WordPress is free, open-source content management system (CMS) software for building and managing websites. It runs about 40% of all websites, from blogs to business sites and online stores. You manage pages and posts from a dashboard, change the design with themes, and add features with plugins, without needing to write code.
If you're planning a new website or inheriting one, you'll run into WordPress sooner or later. This guide explains what it is, how it works, the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, and what to weigh before choosing it for your business.
What Is WordPress Used For?
WordPress started in 2003 as a blogging tool, created by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It has grown into a general-purpose CMS used for:
- Business and service websites
- Blogs and news sites
- Online stores, usually with the WooCommerce plugin
- Portfolios and photography sites
- Membership, course and nonprofit sites
- Large sites with hundreds of location or service pages
According to W3Techs, WordPress is used by about 40% of all websites and about 58% of websites whose CMS is known, as of October 2026. That size matters in practice: there's a large pool of developers, themes, plugins and documentation, and most hosts support it out of the box.
How WordPress Works
WordPress is written in PHP and stores your content in a MySQL or MariaDB database. When someone visits a page, the server pulls the content from the database, combines it with your theme, and sends the finished page to the browser. You never have to touch that process; you work in the dashboard.
The dashboard and block editor
The admin dashboard is where you create pages and posts, upload media, manage menus and change settings. Since WordPress 5.0 in 2018, content is built with the block editor, sometimes called Gutenberg, where each paragraph, image, heading or button is a block you can move and style. Newer block themes let you edit headers, footers and templates the same way.
Pages and posts
Pages hold content that stays put, like your home page, services, about and contact pages. Posts are dated entries that appear in your blog, newest first, and can be organized with categories and tags.
Themes
A theme controls how the site looks: layout, fonts, colors and templates. You can use a free theme from the WordPress directory, buy a premium theme, or have a custom theme built for your business. Switching themes changes the design without deleting your content, though layouts often need adjusting.
Plugins
Plugins add features. The WordPress plugin directory lists tens of thousands of free plugins for contact forms, SEO settings, caching, backups, security, booking and more. Plugins are powerful but each one adds code to maintain, so fewer, well-supported plugins are usually better than many.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
This is the most common point of confusion. They share the same core software but work very differently.
| WordPress.org (self-hosted) | WordPress.com (hosted) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The free, open-source software you install on your own hosting | A hosted service run by Automattic that runs WordPress for you |
| Hosting | You choose and pay a web host | Included in the plan |
| Control | Full control of themes, plugins, code and data | Depends on the plan; higher plans allow custom plugins and themes |
| Maintenance | You or your developer handle updates, backups and security | Much of it is handled for you |
| Best for | Businesses that want full ownership and flexibility | People who want a simpler, managed setup |
Most business websites use self-hosted WordPress from WordPress.org on quality hosting. The software is released under the GNU General Public License, so it's free to use and modify; your costs come from hosting, a domain, premium themes or plugins, and design and development work.
The Benefits of WordPress for Business Websites
- Easy content updates: staff can edit text, photos and blog posts without a developer
- Flexibility: it can run a five-page brochure site or a site with hundreds of pages
- Ownership: with self-hosted WordPress, you own your content and can move hosts
- Large ecosystem: themes, plugins and developers are easy to find
- SEO-friendly foundation: clean URLs, editable titles and descriptions, and strong SEO plugins; see why WordPress is good for SEO
- Integrations: connects with analytics, CRMs, email tools, booking systems and payment processors
The Downsides to Know About
- Maintenance: core, theme and plugin updates need to be applied regularly
- Security: its popularity makes it a target, and most problems come from outdated plugins, weak passwords or poor hosting
- Speed: heavy themes and too many plugins can slow a site down; our guide to speeding up a WordPress site covers the fixes
- Plugin conflicts: updates occasionally break features, so backups and testing matter
- Learning curve: the dashboard is approachable, but design changes beyond a theme's options can take skill
WordPress vs Other Website Builders
Hosted builders like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify bundle hosting, templates and support into one subscription, which makes them simple to start with. The trade-off is control: you work within the platform's features, and moving away usually means rebuilding. WordPress asks a little more of you in setup and upkeep, but it gives you full ownership, more design and integration options, and room to grow from a few pages to hundreds. For a local business that depends on its website for leads and plans to invest in SEO, that flexibility is usually worth it. Our article on whether web design requires coding compares these options in more detail.
Is WordPress Secure?
The core software is maintained by a large community with a dedicated security team, and minor security releases can install automatically. Most hacked WordPress sites are compromised through outdated plugins or themes, weak logins or insecure hosting. Keep everything updated, remove plugins you don't use, use strong passwords with two-factor authentication, take regular off-site backups, and choose a reputable host.
How to Get Started With WordPress
- Choose hosting and a domain: pick a host that meets the WordPress requirements, currently PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer, and HTTPS support
- Install WordPress: most hosts offer a one-click installer
- Pick a theme: choose a lightweight, well-supported theme, or have one built
- Add your core pages: home, services, about, contact and any location pages
- Install essential plugins only: forms, SEO, backups, security and caching as needed
- Set up tracking: connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console, and track calls and form leads
- Plan maintenance: schedule updates, backups and uptime checks
Before you launch, run through our local business website checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WordPress in simple terms?
WordPress is free software for building and managing websites. You add pages and posts from a dashboard, control the design with themes, and add features with plugins, all without writing code.
Is WordPress free?
The WordPress.org software is free and open source. You still pay for hosting and a domain, and often for premium themes, plugins, design work and maintenance. WordPress.com offers free and paid hosted plans.
What is the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.org is the free software you install on your own hosting, with full control. WordPress.com is a hosted service run by Automattic that manages hosting and maintenance for you, with features that depend on the plan.
Do I need to know coding to use WordPress?
No. You can build and manage a site with the block editor, themes and plugins. Coding knowledge helps for custom designs, integrations and troubleshooting.
Is WordPress good for small business websites?
Yes, for most small businesses. It's flexible, easy to update, SEO-friendly and widely supported. It does need regular updates, backups and security care.
Get a WordPress Website Built for Your Business
Local Blitz designs and builds WordPress websites for local businesses from offices in San Diego and Indianapolis, and has been in business since 2009. We handle design, development, speed and SEO setup so your site brings in calls and leads. See our Indianapolis web design and San Diego website design services, or book a free strategy call.
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