One of the questions that we often get asked is: Why should I use WordPress? Isn’t my site good enough? Why do I need to switch to WordPress from another platform?
If you’re asking these questions, then you’re at the right place.
In this article, we will share the most important reasons why you should use WordPress. We’ll also cover all the different type of websites you can create with WordPress as well as showcase popular sites that are using WordPress.
Note: Throughout this article, when we say WordPress, we are talking about WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress. Please do not confuse this with WordPress.com which is a hosting service. For details, see our comparison of WordPress.org vs WordPress.com.
One of the most common misconceptions about WordPress is that it is just a blogging platform.
But WordPress is so much more.
While WordPress started as a blogging tool, it has evolved into a powerful website builder and a robust content management system (CMS).
The best part about WordPress is that it’s easy to use and flexible enough to make different types of websites. That’s the main reason why WordPress has grown so much in popularity.
In fact, according to a recent survey, WordPress powers 43% of all websites on the internet.
Due to its robust features, many of the top brands use WordPress to power their websites including Time Magazine, Facebook, The New Yorker, Sony, Disney, Target, The New York Times, and more.
Let’s take a look at why you should use WordPress to make your website.
1. WordPress is Free as in Freedom
WordPress is free software. It means you are free to download, install, use and modify it to match your needs. You can use it to create any kind of website. To learn more, see our article about why WordPress is free.
While the WordPress software itself is free, you do need a domain name and web hosting to install it.
A domain name is the address of your website on the internet. This is what your users type in their browser’s address bar to access your website (for example, wpbeginner.com).
Web hosting is like your website’s house where all your website files are stored.
For both hosting and your domain name, we recommend Bluehost. They are one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.
They are also offering WPBeginner users a 60% discount on hosting and a free domain name. Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month.→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←
Need more hosting recommendations? See our pick of the best WordPress hosting providers.
If you want someone experienced to set up your WordPress site, then our talented staff members are happy to help you get started with our completely free WordPress blog setup.
You can also do it yourself by following our step by step guide on how to install WordPress.
2. WordPress Is Easy to Use
Despite being the most flexible and powerful platform, WordPress is quite easy to use for beginners.
It comes with a simple dashboard with different menu options listed in the sidebar. You can easily create posts and pages, customize your website design, add navigation menus, and more.
WordPress makes it easy for absolute beginners to maintain their own websites without any technical hiccups.
First, there are updates. WordPress regularly releases core WordPress updates that you can install with the click of the button. The same goes for WordPress plugins and themes which release their own updates.
For backups, there are excellent WordPress backup plugins (many of them are free). They allow you to set up automatic backups and store them on a remote location like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Finally, there is security. With some basic WordPress security best practices, you can make your website even more secure (more on this later).
As a beginner, you may find it a bit overwhelming at first. However, as the largest WordPress resource site for beginners, we can confidently assure you that you’ll soon find your way around.
Over the last 10+ years, we have seen thousands of beginner level users quickly graduate to intermediate and advanced users. In fact, many of them now make WordPress websites for others to earn their living.
Here at WPBeginner, we have thousands of WordPress tutorials on any topic you need, from beginner to advanced. For example, to create your first page or blog post, you can see our guide on how to add a new post in WordPress.
If you need any help getting started, simply type your question in Google and add ‘WPBeginner’ at the end of your question. You will likely find the answer on our website.
3. WordPress Is Completely Customizable
Most folks using WordPress are neither web designers nor programmers. As a matter of fact, most people start using WordPress without any prior knowledge of designing websites.
For non-tech savvy folks, WordPress is the perfect solution because there are thousands of free website templates (themes) that you can choose from. There is a perfect WordPress theme for just about every kind of website (whether it’s a blog, business site, or an online store).
WordPress themes are easy to customize because a lot of them come with their own options panel allowing you to change colors, upload your logo, change the background, create beautiful sliders, and truly customize it to your needs without writing any code at all.
For example, Astra is a theme we often recommend because it makes it easy to create a professional-looking website even for beginners. It comes with 90+ ready-made templates that are easily customizable for any type of website.
For more recommended themes, you can see our expert pick of the best multipurpose themes for WordPress.
To further customize your design, you can use a drag-and-drop builder like SeedProd to create beautiful landing pages, sales pages, product landing pages, and much more.
You can also add custom functionality to your WordPress site by using plugins. WordPress plugins are like apps for your website that you can use to add advanced features like analytics, contact forms, membership area, and more.
Just like themes, there are thousands of free and premium plugins available for you to use. To learn more, see our article on what are WordPress plugins and how do they work.
Aside from adding extra functionality, some WordPress plugins can let you transform your website into a completely new platform.
Having to pick from thousands of plugins can be overwhelming, but there are some essential WordPress plugins that we recommend for every website:
- A contact form plugin so your visitors can reach out to you
- An analytics plugin so you can see how many visitors you’re getting
- A search engine optimization plugin so you can get more traffic from Google
Then you’ll need to choose more plugins depending on the type of website you’re creating.
To find the best plugin for your needs, you can always search Google and add ‘WPBeginner’ to your search to find our recommendations. Our expert team thoroughly tests every plugin before we recommend it.
4. WordPress Is SEO Friendly
The best website in the world won’t be a success if it doesn’t get any traffic or visitors.
Luckily, WordPress is built with search engine traffic in mind.
WordPress is written using high-quality code with semantic markup. In non-geek terms, this means Google and other search engines love WordPress.
This is why WordPress sites tend to rank higher than others in search engines.
To optimize your site to get even more traffic, we recommend using a WordPress SEO plugin.
Our top recommended SEO plugin is All in One SEO (AIO SEO), used by over 3 million websites. It’s easy to use, but also incredibly powerful. You can check out our guide on how to set up AIO SEO for WordPress to set it up properly on your own site.
For complete step by step instructions and expert tips to optimize your website, see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide.
5. WordPress Is Safe and Secure
WordPress is developed with security in mind, and it is a very safe and secure platform to run a website.
However, you can still do a lot to make your website even more secure from hackers, malware, and other dangers. For details, see our step-by-step WordPress security guide for beginners.
Here at WPBeginner, we use Sucuri to protect against common threats such as brute force attacks and malware. You can install their free WordPress security plugin, Sucuri Scanner, to make sure your site is protected.
6. WordPress Is Here to Stay
Website builders come and go. Even the biggest ones may disappear (remember GeoCities?).
Open-source software, on the other hand, is much more likely to be around for a very long time.
That’s because as open-source software, it’s not maintained by just one person or company. Even if WordPress disappears, anyone can simply fork its code and launch it with a different name in a matter of minutes.
One of the lesser-known facts about WordPress is that it does not have a CEO. The name WordPress is protected by the WordPress Foundation, which is a non-profit organization ensuring that WordPress continues to grow.
There is a strong community of thousands of users, developers, and small businesses behind WordPress. As a community, all of them ensure that WordPress is here to stay for the long haul.
WordPress benefits millions of users around the globe. It is available in more than 53 languages and powers thousands of multilingual websites as well.
As a WordPress beginner, you’ll join this global community of users and you’ll find the WordPress community welcoming and eager to help.
Our own WPBeginner Engage group on Facebook is the largest WordPress community on the web with over 80,000 members. It’s a great place to get a quick answer to your WordPress questions from our expert team and other website owners.
What Kinds of Websites Can You Create With WordPress?
WordPress can be used in many different ways, from simple websites to eCommerce marketplaces and anything in between.
The following are just a few examples of different kinds of websites you can make with WordPress.
- Start a blog
- Make a business website
- Start an online store
- Build a membership website
- Sell online courses
See our full list of different types of websites you can make using WordPress.
We hope this article answered your question about why you should use WordPress. The best way to truly experience the power of WordPress is by using it. Give it a try, and let us know what you think.
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