You need a website for your business, but things have changed since you last customized a MySpace profile. You’ve looked into some website options and still have questions. Is WordPress easy to use? Do you need to learn to code and design?
The good news is that WordPress can help even the newest beginner build a website. It’s a popular option for a reason, and understanding all its features will make even MySpace Tom a believer.
What is WordPress?
If you ask, people will probably tell you they use WordPress for their business website. About 43% of the websites on the internet use WordPress. So, what exactly is it?
WordPress is a tool that can be easy to use for the average site owner while still offering complex functionality for web developers. WordPress is a content management system or CMS. Simply put, a CMS allows users to modify the look of a website without using HTML, CSS, or Javascript. It’s a way for people who don’t understand code to design and maintain a website easily.
WordPress allows you to customize your site’s design, add multimedia elements, organize your site content with tags and categories, and manage the users who have access to your site’s backend.
But beware! Not all WordPress is created equal. WordPress.com and WordPress.org are not the same things.
WordPress.com is a blog hosting service. It ’s great for new bloggers but not fabulous for a business because it doesn’t offer any ecommerce features or payment gateways.
WordPress.com is a site hosting service. It’s great for new bloggers and also has business plans at $25/month. Ecommerce plugins such as WooCommerce can be installed with payments gateways on these types of plans.
WordPress.org, however, is often referred to as “the real WordPress.” It’s open source software that’s free to use. All you need is a domain name and web hosting. You own the site and all the data, and there’s no limit to how you can customize or monetize your site.
Is WordPress Easy to Use?
WordPress is a great way to build a website without learning coding languages. But is WordPress easy to use? Even if you’ve never used WordPress to create a website, it’s still much easier than building a site from scratch.
Key WordPress Features
WordPress is the powerhouse behind so many websites for a reason. The features WordPress offers make it robust and easy to use.
WordPress features include:
- Flexibility. You can use WordPress to create any type of site from a blog, ecommerce site, online magazine, or a membership community. You can even use it to build an app.
- User Friendly. Formatting your posts and pages is straightforward. You can easily create and schedule website content, and WordPress is available in more than 70 languages.
- Quick Installation. Many website hosting companies offer one-click WordPress installation, meaning you can install a CMS on your site quickly and easily.
- User Management. With WordPress, you can designate how much access people have to your site. You determine who is an administrator, editor, author, contributor, or subscriber in the WordPress settings. Each of these members has varying levels of access and control.
- Easy Theme System. No matter what kind of website you’re trying to build or how you want it to look, there’s a theme for that. Installing themes is quick and easy, and you can customize any theme to fit your brand.
- Social Media Integration. Plugins allow you to display social media widgets on your site, which help your customers connect with you on those platforms.
- Ecommerce Capabilities. WordPress ecommerce solutions are quick and low-cost, making it easier to monetize your site.
Making Your Website from Scratch
WordPress makes it easy to build a website. But how difficult is it to build one from scratch? That depends on what you know and how much time and money you have.
You’ll need to know how to code to build a website from scratch. If HTML, CSS, or Javascript are languages you speak, building a website won’t be the most challenging thing, but it will be time-consuming. So even if you want to have that level of control of the site, building a website from scratch would take precious time away from other aspects of running your business.
Plus, depending on what you need your website to do, you may find yourself hiring a developer. WordPress plugins make it easy to create an ecommerce store or membership site. But if you need that level of functionality without using WordPress, you’ll probably need a developer to help you build it.
And then, when the site is up and running, you’re on the hook for all the maintenance. WordPress, plugins, and themes are updated frequently to fix any issues or improve security. If you aren’t using them, you will be doing a lot of upkeep on your own.
Why WordPress is So Popular
It’s easy to see why WordPress is so popular. It’s free and easy for beginners or pros to use. The customizations are endless, and no matter what kind of site you’re building, you can use WordPress as your CMS, which means you don’t have to learn a new system when you want to create something new.
Plus, even if you choose to create something beyond the realm of the WordPress plugins available, WordPress is still powerful enough that developers can use it to create whatever site you have in mind.
Ready to Build Your WordPress Site?
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems available today. It’s also easy to set up and use, making it ideal for beginners who want to create their own websites without learning to code. With our fully managed WordPress hosting, you can get the ease of use of a WordPress site with the peace of mind of knowing that Nexcess is monitoring your site against security breaches and outages.
Get started building your WordPress site with Nexcess today.
