What is WordPress?
Before diving into ‘why’, let’s first recognize the ‘what’. What is WordPress?
Putting it in easy words, WordPress is a website-building tool and content management system. It is free to download and install.
There are a lot of website building and content management systems, however, what makes WordPress above the competition is, firstly it’s free to install, and secondly, it offers so many unique features over its competitors which makes it the most popular Content Management System in use today.
WordPress was co-founded by Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg in 2003 when they took over an ongoing development of a website called B2-Cafelog, which was set to be a blogging platform and was being developed by a French programmer Michel Valdrighi since 2001. But when Mike and Matt started working on the project, they gave it a complete U-turn and made the first version of the website we now know as WordPress.
In May 2003 its first version was released. In its first version, v0.7, WordPress was a basic website building tool, and in every update, it became better by including theme systems, helpful widgets, and persistent caching, and by 2016, inline links, responsive previews, and new & better formatting shortcuts and a lot of other customizable functions had been added in v4.5 (Coleman) which made it the tool, we know today.
WordPress has been constantly evolving into a better tool with each new version. That’s why it has always been to the top since it was first released in 2003.
Also Read: Guide For Non-Techies To Build A WordPress Website
Benefits of WordPress Development
Let’s come to the key topic here. What are the benefits of WordPress?
Here are some of the key benefits WordPress offers among others:
1. Easy to use
First and foremost, WordPress is very easy to use and has a very user-friendly interface. You don’t have to be a master of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP to create your website, thanks to WordPress. This quality has helped WordPress overcome its competitors. You can choose from several Templates to start making your website. Adding new pages, images, toolbars, Menu bars, etc. is very easy in WordPress. And installing and adding plugins to your website for enhanced Security, Performance, etc. is also very easy in WordPress.
Also Read: What Are The Benefits Of A Website For Small Businesses
2. Stability
WordPress is very stable, thanks to regular updates. It stays up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends. It caters to users’ needs. You can seamlessly change your website type in WordPress, i.e., if you have started your website for blogging but overtime you get a hang of another forte, say you want to change it to a shopping website, you can do it just by changing the template of your site and making it as you want.
3. Flexible
WordPress is flexible in its uses. WordPress, in its initial phases, was a blogging website then it migrated to a tool to support blogging and other online publishing, and over the years it has become an all-in-one solution for any type of website. All over the world, WordPress is being used to create a variety of websites, be it big corporations or small companies, eCommerce stores or personal blogs, in showcasing portfolios or hosing a social network, for podcasts or video streaming services, it is serving as a medium for all kinds of services.
The main reason is its adaptability to changing needs of its users.
4. Attractive Templates
We have already talked about Templates, but credit where credits are due. WordPress houses a large number of Templates, most of which are free to use. They give your website a professional look or any look you want, for that matter. Some premium templates can be bought, if you want them, however, the free templates are no less attractive than the premium ones.
Also Read: Difference Between Parent Theme & Child Theme In WordPress
5. Easy Management
WordPress is not a software that needs installation on your computer, it is browser-based software, which makes the management of your website very easy for you. You can manage your website from any PC. You don’t always have to run around with your PC to manage your website. It also offers a lot of Plugins that make your management easier.
Also Read: 22 Best Plugins For WordPress In 2022
6. Plugins
Plugins are nothing but small pieces of code designed to perform specific tasks. Plugins increase the functionality of a website. WordPress helps you make an attractive website and provides you with plugins to make it more functional with specialized functions. You can choose from almost 59,000 plugins available in WordPress for free.
To name a few, you can add contact forms, shopping carts, galleries, etc to your website using Plug-ins. You can also add an SEO plugin to rank your website higher on the internet. Plugins can be activated or deactivated and even uninstalled according to your preference and site’s needs.
Also Read: 22 Best Plugins For WordPress In 2022
7. Optimized Ranking of your site
WordPress websites rank higher on search engines because of their keywords, which are also constantly being updated. Plugins for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) also are a key to optimizing your website for higher ranking and WordPress offers free SEO plugins and tools which tends to be the main reason behind WordPress websites ranking higher.
Also Read: 6 Best SEO Plugins For WordPress
8. Mobile Compatibility
WordPress websites are compatible with mobile phones; it offers a variety of responsive templates and plug-ins which can automatically change their layout to look attractive on the mobile phone as well. Mobile phone compatibility also affects the ranking of your site on google positively.
Also Read: Importance Of Mobile-Friendly Website & How Do You Make It?
9. Built-in blog
WordPress has a built-in blog, which makes it easy for you to add a blog to your website without creating one separately. It is an amazing option to have so that you can use this blog feature to add updates or announcements regarding your website.
Also Read: 8 Best Ways To Make Money With WordPress
10. Free to use
Yes, we have saved the best for the last. It offers so many templates, functions, plugins, and everything you need to create a great website, and still, it is FREE! WordPress is an open-source and 100% free software. You can download it for free and can start creating your website right away. However, you still have to host WordPress somewhere, which can cost you a little. You can self-host or can purchase managed hosting from a hosting provider.
11. Community Support
WordPress is supported by a WordPress-loving community around the world. Since it is free and open-source, it doesn’t have an assigned support team but the WordPress user community provides all the support you may need. This community is responsible for making constant updates to WordPress and keeping it secure.
Also Read: The Complete Pre-Launch WordPress Website Checklist
Conclusion
If you are planning to create a website of your own, you must consider WordPress for its functionality and so much that it offers for FREE. WordPress is way above its competition because it stays up-to-date and provides specialized functionality, if needed, through a whooping 59,000 plugins to choose from.
WordPress will help you make a professional website through its templates and plugins.
WordPress is the Veto Carleone of the InternetWorld.
