How to Use WordPress?
You may have known WordPress for a while. Yet, you haven’t seen it or haven’t used it. You don’t know how much it cost, you don’t even know how does WordPress really works.
If you are planning to create a website, you may have heard WordPress (WP). It is one of the easiest ways to create a website. According to the latest survey, 75 million websites currently use WP.
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS). It is the most popular tool over the internet when it comes to website creation.
Let us dive deeper on what it really means, how much it costs and how does it works.
WordPress: Explained
As stated earlier, It is a content management system. It is a platform where to publish articles, stories, and media.
Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little are the original developers of WP. It has been launched in 2003 and released with a GPlv2 license. This means that it is free and open-source.
It has two (2) basic elements. The front-end and the back-end. The front end is what you see when you visit a website, while the back end is a web server where contents are being uploaded.
What Do You Use WordPress For?
Bloggers use WordPress.
Basically, WP includes posts and pages. Posts are intended for regular blog posts. on the other hand, pages are more useful as constant content and informational.
Yet, these are just the basics. It also gives you thousands of plugins to maximize its functionality. These are developed and produced by the WordPress Foundation, Matt Mullenweg’s Automattic, and third-party developers.
If you’re up to an online store, you can install an e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce. If you’re a podcaster, you can install Simple Podcast. BBForum suits you if you want to build a community forum. If you want to have a premium website for members, you can install MemberPress.
Website installation lasts only for 30 minutes, depending on your internet speed, and which plugins you want to install on your website.
WordPress Owners
No one owns it. But, the WordPress Foundation oversees its development. Also, it is open-source software under a GPLv2 license.
Why license?
- WordPress can be used in any way you like without restrictions.
- You can modify its codes without restrictions
- You can repackage, rebrand, sell, and redistribute WordPress without any restrictions
This simply means that anyone can repackage it and sell it under a different name. Usually, web hosts bundle a WordPress installer into their package. Other web hosting providers also offer dedicated WP managed hosting.
Is it Free?
There are differences between WordPress.Org and WordPress.com.
WordPress.Org is a downloadable version of WP. It can be installed on any web server locally or online. It is free of charge. Unless uploaded online, a web host will charge you on a monthly or annual basis, depending on your subscription. Running a WP installation lets you use any theme, install plugins, and use your own URL.
On the flip side, WordPress.com is a hosting service owned by Automattic. It offers a free WP hosting website, but you use their own WP URL like (yourwebsite.wordpress.com). WordPress.com also has many limitations compared to WordPress.Org
How Does it Work?
Once installed, regardless of where it has been installed, it will work perfectly well in the same way.
Basically, it is written in PHP, with MySQL or MariaDB database. Contents and pages can be seen to front end of a website, then images or videos are upload to the server. Also, other user information can also be stored on the database.
Our website uses WP. You can visit other content to make you familiarized with WP’s front end.
Start a Website with WordPress
Creating a website through WP is the most convenient way to start. You can host it anywhere; on a computer, a local server, or a web server. It is free to use, and you can purchase it thru web hosting services.
It is open-source, so you can modify the whole code the way want it to be coded. You can customize it the way you want it.
You can also enjoy different plugins to optimize your experience
Final Thoughts
If you are a blogger, just like me, then you can start it using WP. There are many tutorials on the internet on how to create and build one. You can also ask me for assistance if you want to.
Tech savvy people nowadays can profit from blogging. If you’re a writer, and passionate about writing regarding a specific topic, then it’s the time to express yourself through this platform. Start blogging now and earn money later.
