WordPress Review 2024 | Is It Worth Your Time Focusing On

Key Takeaways

• WordPress is a top choice for individuals and businesses seeking an effective online presence, a powerful option for building various websites.
• WordPress offers various themes and templates to design your site. It also supports plugins for added functionality.
• WordPress offers seamless integration with social media platforms. The platform also supports multiple languages, making it accessible to a global audience.

This article will explore everything WordPress offers, including its flexibility, content management, pricing plans, hosting, themes, plugins, SEO features, and customer support.

WordPress Review: Pros & Cons

Pros

• The complete customization of design, features, and functionality: You can access WordPress codes, allowing you to use and customize pre-made themes and designs. Additionally, the wide range of WordPress plugins and theme options enables you to add features or functionalities to your website as needed quickly.
• Integration with plenty of 3rd-party tools: Should you incorporate advanced features like a forum, shopping tool, or membership area, you can achieve this by installing third-party devices and software through plugins or code snippets.
• Control over the hosting features: Since WordPress is self-hosted, you must choose a hosting partner that aligns with your requirements.
• Great community and user/ developer support: Because WordPress is open-source and free, you can tap into the expertise of a large community of users and developers for assistance.

Cons

• Technical knowledge required for hosting: Using WordPress involves managing your hosting, which can be complex, encompassing everything from setup to security.
• Coding knowledge required for issue troubleshooting: WordPress is open-source, meaning it doesn’t have a single owner. Consequently, if you have inquiries about your WordPress website, you can’t directly contact customer service; you’ll need to rely on the community or hire a developer.
• High learning curve: WordPress isn’t a “what you see is what you get” website builder, making it less intuitive for newcomers to grasp.

WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com: What’s Different?

There are two versions of WordPress available to users, a fully hosted and a self-hosted version. Let’s find out the main differences between these two hosting service of WordPress.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com offers a fully-hosted version where they manage your hosting for you. Hosting is like renting an apartment – a service that stores your website online, accessible through a URL. WordPress.com handles hosting for a monthly fee, similar to website builders like Wix or Weebly. This saves you from finding a separate host and dealing with technical details to start a website.

WordPress.org 

WordPress.org offers the self-hosted version of WordPress. You gain ultimate control over your website without any limitations. However, while this offers more flexibility, you’re responsible for the site’s technical upkeep and management.

Which version of WordPress is this post analyzing?

This particular article will focus on the self-hosted version of WordPress. This hosting option is more popular compared to the full-managed hosting version. Users are empowered with more customized functionality, while they have to deal with more technical issues.

Flexibility

WordPress is one of the most flexible website builders in the marketplace. This is mainly because of the following reasons:

• Open Code Access:

WordPress provides access to all its platform codes, allowing you to customize or add new features as needed. This is especially useful for complex websites requiring unique tools or additional functions.

• Large Professional Community:

Due to WordPress’s popularity, finding a skilled WordPress developer worldwide is easy. Moreover, numerous online classes and tutorials are available to help you learn how to use WordPress effectively. The vast community support makes WordPress more approachable, provided you’re willing to invest time and effort into learning.

• The almost infinite number of plugins:

WordPress boasts one of the world’s largest plugin libraries among website builders, and it’s continually growing. This extensive range of plugins grants WordPress exceptional flexibility, one of its main attractions. These plugins cover diverse needs like product management, payment gateways, order tracking, and analytics tools.

Blogging

WordPress is a dominant force in the blogging and content management, renowned for its user-friendly approach and powerful features. Let’s take a closer look at how WordPress excels in blogging and content management, making it a favored choice for bloggers and website owners.

This illustrates how to  post  new content on WordPress. You can quickly move content within a few clicks or drags. And the final result on the WordPress content editing screen will look the same as how your website will look once the content is live.

Depending on the themes and plugins you use, your WordPress website can be a specific type of website, like an eCommerce site, business site, personal blogging site, or even a forum.

With any website you intend to craft, managing the content you want to present through the site is essential. Here is how WordPress can help you with content management:

Blogging Capabilities

WordPress was born as a blogging platform, and its robust blogging capabilities are evident. Its interface is designed with simplicity, enabling bloggers of all skill levels to create and publish posts effortlessly. The platform offers organized categories and tags, allowing content to be neatly categorized and easily searchable. This categorization helps bloggers manage their posts effectively and enhances readers’ ability to find specific content.

Content Management

Beyond blogging, WordPress’s content management capabilities shine. It provides a structured system for creating, editing, and organizing all types of content, from articles to pages and media files. The intuitive dashboard lets users manage their content seamlessly, making updates and adjustments hassle-free. WordPress’s versatility extends to its customizable themes, enabling users to tailor their website’s appearance to their brand or style.

Automatic content consistency

• Consistent Layouts with Ease

When you use WordPress, everything you post will automatically match your chosen layout design. This way, you can quickly make new posts that look the same.

• Efficiency in Product Reviews

All you need to do for your product reviews is add the content and click the publish button. By then, each review will always have the same design. In contrast, with a drag-and-drop website builder, you’d have to redo the layout every time you make a new page. This involves duplicating and modifying existing pages or starting from scratch using drag-and-drop tools.

• Efficient Design Changes

Modifying your WordPress site’s design is easy because the content layout follows a central, predefined theme design. However, this approach requires coding skills.

Manage individual pieces of content

• Effortless Content Management

Given its origin as a content management system, WordPress naturally excels at handling individual pieces of content. The post-management dashboard provides a clear overview of all your website posts, allowing easy edits, quick previews, and efficient categorization.

• Quick Overview and Search

For each post, you get a glimpse of the title, author, category, tags, last modified date, and more – all on a single screen. Additionally, finding and updating specific content becomes a breeze with integrated search and filtering options.

WordPress Pricing

WordPress is free to use; however, the cost of your WordPress website depends sorely on other factors like hosting, theme, plugins, 3rd-party applications, and other related functionality. As a result, there is no fixed cost for all WordPress websites.

There are five things that you will generally need to pay for building a WordPress website:

• Hosting (server space on which to install WordPress and store your site)
• Themes (the design for your site)
• An ecommerce integration (i.e., an ass-on that will let you sell products online)
• WordPress plugins (apps that can be added to your site to add more functionality)
• A developer (optional, but you’ll usually get a much better result if you hire one!).

Here are the detailed sample costs of running a WordPress website for reference:

How To Set Up a WordPress Website?

If you have the time and are willing to dedicate effort, you can set up your WordPress site on your own. Yet, hosting providers such as Bluehost provide the convenience of 1-click WordPress installation and automatic updates, sparing you from the associated complexities.

It’s important to remember that setting up a typical WordPress website generally requires around half an hour to a few days. The duration hinges on the extent of your research and your comfort level with technology.

You can set up a WordPress website from scratch with these steps:

• Select a Domain Name: Begin by choosing and purchasing a domain name for your website. You can do this through a domain name registrar like Domain.com. If you’re unfamiliar with a domain, refer to our beginner’s guide on domain names.
• Choose a Hosting Provider: Find and select a hosting provider for your website. We’ll provide you with some recommendations soon, so stay tuned.
• WordPress Setup: Set up WordPress using your hosting client console. The process may vary depending on the hosting provider you choose.
• Learn about FTP: Download and grasp FTP (File Transfer Protocol). If you’re new to FTP, Wired has a comprehensive guide for beginners that could be quite helpful.
• Link Domain to Hosting: Direct your domain name to your chosen hosting provider. This is often achievable through the tools provided by your hosting service.

By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to getting your WordPress website up and running.

Hosting

Generally, WordPress hosting is categorized into two main types: self-managed and fully-managed .

Self-managed hosting

Self-managed hosting is the most popular choice among millions of WordPress users due to its affordability, with prices ranging from $3 to $5 monthly..

Here are the primary responsibilities of the self-managed hosting option:

• Setting Up WordPress on Your Hosting Dashboard:

Begin by setting up WordPress through your hosting dashboard.

• Troubleshooting and Customer Support:

If you encounter any problems with your website, you can seek assistance from customer support. However, they assume you have a basic grasp of hosting and its technical aspects.

• Enhancing Website Security:

Prioritize the security of your website to protect against hackers.

• Arranging Backup Services:

Finding an alternative backup solution is crucial since self-managed hosting doesn’t include backup services. This ensures you have a backup ready to restore your website in case of any issues.

Fully-Managed Hosting

Unlike self-managed hosting, fully-managed hosting has a higher monthly fee; however, it can help WordPress users cover more technical and security sides of their websites. This is why this service is specifically designed for WordPress users.

Here are the audiences that match with the full-managed hosting option:

• Uncertainty in New Website Traffic:

People who are beginning a new website usually lack an understanding of the level of traffic they will receive.

• Expectations and Hosting Growth:

They expect their website to attract traffic swiftly and seek a hosting provider capable of accommodating this growth.

• Investing for Security and Support:

Many users will pay slightly more each month for improved security and support, thus saving time and effort.

Themes

There are thousands of available themes for WordPress users. They are divided into two main categories: free vs. paid themes.

Free WordPress themes

The free option is appropriate for users who do not want to spend extra money on a paid theme. You can quickly explore a free theme directly on the WordPress dashboard.

Simply proceed to the “Appearance” button and select “Themes.” This is where you can scan through the collection of all available WordPress themes and later choose one for your website.

Below are some main pros and cons of using WordPress free themes.

Pros

• Free of charge.
• A variety of choices, with themes varying from different categories.
• Appropriate with WordPress websites with low customization and a few plugins.

Cons

• Potential coding errors: Find free themes from reputable providers to avoid this issue.
• No access to any customer service: You will have to handle the issue related to free themes alone. In other circumstances, free theme suppliers let you use the theme for free and then pay for technical support hourly if you want assistance.

Paid WordPress Themes

Paid themes dominate the WordPress theme library, with more than 90%. You will have more choices for paid themes since many developers and providers have created and released WordPress designs for years.

Two main types of paid WordPress themes are One-time payment and Yearly membership.

One-Time Payment

When you choose this type of theme, you make a single payment. Usually, it includes support for a fixed duration of 6-12 months. Some providers even offer the option to buy extended support for up to three years, similar to an extended warranty.

These themes are common on WordPress and favored by many users. The advantage is that your initial investment is minimal. If the theme doesn’t meet your needs, there’s no harm done.

However, a downside of the One-Time Payment model arises if you keep the theme for an extended period. This may require you to pay for additional support.

Due to possible plugin compatibility or customization challenges, you’ll likely require support while installing the theme. Updates to WordPress, plugins, or the theme itself can also lead to issues affecting your website’s functionality. Thus, having support from your theme provider can prove invaluable.

Yearly Membership

The Yearly Membership option is more popular with designers or developers who create a website for their clients. However, this is still a good option for people who:

• Prefer to alter the design of their website regularly.
• Want comprehensive customer support to deal with unexpected issues 24/7.
• Do not want to hire a new designer or developer to handle any customization troubles.

Note: Remember that a yearly membership grants you access to the entire collection of themes by the developer. This means you’re not limited to selecting just one! As long as you maintain the annual fee, you receive full support from their team of technicians.

How to choose the appropriate WordPress theme?

• Selecting the Right Themes:

Instead of solely focusing on appearance, opt for functional themes.

• Choosing Credible Developers and Support:

Prioritize themes crafted and maintained by reputable developers with a lengthy track record of producing quality WordPress themes. (I’ll guide you on discovering suitable themes for your website shortly.)

• Updating Frequently:

Opt for a theme the developer updates regularly. This practice ensures the theme remains bugs-free and aligns with all WordPress updates. You can gauge the frequency of updates by reviewing the theme’s Changelog.

• Investing in Extra Support:

If you lack coding knowledge or are new to WordPress, it’s worthwhile to consider paying for additional or extended support. This support becomes invaluable when you find yourself troubleshooting at 2 am. Having assistance readily available can be quite reassuring!

Plugins

You can use hundreds of thousands of WordPress plugins to add functionality and tools to your website. Choose plugins based on the required functionality rather than installing many functionalities you’ll never use. This saves space while lowering the possibility of mistakes during WordPress changes!”

Go to “Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard to find available plugins. You may manage your existing plugins and search for new ones there.

Free vs. Paid Plugins

Like themes, WordPress plugins are divided into two main categories: free and paid options. 

Like everything else on WordPress, free stuff does not come with support. Several free plugins are well-made and well-managed; we’ll show you a few soon. However, free plugins are less likely to be updated regularly.

Meanwhile, paid plugins are an excellent option if you want additional capabilities or just do not want the plugin to be abandoned in the future.

Note: Many plugin makers now provide a free version of their commercial plugins, letting you try them before you purchase. This is a suitable method for determining whether or not a purchased plugin will bring value to your WordPress site.

Besides comparing the free and paid plugins, we will explore the available plugins in other ways, between the essential WordPress plugins vs. Specific WordPress plugins.

Essential WordPress plugins vs. Specific WordPress plugins

Essential WordPress plugins

• CrazyEgg – a tool for visual website analytics.
• Yoast – A WordPress SEO plugin that assists you in refining your content to boost your search engine rankings.
• TinyPNG – A tool for compressing photos without sacrificing quality to conserve space on your website (and increase page load time).
• Disqus – a well-known engagement plugin that allows you to accept and manage comments on your website.
• CloudFlare – a plugin that improves website performance and security.
• InfusionSoft – a sophisticated email marketing and customer management plugin.
• Akismet – An anti-spam plugin that filters out spam comments for you.

Specific WordPress plugins

•  aMember: This is a WordPress membership plugin and user management tool.

• WooCommerce: Transform your website into a store with this online shopping cart and product management tool.
• Envira Gallery: The Envira Gallery is a responsive gallery plugin that works well for creating a portfolio on your WordPress site.
• Booking Calendar: A great option, especially for restaurants or service providers like dentists and plumbers, this free plugin lets your visitors book appointments directly on your website.
• Multilingual Press: If you need your WordPress website to be available in multiple languages, the Multilingual Press plugin allows you to create and manage this effectively.

Tips for choosing the appropriate plugins

• Install plugins developed by a reputable developer.
• Select famous plugins with a vast user base because you can be confident that the plugin will be updated to accommodate WordPress upgrades and code issues.
• Consider plugins that are constantly updated. You don’t want to utilize a plugin that hasn’t been updated in two years and is unlikely to be updated again.
• If you require assistance, utilize the premium rather than the free version.

SEO Features

WordPress provides you with significantly more control over the SEO of your website than a drag-and-drop website builder. You can also use a variety of SEO-related plugins to increase your website’s rating on search engine results pages (SERPs).

You can do several things with your WordPress website to boost site visibility, and search ranking, and increase the SERPs. Here are some sample improvements:

• Ensure Your Site’s Visibility:

Use WordPress’s feature to make your site visible to search engines like Google. This can be valuable during significant changes, but remember to turn it off after saving!

• Organize with Categories and Tags:

Creating customized categories and tags on WordPress is simple and enhances the organization of your content. This clarity aids search engines in comprehending your website’s content and presenting it in search results.

• Craft SEO-Friendly URLs:

In WordPress, you have control over your website’s URL structure, also known as the unique web addresses of your pages. This empowers you to establish descriptive and SEO-friendly URLs, aiding Google in understanding your pages’ relevance to specific searches.

• Optimize Keyword Usage:

WordPress permits using  HTML tags when crafting text editor content. Leverage this to emphasize keywords by incorporating them in page titles and subtitles. Such usage elevates their importance in the eyes of search engines, offering a clearer depiction of your page’s content.

Customer Support

Since WordPress is free software, the platform has no direct support. Instead, users or merchants can seek support from other reliable sources. Below are the main support sources you can find if you need extra support for your website’s problems.

WordPress community & resources

• Utilize WordPress’s Support Community:

WordPress boasts an extensive support community, offering a valuable resource for assistance. Given its widespread usage, numerous guides and free tutorials are available to help you grasp the fundamentals of managing a WordPress website. Additionally, hosting providers like Bluehost provide round-the-clock access to WordPress-specific customer support through their WordPress plans.

• Engage with the WordPress Forum:

Within the WordPress Forum, you can explore issues other WordPress users might have encountered, which could align with your challenges. If you don’t come across a solution, you can post your question and await input from the community.

• Access WordPress Documentation:

Commonly referred to as the WordPress Codex, WordPress Documentation encompasses comprehensive information about the platform. This resource is especially beneficial if you intend to implement code changes to your WordPress website. It’s important to note that while it’s a valuable resource, it might not be the most user-friendly.

WordPress tutorials

If you’re enthusiastic about WordPress, you should review a WordPress lesson in their tutorial areas. Many experienced users have previously commented that WordPress has a steeper learning curve than a drag-and-drop website builder. We recommend all WordPress users and merchants read a beginner’s guide before diving in and purchasing a theme or installing any plugins.

WordPress Review: Who Is Best For This Website Builder?

Here are the targeted audiences WordPress wants to deliver its products to 

1. Experienced with Previous Websites:

If you’ve had a website before and possess some understanding of web hosting and basic coding skills, this knowledge will empower you to manage a WordPress website independently.

2. Desire for Design Freedom:

WordPress’s robust web design customization capabilities could be the solution if your goal involves a website design that can’t be achieved through a drag-and-drop website builder.

3. Need for Specialized Features:

WordPress emerges as the platform of choice if you require a highly customized tool or feature that standard drag-and-drop builders can’t accommodate (for instance, integrating your website with CMS software like InfusionSoft).

4. Abundance of Content:

An exceptional content management system is vital for websites laden with content. Here, WordPress stands out as an excellent choice.

5. Available Time and Resources:

If you possess the time to learn the ropes of using and managing a WordPress website or have the budget to enlist professional help, embracing WordPress becomes worthwhile.

WordPress Review: FAQs

Bottom line

WordPress is by far the most versatile website builder available. It’s compared to umbraco, Shopify, bigcommerce, etc. to name a few. But it can produce practically any form of website you can think of, whether it’s a blog, a company promotion site, or an online store that sells things.

WordPress is ideal for anyone who needs a sophisticated website or has a website with a lot of material. But only if you’re not scared to invest the time and money required to get it up and operating how you want it to.