You can read this on our website. If you find yourself wondering, \"Why should I use WordPress?\" \"Why can\'t I just use the drag and drop builder platforms?\" \"Isn\'t WordPress a blogging platform?\". In this article, we discuss the four primary reasons why it is the number one website-building interface and how using this platform to build your website will cost you much lesser should you choose to do so. WordPress is the most popular open source Content Management System (CMS). Used by more than 53% of the websites that are approximately 28 million live websites. An outstanding number if you think about it. There’s a reason why all those sites chose WordPress. The Simplicity of the WordPress Dashboard The main reason why WordPress is so popular is that it meets the demands of many users in terms of flexibility. It has a user-friendly interface that is designed for non-tech savvy users. Once installed, you can get started right away by adding pages and posts on your site. WordPress has a massive support ecosystem for anything and everything related to WordPress, like tutorials and even a dedicated support forum. This means that not only do you maintain complete control over your site, but you also receive great support. However, don’t get confused when you find 2 types of WordPress websites. WordPress.com is a blog hosting solution, you’ll use this if you don’t have a domain and just want a blog. The downside is the features are limited. WordPress.org, however, is a self-hosted platform. This is what you will need if you want your own domain and hosting. This is where you can build your website on. WordPress is Versatile It can be used in many different ways, here’s a list of the limitless types of websites you can build with it:

• Blog or personal websites
• Business websites
• E-commerce sites
• Membership sites
• Business directory
• News portal
• Social network
• Job board
• Portfolio
• Forum/Community
• Auction & coupon sites
• Wiki/Knowledgebase sites
• Affiliate sites
• e-Learning sites

And the list goes on. All of which are easily achieved with plugins and themes. So, for instance, you want to make an e-commerce platform for your business, you simply install an e-commerce plugin, like WooCommerce, and install a theme to make it look nice. You are also able to customize the look and feel of your website should you want to further work on the theme you like, which is not possible for other web platforms. Other drag-and-drop websites may promise a customizable website but it is still limited to the available theme found on their website. Moreover, it comes with a hefty subscription bill which will cost you more in the long run. Plugins When it comes to adding features and functionality to your site, you\'ll most likely be going to need a plugin for it. There are more than 55,000 plugins out there. This massive ecosystem of plugins beats out all of the other content management systems. Those are just the official extensions from its directory. There are still more than that offered by third-parties. It\'s Free and Open-Source WordPress is an open-source software that has been around since 2003. It’s free for everyone to download. First, you’ll need to purchase a domain name and web hosting. All you have to do is easily download it from the WordPress.org website. Once done, you can then upload on to your hosting and use it to create your very own website. Or you can simply install it from your hosting, most reputable hosts have one-click installation buttons for getting WordPress running within minutes. Compare that to the cheapest ad-free plan of Wix that is $12.50/mo. A domain name is the address of your website on the internet, something like brightsanddesigns.com. This is what your will users type in their browser’s address bar to view your website. You cannot run a website without web hosting. It is the space allotted where you can store all your website files. Think of it as the domain name is your address, and your web hosting is your house. We recommend using FastComet. They have great support and competitive pricing. We’ve used them for years now, their chat support and freebies are what sold us to use them. No regrets there! We hope this article answered your question. These are just 4 of the many reasons why it is the solution for anyone wishing to build a website. If someone asks you the same question, just send them our way. Give it a try, and let us know what you think. If you liked this article, then please like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram & LinkedIn. Also, visit our website! About the author:

Rafaela is a highly regarded designer whose process-driven approach to developing rich customer experiences through site-building helps clients get into the market faster and effectively. For 15 years, she has applied her corporate identity, branding, and design training for notable clients in various approaches. Rafaela is committed to simplicity and is passionate about crafting clear, engaging, effective communication through design to reduce complexity and adding meaningful ideas to visual essence.