Thanks to WordPress, it’s never been easier to build a website. Years ago, you would have to learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, and some other programming languages to do what you can do today with WordPress. Luckily for us, these days, we don’t have to know any technical skills to be able to use WordPress, which powers around 32% of all websites. If you decide to use it, you’ll be in very good company with over 74 million sites depending on it because of its efficiency, flexibility, and easy use.
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What Is WordPress?
WordPress is a free, open-source, content management system (CMS) that anyone can download onto their web server. It’s been around since 2003, making it a well-established tool. It started as a pure blogging system but quickly became a full CMS. It takes care of the technical aspects of your website, while you only need to focus on the content of your website. What is unique about WordPress is its plug-in architecture.
Programmers can create features and plug-ins that could be installed on a WordPress website to extend the features of that website. With its many temples on its dashboard, you can change the look and feel of your website with just a few clicks. There are loads of plug-ins with 50,000 to choose from. Some of these plugins are free and others are not Some will be indispensable for your site while others will not be. You don’t need to know the technicalities, but you do need to know how to get started to use WordPress and make your website stand out.
Getting Started
Here are a few things you can find out so you can start using WordPress.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
There are 2 WordPress sites. The difference between .com and .org lies in who is hosting your site. With .org, you own the blog or site and you download WordPress on your web server. However, if you use .com, you don’t have to concern yourself with hosting.
You don’t have to deal with managing a web server so WordPress is already set up for you. With .com, you will get basic functions but users will need paid upgrades to take full advantage of the website, so you will get a free site but with a lot of restrictions. It’s a cut down of the full version of WordPress which is .org.
Choose A Server
Most newbies on WordPress will choose shared hosting because it doesn’t cost much while having enough resources to host a website. They usually come with one-click WordPress installation, and you might find some that offer other perks. Another choice is Managed VPS (Virtual Private Servers). You still share a server, but it’s partitioned, which means that everyone has their own mini server.
This allows for more security, privacy and website operations. The best thing is that you don’t have to maintain the server; it is the hosting company that handles the software updates and WordPress updates. The third option is Managed WordPress Hosting. Here, the server company will fully manage the server for you. This offers the most features and you can start small and then later upgrade as your site begins to grow.
Plugins
Plugins enable you to add functionality and features to your site. Chances are that anything you want your site to do you will find a plugin for it: SEO plugins, page builders, page loading optimizers, database optimization, WordPress table plugins, WordPress booking plugins, and lots more. All sites have key pages, which could be the about page, contact page or the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages and is made to enhance website mobile performance on your pages.
The loading time of the pages of your site need to be extremely fast. AMP optimizes pages, such as FAQ which makes this tool an essential element for your website. An AMP plugin for WordPress will provide your website with mobile functionality. You will need the plugins that will best optimize your pages, be of high-quality and are recently updated.
Themes
Themes give an original look to your site. WordPress has pre-installed themes with options that allow you to preview them. Free themes might be a good starting point, but you also have the option of getting premium themes. Some themes have a general-purpose, but you can customize and personalize a theme to suit your site. With a theme, you can alter the site’s layout and appearance.
You might be new to owning a website or new to WordPress or new to both. There are plenty of learning tutorials and guidelines on how to use WordPress professionally, and you will find it an indispensable tool for your website. Once you decide on what features you need on your site, you can start with an easy theme and dependable plugins to have a website that is unique and reflects your personality.
If you are interested in even more business-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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