The world of web design is an ever-changing one. Tools of all capabilities come and go, but the strongest are the ones that stand the trial of time.
WorPress has been around since 2003. Since its initial release, WordPress has become one of the most widely-used and popular tools for building websites around the world. According to statistical data from reputable surveys, WordPress powers more than 60% of the world’s websites. That is both an impressive and inspiring figure, for website owners and developers alike.
What Exactly is WordPress
It is a Content Management System (CMS). In the simplest terms, a platform on which websites are built and managed. While originally used as a blogging platform, WordPress has grown in popularity with its ease of use and a large library of free and paid plugins and themes, that make working with WordPress very rewarding.
Generally, there are two different types of websites – static and dynamic. WordPress falls on the dynamic end of things, which makes it possible for website owners and developers to make edits and add or remove content on the fly. This means that websites running on WordPress don’t usually need to be taken down to be updated.
The WordPress Price Tag
One of the points that determine the tool of choice when developing and owning a website is the cost. While there are several other CMS that require an upfront or recurring subscriptions for use, WordPress can be downloaded and used free of charge.
Here’s the thing though, a lot of people get confused between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The simplest way to distinguish between the two is that WordPress.com includes hosting plans for WordPress websites, which you can either buy and use your own domain name with, or use a WordPress.com subdomain to create and host your website.
WordPress.org on the other hand allows us to download the entire WordPress script and use it with our own hosting to create and manage our websites. The only costs associated with using the free WordPress.org script are for hosting your website, buying any plugin or theme, and paying a developer if you lack the knowledge to properly customise your website.
What You Can Do With WordPress
The possibilities of building a WordPress website are endless. With so many plugins and themes available around by talented authors and developers, a WordPress website can cover many aspects of developing and managing a fully-featured website.
Standard Business Websites
WordPress can be used to create and manage standard business or corporate websites. These are websites that usually provide information about products and services to customers and potential customers about a business.
They can also provide a way for existing and potential customers to get in touch with the business. A business can also have a integrated blog section to keep its customers informed on new products, services, and other business news.
Both our corporate website and this blog are built on WordPress!
E-Commerce Websites
When combined with the free WooCommerce plugin, any WordPress website becomes a fully-featured e-commerce shop. Businesses around the world are using WooCommerce and WordPress to sell their physical and even virtual products to customers across the globe.
WooCommerce also presents the possibility to integrate payment systems such as Stripe, PayPal, and many others, to properly streamline the buying and checkout experience. There are several plugins to automate the label-printing and shipping process, which are good for sellers who have a large number of orders to fulfill.
Personal Websites
Many bloggers and enthusiasts use WordPress to build and power their personal websites. WordPress provides a great way for content creators to engage with their audience.
Many content creators and personal website owners also enjoy the seamless integration of WooCommerce (and all its bells and whistles) to sell things like merchandise and event tickets to subscribers. They also leverage the added functionalities offered by plugins to create and grow their mailing lists with popular email marketing providers such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact.
