WordPress Did Force Upgrade? Can’t Manage Website
If you own a blog or website, you may have noticed that it has been a bit challenging to keep up with as WordPress continues to pave the way for developers to create innovative websites and blogs.
WordPress started out as a simple blogging platform, but it has since grown to support complex features such as multi-level marketing, membership sites, and more.
WordPress has a decent sized community of users who help each other out, but if you’re a newer user, the process of figuring out how to use the software can feel a little overwhelming.
WordPress is a free platform, but it does come with some significant limitations, including the fact that it is updated automatically and the amount of storage space you get for free is pretty minimal.
Why Are We Talking About WordPress?
WordPress is one of the most popular Content Management Systems, or CMSes, in use today, and it is extremely difficult to avoid when you’re developing a website or blogging platform. It has been around since 2007 and was initially used by TechCrunch to power their site. Since then, it has exploded in popularity and is now the third-most popular CMS on the WordPress.com website, behind only WordPress itself (which is pretty crazy) and Joomla! (which is kind of crazy).
Because of its popularity, it’s quite easy to find support and resources online for WordPress users. However, even experienced developers can find the platform a little tricky to work with.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is an acronym for Content Management System, which stands for software that is used to upload and organize content (such as text, images, and videos) on a website or blog.
The advantage of using a CMS is that it takes the stress out of the webmaster or blogger’s life by doing the heavy lifting for them. All they have to do is simply pop in the content and it will be displayed on their site. The best part is that most CMSes are extremely easy to use and only require a few clicks of the mouse to get everything up and running.
CMSes also provide the ability for website or blog owners to edit and update content without needing in-house experts or assistance from outside vendors.
What is the Difference Between Blogging Platforms?
A blogging platform is where you can actually begin writing your blog posts. You don’t need to have a CMS to have a blog. WordPress is a blogging platform, but it is also a CMS. The advantage of having both is that you can utilize the full power of WordPress to create a fully functioning blog and then switch over to the simplicity and flexibility of a basic text editor to quickly jot down some ideas.
Other popular blogging platforms include Blogger and Medium. Some people prefer to use a simple text editor to write their posts, while others prefer to use these dedicated blogging platforms because they want to take advantage of the features that these applications offer. The choice is completely up to you!
WordPress is Everywhere
Aside from powering numerous websites and blogs, WordPress is also available as a free application or as a premium subscription service. This allows content owners to download and install the software on their own systems to manage and maintain their sites.
WordPress is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. It works with any browser including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. As long as you have a web browser, you have access to WordPress. Simply visit wordpress.com to view the login screen.
Features
WordPress comes with a number of useful features that can help you create a better blog experience for yourself and your readers. These features are:
- Multimedia galleries
- PDF and e-book readers
- Schedule Posts
- Custom Shortcuts
- Custom Pages
- Image Optimization
- Built-in Analytics
- SEOTools (Search Engine Optimization Tools)
- Social Media Integration
- Akismet (anti-spam tool)
WordPress also offers several third-party plugins (plugins are extensions that can enhance WordPress functionality) that can further expand its capabilities. Some of the more popular plugins include:
- WpRSSreader (receive and process RSS feeds into articles)
- Simple Contact Form (a simple form plugin)
- Accordion (expand and collapse content for an immersive experience)
- Latest Posts (a news aggregator that creates a list of articles based on your selected categories and locations)
- Advanced Custom Fields (a flexible content management system)
- Divi (a premium WordPress theme with integrated styling, documentation, and support)
Pricing
WordPress is a free tool, but it does have limited storage, only offering 1GB of space for free (this space can be upgraded to 5GB for just $5 a month). If you want to create a professional-looking blog with multiple authors and contributors, you’ll have to pay for a premium account.
WordPress also offers a paid version called WordPress Business that provides users with plenty of storage, integrates well with marketing software such as HubSpot, and is ideal for e-commerce stores.
Use Cases
WordPress is extremely versatile and can be utilized in numerous ways, allowing content owners to fully customize the experience for their readers.
Because of this, most blog owners choose to use WordPress as their primary publishing platform, integrating it into their web design and SEO strategy along with social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
One of the more creative uses of WordPress is the Liveblog platform. With this tool, users can post updates on-the-fly as they happen, allowing readers to follow along and contribute.
The Liveblogging feature of WordPress makes it ideal for sports and entertainment websites, real estate blogs, finance and economics websites, and more. Simply search for “WP liveblog” to find this, and other, plugins.
Installation
Since WordPress is such a popular platform with a highly active community, getting started is extremely easy. All you need is a web browser and you can begin creating a blog or website in about five minutes. If you want to install WordPress in a different location or on a different server, you can do so with its incredible admin panel. Simply log in to your WordPress dashboard and click on the Settings link in the top right corner.
The Settings page provides you with a number of options that allow you to fully customize the appearance of your blog. On the left side of the page, you’ll see a few icons representing the different areas of your site. Clicking on the little red wiggly lines next to each setting will take you to a page explaining what that setting is and how you can use it to edit or change your site’s content.
In the first section of the Settings page, you’ll find the General section followed by the Theme section. The General section is where you can choose your site’s name and theme, along with other basic settings like the currency used (US dollars, euros, or pounds) and the time zone.
The Theme section, as the name would suggest, allows you to choose the overall design of your site, including the colors, fonts, and more. If you’re not comfortable editing HTML files, you can use a drag-and-drop builder such as Beaver Builder or Squarespace to easily create a unique design for your blog.
WordPress is extremely easy to use and install, making it ideal for beginners who want to dip their toes into the world of blogging. If you’re looking for a software-based solution, you can’t go wrong with WordPress.