WordPress is one of the most commonly used blogging tools on the Web today. It’s a powerful , open source publishing platform with an administrative interface that doesn’t require a lot of experience to use—making it one of the more attractive blogging options on the market.
What Do You Need to Use WordPress?
To build a WordPress blog on your Web site, you need a domain name and Web hosting plan that supports PHP 4.3 or greater and MySQL 4.0 or greater. That’s it.
Because it’s open source, there is extensive documentation on the WordPress Web site and across the Internet to help you get started.
WordPress vs. WordPress.com
WordPress offers two blogging options. First, you can download the software onto your server (if you have a Web hosting plan) and create a completely customized blog on your own Web site. Or, you can get a free blog hosted by Wordpress.com.
So, what’s the advantage of building a blog from scratch?
- Your Web site gains SEO benefits from frequently updated, keyword-rich posts.
- Using your own domain name gives your blog a more professional appearance than the free subdomain provided by Wordpress.com.
- You have more control over the templates and look and feel of your blog plus access to tons of plugins to extend its functionality.
Alternatives
The best software for your blog depends on how you plan to use it. While WordPress is the most popular blogging software, it’s certainly not the only one available. If you already have a Web hosting plan, a blogging tool may be included with it. You can also check out Drupal (open source), and Expression Engine (licensed).
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