What is WordPress? 10 WordPress Benefits You Need To Know
As a business owner, you know that having a good website is essential in order to reach new customers and grow your business. But what platform should you choose for your website? In this article, we will explore the benefits of using WordPress for your business website.
WordPress is a very popular platform and for good reason – it’s flexible, easy to use, and SEO friendly. Plus, there are many plugins available which allow you to customise your site to fit your specific needs.
So if you’re looking for a platform that is easy to use and can be customized to fit the needs of any business, WordPress is the best choice.
First, let’s find out what exactly is WordPress.
What is WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables users to create a website or blog from scratch, or to improve an existing site. WordPress is used by millions of people around the world, including many large organizations, such as Microsoft News, Forbes and The White House.
WordPress is free-to-use and open-source software released under GPL. It is a very versatile platform and can be used for a wide variety of websites and applications. In addition to its flexibility, WordPress is also known for its ease of use. Even users with no technical expertise can create a professional-looking website using WordPress.
What is a content management system (CMS)?
A content management system is a program that allows users to easily create, edit, and publish content on the internet. It’s important for businesses because it allows them to easily update their website with new information or products without having to know complicated coding languages.
Now that we know what Wordpress is, let's look at a couple of benefits of WordPress, and why you might want to consider it for your business website.
WordPress is a Popular Option
According to W3Techs, WordPress is used by 64.3% of all the websites whose content management system we know. This is 43.0% of all websites. This is a very high market share and makes WordPress one of the most popular content management systems in the world. That is AMAZING!
There is a large community of WordPress users and developers, making it easy to find support or assistance with any issues that may arise.
With such a big user base you have other advantages, like:
- Big developer community – If you ever need help with your website, or let’s say you can’t get hold of your old web designer, with WordPress you will never be stranded, as you’ll always be able to find someone to help you
- Tutorials & Guides: If you want to take the matter into your own hands, perhaps learn how to post some articles, or learn how to make some small changes here and there, you won’t be disappointed as there are thousands of tutorials on Google or YouTube.
Let’s have a look at some examples of well-known brands that use WordPress for their website:
Microsoft News
Forbes
The White House
WordPress websites are more affordable
WordPress it’s FREE software. You can download it from WordPress.org and then install it on your WordPress hosting to start building your custom website. Many web host companies these days offer a 1-click install, which means you can install WordPress much easier, without having to download the actual software and then manually upload it to your hosting, create the database, etc..
This is NOT to be confused with WordPress.com which is a separate paid hosted solution. It’s still easy to use, you don’t need a separate hosting package, however, you lose a lot of flexibility depending on which paid plan you are. If you truly want to be in control and own your website, the self hosted option from WordPress.org is the best solution.
WordPress is also a cost-effective solution because you don’t have to start completely from scratch when building a new website. As a Content Management Sytem, WordPress already comes with a lot of functionality out of the box, pair that with a couple of plugins, and you can build a new website much much faster, compared to if you were to hire someone to build something from scratch.
If you were to pay someone to develop something from scratch, it could cost tens of thousands of pounds. However, with WordPress, you can achieve the same functionality much easier and at a fraction of the cost.
I'm not trying to speak badly of traditional web development, it certainly has its uses, however, in most cases, WordPress + some extra plugins can work for any type of website.
WordPress is easy to use
WordPress platform has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to use without needing any technical knowledge. Most of the features you need can be easily accessed through the WordPress dashboard.
You can easily add new pages and blog posts, change your website’s design with themes, and manage your site’s settings all through the dashboard. Plugins can also be easily installed to add new features and functionalities to your website.
Whether you're looking to create a personal blog or a commercial website, WordPress is the perfect platform for you.
One of the advantages of using open-source software like WordPress is that it is constantly being improved upon by a community of developers. This means that WordPress will always have the latest technology and security updates, keeping your website safe and up-to-date.
So what are you waiting for? Give WordPress a try to fit your unique business needs, and with a little bit of creativity and effort, you can have an impressive website that will help take your small business to the next level.
Let's have a look at some other WordPress benefits that you might want to know.
WordPress websites are fully customisable
Out of all the website platforms available, WordPress is by far the most customisable. It offers users a wide range of plugins and themes to choose from, making it easy to build a website that is unique to your brand.
In addition, WordPress is regularly updated with new features, making it easy to keep your website up-to-date.
Theme Customisation
WordPress theme controls the overall of your website design or blog. There are thousands of WordPress themes available, both free and paid. You can also hire a professional designer to create a custom theme for you. Once you have selected a theme, you can further customize it by changing the colours, fonts, and layout, and adding your own images and logos.
Plugin Customisation
In addition to themes, there are also thousands of WordPress plugins available for websites and blogs. Plugins are pieces of software that add additional features and functionality to your site. For example, you can use WordPress plugins available for contact forms like WP Forms, social media integration, security, e-commerce, and more. Many plugins are free, but there are also premium plugins available with advanced features.
Advanced Customisation
If you have some coding knowledge or if you have a WordPress developer, you can further customize your WordPress sites beyond what is possible with themes and plugins alone. For example, you can edit PHP files to change how your site works behind the scenes or add custom CSS code to change the look and feel of your site.
And with so many options of themes and plugins, there’s sure to be something to fit any type of industry or niche.
So, if you’re looking for a cost-effective and customizable solution for your website, WordPress is definitely worth considering. With its user-friendly interface, regular updates, and large community support, it’s no wonder why so many businesses trust the WordPress platform as their go.
WordPress is updated on a regular basis
WordPress is constantly updated with the latest security features to ensure the safety of your site. In fact, WordPress is one of the most secure platforms available.
So you can rest assured that your website is safe with WordPress. But that's not all WordPress has to offer. WordPress also offer features like user-friendly, flexible, and scalable - perfect for businesses of all sizes.
Flexible: Start Small – Grow Big
The great thing about a WordPress site is the fact that you can start from a very simple website, and then scale it as your business grows.
We’ve helped many small business owners start with a one-page website which later on turned into a bigger site. Or we started with all the essential pages, e.g. Home, About, Contact, Services, Portfolio, etc.. and then later down the line, the client decided they wanted an e-commerce website, so the upgrade was pretty straight forward, without having to stat all over again.
A WordPress site is a very flexible solution and you can create pretty much anything you want:
- Brochure WordPress websites
- E-commerce websites
- Membership Sites
- Blogs
- Forums
- Landing Pages & Sales Pages
WordPress is SEO friendly
SEO, or search engine optimization, is crucial for any website. WordPress has a lot of built-in features that make it easy to optimize your site for search engines.
First of all, WordPress allows you to easily add important search engine optimization
elements like titles, meta descriptions and alt tags to your pages and blog posts. And with the use of plugins, you can further optimize your site and track your progress for search engines.
In addition, WordPress’ clean code and mobile-friendly design make it even more attractive to search engines. So not only will you be able to easily add important SEO elements, but your website will also have a better chance of ranking well in search results.
WordPress also allows you to install plugins as we’ve already mentioned above. We can take advantage of that to install an SEO plugin:
WordPress is designed to be mobile-friendly
You're probably reading this on your phone. In fact, most people now access the internet primarily through their mobile devices. This shift has led to a major change in how websites are designed and built.
Gone are the days of building separate versions of a site for desktop and mobile users. Today, the emphasis is on creating responsive sites that look great and work well no matter what device they're being viewed on.
WordPress is at the forefront of this trend. WordPress is designed to be mobile-friendly, making it an ideal platform for building responsive sites.
So if you're looking to build a site that looks great and works well on all devices, WordPress is the platform for you.
WordPress is a great Blogging platform
Have you ever wanted to start blogging, but been put off by the technicalities?
Well, good news- the "built-in" blogging feature can be used from any device, which makes it possible for those who want to add a blog post to their website without having to create one separately. This is a game changer for busy people who want to share their thoughts and experiences with the world, but don't have the time or patience to fiddle with multiple devices and accounts.
So if you want to create a blog, or are looking for a simpler way to manage your existing blog, WordPress is a great blogging platform.
WordPress has a strong community
If you need help with your WordPress website, don't hesitate to reach out to the WordPress community. There are a variety of ways to get help, including:
- Forums: The WordPress forums are a great place to find answers to your questions.
- Blogs: There are many blogs devoted to WordPress. These blogs offer tips and tricks, news and updates, and more.
- Videos: There are many helpful WordPress videos available online. You can find videos on everything from setting up your WordPress site to using plugins to creating custom themes.
- Podcasts: If you prefer to learn by listening, check out the WordPress podcasts. These podcasts offer tips and tricks, interviews with experts, and more.
The WordPress community is large and active, making it easy to find help when you need it. So don't be afraid to ask for help if you're having trouble with your WordPress website.
As you can see, there are many benefits of WordPress to use for your small business website. It’s easy to use, customizable, and secure, making it the perfect option for any entrepreneur looking to create or improve their online presence.
Other resources
If you are a digital marketer, check out this article for some really cool WordPress digital marketing plugins.
Conclusion
We hope that we’ve provided enough information for you to see the benefits of using WordPress for your business website. If you need help building a WordPress site for your business, Brilliant Digital can help.
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