Contents

• Introduction
• Am I Already Using WordPress?
• Which WordPress?
• Why WordPress?
• Can I Build My Website Myself?
• What Are The Ongoing Costs?
• Any Downsides?
• Conclusion

Introduction

If you’re looking at getting a website of your own (or already have one) you may well have heard of something called “WordPress.” WordPress is a free platform that makes it easier (and cheaper) for you or your web designer to build your website, and makes it possible for you to log in and add some content to your website yourself.

Am I Already Using WordPress?

If you already have a website, there’s a pretty good chance it’s on WordPress! At the time of writing, 43.2% of all websites on the internet are. Not sure? You can check yourself using this tool.

Which WordPress?

When I say “WordPress” – I’m talking about the free website platform that anyone can download from wordpress.org and use to set up their own website. Note this is not to be confused with wordpress.com – which is a little different.

Why WordPress?

In the old days, people would build websites themselves from scratch.  This takes forever, and makes your website difficult to edit and maintain. Sooner or later people worked out that everyone needs pretty much the same things for their websites anyway – a navigation menu – a mailing list signup – and all the other functionality you’re used to seeing on websites.

So WordPress provides a framework – with building blocks for all the bits and pieces people need to build a website.

WordPress has been around for a while now, and it’s “open source” (making it easy for software developers to contribute their own bits and pieces) – which has resulted in an epic ecosystem of “plugins” which can be used to add different functions to your website. Many of them are free, and being maintained by teams of people to make them better and better over time. In other words, using WordPress is like having a huge team of people working to make your website better, at no cost to you. That’s a pretty attractive proposition.

Can I Build My Website Myself?

So if I use WordPress, does that mean I can build my website by myself? Well, it depends. But this is a bit like asking “If I have a nice hammer, can I build a house by myself?”

Well actually – to be fair – it’s not quite like that. Many of the plugins and features available for WordPress are fairly user-friendly. You don’t need to be a website developer to give them a try, and get some of the things you need done sorted out.

There will be moments, though, where things start to get technical, and that’s one reason why you might want someone to build your website for you. To get a plugin configured and set up just how you need it for your particular situation, there are times when the tools of the web development trade (like “CSS” used for getting the visual styling just right) are needed.

Another issue also comes up: just because you could do something yourself, doesn’t mean you would. This is where website designers and developers (like us here at Effective Websites) can play a consulting role – drawing on our experience to help clarify the goals for your website and advise on the best combination of tools to help you get there.

What about the layout and design of the website? Can I do that by myself if I have WordPress? Another analogy could be helpful here. This is a bit like asking: “I have a paintbrush, can I paint a beautiful picture?” Let’s just say…results may vary. Professional designers can apply all sorts of skills and principles to make your website not just look nice, but also make sense for your audience.

Another thing to consider is that professionals won’t just use the base version of WordPress, but also other special add-ons (often paid) which make building your website with WordPress a whole different experience. To return to our building-a-house analogy, we might compare this to cutting the wood ourselves using a cheap handsaw vs a professional builder cutting the wood using their super-dooper electric saw – faster, more accurate, and better-looking.

What Are The Ongoing Costs?

If you’re wanting to get your own WordPress website, you’ll need to be prepared for some ongoing costs for the following:

• A domain name (that’s your website address, like: http://yourdomain.com)
• Website hosting (where your website “lives”)
• Some of the premium plugins require one-off or ongoing payments. The good news is, there are excellent free plugins for many common website functions. We can help advise on the options.
• You’ll also want to consider a Maintenance + Support Plan to keep things running smoothly.

Any Downsides?

Because WordPress is so popular, it does also attract a bit of attention from hackers. We can provide a security boost service to strengthen your website’s security. This is also one of the reasons to consider a Maintenance + Support Plan – to help keep your site secure.

Conclusion

Using WordPress basically gives you a whole lot of value (both one-off and into the future) for free. There are some ongoing costs involved, but if you’re serious about getting your website up and running, doing it with WordPress could be the thing that helps you get it done – and get your website online. I’m going to take a guess that most people who want a website just want it done with minimum fuss. Companies with enormous budgets and teams can afford to built this sort of technology themselves from scratch. For mere mortals, WordPress is the way to go.

Related Services

…to have us build you a custom-designed WordPress website