What is WordPress and what is WordPress used for?

Want create a website? If you want to start with your own page, you need to know What is WordPress and how does this system work to manage and publish content?, with which many people have created their own website for free.

What is WordPress and what is it used for?

WordPress is one of the most used management systems to create web pages. He 40% of the pages have been created with this CMS (Content Management System), which makes it a leader among website creation systems.

One of the features that has made WordPress so popular is that it is open source software. This means that it is free and offers the possibility of getting started in the world of web content creation without having to rely on an expert programmer.

This content management system It is usually used for the creation of different types of web pages and personal blogs. due to its advantages:

• Variety of themes that allow you to change the aesthetics of the website with just a few clicks, and that can be downloaded and modified easily.
• Its installation and administrator is one of the simplest, so you do not need to have advanced programming knowledge to create a website.
• The WordPress community offers constant improvements to its users such as new plugins, theme updates, code optimization, among others.
• Creating websites with WordPress is free and most of its themes and plugins can be downloaded at no cost.

But What exactly is WordPress for?? What can I create with this content manager?

Another advantage of WordPress is that it offers resources that adapt to various preferences for creating various pages:

• Blogs: The WordPress core is perfectly suited to creating blog posts, as it allows you to publish articles, group them by categories, add tags, manage reader comments, and more.
• Corporate web: WordPress functionalities allow you to create corporate pages where options such as contacts, home, who we are, services and more are displayed.
• Ecommerce: Online or ecommerce stores can be customized with WooCommerce, which is one of the repository plugins used to create various online stores that offer their products and services on the Internet.

Differences wordpress.org and wordpress.com

Although WordPress and WordPress.org have a similar name, we must make it clear that they are not the same. On the one hand, WordPress.org can be considered a hosted blog product created by Automattic, which can be installed on your server or hosting and complemented with the installation of themes and plugins. While WordPress.com is a blog hosting service provided by the WordPress company, and is used to create websites, although it has certain limitations.

Between the main differences between WordPress and WordPress.org they find each other:

• In WordPress you can only choose from a repository of predefined themes, but WordPress.org allows you to install any WordPress-compatible theme you want.
• WordPress does not allow you to install a large number of plugins, unlike WordPress.org which offers more freedom in plugin customization.
• WordPress resources are focused on creating web pages in general, so if you are looking for more professional and personalized options, WordPress.org is a better option.
• With WordPress there are no worries about a server or hosting, while with WordPress.org you will have to look for hosting or server options for installation.
• In WordPress you cannot add unsupported functionalities, but in WordPress.org you can modify the functionalities because it is a CMS that offers greater freedom and adapts to everything.
• If you switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org you may have issues transferring content or 301 redirects. Plus you may need to rework the appearance of the page.
• Most WordPress plugins are paid, while on WordPress.org they are free.
• WordPress does not allow the installation of advertising on your website to monetize, but WordPress.org offers no limitations when it comes to choosing advertisers.
• Using WordPress.com is ideal to start a blog to share ideas, although if you want a more professional project WordPress.org is a tool that offers more advantages.

How to download WordPress and what you need to install it

If you are a beginner and don't know how to download WordPress, the first thing you should know is that its download and installation is very simple. To download this content manager you must do so from the official WordPress site. In addition, there are many ways to install this content manager, either with an FYP client or with a hosting provider.

Installing WordPress with Auto Installer

One of the easiest options to install WordPress is with the Auto Installer:

• Enter the “Hosting” option in your web hosting account.
• Choose the name for your domain and click on “Manage” to enter your panel and select the “Auto Installer” option within the “Website”.
• Click on the WordPress option that will appear under the Auto Installer and complete the information in the WordPress installation form.
• Select “Install” and you will see the installed applications on your hosting. Click on the three dots icon that appears next to the WordPress URL and then choose the “Manage” option and enter the dashboard.
• Once you are inside the dashboard, choose “Edit website” and you will enter the WordPress dashboard, and thus modify your page according to your needs and preferences.

Installing WordPress with Softaulous

Another option to install WordPress is through Softaculous. This is an automatic installer for Plesk, cPanel, InterWorx, DirectAdmin and H-Sphe. And the simplest way to do it with this installer is with cPanel:

• Log into your web hosting account and go to your cPanel – Softaculous Apps Installer and select WordPress.
• Click “Install now.”
• After installation you must complete the name and description of the site, administrator, password and email.
• You will also find options to select plugins and choose the theme in the “Show All Themes” directory.
• Complete all the information in the “Send installation details by email” form to obtain all the details of the installation through your email.
• After completing the data, select “Install”, and press the “Administrator” icon to access the WordPress panel.

Manual WordPress installation

If you have problems with your hosting you can choose the option to install WordPress manually:

• Download the latest version of WordPress and extract the files from the ZIP folder.
• Use FileZilla or Hostinger's file manager to upload the extracted files to your website.
• Log in to your hPanel and select MySQL Database.
• Create a database name, username and password. After completing the information, select “Create”.
• Next, you must configure the wp-config.php file to access settings in the database by entering File Manager – Files.
• Select the public_html file and click “WordPress Installation”.
• Locate wp-config-sample.php and modify the name; “wp-config.php”, then click on the right and press “Edit”.
• Modify “database_name_here, username_here and password_here” with the MySQL credentials you just created.
• To continue with the manual installation, enter the name of your new domain in the browser, choose the language and click “Continue”.
• Complete the information in the form that will appear and select “Install WordPress”.
• Next, you must complete the access data and press “Access” to enter your administrator account.

Hosting where you can install WordPress

When it comes to installing WordPress, there are various hosting options that offer advantages depending on the type of project you plan to create.

Choosing a domain and adapted hosting is essential before creating your website with WordPress. Choosing a hosting plan offers advantages such as having a domain for your website or the possibility of transferring an existing domain.

Hiring a hosting service is key to making your site available on the web. Currently, we can find various hosting solutions that adapt to the needs of creating blogs and corporate websites.

If your project is related to the business field, it is best to opt for a corporate hosting option that offers various functionalities to modify and grow your project.

And below, you will learn what are some of the hosting options for WordPress that offer greater advantages.

OVH hosting service

With the OVH hosting service You can obtain various benefits for creating WordPress websites related to security and its tools to manage your website. And among the main advantages that we must highlight of this hosting service are:

• Get a free domain for one year.
• Anti-DDoS protection system.
• Your pages will be up to seven times larger by implementing the FastCGI Process Manager functionality.
• Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate.
• SQL databases (you must create a database to manage WordPress.
• Access to multidomain management to associate different domains with a hosting and manage several pages within a single hosting.
• You can easily create and customize a responsive website.
• Management of various tools to customize your site.
• Personalized attention from a community that offers constant improvements in its services and will solve problems as soon as possible.
• Adaptability to the installation of various WordPress websites.

Siteground hosting service

WordPress hosting service Siteground is one of the most complete for blogs and business websites. Its functionalities facilitate website management and offer various security tools.

And among the main advantages of this expert hosting service for creating WordPress websites we have:

• Free WordPress migration options thanks to the free SiteGround Migrator plugin.
• Professional website migrations performed by experts.
• Staging tools, Git repo creation and options for creating website repositories and downloadable copies.
• Quick launch of WP for creating a functional website in a matter of minutes.
• Comprehensive WordPress performance solutions developed on the Google Cloud platform that includes a free CDN and free SteGround Optimizer plugin.
• Advantages of caching and front-end and image optimizations.
• Security and automatic updates of WordPress applications and plugins.
• Help center available 24/7.
• Advanced backups and a faster PHP 30%.

Webempresa hosting service

The WebEmpresa hosting service for WordPress offers the option of an easy-to-use and affordable server. By contracting this service you will be able to access benefits such as:

• Webempresa templates for WordPress: It is very easy to use and you can find numerous options to customize the design of your website.
• WebEmpresa WordPress Course: It is an exclusive course from this company with which you will learn everything you need to know about creating blogs and websites with WordPress.
• WordPress WebCompany Support: Their support offers 24-hour attention and you can contact them through online chats.

In addition, this service has three plan options available according to the economic possibilities and needs of each client:

• Plan M: It is the basic plan to install a domain with 200 GB of monthly transfer and has an annual cost of $79.
• Plan L: It consists of a medium plan to install several domains with 400 GB of monthly transfer and has an annual cost of $149 dollars.
• XL Plan: It is a Premium plan ideal for installing many domains with 800 GB of monthly transfer and has an annual cost of $249.

WordPress Plugins or complements, what are they?

Plugins are resources that complement the capabilities of WordPress and can completely transform the functions of the website.. For example, there are plugins to optimize an ecommerce, to create widgets and to share content on social networks.

Website creators often use this type of resource to turn their website into what they need. In the official WordPress repository you will find thousands of free plugins that you can download for free that you can implement on your website.

On the other hand, we can also find plugins that have the function of a visual editor, and that can be used to modify themes and customize templates.

Generally, most websites look for optimization between themes and plugins. And in case you do not find the necessary plug-in in the official repository, there are banks of certified plug-ins where some of these paid resources can be purchased for specific functions.

WordPress Themes or templates, what are they?

WordPress themes or templates are resources that allow you to modify the visual appearance of the website with a professional aesthetic and with just a couple of clicks.

Each of these themes contains various templates for a master web page. With the installation of these themes we can layout the content of a website according to the aesthetics we are looking for.

WordPress has an official repository for templates that can be downloaded for free. These themes can be customized in detail according to the content of the website, as they usually contain a wide variety of templates.

One fact worth noting is that templates do not affect the content, since they are only design. This means that they can be applied to all types of content, since they adapt without problems.

Depending on the degree of customization you are looking for, there are free themes and other more advanced options with ideal designs for more professional projects.

WordPress visual editors: Elementor, Divi, Gutenberg

WordPress visual elements have the function of creating visual content. That is, these editors are used to work on the visual design of the content.

Generally, visual editors are downloaded in plugin format and you only need to install it through the WordPress administrator to start using its functionalities.

The WordPress visual editor system is based on a very simple to use interface system in which modifying the website is simplified by dragging and dropping elements.

One of the advantages of these visual builders, as they are also called, is that their use is so simple that anyone can learn to use their tools. Many professionals even use them as a way to simplify their work so that web administrators can later manage and make visual modifications more easily.

WordPress has three well-known visual editors: Elementor, Divi, Gutenberg. Each of these editors offers certain features and advantages that are suitable for customizing all types of content.

Gutenberg visual editor

The Gutenbert editor is one of the most popular because it is easy to use and has customization options. And among its main characteristics we can mention:

• It has a drag and drop editor that allows the creation of pages and custom content.
• It has more than 25 blocks with text elements, images, tables and buttons to create content.
• Allow you to customize the options for each block and make certain general configurations.
• You have options to rearrange blocks and lay out columns in a basic way.
• It has a standard drag and drop system for content configurations.
• Customize some options for each block, as well as some settings for the entire document.
• Rearrange blocks at will, and add or remove as many as you want.
• Create a very basic multi-column layout.

Elementor visual editor

Elementor is another of the most used visual editors because it offers various tools for creating blocks, as well as slightly more advanced style and configuration options. And some of the advantages of this editor are:

• Offers access to 30 different blocks with customization options.
• It has a repository of templates to create pages and sections.
• You can apply multiple columns for a more complex and personalized layout.
• Provides greater control over elements such as margins and padding.
• It has various widget options.
• Its standard version has advanced functionalities such as accordion tabs, such as maps and image carousels.
• With the Premium version you can style parts of your site such as headers and footers with the premium version.

Divi visual editor

With the WordPress Divi visual editor you have more specific options if what you are looking for is greater customizations. Some of the features and advantages of this editor are:

• Offers 45 customizable blocks for content creation with style controls.
• You can choose from advanced features such as maps, testimonials, forms and more.
• Allows the creation of complex layouts, including columns and row combinations.
• It has custom spacing options such as margins and padding.
• Allows you to create and save designs to reuse them on another occasion.

Any of these visual editors will help you get started with the creation and customization of content for your website and you can even combine the use of the templates of one editor with the functionalities of another depending on what you need.

And now that you know everything you need to know to get started with WordPressWhat are you waiting for to create your own website? If you put into practice what you have learned, you will see how you will be successful in your project of creating a website.