I don't think WordPress needs an introduction. It is one of the most popular content management software on the internet and you will have visited at least one WordPress site in the past and you may not even know it. Of course, the WordPress software is completely different to WordPress.com which is more of a blog hosting service using the same software.
What started as a blogging software has slowly turned into one of the best website builders. If you wanted a blog and a forum or even a platform to sell your homemade crafts, Wordpress can help you do that. And what makes this amazing is that you can get this for free! No monthly costs, no hidden fees. Just find a host and you can get your site up & running with WordPress.
Users are able to build a large variety of sites with WordPress because of its large collection of themes & plugins. Free & premium themes can help you get a pre-built website without doing much. For example, you can purchase a directory theme from ThemeForest which helps turn a blank WordPress site into a fully functioning directory within a few clicks. Additionally, WordPress has a large number of plugins that allow you to extend your site. There are currently around 50,000+ plugins available for self-hosted WordPress sites that can be easily installed with a click of a button through your Admin Panel. If you want to add a forum or even have your shop, there are several plugins for that.
However, it's not all plain sailing. Whilst a lot of users use WordPress to build websites for their brands and businesses, it's not easy to do so. As WordPress is primarily a blogging software, you will not be able to just drag and drop blocks to create a site unless you get a plugin. The current best plugin for this is called WPBakery Page Builder which is a premium plugin that will set you back around $50. There will be free plugins for this, but they will not give you the same aesthetics as a modern and well-built WordPress website.
Overall, WordPress is a great free software and you will not regret going for it. The large collection of plugins and themes will let you customise every aspect of WordPress and allow you to create exactly what you want. However, remember that if you are building a website with WordPress, expect to spend a considerable amount to build a website site.
If you do decide to go with WordPress, I wish you the best of luck with it. And always remember to back up your site regularly
