Why You Should Use WordPress - Here Are at Least 20 Good Reasons

Not convinced whether or not you should use WordPress as the tool to build your website with? Isnt WordPress just a blogging tool? you ask   Can I even build a website with WordPress on my own?Today, we have the answers for you. Heres a list of 20 reasons why you should use WordPress. Everything backed by real data and user stats: 1. WordPress is used by ~30% of all websitesAround 30% of all websites on the Internet use WordPress. That number is astounding if you think about it. More than one in every four websites that you encounter are using WordPress. Theres a reason all those sites choose WordPress, too! And thats kind of what this post is about. 2. WordPress dominates the content management system market, with ~60% market shareThat means not only is WordPress popular for all websites, its especially popular for websites with a pre-built content management system. The next closest competitor Joomla with 6.8% doesnt even come close to matching WordPress.(Charts by Visualizer Lite.)3. WordPress is incredibly extensible with pluginsThat means you can add cool functionality to your site without needing to know how to code.WordPress massive plugin ecosystem beats out all of the other content management systems. These numbers are just for the official extension directories, and leave out additional extensions offered by third-parties:Official plugin listings:WordPress: ~52,000Joomla: ~8,000 |  Drupal: ~39,0004. WordPress lets you change how it looks using themes. No code requiredBeyond plugins, WordPress also offers an insane collection of themes for your site. Themes let you control exactly how your site looks, again, without needing to know a single line of code.You can find thousands of free themes at WordPress.org, with thousands more at third-party marketplaces and developers.5. WordPress is multilingualNot a native English speaker? No worries! The WordPress translation team has translated WordPress into 169 different languages. Many plugins also offe r translated versions, and you can easily create a multilingual site using plugins like Polylang or Weglot.6. Beyoncà © uses WordPressWhile plenty of small websites use WordPress, you can also find tons of big brands using WordPress. Youll find huge companies like Sony Music and Mercedes Benz, publishers like BBC America and Reuters, and universities like Harvard University and the University of Washington.Some of the notable brands already using WordPress:7. WordPress is affordable compared to other solutionsThe WordPress software itself is free and you can find plenty of free themes and plugins to build your site with. That means your only unavoidable fixed costs are cheap WordPress hosting and a domain name. All in, its possible to run a basic WordPress site for as little as ~$60 per year, though youll exceed this if you want premium plugins or themes.Compare that to Squarespace which already starts at $96 per year for the most basic plan.8. Its easy to find WordPress helpBecaus e WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world, theres a massive support ecosystem for anything and everything related to WordPress. Plenty of blogs post WordPress tutorials, and there are also dedicated WordPress support forums, as well as helpful beginner-friendly video tutorials.9. WordPress is flexibleBecause of its huge plugin ecosystem, you can use WordPress for everything from creating an eCommerce store to launching a local directory like Yelp to building a social network and lots more.That is, WordPress is way more than just a blogging platform nowadays.10. WordPress isnt just for websites anymore, eitherWordPress has made its REST API a massive focus lately, which opens up the door for developers to create all kinds of interesting apps based on WordPress. Going forward, youll be able to use all of your WordPress content in new and interesting ways.11. WordPress connects with your favorite third-party toolsWith WordPress, you can still use your favor ite email marketing service, payment gateways, and more. Thanks to its huge number of plugins, you can hook WordPress up to most popular third-party website services nowadays.12. But WordPress also lets you create a self-contained ecosystemIf you dont like third-party services, WordPress also makes it easy to keep everything inside your dashboard. If you want to go the opposite direction from using third-party tools, you can build an email list, send newsletters, and lots moreall without needing to leave the WordPress dashboard.13. WordPress follows accessibility standardsAccessibility is about making the web easier to use for individuals with physical or sensory impairments. The WordPress core team puts a special emphasis on making WordPress software accessible to everyone.14. WordPress hosts fun offline eventsEvery year, WordPress hosts tons of WordCamps and meetups around the world. These meetups provide an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and learn new things about WordPress. While you might not take advantage right away, these fun events are a perk as you become more familiar with WordPress.15. WordPress is committed to becoming even more user friendlyPartially in response to website builders like Squarespace and Wix, WordPress has doubled down on making itself even more user friendly to beginners. That means WordPress is committed to becoming as easy to use as Squarespacewhile maintaining its massive flexibility advantage.Features like the real-time WordPress Customizer help you easily tweak your site even if you dont know a thing about code.16. WordPress can guide missilesThere was this one time when WordPress was caught guiding missiles. Albeit on TV, but still!17. 23% of the top 10k sites use WordPress 18. WordPress makes search engine optimization easierSearch engine optimization is essential to getting traffic to your WordPress site. Thanks to plugins like Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, and more, its incredibly easy to SEO-optimize Wo rdPress without needing to be a code genius. All you need to do is configure some basic settings and the plugins handle the rest.Better yet, some plugins analyze your content and offer suggestions. So even if you dont know anything about SEO, you can still optimize your content by following a plugins recommendations.19. WordPress loads quicklyif you configure it rightHow quickly your site loads affects everything from how much your visitors enjoy it to how likely they are to purchase anything from it.As long as you put in place the proper speed optimizations, including choosing a fast WordPress theme, WordPress loads quickly.Its more than possible to achieve page load times under one second using WordPress.20. WordPress is responsiveMobile Internet browsing is huge nowadays, which is why its essential that your website looks great on all devices not just computers. Every modern WordPress theme supports something called responsive design, which means that your WordPress site automat ically scales to look great on every device.21. WordPress makes content creation as easy as typing in WordIf you can create a text document in Microsoft Word, you can create a formatted post in WordPress. Forget complicated code formatting your text in WordPress is as easy as clicking a few buttons, just like your favorite text editor.Better yet, tools called page builders can help you build even more complicated designs without needing to know a single line of code.Whats next?If you want to take a stab at WordPress on your own, we have a number of guides on how to install WordPress, what sort of web hosting to choose, and, then, how to build specific types of websites using WordPress, including:How to create a WordPress blog in 15 minutes (step by step)How to build a small business website with WordPressHow to create a WordPress service website (in 6 simple steps)How to create a WordPress wedding websiteHow to create a portfolio site on WordPressBuilding a WordPress photography we bsite? 4 elements you needHow to create a WordPress restaurant websiteBeginners guide to creating a WordPress real estate websiteHow to create a podcast website with WordPress

Grad School Application Essay - How to Use an Excellent Writing Sample

Grad School Application Essay - How to Use an Excellent Writing SampleYou are a graduate student and want to use an essay sample to help you with your graduate school application essay. You need a student-applicant sample essay in order to have a better chance of getting into your school. Graduate school is a very competitive environment.If you are preparing for your college application, it is a good idea to use an essay sample that has already been written and is prepared for the Graduate Record Examination. This is the exam that all prospective graduate students must pass in order to be accepted into graduate school. So, if you want to get into your school, this sample should be carefully studied and read carefully.It will also show you some basic things to keep in mind when working on your essay. Here are some of the things you will learn in your graduate school application essay writing sample. These are a few of the best tips I can give you.The first tip I will give you is to re member that your graduate school will always come before you. You should not put your graduate school above yours. When you are involved in the school and have a good relationship with the school, you will have a positive influence on your application.Another tip for a graduate school applicant, is to make sure that you do not try to hide anything from your grad school. It is important that you explain all the steps that you took to finish your work on time. You should always give the reader something to go back to and say, 'Wow, I really can see why she chose me for her graduate program.'This tip applies to any type of college essay. Just make sure that you make sure that your writing sample is comprehensive. So many times people will use their essay only as a reference, when it should be used as a guide.A last tip I can give you, for your grad school application, is to make sure that you have a wide range of experiences. Too many times people will write about their undergraduate e xperiences in their application. Your grad school will not see you that way.Make sure that your graduate school application is broad enough to be useful. Use an excellent writing sample for your application essay.