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Just how flexible is WordPress?
Many words have been used to describe the WordPress ecosystem. One of the most common of course is freedom.
However, many underestimate just how flexible WordPress truly is. A CMS can’t get to be such a huge, open source platform without having some sort of flexibility built into it.
In fact, WordPress is so flexible that it powers about 40% of all websites on the internet today.
It is this flexibility that allows both programmers, coders and non-coders alike to create such great websites.
However, being flexible is not always easy. There is such a wealth of information that some may even claim that there’s too much information out there on WordPress.
For the absolute beginner this amount of information may scare them off and go to a more structured and controlling platform like Wix, Blogger, Weebly, or even SquareSpace.
In this post, I’m going to address just how flexible WordPress can be and why you should create your online presence using WordPress. I will also talk about why and when you shouldn’t use WordPress.
Yes, even as a WordPress fanboy, I too think there are certain circumstances in which WordPress should not be used.
Is WordPress free?
WordPress, the CMS, is free and open source. You can get free WordPress themes and plugins on WordPress.org.
You can even get a free WordPress blog, including your theme and hosting on WordPress.com.
Is WordPress good for professional websites?
WordPress is excellent for professional websites. Why? Well, WordPress does power about 40% of all websites on the internet today.
WordPress has many themes and templates as well as plugins that offer all kinds of functionality, including payment gateways, contact forms, invoices, schedulers and much more.
You can even add an ecommerce store with WooCommerce, the ecommerce platform specifically made for WordPress websites.
Many businesses today choose WordPress for their professional websites not only because the seemingly unlimited range of templates, designs and functionality, but also for the freedom WordPress gives you.
It’s much easier, for example, to control costs by choosing your own hosting provider. Other more closed platforms like Wix, Weebly and SquareSpace do not offer such flexibility.
With WordPress, if your hosting provider decides to raise their prices, if their customer service has slipped or if you have too many security issues and hacking without much support, you can simply migrate your WordPress website, including your theme, all your content images and media to another web hosting provider.
Why shouldn’t you use WordPress?
If you’re only interested in having a web presence, getting a website up on the internet and having it look halfway decent to serve as perhaps your business card on the web and you don’t want to mess with all the mechanics of creating and customizing a website, nor do you want to deal with security issues etc., then you should probably go with a closed platform type of environment.
Platforms like Wix, Weebly or SquareSpace are perfect for those who don’t want to mess with all the mechanics of running a website including hosting etc.
Those platforms do it all for you.
However, if you want to dip your toes into WordPress, but you still want the comfort of being in a closed platform environment where most of those mechanics are taken care of for you, then you should go to WordPress.com, which offers plans for that very reason.
Should I learn PHP before WordPress?
The beauty of WordPress is that you don’t need to learn PHP before WordPress.
In fact, you don’t even need to learn PHP at all in order to get a WordPress website up and running on the internet.
Actually, the more you learn about your WordPress theme and the use of plugins, the better you can design and run your website without the need to learn any code at all.
Although, in all honesty, the more code you can learn whether that’s PHP, Javascript or even a little HTML and CSS, the easier and more possibilities will open up for you.
If you get truly adventurous you may even want to poke around in your WordPress files in your hosting provider’s dashboard. But that’s only for the adventurous.
However, if you are truly interested in taking your WordPress skills to the next level then learning PHP is definitely worth it.
Learning PHP will just open up so many more doors and allow for so much more customization than what you can do with just your WordPress theme or plugins.
What is the best way to learn WordPress?
Although there are many tutorials, both paid and free, where you can learn WordPress, the best way to learn WordPress is through hands-on experience.
As frustrating as it may be sometimes, there’s still no better way to learn WordPress than by just rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty.
But rest assured, you’re not alone nor are you the first and certainly won’t be the last person to have to learn WordPress this way.
Thankfully, there are many forums and social media groups created for WordPress developers and enthusiasts alike.
In those places you can share your knowledge, ask questions and even lurk around through past threads on these WordPress forums to find quick answers to your most pressing WordPress issues.
Is PHP worth learning?
If you are interested in developing and creating a WordPress website from scratch and becoming a full fledged WordPress developer, then PHP is not only worth learning it’s absolutely vital. Why?
Simply put, WordPress’s built on PHP. You cannot create a WordPress website from scratch without knowing PHP.
How flexible is WordPress, conclusion.
WordPress is probably the most flexible CMS on the internet today. Here are some of the reasons why WordPress is so flexible:
- Whether you are an experienced programmer, coder or a non-coder with no experience, WordPress will allow you to get a website up on the internet, live, in no time.
- You can choose your own theme or create your own. It’s open source..
- You can add various functionalities through the use of plugins. No need to write code to get most of the functions your website requires.
- You can choose any hosting provider you like.
- You have full control over your theme, customizations, plugins etc. You can also move and migrate your website and take all of the files with you to any other web hosting provider you wish.
- Themes themselves are highly customizable, even for non-coders.
- WordPress websites can be as small or as big as you like them and your needs require. Some of the biggest corporations website’s are powered by WordPress.
- If you are interested in becoming a WordPress developer, you will have unlimited possibilities to develop websites through PHP. Although some consider PHP to be an outdated language, there’s no denying the amount of customized code that’s freely available in order to build huge and magnificent websites.
- WordPress is ideal for professional business websites as well as for ecommerce. You can simply add a WooCommerce store to your WordPress website. You can then explore your ecommerce opportunities. Whether that is through drop-shipping or selling your own products and services.
However, if you prefer to have most of the customizations, plugins, security as well as hosting all taken care of for you, along with support, then going with a WordPress.com website on one of their hosting plans would be your best bet.
As you can see WordPress is a very flexible CMS. Whether the website is a simple personal blog, a huge ecommerce website or even a professional corporate website, WordPress can grow with you.
A WordPress professional is only limited by their imagination.
Whether you are a simple blogger who wishes to have as much internet independence as possible, or you are a developer and wish to build huge multifunctional websites, there’s something for everyone.
That’s just how flexible WordPress truly is.
