wordpress cms websites

What is WordPress Used For?

Everyone tends to immediately think of a Wordpress blog because it is known as one of the most popular content management systems. Many people used WordPress to create and design their own website or blog, but as more premium plugins were made, it became even more popular. 

The WordPress community continues to grow because the software is so versatile and it’s no longer just a blogging platform. If you’re a beginner, you can download a Wordpress theme and start adding your blog posts.

 

wordpress hosted vs self hosted

There are two main forms of WordPress. There is a hosted version where you sign up and create a Wordpress site. A free version will get you started, but you’ll need a paid plan if you want to remove ads or use a custom domain. Your website’s URL might not be what you want on the free plan. 

You can also download and install Wordpress on your own web hosting account. The download is free, but you’ll need compatible web hosting to install it. Installing Wordpress on your web server might be the only difficult part, if you’re new to installing a script. Most web hosts will have the option to have Wordpress preinstalled. If you need help, we recommend reaching out to a web designer to get you started.

 

wordpress cms
wordpress self hosted

When you host your own website, you have more options and flexibility. Regardless of how you use Wordpress, both will give you access to free themes and plugins. You can also use popular website builders to design your own theme. These custom themes can easily be installed from the WordPress dashboard.

To summarize, many often ask if Wordpress is software or is a website. The answer is both. Self-hosted is technically a website with pre-loaded software. When you install it yourself, you install Wordpress software on a web server. It’s both, so there is no wrong answer here.

 

Small Business Wordpress Websites

You can use Wordpress to create a functional information-style website for your small business, church, or organization. This can be an economical way to give your business an online presence. You can use free or premium Wordpress themes if you are computer savvy to build your own site. Although WordPress is user-friendly, you may want to hire a professional web designer for a more professional look and feel. SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, can be done on a WordPress site with the right content. This is essential if you want your website to be found by search engines.

 

small business
ecommerce wordpress

Creating an E-commerce Website with WordPress

Wordpress software, or plugins, can be used to turn a WordPress website into a productive e-commerce site. The most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress is WooCommerce. This is open source software that you can download. You can also purchase a premium plugin to add features to your online store that are not in the core software. For example, if you want to calculate real-time shipping from USPS or UPS, there is a premium plugin for that. Not all WordPress plugins cost money. You can add functionality to WordPress websites with free plugins. Wordpress makes an e-commerce site affordable and functional.

 

hiring a wordpress web developer

If you’ve used a WordPress website before and dealt with many of the default themes and WordPress plugins, you probably realized a WordPress developer is needed to give you that unique look for your business website. Your Wordpress pages will look stale and boring if you stick with the default theme. There are many WordPress sites for every type of business. If your website looks like it was built by a WordPress beginner, it’s not going to appeal to many potential customers.

Even if you hire a web designer, you will have complete control over your website, including the ability to edit it, upload media files, and create blog posts. You can reach out to us at Upstate SC Web Design if you need help developing a WordPress website. Many Wordpress developers are expensive. Our affordable pricing can help give your website a personal touch. Wordpress is still a great blogging tool regardless of the type of website design you decide on.

 

web developer
website analytics

Adding More to Your Content Management System

Once your website is designed and you have a number of WordPress posts, you’ll want to add a few things to your web pages. Google Analytics integration is a common request from many clients. This allows you to track visitors and other data on your website. Analytics are especially useful for finding out what products are getting the most traffic on your online store.

You can add Google Analytics through Google Tag Manager, which can make it easier if you are going to be adding other code to your website. For example, you might want to add Facebook Pixel code if you are running Facebook Ads for your business. Many Wordpress users will find free Wordpress plugins for this. It’s much easier than modifying the core code of Wordpress.