One of the questions we often get asked is: Why should I use WordPress? Is my site not good enough? Why do I have to switch to WordPress from another platform?
If you are asking these questions, then you are in 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 types 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 more information, check out our WordPress.org vs WordPress.com comparison.
One of the most common misconceptions about WordPress is that it is just a blogging platform.
But WordPress is much more.
While WordPress started out as a blogging tool, it has evolved into a powerful website builder and content management system (CMS).
The best part of WordPress is that it is easy to use and flexible enough to make different types of websites. That is 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, WordPress is used by many top brands 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.
Table of Contents
- 1. WordPress is free as in freedom
- 2. WordPress is easy to use
- 3. WordPress is fully customizable
- 4. WordPress is SEO friendly
- 5. WordPress is safe and secure
- 6. WordPress is here to stay
- What kind of websites can you create with WordPress?
1. WordPress is free as in freedom
WordPress is free software. This means that you are free to download, install, use and modify to match your needs. You can use it to create any type of website. For more information, check out our article on 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 into their browser's address bar to access your website (for example, WP Supereasy.com).
Web hosting is like the home of your website 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 WP Super Easy 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 offer from Bluehost
Need more hosting recommendations? See our selection of the best WordPress hosting providers.
If you'd like someone with experience to set up your WordPress site, then our talented staff members will be 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 for beginners to use.
It comes with a simple dashboard with different menu options listed in the sidebar. You can easily create posts and pages, customize your website layout, add navigation menus, and more.
WordPress makes it easy for absolute beginners to maintain their own websites without any technical issues.
First of all, there are updates. WordPress regularly releases basic WordPress updates that you can install with a click of the button. The same goes for WordPress plugins and themes that release their own updates.
For backups, there are great WordPress backup plugins out there (many of them are free). They allow you to set up automatic backups and store them in a remote location like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Lastly, there is security. With some basic WordPress security practices, you can make your website even more secure (more on that 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 will soon find your way around.
Over the past 10 years, we've 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 make a living.
Here at WP Super Easy, 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 help getting started, just type your question into Google and add 'WP Super Easy' to the end of your question. You will likely find the answer on our website.
3. WordPress is fully customizable
Most people who use WordPress are not web designers or programmers. In fact, most people start using WordPress without any prior knowledge of website design.
For people who are not tech-savvy, WordPress is the perfect solution because there are thousands of free website templates (themes) you can choose from. There is a perfect WordPress theme for almost every type of website (be it a blog, business site, or online store).
WordPress themes are easy to customize because many of them come with their own options panel that allows you to change colors, upload your logo, change the background, create beautiful sliders, and really 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-to-use templates that are easily customizable for any type of website.
For more recommended themes, you can check out our expert picks for the best WordPress multipurpose themes.
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 through the use of 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. For more information, check out our article on what WordPress plugins are and how they work.
As well as adding additional functionality, some WordPress plugins can allow you to transform your website into a whole new platform.
Having to choose from thousands of plugins can be overwhelming, but there are a few essential WordPress plugins that we recommend for every website:
- A contact form plugin so your visitors can get in touch with you
- An analytics plugin so you can see how many visitors you are getting
- A search engine optimization plugin so you can get more traffic from Google
Then you will have to choose more plugins depending on the type of website you are creating.
To find the best plugin for your needs, you can always search Google and add 'WP Super Easy' to your search to find our recommendations. Our team of experts thoroughly tests each plugin before recommending it.
4. WordPress is SEO friendly
The best website in the world will not be a success if it does not receive traffic or visitors.
Fortunately, 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 that Google and other search engines love WordPress.
This is why WordPress sites tend to rank higher than others on search engines.
To optimize your site for even more traffic, we recommend using a WordPress SEO plugin.
Our recommended SEO plugin is All in One SEO (AIOSEO), used by over 3 million websites. It's easy to use, but also incredibly powerful. You can refer to our guide on how to set up AIOSEO for WordPress to set it up properly on your own site.
For complete step-by-step instructions and expert advice on optimizing your website, check out our ultimate guide to WordPress SEO.
5. WordPress is safe and secure
WordPress is developed with security in mind, and it is a very secure platform to run a website on.
However, you can still do a lot to make your website even more secure from hackers, malware, and other dangers. For more information, check out our step-by-step WordPress security guide for beginners.
Here at WP Supereasy, we use Sucuri to protect against common threats like 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 largest ones can disappear (remember GeoCities?).
Open source software, on the other hand, is much more likely to be around for a long time.
This is because, as open-source software, it is not maintained by a single person or company. Even if WordPress goes away, anyone can simply fork your code and release it under a different name in a matter of minutes.
One of the lesser-known facts about WordPress is that it does not have a CEO. Its name is protected by the its Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that ensures that WordPress continues to grow.
There is a strong community of thousands of users, developers, and small businesses behind WordPress. As a community, they all make sure that WordPress is here to stay for the long haul.
WordPress benefits millions of users around the world. It is available in over 53 languages and powers thousands of multilingual websites as well.
As a WordPress beginner, you will join this global community of users and find the WordPress community to be welcoming and eager to help.
Our very own WP Super easy Engage Facebook group is the largest WordPress community on the web with over 80,000 members. It's a great place to get quick answers to your WordPress questions from our team of experts and other website owners.
What kind 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 types of websites you can make with WordPress.
- create a blog
- Create a business website
- Start an online store
- Create a membership website
- Sell online courses
See our full list of different types of websites you can make with WordPress.
We hope this article answers 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.
If you need to have your own WordPress website, contact BlogsTrade institution which provides the best WordPress websites at all levels for the best prices.