Starting your first blog is an exciting idea. You’re going to make your presence known to the world, and you’ll have an avenue for expressing your thoughts and your opinions. There are plenty of platforms for you to build your blog on, however, in this article, you’re going to find out why you should consider a self-hosted WordPress blog.
Before we begin, however, let me just clarify that WordPress.org and WordPress.com are not the same.
WordPress.com is a blog hosting service which gives you very limited options. WordPress.org, on the other hand, is where you can download the WordPress software which you then need to install on your own web hosting. While this may sound intimidating, it’s really not. Many commercial web hosts offer 1-click install for WordPress which means you can get your blog up in just a few minutes!
Here is a great article that will help you decide where (and how) to host your blog: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-hosting/ This was last updated in January of 2020.
Running your blog on the self-hosted version of WordPress means you have full control over your website. You own it, you can design it any way you want, you can publish any kind of content you want, and so much more.
The core WordPress software is already powerful on its own, and it even comes pre-installed with a few themes and plugins. With themes, you have thousands of free and premium themes to choose from, and you can make your site look as unique as you want. And when you add plugins, you can totally change your website’s functionality!
As an example of the diversity of available WordPress themes, check out this site: https://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/best-real-estate-themes-for-wordpress/ This article was updated in January of 2020 so it’s probably one of the best resources you can use to get ideas.
Even if you just want to blog for now, if you ever decide you want to add an online store to your blog later on, you can do that with WordPress. You can create landing pages on WordPress, you can add a forum to your site, you can even sell memberships or courses on it! In short, WordPress plugins are awesome.
Other platforms don’t come near the number of themes and plugins available on WordPress which is why it’s such a popular choice for bloggers and website owners alike.
As with most platforms, however, WordPress does come with a bit of a learning curve. However, once you understand the basics, then it will be easy for you to build different kinds of sites. WordPress has an active global community behind it, so you’ll never run out of tips and ideas to customize your website.
One final thought, if you are on Facebook, go join this group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wpbeginner/ You’ll get tips, tricks, techniques and help from other WordPress users if you need it.
