Discovering WordPress.
I discovered wordpress when I was searching for a way to work on a website without having to be on my home computer. I needed to be able to add content whenever I thought of something or needed to let my customers know about a new product quickly.
The great advantage this gave is that I could log in to my site, even if I was away from home. Sometimes I was away visiting a member of the family and I didn’t own a laptop at that time. This platform allowed me to ask to use my sister’s computer for a short while and add the content I wanted.
That level of freedom from my desktop is all I needed then and it was a gift to me.
WordPress is FREE
WordPress itself is free to use and the look and functions can be extended with themes and plugins, of which there are thousands that are also completely free.
If you dash off now and search for wordress you should be aware that there are two types on different websites.
WordPress.com is a bloggers’ platform that is extremely versatile and can be used for almost anything you like, especially blogging, but your website domain will be a subdomain of wordpress.com, not your very own domain.
It is free to use and it can have its uses further down the line, but here we are looking at having your very own website, under your own control that no-one can take from you even if the whole thing breaks down! (so long as you keep back-ups – more on that another time)
WordPress.org We are concerned here with the self-hosted version of wordpress, available to download from wordpress.org or to install on your domain automatically through your hosting provider, if they have that option available.
Your blog needs to be self-hosted so that it can change and grow with you, while retaining the personal touch.
Terms Explained
A quick word about these terms, these are very simple and incomplete descriptions, but easily enough to know when starting out:
- Domain name – you have to purchase this and pay an annual fee. Normally very inexpensive, although some are premium domain names costing any amount of money.
e.g. my domain name is julieashti.com - Hosting – you also have to pay for this, but you can get started for a very small amount. You can pay monthly or annually and there are often other payment periods to choose from.
This is where your website lives. It’s the space it occupies and the software or environment that runs your website. - Subdomain – this is a name that is under another domain such as julieashti.wordpress.com so it’s not completely yours and relies on the ‘parent’ website being maintained and allowing you access, so it’s not completely under your control. You can also have subdomains on your own domain. You do have control over these.
- Self-hosted – hosted on your own domain and under your control. The hosting can be changed to another if all is not to your satisfaction. You retain complete control of the content.
Now to continue discussing the WordPress platform
Even the free templates or ‘Themes’ and the free plugins are very powerful, and a lot can be done using only these. WordPress is evolving all the time and you can install blogs, online shops, magazines, information sites – in fact almost any kind of website can be built with WordPress. If you want some very specific function or a special look you can pay for extras by purchasing premium Themes and Plugins, but that can easily be left until you actually need those things.
Even large corporate companies use WordPress on their websites. Some may have Themes and plugins designed specifically for them, but the core is the same.
When you first log in to the back end, or the controls where you actually build your site it can appear overwhelming at first, but as you become familiar with the system it will become less daunting and you can learn as you go.
You do not need to know any special code as your content is written in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get page with common formatting buttons that are found in word processing programs.
When you start with a blog you need not know it all. The main purpose is to get your message out and add useful information at regular intervals. Later on the content you add can be organised with categories and static pages can be added.
All kinds of things can be added that you might hardly dream of, but that is for later. The main thing to take away from this is that if you want it, almost any kind of website can grow from the WordPress platform.
It’s well worth learning the easy basics to launch your first blog on your own domain. It is best to install your blog in a subdirectory ( that’s like a separate folder) so that it is separate from your main website if you make one. It can still be made visible to the public at the main name, and don’t forget, if you change your mind about how it is set up, it can always be moved.
I have been using wordpress for some time now, and there is always something new to discover. I will add tips and shortcuts as I think of them from time to time.
Subscribe to my blog to learn more or sign up to my regular letter for free.
If you enjoyed reading this, get updates - it's Easy Peasy and Free!
We value your privacy and would never spam you
If you have used wordpress it would be interesting to know how you like it. What did you find easy about it and what are any problems you have encountered?
Use the comment system to tell me now!
Leave A Response