There are nearly two billion websites on Earth, and that number is growing by the second. You have unlimited options when it comes to creating a website of your own. Luckily, you can get the website of your dreams, even on a tight budget, with WordPress.
What’s WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system, or CMS. A CMS lets you build your website in a user-friendly online platform, organizing the design and content of your site with ease. WordPress comes in two forms, WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is a totally free online platform hosted by WordPress. However, because WordPress is the host, your site is very restricted when it comes to customization.
WordPress.org is also free to use, but it has two main differences from WordPress.com. With WordPress.org, WordPress doesn’t host your site. This means you’ll need to pay for a host, like Bluehost or Hostgator, which costs as little as $60 a year. WordPress.org also lets you customize your website to your heart’s content. This is the recommended option for businesses and brands. You pay a little in hosting fees, but you have the ultimate freedom to manage your website.
Win with WordPress
WordPress is a simple and popular option for website creation. Companies of all sizes and industries use this CMS. But is WordPress really worth all the hype? Why not go with other CMS providers, like Squarespace?
Here are the top ten reasons WordPress triumphs over all CMS options.
1. Flexibility
WordPress started out as a blogging platform once upon a time, but today it’s grown into one of the largest CMSs in the world, thanks to its flexibility.
After installing WordPress, you can choose from thousands of pre-made themes. These themes, which come in both free and premium forms, give you the freedom to customize your site however you please.
There are also millions of WordPress plugins to choose from. These bits of code extend the functionality of your site with just a few clicks. Thanks to plugins, you can use WordPress for just about anything. Create an online store, a membership site, or start a blog.
If you do know a little HTML or CSS, you can use that knowledge to further customize your WordPress theme or plugins. WordPress is an open source platform that you can adjust to your heart’s content.
2. Save time
With WordPress, you can get your site up in five minutes. WordPress plugins can be installed in seconds and add the functionality to your site immediately. Plugins can also streamline how you manage your website, automating tasks to save tons of time.
3. Save money
WordPress is incredibly affordable. You might need to pay hosting fees, buy a domain name, and maybe purchase a theme and plugins. Aside from these startup costs, which can range from $60 – $300, you won’t see recurring charges for using WordPress. The platform itself is free and comes with lifetime free upgrades. Build on WordPress to save yourself more money.
4. Smart integrations
If you’re looking for a site that automatically integrates with third-party tools, look no further than WordPress.
For example, use WordPress to set up an eCommerce store with Woocommerce. You can integrate with Buddypress to create a private or paid members-only community, or connect with Salesforce to track your sales pipeline automatically.
5. User friendly
You don’t need to be a coding savant to use WordPress. Some knowledge of computers and the internet is essential, of course, but you don’t need to know PHP to set up your site. WordPress is designed to be installed quickly and managed with zero headaches.
Want to put together a page or blog? Just use the text editor. The WordPress text editor was designed to work like a Word document. Easily customize your theme on the Appearance tab to add more detail in an intuitive, easy way. You can even download a drag-and-drop page builder for ultimate ease. Try paid plugins like Divi to lay out stunning web pages with zero code.
6. Huge support community
Millions of people use WordPress. If you’re having an issue with your site, check out their free forums. You can either read previous threads or get your questions answered by WordPress pros for free. If you don’t find what you need in the forums, you can also check with your theme or plugin creator. When in doubt, there are thousands of WordPress tutorials on YouTube.
7. Tighter security
You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to have a secure website. WordPress gives you Fort Knox-level security with regular updates. For added layers of protection, you can install free plugins. Use Akismet to stop spam comments and download iThemes to shield your site from malware.
8. SEO-friendly
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the most important strategies to make your business shine online. SEO can be time-consuming and technical, but WordPress mercifully streamlines SEO to bring you more customers.
Download the free Yoast SEO plugin to help your site stand out. The plugin gives you the ability to edit meta descriptions, title tags, and keywords. If that sounds like a lot of jargon, don’t worry. Even if you don’t know anything about SEO, the plugin offers suggestions and a step by step guide for installation and use.
9. No-brainer marketing
WordPress helps you automate key aspects of your marketing to bring in more customers in less time. Connect to your social media accounts to auto-post new content without lifting a finger. Download a plugin like Simple Page tester to split test your landing pages. Connect with ConvertKit (soon to be called Seva) or MailChimp to automatically send forgotten cart emails.
10. Speedy site loads
CMS platforms like WordPress have a reputation for being slower than HTML sites, but that depends largely on what you put on your site. To keep your site speedy, choose a fast theme with less bells and whistles. Optimize your page load time by minimizing images, caching, and minifying code. For even more speed, use a content delivery network, or CDN. A popular option is Cloudflare, which helps you deliver content with shorter load times.
The bottom line
It’s tempting to try coding a website from scratch for an ultra-personalized experience. But why spend the time, money, and frustration? If you want an experience that’s budget-friendly and easy to use in the long term, WordPress is where it’s at.
