Whether you’re just starting to create your first website or you’re an expert in creating secure pages, WordPress is inevitably a name you’ll have heard.
But before I mention the main reasons to use WordPress, I’d like to start with some definitions.
Let’s go!
What is WordPress used for?
WordPress is a CMS
CMS stands for “Content Management System” WordPress is a content management system; it is a robust tool for creating and managing any type of website: blogs, websites, personal websites, and e-commerce stores can all benefit from using WordPress CMS.
It is online, meaning you do not need to download any software to your computer to use it.
WordPress is accessible to all
When building your website using the CMS WordPress, you only need to worry about the content. All the technical parts will be taken care of. You do not need any technical knowledge to use it and manage your website through it.
6 benefits of using WordPress
Free and open source
WordPress is free for everyone. It is an open-source project that has been around since 2003. This means that the platform is developed by a set of contributors. Open-source projects are usually free and supported by large communities.
Although WordPress software is free, you will need a small investment to host your site on a server.
Roughly from 3 euros per month for the cheapest and shared servers, up to a few hundred per month for those who require maximum speed and performance.
SEO-friendly
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can help you with the success of your website. Therefore, it is something you need to start focusing on from the creation of your website.
WordPress CMS makes it easy by having internal tools that help you optimize your content to be SEO-friendly.
Among these tools, you will find many plugins designed especially for SEO. They work perfectly for all types of content and generate metrics to keep you on board.
Another element WordPress fans keep bragging about is the Permalinks’ personalization. You can easily customize your Permalinks to include keywords that will allow you to rank higher.
Reliable and secure
No CMS or website are 100% secure. New security threats are always emerging, so it is essential to use a platform that takes online security seriously.
If you want a secure site, the best thing you can do is make sure WordPress is always up-to-date.That includes the CMS itself, as well as any additional components you use (such as plug-ins).
WordPress is always releasing new updates and security services, so if you update your version, you’ll be one step ahead of everyone else. If you want to secure your website, even more, you can look for a web host that takes security seriously.
There are many additional steps about WordPress security you can take to protect your site, including enforcing strong passwords and implementing two-factor authentication (2FA). However, all that effort may be wasted if an up-to-date platform is not secure.
According to W3Techs in 2022, WordPress is used by 43.2% of all websites on the internet.
Easy to use
WordPress is effortless to master, even if you’ve never dealt with a CMS or built websites before. To get started, you have to select a theme, install a plugin or two, and then jump right into creating pages and other content.
Also, the great thing about WordPress is that there are always many more ways to customize the platform. Once you get the hang of it, you can start implementing more advanced features to have full control over the look and feel of your site.
Community and great support
Since WordPress is used by many people around the world, it has guides, tutorials, and resources that can be found online. You can also take advantage of the WordPress forums, where you can communicate with other people using the most popular CMS on the planet.
In addition to these options, you can get help and support directly from the WordPress support team.
If you have the paid WordPress plan, you’ll have free access to the support chat for 24 hours, Monday through Friday. If you are one of those with business or e-commerce plans, you can find live agent chats even on weekends.
Versatile and for any type of website
WordPress was once developed as a blogging platform, but that has changed drastically with the various new versions over the years.
CMS WordPress is advantaged because of its blogging roots. It is one of the fastest ways to write and publish blog posts, and it’s all included right out of the box.
Some website-building tools think about design and applications first, and then the blogging interface. This is not the case with WordPress, so you can create a beautiful e-commerce site and know that blogging is an integral part of the development process.
The list of the types of websites you can create is long; here are a few:
- Blogging
- Company websites
- Question and answer sites like Quora
- E-learning sites
- Forums
- Portfolios
- Personal websites
- ECommerce sites
WordPress' plugins you must have
Elementor
What is Elementor? This is a website builder you can use to create beautiful pages. It’s insane how easy, user-friendly, and intuitive it is to use!
It’s a drag-and-drop tool with a visual editor that allows you to see in real-time instantly the changes you applied.
There is also Elementor Pro for those looking to kick things a notch and create AWESOME websites.
Shortpixel
That’s a must-have! It’s an image optimizer and PDF compressor. You can use it to optimize all those heavy images and documents that impact your page load speed.
The plugin analyses the size of each image and replaces it with one that has the optimum size.
WP Rocket
WP Rocket is recognized as the most powerful caching tool. Experts as beginners can easily employ it thanks to its many personalization options.
This WordPress plugin makes sure your website loads insanely fast. It’s important for SEO and conversion rates.
Yoast SEO
If you know Yoast, it still requires your involvement, as it’s mostly automated. Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin However, it’s a great tool to optimize your content and keywords to rank higher in search engines.
To have access to more precise tools such as internal link suggestions and content analysis, you can opt for Yoast SEO Premium!
UpdraftPlus
That’s your backup plan, your control Z, and your trash bin when something goes sideways.
UpdraftPlus will always keep a backup of your website and restore the last functioning version. Did you know that data loss and downtime cost $1.7 trillion each year to the global economy?
Well, now you know what to do.
Closing thoughts
WordPress is a versatile tool, easy to use, economic, and that goes with the times.
As said, it is straightforward, but if you want something more professional, Pharos Digital is at your disposal to create your page in a unique and 100% customized way.
Do not hesitate to contact us!