WordPress is free blogging software which you can use to create a blog for your business or personal interests.
WordPress is open source meaning it has been developed by volunteers and is available for download and easy one click installation from your hosting providers.
WordPress is a great tool you can use for blogging and to manage your content like blog posts and website pages (CMS – Content Management System). The software is powered by PHP and MySQL.
PHP code creates all the different functions for your site and MYSQL manages all your data in databases normally accessible from your control panel (cPanel).
Other features which the platform offers is a plugin system which is a bit like a software addons or extensions.
The plugin system makes is super easy to add your own custom functions to your website or blog without any need to understand PHP code. Simply install and activate the chosen plugin from a long list of 30,000+ free plugins.
Premium plugins are also available which normally offer technical support as part of the package.
WordPress also offers a theme system which makes it super easy to change the appearance of your site.
There are thousands of free themes to choose from as well as a good range of premium themes which normally offer much more flexibility, design options, easier customization and 24/7 technical support in some cases.
Themes are made up of images, CSS code and custom functions which adds styling to the appearance of your site.
Adding content to your site is made easy by the use a the WordPress editor which is a bit like writing a Microsoft Word document.
No knowledge of coding is required and you can easily update and publish blog posts on a regular basis.
WordPress includes a RSS feed which makes it easy for your blog subscribers to access frequently updated content in a feed reader or via email. No need for them to find your site every time you publish new content.
Other advantages of using WordPress for your website or blog are the built in search engine optimization – Seo features which increase your chances of a higher ranking with Google and other search engines.
Social Media sharing is another major feature built into the platform as well as commenting which helps your audience and subscribers engage with your site and build trust, credibility for more targeted business leads.
Social media can be a great source of new subscribers, readers and business leads. You can also build a social network using buddypress which runs on the WordPress platform.
Social media plugins also help create a content delivery network so you can share you posts to a huge global online network.
WordPress is the most popular free blogging platforms on the planet and the latest update v3.4 has been downloaded over 30 million times.
The reason for this is because it is now very easy for anyone to install the software and start blogging within minutes.
Once you have chosen a domain name for your site its simply a matter of choosing from a list of the best hosts who offer a one click installation service.
The platform can also be used as a website with static pages for your business or a special event without the need for any technical knowledge. No coding skills required.
WordPress.com & WordPress.org – You can (1) Download and install a free software script called WordPress.org. To do this you need a web host who meets the minimum requirements.
The platform is completely customizable and can be used for almost anything.
There is also a service called WordPress.com which lets you get started with a new and free hosted blog in seconds, but varies in several ways and is less flexible than the version you download and install yourself.
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