What Is WordPress? How It Works – The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
WordPress is the world’s most popular website creation tool, powering over 43% of all websites online. This free, open-source content management system (CMS) makes it easy for anyone to create a website or blog.
But with so many website builders to choose from, you may be wondering – what exactly is WordPress and why use it? Does it really live up to the hype? This ultimate beginner’s guide will explain everything you need to know.
We’ll cover what WordPress is, its key benefits, the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, and step-by-step instructions to start building your own WordPress website. Let’s dive in!
What is WordPress and How Does it Work?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows users to easily create, manage, and update websites without needing to know any code. It was originally launched in 2003 as a blogging platform but has since evolved into a versatile website builder capable of powering all types of sites.
At its core, WordPress is free, open-source software built on PHP and MySQL. This means the source code is publicly accessible for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. Thanks to this open-source model and its large community of contributors, WordPress sees frequent updates and innovations.
The self-hosted version of WordPress (WordPress.org) gives users full control and ownership over their website files and content. All you need to run it is web hosting that supports PHP and MySQL. Hosts like Hostinger, FastComet, SiteGround, BlueHost, BigRock, Hostgator, Namecheap etc., offer one-click WordPress installers, making setup quick and easy.
Once installed, WordPress provides an intuitive admin dashboard interface to manage your site. It equips users with everything needed to create and publish content, handle site design, organize information architecture, and integrate plugins/themes – no coding required.
This combination of usability, flexibility, affordability, and customization is why WordPress now powers over 43% of all websites online. It’s the go-to platform for users of all skill levels, from bloggers to enterprises.
What Types of Websites Can You Build With WordPress?
Thanks to its versatility, people use WordPress to create all kinds of websites:
- Blogs: WordPress began as a blogging platform and still excels at powering blogs.
- Portfolios: Showcase creative work and projects with portfolios.
- Business websites: Add contact forms, testimonials, and other business features.
- Online stores: Transform WordPress into a full-featured ecommerce store with plugins.
- Membership sites: Offer premium content, courses, downloads and more to members.
- News sites: Publish news stories easily with intuitive tools.
- Non-profit sites: Promote your cause and accept donations.
- Forums: Build an engaged community with discussion forums.
- Learning management systems: Sell online courses and track student progress.
- Directory sites: Catalog local businesses or other listings.
- Real estate sites: Manage property listings and inquiries.
- Accommodation sites: Take bookings for hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals.
- Event websites: Promote events, sell tickets, attract sponsors.
- Job boards: Post job openings and manage applications.
This list just scratches the surface. WordPress can handle pretty much any kind of website you can imagine. Its flexibility is why it has grown far beyond its blogging roots.
Why Use WordPress: 7 Key Benefits
From ease of use to customization to affordability, WordPress offers some clear advantages over other website builders. Here are seven of the top reasons people love using WordPress:
1. Easy to Use
WordPress prioritizes usability with an intuitive dashboard interface. Managing content, design, plugins, settings, and more is made simple even for non-techies.
The built-in Gutenberg editor also makes creating pages fast and visual using drag-and-drop blocks. It’s much easier than traditional web design or code.
2. Quick & Easy Setup
Getting started with WordPress is fast thanks to one-click installers included with most web hosts today. Hosting help users can launch a WordPress site in under 5 minutes start-to-finish.
It just takes a few clicks to install WordPress with your hosting account, pick a theme, begin creating content, and publish your site live to the world.
3. Open-Source & Customizable
As open-source software, WordPress offers extreme flexibility. Developers can fully customize sites from code to plugins to themes since nothing is locked down.
Thousands of free WordPress themes let you tailor designs to your brand. Plugins add all kinds of features from contact forms to galleries to forums. Build any kind of site you can imagine!
4. Affordable & Great Value
WordPress is 100% free to download and use. Even many premium WordPress themes and plugins are quite affordable, often under $50. This makes WordPress extremely budget-friendly compared to some website builders charging $20+/month.
If you’re thinking about getting affordable hosting, lots of web hosting companies have plans that start at ₹70/month. You can start your WordPress site without spending too much money, and there are no long-term contracts to worry about.
5. You Own Your Content & Data
With WordPress.org’s self-hosted model, users fully own and control their website files, content, and data. You can export this data or move hosts anytime.
This Full website ownership also means you can monetize your site however you want through ads, affiliates, ecommerce stores, subscriptions, etc.
6. Search Engine Friendly (SEO)
WordPress adheres to search engine best practices out-of-the-box with clean code and URL structures. This makes it easy to optimize pages for search rankings.
SEO plugins like Yoast also integrate tightly to guide on-page optimization. Overall, WordPress sites tend to perform very well in search rankings with some effort.
7. Scalable & Future-Proof
As your website traffic or business grows over time, WordPress can efficiently scale to meet higher hosting resource demands. Just upgrade to a better hosting plan or server.
Migrating WordPress sites is also straightforward should you ever decide to switch hosts. These qualities make WordPress a stable, long-term foundation for all websites both now and in the future.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: Key Differences
It’s important to clarify the difference between self-hosted WordPress.org and the hosted WordPress.com platform. They share the same name but function quite differently:
| WordPress.org | WordPress.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source software | ✅ Yes | ❌ No, proprietary |
| Requires separate web hosting account | ✅ Yes | ❌ No, included |
| Full control and ownership over website | ✅ Yes | ❌ Partial, restrictions apply |
| Access to all themes & plugins | ✅ Yes | ❌ Only with Business plan ($300/year) |
| Handles custom code edits | ✅ Yes | ❌ Not permitted |
| Official support offered | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (paid plans only) |
| Ads displayed on free sites | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Ecommerce functionality | ✅ Yes (with plugins) | ❌ Extra fees apply |
In summary:
- WordPress.org is the free, open-source version giving full control over a self-hosted site. It requires separate hosting but is customizable.
- WordPress.com is a paid hosted platform with limits and less flexibility but includes hosting. Best for blogs.
Over 95% of WordPress sites run on WordPress.org because freedom, customization, and scale matter for most users. But WordPress.com can be a good starting point for total beginners.
If you want maximum control and ownership over your website, WordPress.org is definitely the way to go.
What are WordPress Themes?
WordPress themes control the appearance and front-end design of your site. There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available.
Themes allow users to customize designs like colors, fonts, layouts, and more without any coding. It’s as easy as choosing a theme and activating it from your WP dashboard.
Some popular free starter themes great for beginners include:
- Astra -Extremely lightweight and fast theme. Modern design.
- GeneratePress – Speed and web performance are key focuses.
- OceanWP – Beautiful design and lots of customization options.
- Sydney – Very simple to use out-of-the-box.
- Twentig – Modern, bold style. Built strictly following WordPress coding standards.
Check out the WordPress theme directory to browse options catered to blogs, businesses, ecommerce stores, magazines, and more. Look for ratings, downloads, and reviews to assess quality and support.
For a small upfront cost, premium WordPress themes offer even more advanced designs, features, and dedicated technical support. They are great long-term investments.
What are WordPress Plugins?
While themes handle the outward design, plugins manage functional features of a WordPress site. They are software extensions users can install for free or for a cost to add all kinds of functionality.
There are over 55,000+ free WordPress plugins available alone!
Some examples include:
- Security plugins
- Contact form plugins
- Popup plugins
- Form builder plugins
- SEO plugins
- Social media plugins
- Image sliders and carousels
- Appointment/booking plugins
- Form building plugins
- Marketing automation plugins
- Ecommerce plugins
- Membership plugins
- Learning management system (LMS) plugins
- Review plugins
- Image gallery plugins
- Backup plugins
- Cache plugins for speed
Really, if you want to add any feature to a WordPress site, there is likely a plugin already available to handle it with minimal fuss.
Browse the WordPress plugin library and read reviews to assess quality. Avoid nulled (cracked) premium plugin versions, as these often introduce security issues from tampered code.
For extra safety, pick a managed WordPress hosting. They check plugins and themes to find and fix any problems, keeping your website safe.
What Major Websites Use WordPress?
With over 455 million websites powered by WordPress, many major brands use this CMS to operate their online presence:
1. Sony
The technology giant Sony utilizes WordPress to publish stories and product announcements to millions of consumers and the tech press.
Migrating from a dated legacy system to WordPress helped them consolidate over 1,400 sites into one cohesive platform capable of scaling to handle over 99 million pageviews per month!
2. The Walt Disney Company
Disney runs hundreds of WordPress sites globally in multiple languages to engage consumers and travelers. Their https://disneyworld.disney.go.com and https://disneyland.disney.go.com sites provide theme park information to over 5 million monthly visitors.
They manage enormous seasonal traffic spikes with WordPress’s legendary scalability and performance.
3. Microsoft
Another tech titan, Microsoft powers its developer blog and documentation portal with WordPress at https://developer.microsoft.com attracting over 3 million monthly visitors.
The WordPress implementation helps demonstrate real-life uses of Microsoft technologies for developers around the world.
4. The New York Post
This popular news site switched from a legacy CMS to adopt WordPress for its flexibility, frequent updates, and strong SEO.
Their implementation powers both www.nypost.com and decider.com to publish engaging news stories to over 80 million readers monthly.
5. TechCrunch
As one of the world’s most popular tech news sites, TechCrunch delivers articles on venture capital, startups, and emerging tech to over 27 million readers per month.
Their high-performance WordPress infrastructure handles demanding editorial schedules and over 43 million pageviews monthly.
6. BBC America
The BBC relies on WordPress to publish editorial content across myriad sites worldwide, including BBC America at www.bbcamerica.com.
For the BBC, WordPress provides a future-proof foundation with multi-site capabilities to efficiently manage 400+ sites across 20 different languages.
This is just a tiny sample of major brands leveraging WordPress. It clearly demonstrates how WordPress can readily scale and tailor to organizations from small blogs to global enterprise websites.
How to Start Building Your Own WordPress Website
Ready to get started with WordPress? Here is an easy 7-step process to launch your own site:
Step 1: Choose Web Hosting
Since WordPress.org is self-hosted, the first step is securing web hosting. Shared hosting works well for most smaller sites. Expect around $3 – $10 monthly.
Key things to look for in WordPress hosting:
- One-click WordPress installer
- PHP 7+ and MySQL
- SSD storage for faster performance
- Free site migration
- CDN support for faster content delivery
- Automatic WordPress updates
- Managed WordPress options
- SSL certificate included
Also Read: What is Web Hosting – A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
Step 2: Register a Domain
Next up is registering a custom domain name – this will form your website’s address like www.mysite.com. Expect to pay around $15 per year.
Choose a domain that matches your brand, is short/memorable and is still actually available to register!
If need more understanding about what is domain and how to buy domain name for your business then please read this: What is a Domain Name? The Beginner’s Guide.
Step 3: Install WordPress
With hosting setup, it’s time to install WordPress using your host’s one-click installer. The whole process takes just a few minutes.
Create a secure WordPress admin password during installation. This grants you access to login to your site’s backend dashboard any time.
Step 4: Pick a Theme
WordPress themes control the design and front-end appearance of your site. Browse free/premium themes for your industry or site type to find an appealing style.
Install the theme zip file through your admin dashboard. Avoid nulled themes as these often introduce security concerns from tampered code.
Once uploaded, remember to activate your desired theme.
Step 5: Install Essential Plugins
Next up, install some WordPress plugins to add key functionality to your new site.
Plugins available span:
- Security
- Speed optimization
- SEO
- Forms
- Image galleries & sliders
- Appointment booking
- Social media integration
- Review systems
- Memberships/subscriptions
- Forums
- Contact forms
- And endless integrations!
Browse plugin options to find ones fitting your website needs. Activate each one after installing.
Step 6: Create Your Content
Now the fun begins – start creating web pages and blog posts!
Use the Gutenberg content editor and its drag-drop blocks to easily add text columns, images, embeds, quotes, tables etc without coding.
Publish your first page or post when ready. Repeat the process to quickly build up your website content.
Step 7: Promote Your New Website
With your new WordPress website now alive, dive into organic search optimization and social promotion to attract visitors.
Research relevant keywords and optimize your pages using WordPress SEO best practices. Craft compelling meta descriptions for each page.
Share your site on social networks. Produce fresh blog content regularly to give search engines and visitors reason to keep coming back!
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress
Let’s wrap up by answering some common beginner questions about getting started with WordPress:
Is WordPress actually free to use?
Yes! The WordPress open-source software is 100% free to download and use. You can install it on any hosting plan that supports PHP and MySQL.
There are still costs involved with securing hosting, a domain name, themes, some plugins, and staff possibly. But the underlying CMS is free.
What skills do I need to use WordPress?
The simple WordPress admin dashboard is made for everyone, no coding needed. Just sign up with web hosting, click to launch a managed WordPress site, pick themes/plugins, and start creating with the easy Block Editor.
If you want to do more advanced stuff, learning CSS, HTML, and PHP is helpful. But you can still do a lot as a beginner without coding skills.
Is WordPress secure?
Yes, the core WordPress software undergoes extensive security testing and fixes ensuring it is secure. Automated background updates also patch any discovered vulnerabilities quickly across sites.
That said, running a secure WordPress site still requires action by the site owner, including:
– Strong login passwords
– Vetted premium themes/plugins
– Avoiding nulled themes/plugins
– Proactive monitoring for threats
– Offsite backups
– CDN usage
– SSL certificate
Choosing managed WordPress hosting adds extra layers of security protections including firewalls, malware scanning, and visibility into threats. But user education is still key.
What is better – WordPress or Shopify?
This depends on your website needs:
For most blogs/content sites, WordPress is better thanks to superior customization and SEO.
– For small ecommerce stores, Shopify offers an easier initial setup. But growth can get expensive.
– For larger product catalogs, WooCommerce + WordPress offers greater scale and customization. Shopify pricing becomes problematic at higher volumes.
– For a combo content + store site, WordPress is better to unify it under one platform.
Evaluate your budget, timeline, and growth ambitions when deciding between WordPress and Shopify.
WordPress offers unmatched content flexibility plus huge scale potential for ecommerce stores thanks to WooCommerce. But those without coding skills may prefer Shopify’s simpler initial setup.
For small stores planning to expand over time or combo content site + store sites though, WordPress tends to offer the better foundation thanks to lower costs and greater customization.
Can I edit WordPress theme code?
Yes, with WordPress you have full access to edit your active theme’s code along with WordPress core files themselves should you wish. This allows for deep-level customization and personalization not possible in walled-garden site builders.
That said, caution is warranted before modifying critical WordPress files. Creating a staging copy of your site to test changes in a sandbox is highly advised before pushing anything live.
For most users though, there is little need to directly edit theme code. Installing different themes and using child themes instead allow for easy customization in safer ways.
How much does WordPress hosting cost?
Annual WordPress hosting costs can vary wildly from around $70 – $1200+ per year ($5-$100+ monthly) depending on your specific needs.
Factors impacting WordPress hosting pricing include:
– Traffic levels
– Pageviews
– Storage and bandwidth needs
– Use of CDNs for performance
– Backup systems
– Size of product catalogs
– Number of sites (multisite)
– Frequency of backups
– Level of managed services
– Individual vs cluster hosting
Entry-level shared hosting works great starting out for under $100 annually.
Growth may necessitate upgrading to a managed WordPress plan, individual VPS server, or dedicated server which increases costs but also performance and resources.
Do I need to know coding to use WordPress?
Thanks to its intuitive dashboard and block editor page builder, no prior coding knowledge is required to build a WordPress site. Everything can be handled visually:
– Installing WordPress
– Managing plugins / themes
– Creating / editing content
– Selecting a design
– Configuring settings
– Adding media
This makes WordPress accessible for beginner to advanced users alike.
For growth and customization down the road however, learning HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript will help expand what you can achieve by modifying theme files and crafting custom functionality as needed.
Final Thoughts
We’ve just scratched the surface of what WordPress can do. This phenomenally popular open-source CMS empowers site owners with unrivaled flexibility and customization abilities to build virtually any kind of website imaginable without coding expertise.
It levels the playing field between hobby bloggers, creatives, entrepreneurs, enterprises, and everyone in between.
With intuitive usability for beginners but advanced under-the-hood access for developers, WordPress offers the best of all worlds in a free platform.
The vibrant WordPress community and ecosystem of designers, developers, hosts, and plugin builders also ensure that it will continue powering innovation on the open web for decades still to come.
We highly encourage all website owners to consider leveraging the capabilities of WordPress for current or future projects. It delivers exceptional value across use cases that simply can’t be matched at this accessible free price point.
