'What is WordPress?' That's a good question! If you're unfamiliar with websites and are interested in setting one up for your business, this blog is ideal for you. I'll answer your 'What is WordPress?' question and explain what makes it different from other website builders. Additionally, and perhaps the most important question… will it be any good for you?
So, What is WordPress?
WordPress, in its most basic form, is a Content Management System or CMS. In simple terms, it manages the content of your website and puts it live, onto the big ole internet.
In even simpler terms, it is an easy way for you to create a website or blog without knowing any computer programming.
However, it's not really as simple as that. To make it confusing, there are two different versions available:
What is WordPress.com
The first version is one you may find if you Google WordPress called WordPress.com. The .com version is a 'for profit' company that offers a free version of their website builder, but if you want to use your own domain name or make any significant customisations you will need to be on one of their paid plans.
To be able to use premium themes and plugins (which I will explain later) you are looking at a minimum of £240 a year to use their hosting and functionality.
What makes it easy is that they host your whole website so you don't have to purchase elsewhere. So, what does that mean?!
What Is WordPress Hosting?
Hosting is where your website files are kept and, like it's main competitor, Wix, WordPress.com has hosting included in all it's plans. Support and security features are also included and they monitor what plugins and themes you can use.
What is WordPress.org
Now let's skip back a bit and you will remember I said that there are two different versions available.
The second version is a totally free, open source, not-for-profit software. When the majority of people say they have a WordPress site, this is the version that they are talking about.
To be able to use the .org version you need to purchase your own hosting through companies such as Siteground, 123 Reg, IONOS, Godaddy etc. or even us (you can purchase hosting here)
Hosting prices can range from £50 upwards a year and different companies charge different prices. The prices can vary massively along with what's included in their packages.
Which is why a lot of people get overwhelmed. But this option does generally (if you pick the right hosting package) work out much cheaper and has far better flexibility and it is quite straightforward to add your own security etc.
My choice is always option 2!
What are Themes and Plugins?
Themes
As I mentioned, WordPress is a content management system that gets your content on the internet. But you want it to look nice, right? And that's where themes come in. Themes are what you use for your website layout. There are free and paid-for themes as well as builders, which you can use to essentially create your own layouts. You need to select the best one to suit your business brand.
Plugins
Plugins are little bits of functionality that you can add to your website to get it to do specific things. They range from simple things such as adding a contact form or security, to plugins that create online courses and even vendors' sites (much like eBay) and about anything you can ever imagine your website doing.
Which is the reason that over 40% of the web is powered by WordPress, with Shopify coming in second at 3.9% followed by Wix at 2.5%.
So you can see the HUGE difference, which equates to around 810 million websites, with Divi being the most popular theme with around 3.8 million users.
This All Sounds Great!
I hope our basic, informative guide answering your 'what is WordPress' question has been of some use. If you are now convinced that this is the website builder you want, but feel a little apprehensive or very nervous about getting started, don't panic.
Why? Because, luckily for you, here at the Wonderful World of Websites, we specialise in WordPress! We can help you get started and guide you every step of the way.
Naturally, if you want more information, we also have plenty of free resources to help. Simply sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date:

