I have a reasonable amount of technical knowledge, but it doesn’t stretch quite as far as being able to code an entire website by hand, although my developer friends insist that it’s “very easy to do”.
While I’d love to learn some day, and I fully intend to, I prefer to use a time-saving “out of the box” service instead, and until now that service has been WordPress.
It’s the most widely used blogging platform on the web, and after a year of using WordPress for creating multiple business websites & blogs, I can comfortably say that it’s one of the best options out there.
Here are my reasons why.
Easy To Set Up, Maintain & Configure
Setting up a self-hosted version of WordPress is really easy with the amount of YouTube videos and tutorials available out there. Typically, it involves purchasing a web hosting package from companies like 1&1 or Vidahost, and installing WordPress through a control panel like cPanel via a “click to install” process.
Dealing with servers and hosting tends to be the most daunting part for a first-timer, but after the initial setup, most (if not all) interaction is with the WordPress interface anyway. Basic maintenance & configurations like fonts, on-site widgets, colour schemes and even tweaks to the website’s code usually be done through your WordPress admin panel.
Extensive Selection Of Themes
One of the main appeals about using WordPress has been the vast amount of themes available for purchase via online marketplaces like Themeforest.
4180 Wordpress templates on ThemeForest alone
Whether it’s been to create a professional website or a blog, the extensive selection has never left me short of options, and the customisation options that most of the premium themes offer has made it easy to tailor them to suit my needs.
Luckily, theme designers tend to provide plenty of support for their products — so whether it’s for a small modification or an issue in setting up a theme, they’ve always been there to help out.
It’s A Versatile Platform
Last but not least, versatility. WordPress can comfortably be used for personal blogs, portfolios, agencies, restaurants, local businesses — you name it.
I’ve personally created a couple of business websites using WordPress, as well three or four blogs, and every single time it’s been a swift experience.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying that there are other specialist platforms like LaunchRock for new product landing pages, or Ghost for a simple and easy to use blogging platform.
For me though, WordPress strikes a nice and well-rounded balance by providing both the advanced features & customisation options that a power user may need, while maintaining a user friendly experience that makes it simple to install and get started.
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I’d be interested to know what you guys think. What do you use to create websites and why?
