between WordPress.com: Create a free website or blog and .org?
With both software�s doing the same thing (which lets you easily create content online) � the main difference between the two is who is hosting your website.
Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS: Here YOU will host your own blog. You will have to pay for hosting with this option, but in the end it will be something that you own.
I highly urge you to choose this if you are considering trying to make money online, or want full ownership of your website.
WordPress.com: Create a free website or blog: Here you don�t have to worry about paying for hosting, download software, or manage anything. However you will be very restricted as to what you can and can not do.
I see this as more of an option when you just create a website more for fun, rather than creating one to start a business or talk about a passion you have.
So with Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS, you will be able to have your own domain name, upload custom themes and plugins to give you a lot of flexibility over your website, and you will be able to rank in search engines better.
With the WordPress.com: Create a free website or blog version you won�t pay for anything, however your domain will have �WordPress.com: Create a free website or blog� in it, and you will not be able to fully customize your theme or add any plugin you want to it.
How Does WordPress Work?
WordPress is a system that lets you create pages or post without having to learn all that complicated HTML code. To do this, you�ll simply log into your account and enter the dashboard of your Website.
Once you�re here, you then will either click new post or page � which is where you can start writing content. From here you could sell products from Amazon, start a blog about a topic your love like dogs, or create an e-commerce store and sell physical inventory.
Also in the dashboard settings, you can do things like change the appearance of your website �or theme�, add plugins which gives you more versatility with your website, and also use widgets to help with the navigation of your site.
I don�t want to get into the specific details of what you can do and how to do it, but basically if there�s anything you want to add to your website to make better � with over 46,000 plugins you can make and shape your site to however you see fit.
Why Is WordPress So Popular?
You might be wondering up to this point what�s so special about WordPress? Isn�t it just a simple program allowing you to create a website without HTML?
I would say it�s far from just a simple program, as big companies like EBay and GM use it. Also around 50,000 WordPress blogs are being launched daily, and 25% of the top one million websites use WordPress.
But why does everyone use it including these big named companies? Here are a few main reasons WordPress is rated number 1.
It�s easy to install and use. WordPress only takes around 5 minutes to install, letting you quickly get to work on your website. Also with easy to use navigation and the ability to customize your site at a click of a button � it�s no wonder people from the age of 18-80 years old are using it.
You have thousands of themes to choose from. Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS comes with around 1,600 different FREE themes that you can choose from. If that�s not enough, you can also install third party themes from places like Theme Forest or StudioPress. With a theme being the main design of your website, with literary thousands of them to choose from � you can make your website look any way you want.
Plugins give you a lot of versatility. Plugins are basically like apps on your iPhone, that you can install into your website to increase its functionality. With over 46,000 plugins, you can add just about any feature you can imagine to your site. It can be something to help you with SEO, an automatic back up system, or a way to slideshow your images.
Safe and secure to use: WordPress is constantly updating their system to keep their security and maintenance up to date. This is very reassuring so that you won�t have to worry about hackers getting a hold of your site, or having your site crash without any backups.
So all in all why is WordPress popular? It�s safe, easy to use, and gives you free tools to customize your site to any way you want.
Final Thoughts
I hope by now you have a much better understanding as to what WordPress is, how it works, and why so many people in the world use it.
The thing I really love about WordPress is it�s basically a blank canvas giving you the tools to create a website about anything and for any reason. If you want to create a website about cats, dogs, or just have your own personal diary � then WordPress can make this happen.
