Why Choose WordPress?
With just two words and a ton of features for your blogging success: WordPress.org is your go to for all your blogging needs! Thankfully, it’s highly reliable and you can get started with minimal costs. If you choose WordPress, you won`t regret it!
First, we’re going to hit you with a devastating but oh so true fact: Once you have created your blog, you are NEVER going to want to move it to another platform.
In fact, you want to select a platform that has virtually everything you’d ever need, so you never have to worry about moving it in the first place.
The harsh reality is: Choosing the wrong platform can greatly affect the impression your viewers have of your content. And switching platforms down the road can be a pain in the butt, especially if you’re not tech savvy. Plus you could could lose you're following in the process.
You don’t want any of that!
That’s why in this article we’re discussing what we think is the best platform for most people when beginning their blogging journey.
Simple enough, right?
Well, yeah! Choosing WordPress is that simple because it makes blogging simple.
Now, you’re probably wondering why WordPress is our #1 choice when it comes to blogging platforms…
…good thing we have 7 reasons why you’ll never have to consider another platform again!
Let’s get to it!
1. WordPress.Org is Free!
Did we really just say free?!
Oh, yes we did!
Although ‘free’ can sound really attractive, ‘free’ also makes some people skeptical, too.
Naturally, the non-believers tend to think that if it’s free, there’s an unforeseen catch verging on the horizon. A lot of the skepticism can come from the idea that maybe:
- The software is lacking in some way
- It doesn’t have enough features
- The software is only free within a specific time period where after, you are forced to pay to continue.
Yet, you need not worry with WordPress. They beat this stigma by a long shot!
Remember: You are able to download and install their software for free. However, you will need a web host in order to do this and that's not free. Luckily the cost are minimal and it's definitely worth it!
You also want to make sure your web host meets the minimum requirements of WordPress. To find out more about this and web hosts check out the “Are you and your host compatible” section of this month's guide we created for helping you setup a blog.
2. WordPress is Really, Really Easy to Use!
A question that often comes to mind when someone is deciding to choose WordPress or not is: Is WordPress easy to use for beginners?
The answer: absolutely!
Customization is made easy with WordPress because your first to 1,000th blog post can be made with just a click of a button.
When customizing your blog posts, you can use WordPress Post Editor and have the entire post’s customization within your control. If you choose WordPress, you will see that it offers the most simple editing tools, similar using Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
You can add images or videos with easy mobility, while customizing your written content with the most basic features including bold, italicize, and underline.
Selecting a theme and changing the look of your site is easy, too!
There are several free WordPress themes and layout options for you to select from that dictate the overall feel of your site. If you aren't able to find a free theme that works for you there is a multitude of options to choose from at a fairly low cost.
You aren’t limited to just one with WordPress. If you choose WordPress as your ideal platform, you can navigate through their color options and template designs to find the best option for you to reflect your blogging vision and needs.
It’s also mobile optimized!
In a world where everything is viewed from a handheld device, who wouldn’t want their blog to be mobile friendly?
WordPress has your back when it comes to users display upon 5 inch screens. This is an important aspect when choosing the right platform because more viewers will be visiting your site from a mobile device, than they will from a desktop.
3. WordPress is SEO Ready!
Tackling the world of blogging can be intimidating when you feel like a small fish in an ocean of blogging sharks.
If you have a great idea, but want it to flourish and project upon the world’s masses, you are going to need to add a little bit of SEO!
SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization and it’s one of the best methods to to ensure that you have the maximum potential to grow your online presence….
….choose WordPress.org they've got you covered!
WordPress offers SEO plugins that can be easily added to your platform.
A few SEO plugins to you should consider are:
Named as the #1 SEO plugin for WordPress. This plugin offers you way more than it's competitors. You can use it to add in custom post titles, meta descriptions, meta keywords, tags, categories and so much more!
Yoast is offered in a free and paid premium version. We think the free one will be enough for new bloggers, you can always upgrade later if necessary.
For a detailed beginners guide on what Yoast is and how to use it, we suggest checking out this article by ShivarWeb. It's all you'll need to get started!
This plugin makes SEO less of brain science and more of a beginner friendly operation. All in One SEO allows you to add meta tags, avoid duplicate content, generate XML sitemaps, etc.. Plus it offers advanced features for the SEO pros!
This “User's Guide for the All in One SEO Pack” will give you more info about the product and help you get it setup.
4. WordPress Has an Extremely Supportive Community!
As avid bloggers, we know how troubling it can feel when you really can’t figure out how navigate your platform.
You may at some point find yourself in one of these situations:
- You’re having trouble understanding how to exactly use a functionality
- You've made a big mistake and need some help to remedy the situation
- Your content is quite showing up the way you would like on your site
Don't worry! WordPress makes you feel at home within their community.
You will be able get to answers to your questions and put clarity to the messiness that creating a blog can become. They offer a community that includes developer experts and bloggers that use WordPress day in and day out.
Technical issues can be resolved with WordPress forums that offer detailed step by step how to's and ways to fix any functionalities on the site. The support team that WordPress offers is always consistent and gets back to you with resolutions to your everyday inquiries.
Mind you: WordPress is a mature platform that has been around on the web for over 10 years! So, most of your questions will be previously asked by the former WordPress users that have stuck around and been through it. This means you can conveniently use the search query to have answers within seconds.
5. WordPress Keeps Your Security in Mind!
There’s no business in creating a site when it’s available for hackers to attack and override.
WordPress understands that your site’s privacy and security comes first. However, they also want to ensure that you are doing your part, too.
It’s a fact that isn’t mentioned much but very valuable: Security for a blog is up to the platform and user.
By following these WordPress security best practices, WordPress can help you learn how to optimize your blog’s security.
A few helpful tips include:
- Install reliable WordPress plugins
- Choose WordPress secured themes
- Keep the passwords very unique and impossible to guess
- Secure your WordPress folders with password protection
- Auto update all of your WordPress Core, Plugins, and Themes
6. WordPress Offers Scalability!
You want the ability to scale in numbers and WordPress offers scalability to the thousands.
The more scalability your blog offers, the more room you have to grow and be seen globally.
Even large brands recognize that WordPress has the means for them to scale their digital market. Here are a just few that may ring a bell or two:
Let’s be real, if these huge names in the industry use it, why shouldn’t you?
7. WordPress Provides Usability for E-Commerce Sites!
For those that have a product to sell, you can choose WordPress to set up your online store! WordPress has options a multitude of E-Commerce functionalities to get your store up and running.
It also allows you to have the option of combining it with a pre-existing blog so you never have to start over again!
WordPress really is the go to option because it’s the one platform that is compatible with nearly everything on the internet. It has tons of plugins for your E-Commerce site as well as all the tools, themes, and modern services we mentioned above.
And once more – the majority of them are free!
Our Final Thoughts on WordPress
Now, we’re going to hit you with the rundown
A good way to know that if you are using the right platform for your blog, is to simply try it out first. Starting WordPress cost you very little to do a trial and error test.
Think about it this way: If you’re stuck between deciding on WordPress or another platform, just look for inspiration within your industry.
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms on the market, so 9/10 times, someone within your target niche is going to be using a WordPress platform. With these sources of inspiration, you can get a feel of the platform and what it offers to the top bloggers you wish to replicate (with a little bit of your own spice added of course!)
Our final opinion comes down to this:
While WordPress may have everything you need for blogging success, what it doesn’t do is create your site for you and no platform will. You'll need to put a little bit of time and effort into creating something substantial for your blog. If you do this your vision can come to life!
So go for it and choose a Web Host and sign up for WordPress.org today!
What's Next
Thanks for reading our read our blog, we really hope that it helped. Let us know what you think in the comment section below. Are you going to choose WordPress? or do you think there is a better option out there for you?
To find out more about WordPress and other platforms available to you check out our guide on “Getting Your Site Ready to Go Live: Setting Up a Blog”. The second section of the guide goes over the platforms, as well as gives you a Pros and Cons list for each.
Phyllis Kotton says
I have used WordPress a few times for different Products, and have found it to be a wonderful platform to work from. Thanks for your detailed insight, I did pick up some tips.
Steph Francis says
Hey Phyllis, thanks for checking out our blog!