WordPress has revolutionized website creation, empowering millions to build stunning online presences. This powerful platform offers incredible flexibility and ease of use. There is a reason big-name companies like CNN use WordPress. In this post, you will learn 5 important things you need to know about WordPress before using it.
Top 5 Things About WordPress.org
- It’s the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world.
- WordPress is 100% free and open-source.
- Powers all types of websites, not just blogs.
- It’s great for making money online.
- Managing WordPress is easy, even for beginners.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Choose Wisely
The biggest source of confusion among new users is choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. These platforms serve different needs and audiences. Understanding their differences is absolutely critical for success.
WordPress.com: The Hosted Solution
WordPress.com offers a fully hosted solution with minimal technical requirements. You simply sign up and start creating content immediately. The platform handles hosting, security, and basic maintenance automatically.
This option suits beginners who want simplicity over flexibility. Small bloggers and personal website owners often prefer this approach. However, customization options are significantly limited compared to the self-hosted version.
WordPress.com restricts plugin installations on lower-tier plans. Theme customization is also limited unless you upgrade. Monetization options are restricted, and you can’t install custom code.
WordPress.org: The Self-Hosted Powerhouse
WordPress.org provides the actual WordPress software for download. You’ll need separate web hosting to run your website. This approach offers unlimited customization and complete control over your site.
Self-hosted WordPress allows unlimited plugin and theme installations. You can modify code, add custom functionality, and monetize freely. Most professional websites and businesses choose this route.
However, self-hosted WordPress requires more technical knowledge and responsibility. You’ll handle hosting selection, security implementation, and regular maintenance tasks. The learning curve is steeper but rewards are greater.
Making the Right Choice
Consider your technical skills, budget, and long-term goals carefully. WordPress.com works well for simple blogs and basic websites. Choose WordPress.org if you need advanced features and complete control.
Many users start with WordPress.com and migrate later. This approach allows gradual learning while maintaining simplicity initially. However, migration can be complex and time-consuming.
Evaluate your needs honestly before committing to either platform. Your choice significantly impacts your website’s potential and future development options.
5 Important Things About WordPress.org
The Most Popular CMS
Compared to other content management systems, WordPress powers more websites across the world than the rest. According to Themeisle, WordPress has an impressive 43.4% market share as of September 2025. This statistic isn’t just a number. It represents millions of websites trusting WordPress for their online presence.
The platform’s growth trajectory tells an amazing story. Since January 2013, WordPress usage has surged from 17.4% to its current dominant position. This exponential growth demonstrates the platform’s reliability and effectiveness.
Why WordPress Leads the Pack
Several factors contribute to WordPress’s market dominance. First, its flexibility appeals to diverse users. Small businesses, large corporations, and individual bloggers all find value in WordPress.
Among the top 1 million websites, WordPress accounts for 52.2% of CMS market share. Even more impressive, 49.4% of the top 1,000 websites rely on WordPress. These statistics prove that WordPress isn’t just popular among beginners.
WordPress powers even high-profile brands such as CNN’s and Reuters blogs. Also, it powers Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New Yorker, The Next Web, and Mashable. Other notable brands that use WordPress include Vogue, People Magazine, MTV News, NASA, Harvard Business Review, and The Rolling Stones, among others. This is a clear indication that WordPress is powerful enough to build virtually any website you want.
Enterprise-level websites also choose WordPress. Around 8,210 active websites use WordPress VIP, the enterprise version. This shows that WordPress scales effectively from personal blogs to major corporate sites.
The Network Effect
WordPress’s popularity creates a positive feedback loop. More users mean more developers creating themes and plugins. This extensive ecosystem attracts even more users.
WordPress’ market share is 3X larger than the usage of the other 9 popular website builders combined. This massive lead isn’t accidental. It reflects WordPress’s superior functionality and community support.
The platform’s dominance also means better support resources. Finding tutorials, developers, and solutions becomes easier when you choose the most popular platform.
100% Free and Up-to-date Open Source CMS
WordPress operates under the GPL (General Public License). This means the software is completely free to use, modify, and distribute. You’re not locked into expensive licensing fees or proprietary restrictions.
The open-source nature brings tremendous advantages. Thousands of developers worldwide contribute to WordPress’s development. This collaborative approach ensures continuous improvement and innovation.
Regular Updates and Security
WordPress maintains an active development cycle. As of April 2025, nearly 3.6% of websites use the latest version 6.8, while over 66% use version 6.7. This data shows that WordPress regularly releases updates.
These updates aren’t just feature additions. They include crucial security patches and performance improvements. The WordPress team takes security seriously, releasing patches quickly when vulnerabilities are discovered.
Extensive Plugin Ecosystem
The free nature extends beyond the core platform. Over 60,000 free plugins are available in the WordPress directory as of April 2025. This represents a massive increase from previous years.
These plugins add incredible functionality without additional cost. You can transform your basic WordPress site into virtually anything. E-commerce stores, membership sites, and learning management systems are all possible.
Freedom and Flexibility
Open source means true ownership of your website. You can customize WordPress however you want. There are no restrictions on modifications or customizations.
You can also choose your hosting provider freely. This flexibility often results in better performance and lower costs compared to proprietary platforms.
Not Just for Blogging
Although WordPress began as a blogging platform, somewhere along the way, developers realized they could accomplish so much more with it. Today, WordPress powers everything from e-commerce websites to communities and online courses.
Many people still think WordPress is only for blogs. This perception is outdated and limiting. WordPress has evolved into a full-featured content management system suitable for any website type.
The platform’s flexibility allows for diverse website creation. Business websites, portfolios, online stores, and community forums all thrive on WordPress. The possibilities are virtually endless.
E-commerce Capabilities
WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source ecommerce platform built on WordPress. This plugin transforms WordPress into a powerful online store. Millions of businesses rely on WooCommerce for their e-commerce needs.
The integration is seamless and user-friendly. You can sell physical products, digital downloads, or services. Payment processing, inventory management, and shipping calculations are all handled efficiently.
Professional Business Websites
WordPress powers websites for major corporations and organizations. News outlets, universities, and government agencies use WordPress for their official sites. This demonstrates the platform’s professional capabilities.
The content management features excel for business use. Multiple user roles allow team collaboration. Editorial workflows ensure content quality before publication.
Membership and Community Sites
WordPress excels at creating membership-based websites. Learning management systems, private communities, and subscription sites are easily achievable. Specialized plugins add sophisticated membership features.
User registration, content restriction, and payment integration work smoothly. You can create tiered access levels and recurring billing systems.
Portfolio and Creative Websites
Artists, photographers, and designers love WordPress for portfolio sites. Beautiful themes showcase creative work effectively. Gallery features and media management tools are built-in.
The responsive design ensures portfolios look great on all devices. SEO features help creative professionals get discovered online.
Great For Making Money Online
WordPress offers numerous monetization opportunities. Whether you’re selling products, services, or content, WordPress provides the tools you need. The platform’s flexibility supports diverse business models.
Affiliate marketing thrives on WordPress. The built-in blogging features help create valuable content. SEO optimization tools help drive organic traffic that converts into sales.
E-commerce Excellence
WooCommerce is free and open source, with many add-ons available for enhanced functionality. This makes starting an online store affordable and scalable. You can begin with basic features and expand as your business grows.
The e-commerce ecosystem is mature and robust. Payment gateways, shipping providers, and marketing tools integrate seamlessly. Professional online stores are achievable without massive investments.
Digital Product Sales
WordPress excels at selling digital products. E-books, courses, software, and subscriptions are easily manageable. Easy Digital Downloads focuses solely on enabling you to sell digital products.
Digital sales offer high profit margins. There are no physical inventory or shipping costs. WordPress handles the entire sales process automatically.
Service-Based Businesses
Service providers benefit greatly from WordPress. Booking systems, client portals, and project management tools integrate smoothly. Professional service websites build trust and credibility.
The content marketing capabilities help establish expertise. Regular blogging demonstrates knowledge and attracts potential clients. SEO features ensure your services get discovered online.
Advertising and Sponsorship Revenue
WordPress websites generate revenue through advertising. Google AdSense integration is straightforward. Sponsored content and affiliate marketing opportunities are plentiful.
The platform’s SEO strength helps attract significant traffic. Higher traffic volumes translate into better advertising rates and sponsorship opportunities.
Managing WordPress is Easy
WordPress prioritizes ease of use. The dashboard is intuitive and well-organized. New users can start creating content immediately without extensive training.
The visual editor makes content creation simple. No coding knowledge is required for basic operations. Drag-and-drop functionality speeds up page creation.
Extensive Documentation and Support
WordPress offers comprehensive documentation. Official guides cover every aspect of using the platform. Video tutorials and written guides cater to different learning preferences.
The community support is exceptional. Forums, Facebook groups, and online communities provide help when needed. Expert developers and experienced users share knowledge freely. Thanks to WordPress being open source, any issues you may have, someone else may have experienced and solved.
Automatic Maintenance Features
WordPress includes automatic update features. Security patches and minor updates can install automatically. This reduces maintenance burden for non-technical users.
Backup plugins provide peace of mind. Automated backups ensure your content is always safe. One-click restoration makes recovery from problems quick and easy.
Scalable
WordPress grows with your needs. You can start simple and add features gradually. The learning curve is manageable even as you add advanced functionality.
Plugin architecture keeps the core platform lightweight. You only add features you actually need. This approach maintains performance while providing flexibility.
Professional Help
The WordPress ecosystem includes thousands of professionals. Developers, designers, and consultants are readily available. Finding expert help is easier than with less popular platforms.
The large user base means competitive pricing for professional services. Whether you need custom development or maintenance, options abound.
Apart from free support, there is premium support from various developers. So, whenever you come across an issue you are unable to figure out, you have the option to hire someone to help you.
Reasons WordPress is Popular
WordPress remains the go-to choice for millions. Its reach and momentum keep growing. As of 2025, WordPress powers roughly 43% of all websites on the web.
1. Massive market share and trust
People and businesses choose what others trust. WordPress’ market share gives it instant credibility. A large user base means more tutorials, themes, plugins, and companies that support the platform. This creates a positive feedback loop that attracts more users and partners.
2. Open source with a huge ecosystem
WordPress is free and open source. Developers can study and extend the code. That freedom fuels thousands of plugins and themes. It also spawns whole businesses—hosts, agencies, plugin shops, and theme stores. The plugin and theme ecosystem gives site owners fast ways to add features. Tens of thousands of free and paid extensions exist.
3. Evolved editing: Full Site Editing (FSE) and blocks
The block editor (Gutenberg) matured into Full Site Editing. You can now edit headers, footers, templates, and patterns inside the editor. This lowers the barrier to custom design. Non-developers can build complex layouts visually. Theme developers are shipping block-ready themes to take advantage of FSE. That shift made WordPress feel modern and no-code friendly.
4. Regular core releases and steady improvements
Core WordPress releases keep the platform secure and modern. Recent releases focused on the block editor, accessibility, and performance. The project has an active development cadence that fixes bugs and adds features. That steady progress reassures businesses that WordPress will not stagnate.
5. Fast adoption of modern workflows: headless and APIs
WordPress supports headless setups through its REST API and GraphQL add-ons. More teams use WordPress as a content hub while building custom frontends in React, Vue, or other frameworks. This hybrid model gives developers the best of both worlds: WordPress content management and modern frontend performance. Headless adoption rose sharply as teams chase speed and flexibility.
6. AI and tooling are now built into workflows
AI moved from experimental plugins to platform-level tooling. The WordPress project and big plugins now provide AI building blocks and editor integrations. Tools such as Jetpack’s AI assistant and other AI plugins help with drafting, SEO suggestions, and content workflows. That makes content creation faster and more accessible.
7. Built-in e-commerce (WooCommerce)
WordPress powers large numbers of online stores via WooCommerce. That plugin gives store owners full control and many payment and shipping integrations. WooCommerce’s scale attracts developers and hosts who specialize in e-commerce WordPress sites. For merchants, that ecosystem translates into choice and lower costs.
8. A robust commercial and hosting ecosystem
Managed WordPress hosting is now mainstream. Hosts optimize for security, speed, backups, and one-click updates. That reduces the maintenance burden for site owners. Agencies and freelancers also offer one-off and ongoing WordPress services. This commercial support makes WordPress viable for small blogs and enterprise projects alike.
9. Large talent pool and learning resources
Because WordPress is so common, finding help is easy. Freelancers, agencies, and specialists are abundant. Online courses, blogs, and video tutorials cover every use case. That lowers the cost and risk for businesses that need ongoing support.
10. Responsive
Better yet, WordPress is responsive. Today, mobile internet access is the norm. So, a website must look great across various devices. To make it possible, modern WordPress themes support responsive design which allows websites to scale automatically and look amazing on all devices.
Final Remarks
There you have it. Five essential truths about WordPress. It is the most popular, free, and flexible platform that can power your online dreams. This is a tool for business, creativity, and connection. While it requires some care, the payoff is immense.
You now have a clear view of what to expect, understand its power, and requirements; you are ready to make an informed decision.
Are you excited to get started? I recommend starting with a hosting provider that offers easy WordPress installation. Many do it with just a single click. Before you know it, you’ll be inside your dashboard. You will be ready to build something amazing.