What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (2024)

What is WordPress?

At its core, WordPress is the simplest, most popular way to create your own website or blog.In fact, WordPress powers over 43.3% of all the websites on the Internet. Yes – more than one in four websites that you visit are likely powered by WordPress.

On a slightly more technical level, WordPress is an open-source content management system licensed under GPLv2, which means that anyone can use or modify the WordPress software for free. A content management system is basically a tool that makes it easy to manage important aspects of your website – like content – without needing to know anything about programming.

The end result is that WordPress makes building a website accessible to anyone – even people who aren’t developers.

What Kinds Of Websites Can WordPress Make?

Many years ago, WordPress was primarily a tool to create a blog, rather than more traditional websites. That hasn’t been true for a long time, though. Nowadays, thanks to changes to the core code, as well as WordPress’ massive ecosystem of plugins and themes, you can create any type of website with WordPress.

For example, not only does WordPress power a huge number of business sites and blogs, it’s also the most popular way to create an eCommerce store as well! With WordPress, you can create:

  • Business websites
  • eCommerce stores
  • Blogs
  • Portfolios
  • Resumes
  • Forums
  • Social networks
  • Membership sites
  • …pretty much anything else you can dream up.

Here’s how to install a WordPress theme.

Check Out Our Video Guide to WordPress Themes

What’s The Difference Between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (1)

We’ve covered the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com in a lot more detail, but here’s the short version:

  • WordPress.org, often called self-hosted WordPress, is the free, open-source WordPress software that you can install on your own web host to create a website that’s 100% your own.
  • WordPress.com is a for-profit, paid service that is powered by the WordPress.org software. It’s simple to use, but you lose much of the flexibility of the self-hosted WordPress.

Most of the time, when people say “WordPress”, they mean the self-hosted WordPress available at WordPress.org.If you want to truly own your website, self-hosted WordPress.org is almost always the best option.

All you need to do to get started with self-hosted WordPress is purchase web hosting and a domain name.

Who Made WordPress And How Long Has It Been Around?

WordPress was created as a standalone project all the way back in 2003, originating as an offshoot of a previous project called b2/cafelog.

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WordPress is open-source software, so nowadays it’s made by a huge community of contributors. But if we were to trace WordPress’ origins back to its roots, its original creation was a collaboration between Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little.

Since then, Matt Mullenweg has largely become the face of WordPress. And he’s also the founder of Automattic, which is the company behind the for-profit WordPress.com service.

The history of WordPress between its founding as a blog platform back in 2003 and today is a long one…

But suffice it to say, WordPress has pushed forward and, thanks to its contributors and huge community, developed into the most popular solution to create any type of website.

Who Uses WordPress?

WordPress is used by individuals, big businesses, and everyone in between! On an immediate note, we use WordPress! So the very site that you’re looking at right now is powered by WordPress. Lots of other well-known entities use WordPress as well. Here are some of our favorite examples:

Whitehouse.gov

The official Whitehouse.gov website is powered by WordPress:

What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (2)

Microsoft

Microsoft uses WordPress to power its official blog. It also uses WordPress to power blogs for specific products like Windows and Skype:

What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (3)

The Rolling Stones

Even famous bands love WordPress! The Rolling Stones’ website is powered entirely by WordPress:

What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (4)

Why Should You Use WordPress?

Ok, so over 43.3% of all the websites on the Internet are using WordPress, including well-known entities like the White House and Microsoft.

But what about you? Why should you use WordPress?

Well, no matter what type of website you want to create, there are plenty of reasons to use WordPress. Here are some of the biggest:

WordPress Is Free And Open Source

One of the biggest benefits of WordPress is that it’s free, open-source software. While you will need to pay a little bit for hosting, you will never have to pay just to use the WordPress software, which isn’t the case with alternatives like Squarespace.

Beyond that, you can also find lots of open-source plugins and themes to change how your website looks and functions. Speaking of….

WordPress Is Extensible

Even if you aren’t a developer, you can easily modify your website thanks to WordPress’ huge ecosystem of themes and plugins:

  • Themes – these primarily change how your website looks.
  • Plugins – these primarily change how your website functions. Plugins can be something small, like a contact form, or huge, like creating an eCommerce store.

Currently, there are over 50,000 free WordPress plugins and 5,000 free WordPress themes, as well as tons of premium options. That to say – you have plenty of choices! Here is a hand-picked list of the best WordPress plugins.

WordPress Is Easy To Install

Think you need to be a tech genius to create your own website? Think again! If you can click a few buttons, you can install WordPress on your site.

Nowadays, most web hosts either:

  • Offer to preinstall WordPress for you so that your site is ready to go right away.
  • Give you dedicated tools that make the install process very beginner-friendly.
What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (5)

Can I Install WordPress On My Personal Computer?

Absolutely! There are several good reasons why you might want to install WordPress on a local computer. You are building a new site from scratch, install a new theme or plugin or you just want a safe space to experiment with your existing website, without fear of breaking it.
In this case, we recommend a free tool called DevKinsta that allows you to install WordPress on your Mac or PC.

WordPress Is Flexible

We’ve touched on this already, but WordPress is great because it lets you create pretty much any type of website. Better yet, your website can also evolve with you.

Want to add a forum to your existing WordPress site? No problem – just install the bbPress plugin! Want to add a social network? No worries! Just use the BuddyPress plugin.

You’re never locked into a specific set of functions – you can always adapt and evolve.

We’ve taken our knowledge of effective website management at scale, and turned it into an ebook and video course. Clickhere to download the The Guide to Managing 40+ WordPress Sites!

It’s Easy To Find WordPress Help

Because WordPress is so popular, it’s easy to find help if you ever run into any issues. There are heaps of…

  • Blogs
  • Tutorials
  • Forums
  • Facebook Groups
  • Developers

…that you can turn to for free and paid help if needed.

Need More Convincing?

Still not convinced that WordPress is the best way to build a website? Read this post for a deeper look at ten of the best reasons to use WordPress.

So What Is WordPress? It’s The Best Way To Build A Website

WordPress is the most popular way to build a website for a reason. If you want to build any type of website, from a blog to an eCommerce store, WordPress is a great option.

Just remember that self-hosted WordPress.org and WordPress.com are not the same thing. And, in most situations, self-hosted WordPress.org is what you want to build a website. Self-hosted WordPress.org gives you more ownership as well as access to all the perks and benefits of the WordPress community.

So how will you use WordPress? We can’t wait to find out!

Save time, costs and maximize site performance with:

  • Instant help from WordPress hosting experts, 24/7.
  • Cloudflare Enterprise integration.
  • Global audience reach with 35 data centers worldwide.
  • Optimization with our built-in Application Performance Monitoring.

All of that and much more, in one plan with no long-term contracts, assisted migrations, and a 30-day-money-back-guarantee. Check out our plans or talk to sales to find the plan that’s right for you.

What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners (2024)

FAQs

What is WordPress for beginner? ›

WordPress is easy to use for a beginner.

It's actually built for non-technical people. The user interface is intuitive and friendly. To add a new design to your website, you can simply download a theme. If you need to add a new function, like a contact form, you just install a plugin.

What is WordPress explain? ›

WordPress is free, open source publishing software that can be installed locally on a web server and viewed on a proprietary web site or hosted in the cloud and viewed on the WordPress web site.

How WordPress works step by step? ›

  1. Step 1: Choose WordPress as your website platform. ...
  2. Step 2: Pick a name for your website, buy a domain & hosting. ...
  3. Step 3: Get familiar with the WordPress UI. ...
  4. Step 4: Pick a theme / design for your website. ...
  5. Step 5: Get plugins to extend your website's abilities. ...
  6. Step 6: Create basic pages. ...
  7. Step 7: Consider starting a blog.
20 Jun 2022

What is the best way to describe WordPress? ›

WordPress is a free, open-source website creation platform. On a more technical level, WordPress is a content management system (CMS) written in PHP that uses a MySQL database. In non-geek speak, WordPress is the easiest and most powerful blogging and website builder in existence today.

Why is WordPress used? ›

WordPress is a content management system (CMS for short). It's a robust tool for creating and managing your website. Blogs, business websites, personal sites, and ecommerce stores alike can benefit from using WordPress. This platform is run online, meaning you don't need to download any desktop software to use it.

What WordPress really is and why it's important? ›

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.

What language does WordPress use? ›

PHP is the programming language that most of the WordPress codebase is written in. Other languages and technologies used include JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

Is it easy to learn WordPress? ›

WordPress is fairly easy to learn, but you're bound to have questions when you first start. Fortunately, the internet is full of resources to help you master this popular CMS. The best way to learn the platform depends on your skill level, your learning preferences, and how much you're willing to pay.

What is the difference between WordPress and website? ›

PRO TIP: The main difference between WordPress and a website is that WordPress is a content management system (CMS) while a website is simply a collection of pages. WordPress is built on top of a database and allows you to easily create, edit, and delete content.

How do I make a WordPress website for beginners? ›

How to Build a WordPress Website
  1. Step 1: Define your site. ...
  2. Step 2: Choose a domain name. ...
  3. Step 3: Get web hosting. ...
  4. Step 4: Install WordPress. ...
  5. Step 5: Choose your WordPress theme. ...
  6. Step 6: Install WordPress plugins. ...
  7. Step 7: Complete your administrative pages. ...
  8. Step 8: Publish your WordPress site.
19 Jul 2022

How long does it take to learn WordPress? ›

To just learn the basics of WordPress, it takes a week or less. WordPress is very user-friendly and can be understood by pretty much anyone that has basic computer skills. If you want to make specific minor changes to your site, learning basic HTML and CSS will take a week, at most.

What is WordPress example? ›

WordPress (WP or WordPress.org) is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in hypertext preprocessor language and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database with supported HTTPS. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system, referred to within WordPress as "Themes".

What are features of WordPress? ›

WordPress Benefits & Features
  • Easily Manage Your Website Content. ...
  • Unlimited Pages, Posts, Products & More. ...
  • Integrated News & Blog Posting. ...
  • Flexible Post Scheduling. ...
  • Restore Deleted Pages & Rollback Versioning. ...
  • Website Portability & Vendor Lock-in Avoidance. ...
  • Easily Add Additional Website Editors. ...
  • Managed Website Security.

How many ways can you use WordPress? ›

What Can You Do With WordPress? 50 Possible Ways to Use it
  • Create a website for business.
  • Landing page.
  • Confession blog.
  • Online Magazine.
  • Build a personal blog.
  • News site.
  • Display your work portfolio.
  • Start a picture gallery.
2 Nov 2020

Who should use WordPress? ›

As an open-source software, WordPress can be used by anyone. The userbase isn't limited by pricing, premium customer support, or even skill level. Sure, there are plenty of things to learn about WordPress, but any person could play around with the dashboard for ten minutes and start to absorb how the interface works.

What kind of websites a WordPress can make? ›

11 Different Types of Sites You Can Build with WordPress
  • A Blog. ...
  • Business Website. ...
  • eCommerce Website. ...
  • Portfolio Website. ...
  • Online Community. ...
  • Multilingual Website. ...
  • Wiki/Knowledge Website. ...
  • Magazine and Digital Publishing Websites.

Why You Should Learn WordPress? ›

10 Justifications for Learning WordPress - A Summary
  • WordPress is open source. ...
  • WordPress offers flexibility. ...
  • Easier SEO Optimization. ...
  • Plugins and Features. ...
  • Customization or Design Flexibility. ...
  • Easy Installation. ...
  • Support for multimedia types. ...
  • Helpful Learning Community.
21 Sept 2022

How can you tell if a website is WordPress? ›

The easiest way to find out if it's a WordPress website or not is by checking its footer. By default, every website developed with WordPress keeps WordPress credits on the footer. So, if there's 'Powered by WordPress' written in the footer, then it runs on WordPress.

What is difference between WordPress and HTML? ›

The Difference Between an HTML and WordPress Website

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a coding language that is used to create web pages from scratch. WordPress, on the other hand, is a content management system where you can upload files, publish content, and host media without touching a single line of code.

What should I know before learning WordPress? ›

We recommend starting with HTML and CSS and then move on to PHP and JavaScript. Once you have learned a good bit of these languages, you can start learning how to code your own plugins and custom WordPress themes from scratch. You can learn all these things for free using Google and free resources available.

Is WordPress a coding? ›

Without a doubt, WordPress excels as both a code and a no-code tool. If you want to dive into creating websites exclusively with WordPress, you don't need to be able to write code, as you can get a lot done with the no-code part of WordPress.

How many WordPress posts can a user create? ›

How many WordPress posts can I create? You can create as many wordpress posts as possible. Infact, the more post you create, the more wordpress and google are happy with you. But it is advisable you dont create more than 2 posts in a week and use the remaining time to promote your articles.

How do I practice WordPress without hosting? ›

How to Make a WordPress Site Without Hosting
  1. To do this, you can go to WordPress.com and head to their pricing page. ...
  2. You can compare the features and cost of each plan, and you can select the best one for you. ...
  3. Website options include blogs, eCommerce stores, and more, so you can choose the site you want to create.

How can I learn WordPress for free? ›

  1. Best free WordPress course for beginners: Learn WordPress step by step (WordPress Academy) ...
  2. Best free WordPress course for development: Become a Junior WordPress Developer (LinkedIn Learning) ...
  3. Best free WordPress course for design: Build a Full Website using WordPress (Coursera)
24 Feb 2022

Does WordPress use HTML? ›

HTML is one of the primary building blocks every WordPress site relies on. With even a basic understanding of HTML, you can make various tweaks to the way your pages look and act. Plus, even if you've never touched a line of code before, this language is fairly simple to pick up and use.

What are the disadvantages of using WordPress? ›

The Disadvantages of Wordpress
  • You Need Lots of Plugins For Additional Features. ...
  • Frequent Theme and Plugin Updates. ...
  • Slow Page Speed. ...
  • Poor SEO Ranking. ...
  • Website Vulnerability. ...
  • Website Can Go Down Without Notice. ...
  • In Closing.

Is it better to learn WordPress or HTML? ›

If your site requires no updates, regular changes, or any additional content, HTML is a better choice as it will make your website perform faster. If you want to grow your business website, and constantly update it, then WordPress is the best choice.

Is it better to make your own website or use WordPress? ›

A custom built website is more search engine friendly than a WordPress website. This means that it can rank higher in search engines than the one built with templates using a WordPress CMS. This is very important for any business that wants to gain leads and increase conversions on the internet.

How do you set up WordPress? ›

  1. Step 1: Download WordPress. Download the WordPress package to your local computer from https://wordpress.org/download/. ...
  2. Step 2: Upload WordPress to hosting account. ...
  3. Step 3: Create MySQL database and user. ...
  4. Step 4: Configure wp-config. ...
  5. Step 5: Run the installation. ...
  6. Step 6: Complete the installation.

How do I setup a website? ›

9 Steps to Create a Website
  1. Choose the perfect domain.
  2. Get web hosting and free domain registration with Hostinger.
  3. Claim your free domain with Hostinger.
  4. Install WordPress with Hostinger.
  5. Access WordPress in the Hostinger dashboard.
  6. Design your website with a customizable theme.
  7. Build your website's architecture.

How do I create a WordPress site without a domain? ›

Building a WordPress website without hosting is actually must easier than you think. You don't need to download any software.
...
STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH ON HOW TO BUILD A WORDPRESS WEBSITE WITHOUT HOSTING
  1. Step 1: Sign up. ...
  2. Step 2: Activate Your Website. ...
  3. Step 3: Setup Your Website. ...
  4. Step 4: Customize Your Website.

How many WordPress sites are there? ›

Number of websites using WordPress

As of 2022, there are about 1.4 billion total websites on the web. More than 455 million sites use WordPress. And, with over 2 million downloads every year, WordPress usage continues to rise steadily.

How do I edit a page in WordPress? ›

How to Edit a WordPress Page or Post
  1. Log into your WordPress Website.
  2. On the menu bar to the left, click on Pages or Posts.
  3. You should now be prompted with a list of existing pages. To edit one of them, simply click on the name of that page.
  4. Edit the content, then click Update to save and publish the changes.
13 Dec 2021

Is WordPress worth learning in 2022? ›

WordPress has become the most popular CMS (Content Management System) around. At this point, it powers just over 40% of all the websites on the Internet. There is good money to be made if you learn how to become a WordPress developer. There are a number of reasons why WordPress has become so popular.

What is the salary of WordPress developer? ›

Wordpress Developer salary in India ranges between ₹ 1.0 Lakhs to ₹ 6.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 2.7 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 1.1k salaries received from Wordpress Developers.

Do people still use WordPress? ›

WordPress is known to be the most frequently used content management system (CMS) on the web. Nowadays, 42.6% of websites are built on this platform that translates to about 85.6 million websites.

Why is WordPress so popular? ›

WordPress is free

First and foremost, it's free to download and install the WordPress core software on your website. The choice to make WordPress free is one of the primary reasons why it's become so popular; it effectively lowered the barrier to creating a high-quality, professional website.

Is WordPress only good for blogs? ›

WordPress is very well known for its ability to craft highly engaging blogging websites. However, thanks to the thousands of plugins and themes, It can be sculpted into any type. This is why many will use WordPress for a website even without blogging content.

What is a plugin in WordPress? ›

A WordPress plugin is a piece of software that “plugs into” your WordPress site. Plugins can add new functionality or extend existing functionality on your site, allowing you to create virtually any kind of website, from ecommerce stores to portfolios to directory sites.

Is WordPress a web developer? ›

A WordPress developer is a type of web developer. They specialize in building websites with WordPress. They are also full-stack developers, meaning they can develop the front-end and back-end of a website. A WordPress developer may be hired to enhance the WordPress software or build a custom website for a client.

Which type website is most popular? ›

Here's a list of some of the most popular on the web today:
  • eCommerce website.
  • Business website.
  • Blog website.
  • Portfolio website.
  • Event website.
  • Personal website.
  • Membership website.
  • Nonprofit website.
13 Jun 2022

How many types of website are there? ›

5 types of websites and how to create & design them
  • Ecommerce websites. Ecommerce websites allow users to shop for and purchase products or services online. ...
  • Personal websites. ...
  • Portfolio websites. ...
  • Small business websites. ...
  • Blog websites.
5 Nov 2021

What is WordPress example? ›

WordPress (WP or WordPress.org) is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in hypertext preprocessor language and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database with supported HTTPS. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system, referred to within WordPress as "Themes".

How do I make a WordPress website for beginners? ›

How to Build a WordPress Website
  1. Step 1: Define your site. ...
  2. Step 2: Choose a domain name. ...
  3. Step 3: Get web hosting. ...
  4. Step 4: Install WordPress. ...
  5. Step 5: Choose your WordPress theme. ...
  6. Step 6: Install WordPress plugins. ...
  7. Step 7: Complete your administrative pages. ...
  8. Step 8: Publish your WordPress site.
19 Jul 2022

Is WordPress hard to learn? ›

The short answer is: it depends. While a novice webmaster may be able to get their website online without deep technical expertise, the truth is to become a WordPress developer requires a much deeper skill set. With some patience, you can learn basic WordPress skills and have your website online in very little time.

How long does it take to learn WordPress? ›

To just learn the basics of WordPress, it takes a week or less. WordPress is very user-friendly and can be understood by pretty much anyone that has basic computer skills. If you want to make specific minor changes to your site, learning basic HTML and CSS will take a week, at most.

What language does WordPress use? ›

PHP is the programming language that most of the WordPress codebase is written in. Other languages and technologies used include JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

What are the features of WordPress? ›

WordPress Benefits & Features
  • Easily Manage Your Website Content. ...
  • Unlimited Pages, Posts, Products & More. ...
  • Integrated News & Blog Posting. ...
  • Flexible Post Scheduling. ...
  • Restore Deleted Pages & Rollback Versioning. ...
  • Website Portability & Vendor Lock-in Avoidance. ...
  • Easily Add Additional Website Editors. ...
  • Managed Website Security.

What kind of websites a WordPress can make? ›

11 Different Types of Sites You Can Build with WordPress
  • A Blog. ...
  • Business Website. ...
  • eCommerce Website. ...
  • Portfolio Website. ...
  • Online Community. ...
  • Multilingual Website. ...
  • Wiki/Knowledge Website. ...
  • Magazine and Digital Publishing Websites.

How many ways can you use WordPress? ›

What Can You Do With WordPress? 50 Possible Ways to Use it
  • Create a website for business.
  • Landing page.
  • Confession blog.
  • Online Magazine.
  • Build a personal blog.
  • News site.
  • Display your work portfolio.
  • Start a picture gallery.
2 Nov 2020

Does WordPress require coding? ›

WordPress is a flexible CMS that allows multiple users to create and run a website. While this CMS uses the programming language PHP, most users can operate a WordPress site without coding.

Why is WordPress so difficult? ›

One of the biggest reasons why WordPress can seem complicated is that it's an open-source content management system (CMS). Essentially, this means that in order to make a WordPress site, you first need to take the WordPress software and install it on your own web hosting.

How do I practice WordPress without hosting? ›

How to Make a WordPress Site Without Hosting
  1. To do this, you can go to WordPress.com and head to their pricing page. ...
  2. You can compare the features and cost of each plan, and you can select the best one for you. ...
  3. Website options include blogs, eCommerce stores, and more, so you can choose the site you want to create.

Where can I learn WordPress for free? ›

  • Best free WordPress course for beginners: Learn WordPress step by step (WordPress Academy) ...
  • Best free WordPress course for development: Become a Junior WordPress Developer (LinkedIn Learning) ...
  • Best free WordPress course for design: Build a Full Website using WordPress (Coursera)
24 Feb 2022

Is WordPress worth learning in 2022? ›

WordPress has become the most popular CMS (Content Management System) around. At this point, it powers just over 40% of all the websites on the Internet. There is good money to be made if you learn how to become a WordPress developer. There are a number of reasons why WordPress has become so popular.

What is the salary of WordPress developer? ›

Wordpress Developer salary in India ranges between ₹ 1.0 Lakhs to ₹ 6.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 2.7 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 1.1k salaries received from Wordpress Developers.

How many WordPress sites are there? ›

Number of websites using WordPress

As of 2022, there are about 1.4 billion total websites on the web. More than 455 million sites use WordPress. And, with over 2 million downloads every year, WordPress usage continues to rise steadily.

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