WordPress

The WordPress Website Platform

WordPress Self-Hosted Websites: Features, Benefits, and More

WordPress is an online, open-source (basically free software) that is used to create websites. Since it is written in PHP (a robust computer software program) it is now one of the most powerful blogging and content management systems (CMS) in existence today. It’s this global support and ease of use that makes WordPress the only platform I currently build websites with.

Here are the primary features and benefits of why I like to use WordPress websites:

Customization: You have virtually limitless opportunities to customize your site. Your site’s design, layout, and functionality, can be changed virtually anytime and you can even have me or some other geek delve into the code to make truly custom modifications.

Themes: WordPress themes define the style and layout of your website, enabling you to have the control to alter its appearance without changing the underlying software.

Plugins: These are pieces of software that are installed into your WordPress website to add more features or functionalities, like contact forms, SEO, marketing tools, or e-commerce capabilities.

SEO-Friendly: WordPress is designed to be SEO-friendly right out of the box. You can also use SEO plugins to further optimize your site.

A Global Community and Support: WordPress has a large, active international community. There are numerous forums, tutorials, guides, and resources available for help. This means you are never “held hostage” to a particular company’s fees or software restrictions.

Digging Deeper into WordPress Themes and Plugins

As I mentioned, themes and plugins are integral parts of the WordPress system.

Themes dictate your website’s look and feel. There are thousands of free and premium themes available that can dramatically alter your site’s appearance. Themes can be customized, allowing you to tweak colors, fonts, layout, and more to match your brand.

On the other hand, plugins extend your site’s functionality. Need a contact form? There’s a plugin for that. Want to improve your site’s SEO? There’s a plugin for that, too. At last count, the WordPress plugin directory hosted over 58,000 plugins, all designed to add different functionalities to your site.

In summary, a self-hosted WordPress website provides immense customization, flexibility, and control. While it may require more time and effort to learn and maintain than platforms like Wix, its powerful features and versatility make it a worthy choice for many small website owners.

And of course if you don’t want the hassle of dealing with your website’s upkeep, you can always outsource the maintenance using my WordPress website “Peace of Mind” program.

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