So you have probably heard of WordPress and you know that it has something to do with websites but you are probably wondering what exactly is it and why should you use it? What makes it different to other website builders? And the most important question… will it be any good for you?
So, what is WordPress?
In it’s most basic form it is a Content Management System or CMS. In simple terms it manages your content and puts it live, up on the big ole internet.
In even more 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.
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 elesewhere. So, what is hosting?!
What Is Hosting?
Hosting is where your website files are kept and, like it’s 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 Option 2?
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!
But what are these themes and plugins you speak about?
As I mentioned WordPress is a content managment system that get’s 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.
Plugins are little bits of functionality that you can add to your website to get it to do stuff. 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!
Luckily for you, if you are reading this blog and thinking of creating your own website, or having one created for you, is that here at Wonderful World of Websites we specialise in WordPress!
Naturally, if you want more information we have plenty of free resources to help. Simply sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date: