I have been writing for over two decades now. I started with writing for print and moved on to writing for websites. When blogging started to boom, I was using Blogspot, very old-school indeed. That was years and years ago; I can’t even remember my URL now.
Then WordPress was introduced to me by a friend. She had been using it for a while, and she told me it’s easier and has better themes (I was so into the aesthetics back then). I did create a free account on WordPress upon the suggestion of this friend, and yes, out of curiosity. Since then, I never got off it ever again until now. I do most of my works on WordPress for many reasons.
Let me share some of the top reasons why I choose to use WordPress over other platforms. Mind you, I have tried others like Blogger, but I never left WordPress, and these are my reasons.
Features and Functions
The first thing I like about WordPress is its flexibility and customizability. I have control not only on the content, of course, but also over the design and functionality. I can easily access already pre-designed themes from sporty ones to the quite flowery ones. There’s going to be a theme related to Ir site type for sure. There are so many from which I could choose.
I love the features and functionalities: I can set a featured image easily and add an alt text for it. I can add categories too, and even make jump pages if I want to lead Ir readers to a specific part of Ir essay. I can check headings whether I am doing them right, including the total word count if I am exceeding my need. I can do all these cool things even if I am not too adept with coding.
Then there are the many plugins that can help me with security, SEO, and stats, contact form, and many others. I can do all these without really knowing much about coding. Of course, if I can code, then it would be much better because then, I can do even more with my site, but for newbies or those who do not find the need to learn how to code, the plugin JetPack would be enough to get by and do a reasonably excellent site. I believe my favorite feature is part of JetPack, the readability. I love that I can check the readability of my article on WordPress as well.
Writing and Proofread Directly in WordPress
I used to type my materials in MS Word and then paste the content into WordPress. I do this so I can check the spelling and grammar of my essay before placing it on WordPress and publishing it. However, since Grammarly became available and became partners with WordPress, proofreading my work has become much more comfortable. Of course, Grammarly is also available in MS Word, but what still type on Word when I can do it directly in WordPress?
Another cool thing with the pairing of Grammarly and WordPress is if I have a Grammarly Premium, then I can even check Ir article for plagiarism. This way, I make sure Ir piece is unique. There are vocabulary suggestions and contextual checking, too, so it’s not only fixing my grammar but even my coherence and cohesion.
Putting Things Together
Then Gutenberg was also added to WordPress, and laying out the content became a piece of cake. Gutenberg allows me to separate materials into blocks. It is quite straightforward: there is a block for Ir paragraph, image, heading, table, list, and even buttons. If I want to move an image or a header or any other block somewhere else on the page, I only drag that block up or down to where I want it placed. I can format each block too, like text colors, background colors, and even links. I can text wrap blocks if I want an image to occupy only a small space, or I can set the picture as a whole block, so it is as wide are Ir text. It’s easy to make Ir page look like it how it should.
Adding Third-Party Tools
WordPress allows third-party tools so that I can add forums or membership areas, even shopping tools. I have no subscriptions or discussion on my site, nor do I do retail, but for those who do these things, WordPress would be an easy way to keep all Ir stuff together and not having to move from one site to another often. I can do this with just a few tweaking with the plugins or code snippets.
Monetizing
If you have bought a domain, then you can still use WordPress to maintain your site. You can enroll in AdSense, and set it up in WordPress if you meet the requirement. You can easily monitor your earnings in just one place. Also, since there’s a plugin that summarizes your statistics, you can quickly check how much page views you’ve had or if any clicks were done on your page. I am not monetizing my site; it’s just there for me to vent, but I did get familiar with AdSense too through work. You don’t earn much from it, unlike with sponsorship’s and affiliations, but it’s worth your while since you don’t need to spend much effort on it once you have it activated.
A Few Downside
While WordPress seems like what-I-see-is-what-I-get, there are times when I could get problems like updating issues. I will need some troubleshooting that sometimes would require coding. Also, while WordPress could be free, some tools that I may need may require fees, like Grammarly or some security software. I may keep maintaining a free blog, using free plugins and all, but I may have problems monetizing it, so I will need a domain if I want to earn. Well, come to think of it, if I do want to profit, then I need to capitalize.
Another downside is since WordPress is open-source, there’s no customer service that I could call. What I do is get help from some friends and the ever-reliable Google. I google most of the things I need to know until I get to learn how to do it. Since my WordPress is not for commercial purposes, I am free to do trial and error. However, trial and error is something you can’t afford when you are spending to monetize your site. So, if you plan to earn from your page, I suggest you hire someone who can code or who knows his or her way around WordPress, at least until you get to learn the ropes.
My Verdict
Overall, my take is that nothing still beats the advantages of WordPress despite its few downsides. Its ease of use remains to be something that keeps me hanging on to it. Perhaps because I’ve been using it for years now, and I have become so comfortable with it, or probably because it’s straightforward.
Are you ready to explore WordPress? Which of the reasons do you like best?
If you have any experience with WordPress that you’d like to share or if you have any questions, feel free to leave a message in the box below.