WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: A Side-by-Side Comparison
WordPress is a popular website and content management system available in two different flavors: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. But is there any difference between these two systems? We have it answered in this piece. On the surface, both offer similar features; WordPress.com provides hosting services for websites on their servers, while WordPress.org requires users to download and install the software on their server or hosting account. WordPress.com is generally more accessible for beginners and provides a quick, low-effort solution for quickly getting your website up and running. WordPress.org, on the other hand, offers more flexibility and control over the look and feel of your site, as well as access to additional features like plugins and themes. We’ll not only walk you through the key differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org but also help you make a more informed decision on which one is ideal for you. From hosting options to customization possibilities, pricing, and support, we’ll cover all the essential factors to consider. Brief History of WordPress WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that was first released in 2003. It was created by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little as a fork of an earlier blogging software called b2/cafelog. Initially, WordPress was designed as a simple and easy-to-use platform for bloggers. However, over time, it evolved into a full-featured CMS that could be used to build any type of website, from small personal blogs to large e-commerce sites. In 2005, the WordPress community launched a plugin architecture, which allowed third-party developers to create plugins that could extend the functionality of WordPress. This was followed by the launch of WordPress themes, which allowed users to change the design and appearance of their website without having to modify the underlying code. WordPress continued to grow in popularity, and in 2010, the platform became the most popular CMS in the world, powering over 13% of all websites on the internet. Today, WordPress is estimated to power over 39.5% of all websites on the internet, making it one of the most widely used website building platforms in the world. In addition to its popularity, WordPress is also known for its vibrant community of users and developers, who contribute to the platform by creating themes, plugins, and other resources that make it more powerful and versatile. Comparing the Features of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org Quick Comparison Features WordPress.com WordPress.org Hosting Fully hosted on WordPress servers Self-hosted on your own server or third-party hosting service Custom Domain Available with a paid plan Available with self-hosted WordPress installation Themes Limited selection of free and paid themes available Unlimited selection of free and paid themes available Plugins Limited selection of pre-approved plugins available Unlimited selection of third-party plugins available eCommerce Available with paid plans Available with WooCommerce plugin or other third-party eCommerce plugins Website Analytics Available with paid plans Available with third-party plugins like Google Analytics Customization Limited customization options Unlimited customization options through coding and third-party plugins Maintenance and updates Automatic updates and maintenance handled by WordPress Manual updates and maintenance required by site owner Support Email and community support available with paid plans Community support available through forums and third-party resources Price Free with limited features, paid plans start at $4/month Free to download and use, but requires hosting and domain expenses Comparing the Hosting of WORDPRESS.com and WORDPRESS.org WordPress.com Hosting WordPress.com is a hosted platform, which means that WordPress hosts your website for you on WordPress.com servers. You don’t have to worry about downloading the software or setting up a web server. All you need is an account on WordPress.com, and you’re good to go. WordPress.org Hosting A platform that is self-hosted is WordPress.org. With WordPress.org, you’ll have to install the software on your web server and handle backups and updates. You’ll need to purchase a domain name and hosting package from an independent provider. Comparing the Customization of WORDPRESS.com and WORDPRESS.org WordPress.com Customization WordPress.com offers limited customization options, especially with the free plan, due to its hosted nature. You can choose from a range of pre-made themes and customize them with color schemes and other options, but you need access to plugins or the ability to add custom code. WordPress.org Customization WordPress.org offers a much greater degree of customization options than WordPress.com, allowing users to install themes and plugins from third-party sources, as well as the ability to customize their websites with HTML and CSS. There are also no limitations on custom CSS or Google Analytics. Comparing the Pricing of WORDPRESS.com and WORDPRESS.org WordPress.com Pricing WordPress.com offers a free plan, which is great for small personal blogs and portfolios, and several paid plans that offer additional features, such as access to plugins and the ability to monetize your site through ads. Pricing: WordPress.org Pricing WordPress.org is free to download, but you’ll need to purchase a domain name and hosting package from an independent provider. Prices for these vary depending on the features offered by the provider, so it’s essential to shop around before committing. Comparing the Support of WORDPRESS.com and WORDPRESS.org WordPress.com Support WordPress.com gives its users a lot of support options, so they can get the help they need to build and keep up their websites. There is a large library of tutorials and documentation that covers everything from designing a website to making changes to it. There is also an online help center that has answers to questions that are often asked. WordPress.com also offers a dedicated community forum where users can ask questions, share knowledge, and get advice from other users and experts. This forum is a great place to get help with technical problems, get feedback on how to design a website, and find out what’s going on in the WordPress community. WordPress.org Support WordPress.org does not offer direct support, it provides users with access to a thriving community of users who can offer assistance through the official WordPress forums. This community comprises a diverse group of individuals, including developers, designers, and other WordPress enthusiasts who are eager to
Top 10 WordPress Portfolio Themes for Creative Professionals
Dominating the creative space requires that you wield an online presence that shows off your works in the best way. These top ten WordPress themes are designed specifically for photographers, graphic designers, and web developers and offer an easy-to-use interface and powerful features to help you create a stunning online portfolio. These themes have everything you need to show off your unique style, whether you like simple designs or advanced portfolio galleries. Plus, with features such as lightbox slideshows and advanced filtering capabilities, you can easily make your portfolio stand out from the competition. Take charge of your online presence and make a beautiful, professional portfolio to impress potential clients and employers. Browse our list of the best WordPress portfolio themes to find the one that’s right for you. Theme Best For WordPress.org Rating RyanCV Personal or professional resume/CV websites Not available Divi Multi-purpose websites, including blogs, portfolios, eCommerce, and more 4.9/5 (22,000+ ratings) Adios Creative agency and portfolio websites 4.9/5 (170+ ratings) Webify Multi-purpose websites, including blogs, portfolios, eCommerce, and more 4.9/5 (930+ ratings) Arnold Creative and portfolio websites 4.8/5 (350+ ratings) Doyle Creative and portfolio websites 4.8/5 (60+ ratings) Kallyas Multi-purpose websites, including eCommerce 4.7/5 (390+ ratings) Petal Blogging and lifestyle websites 4.6/5 (5+ ratings) Astra Multi-purpose websites, including blogs, portfolios, eCommerce, and more 4.5/5 (6,000+ ratings) Hestia Multi-purpose websites, including blogs, portfolios, eCommerce, and more 4.5/5 (1,100+ ratings) RyanCV Themes RyanCV is a WordPress theme made especially for developers, designers, programmers, freelancers, and other people who work in the digital industry. It comes with a variety of ready-made resume layouts and components, such as 11+ pre-built demos, dark and light options, and support for RTL languages. This theme also works with WooCommerce and WPML, and the Elementor page builder makes it easy to make changes. Whether you’re a business consultant, marketing manager, or photographer, RyanCV makes it easy to create a stunning resume website and showcase your skills and expertise online. Features Pros Cons Divi DIVI is a popular WordPress theme developed by Elegant Themes. It is a multi-purpose theme that can be used for a wide range of websites, including blogs, portfolios, business websites, online stores, and more. DIVI also has a drag-and-drop page builder, which allows users to easily customize their website’s design without the need for any coding knowledge. It also comes with a number of layout templates and modules that are already made and can be easily changed to fit your needs. In addition, DIVI is responsive, meaning it looks great on all devices, and it is SEO-friendly, helping to improve your website’s search engine rankings. Features Pros Cons Adios Theme Adios is a strong and flexible WordPress theme for portfolios that lets you show off your creative work in style. With its drag-and-drop page builder and a range of customizable homepage layouts and portfolio options, you’ll have everything you need to create a unique and visually stunning website. Whether you’re a photographer, artist, or designer, Adios is the perfect platform to market your work and impress your clients. This theme is fully responsive, meaning it looks great on all devices and is optimized for high-resolution graphics. It’s also easy to use, even for beginners, thanks to its extensive documentation and intuitive interface. Show off your creative style and build a portfolio site that truly stands out with Adios. Features Pros Cons Webify Theme Webify is a WordPress theme that can be used for both business websites and creative portfolios because it is flexible and easy to change. With its modular elements, custom cache system, live page builder, and customizer, you can easily make a unique, professional website that is optimized for speed, SEO, and mobile devices. Webify is also translation-ready and fully compliant with GDPR regulations, making it a great choice for users around the world. With over 160 elements and modules, unlimited layout options, and lifetime free updates, you’ll have everything you need to create a stunning website that showcases your work and connects with your audience. Try Webify today and see the difference it can make for your online presence. Features Pros Cons Arnold Arnold is a sleek and modern WordPress theme designed specifically for creative professionals. Arnold is completely responsive and is made to load quickly on mobile devices thanks to its simple, flat design and lightweight coding. It’s easy to use and focuses on showcasing your work to potential clients and employers through engaging interactions. The built-in Drag & Drop custom portfolio builder makes it easy to create a unique and professional portfolio that stands out. Whether you’re a designer, artist, or photographer, Arnold is the perfect theme to showcase your skills and talents online. Features Pros Cons Doyle Doyle is a stylish and professional theme that can be used by a wide range of businesses, such as creative agencies, media companies, freelancers, and more. It has a clean and responsive design, making it easy to use and navigate. The theme comes with more than 10+ home page options and is based on HTML5, CSS3, and Bootstrap. Its minimalist approach and user-friendly experience make it a great choice for those looking for a minimal yet professional look. Features Pros Cons Kallyas Kallyas is a popular WordPress theme that can be used for a wide range of businesses and websites. It has a lot of features and sells well. It is responsive, lightweight, and easy to use, with a drag-and-drop visual builder that requires no coding. With a customer satisfaction rate of over 40,000, Kallyas can be used for everything from photography galleries and hotels to gyms and beauty salons. It has a lot of features and pre-made pages that make it easy to make almost any kind of website you can think of. Features Pros Cons Petal Petal is a minimalist and creative theme that is perfect for portfolios, agencies, freelancers, and other creative professionals. It’s simple to set up and customize, and it comes with a variety of pre-designed pages and templates that work with the
Build a WordPress Website in Minutes With These 9 Easy-to-follow Steps
Building a WordPress website from scratch is relatively a simple process when you have the right tools and resources even without prior technical experience. The fastest way to create a website is to use WordPress, a popular content management system (CMS) that powers over 835 million websites worldwide. You don’t necessarily need coding experience to use this service. In this guide, we will walk you through building a website step-by-step using WordPress and these steps are applicable to the different types of websites existing. The steps include selecting a hosting provider (like HostGator, WP engine etc), installing WordPress, selecting a theme, and creating pages and posts. By the end of this guide, without any technical experience, you should have a fully functional WordPress website that is available when any search engine is used. An In-Depth Guide to Building a WordPress Website 1: Define Your Website Purpose, Audience, and Requirements Before you begin building your WordPress website, it’s essential to take some time to determine your website needs and goals. This will help you make important decisions throughout the building process and ensure that your website is tailored to your needs. Consider the following questions: Answering these questions will help you to understand what you need for your website and to set some goals for it. With a clear understanding of your needs and goals, you can move on to the next step of building your WordPress website from scratch. 2: Research Similar Websites for Inspiration and Ideas Before you begin building your WordPress website, it’s important to research other high-quality websites that are similar to what you’d like to build. This will give you an idea of what types of features, layouts, color schemes, and designs are popular in your niche and can help you come up with ideas for your website. Use these examples to inspire your WordPress website, but remember to make it unique to your business and brand. Also, take note of the design elements you like and dislike and what you think could be improved. This will help you to get a good sense of what works well and what doesn’t and will give you a solid foundation to work from when building your WordPress website. 3: Prepare an Outline for Each Page on Your Site You can carry out this task after getting a primary domain and hosting it. Outline the content for each page beforehand so this doesn’t delay the building of the WordPress website. Here’s how each should be: Home page: About Us page: Services or Products page: Blog or News page: Contact Us page: Note: These are the basic pages and outline. It may vary depending on the requirement of the website. Step 4: Create a WordPress.com Account and Choose Your Website’s Name Before building your website, you need to create a WordPress.com account. This will give you access to all of the features and tools you need to create and manage your website. To create an account, go to WordPress.com and click on the Sign Up button. You will be prompted to enter your email address and choose a password. Once you have created your account, you will be taken to a page where you can select your website’s name. Choose a name that is both memorable and reflective of the content and purpose of your website. Remember that this name will be part of the website’s URL, so choose something easy to spell and remember. Once you have chosen a name, click on the Continue Button. Now that you have created a WordPress.com account and chosen your website’s name, you are ready to move on to the next step of building your website. 5: Choose a Hosting Provider and Connect to Your WordPress Domain On WordPress.com, click on the install button to install your WordPress software. Then, it’s time to connect your primary domain to your WordPress site and choose your hosting provider. However, some hosting providers will offer one-click WordPress installation from the control panel. Don’t worry, this part requires no technical experience as it sounds. One major step that will kickstart the functioning of your website is your domain registration. This ensures that your domain is kept in the domain database and available when search engines are in use. The domain name is like the house address of your website on the internet. Domain registration starts with you picking a memorable domain that can be easily remembered by any one. After picking the memorable domain name, search for the domain name using google search engine to confirm domain name availability. Upon domain name availability, proceed to include it on the domain database using your choice domain name registrar. There are quite a number of domain registrars. Some are free while some come with a price. Examples are; domain.com, GoDaddy, Bluehost e.t.c. Then move to the next phase of choosing your hosting provider such as HostGator, GoDaddy, WP Engine, Bluehost e.t.c. This is a system that manages your website activities. Just ensure you choose a provider that has a good customer service. There are different types of hosting (cloud hosting, dedicated hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, e.t.c) and they come in different plans with different hosting plan features like; bandwidth, storage, SSL certificate, and so on. You must understand that the type of hosting you choose will be determined by the type of website you wish to build. Note: Some hosting providers may offer one-click WordPress installation, making connecting domains and setting up the site much smoother. 6: Choose Your WordPress.com Design Once you have completed the previous steps of creating your WordPress website, it’s time to choose your design layout. WordPress.com offers a variety of responsive design options for different types of websites, including free and paid themes. To access the design layout options, go to the Appearance tab in your WordPress admin dashboard. Here, you can browse the available themes and preview them before clicking the upload theme button. If you’re looking for a completely custom
9 Best Ecommerce Website Builders for Ecommerce Success
Launching an online store is made easy with eCommerce website builders. Enhance your store’s appearance and efficiency to provide customers with a seamless browsing and purchasing experience. By choosing the right eCommerce website builder, you can create a user-friendly and visually appealing online store that is easy for customers to navigate and make purchases. With the right features, your website can offer a seamless shopping experience that will encourage customers to return time and time again. Our guide provides you with a comprehensive overview of the top 9 website builders currently available, including their unique features and pricing options. eCommerce Website Builder Best eCommerce Website for Free Plan Cheapest plan (monthly plans) Rating from users (G2/, Capterra) Wix Entrepreneurs and small businesses Yes Most Basic for $4.50 per month G2: 4.2/4.5Capterra: 4.4/5.0 Shopify Building robust online store No Basic for $1.00 per month G2: 4.4/5.0Capterra: 4.5/5.0 WooCommerce Controlling Inventory Yes Free G2: 4.4/5.0Capterra:4.6/5.0 BigCommerce High Revenue Business No Standard for $29.95 per month G2: 4.2/5.0Capterra: 4.4/5.0 Weebly Building a free eCommerce Website Yes Connect a Domain for $10 per month G2: 4.2/5.0Capterra: 4.3/5.0 Squarespace Creating professional creative website Yes Personal for $23/month G2: 4.2/5.0Capterra: 4.6/5.0 Zyro Building professional Website Yes Website for $2.59 per month G2: 4.4/5.0Capterra: 4.7/5.0 X-cart Creating Custom Solution No Platform for $199 per month G2: 4.2/5.0Capterra:4.3/5.0 Volusion Tailor-made solutions No Personal for $35 per month G2: 3.2/5.0Capterra: 3.8/4.0 Wix Wix Website Builder is a cloud-based web development platform that enables users to create HTML5 websites and mobile sites through online drag-and-drop tools. It is a platform for hosting websites that lets users make and change their sites without knowing how to code. Wix has a robust App Market that offers a variety of third-party apps that can enhance your eCommerce store’s functionality. It also provides access to SEO tools, web analytics, and eCommerce features. Wix also provides a wide selection of templates that can be used to create a website. Features Pros Cons Pricing Shopify Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows users to create online stores to sell their products. It provides a platform for users to easily manage their stores, accept payments, and track sales. Shopify also offers tools to help businesses market and manage their stores, including an app store with hundreds of third-party integrations. Features Pros Shopify also offers a dedicated account manager for users on their Advanced and Plus plans, who can help with everything from store setup to marketing strategy to technical issues. This level of support can be invaluable for businesses looking to grow and scale their online store. Cons These costs may accumulate over time and have an effect on your company’s profitability, and some users might prefer to use a particular payment gateway that Shopify does not support, which can be a constraint for those users. Pricing Yearly(Save 50%) WooCommerce WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin designed for WordPress. It enables users to create an online store and sell products online. WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce platform powering over 5 million websites worldwide. It offers a wide range of features and customization options, allowing store owners to manage their online store and products. Features Pros These extensions allow users to add features such as advanced shipping options, payment gateways, product variations, and more, without the need for extensive coding knowledge or development expertise. This gives users the ability to customize their online store to meet their specific needs. Users can modify the code to meet their specific needs, add new features, or fix any bugs they encounter. Being open source, WooCommerce can be customized to meet the specific needs of a business. Because of this, users can make their own unique online stores that meet their needs, and developers can help make the plugin better. Cons Pricing BigCommerce BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform designed to help businesses create and manage their own online store. It offers a wide range of features, including product management, website design and hosting, payment processing, order fulfilment, and marketing tools. BigCommerce also offers integrations with third-party services like QuickBooks, MailChimp, and Xero. Features Pros Cons Pricing Weebly Weebly is a cloud-based website building platform that enables users to create websites, blogs, and online stores. It is easy to use, with drag-and-drop tools and a range of customizable templates. It offers a range of features such as collaboration tools, analytics and marketing tools, and eCommerce options. Features Pros Cons Pricing For Online Stores: Squarespace Squarespace is a platform for creating beautiful websites and online stores. It provides users with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface and various powerful tools and features to help them create and manage their websites without learning code. Squarespace also offers templates, hosting, eCommerce, analytics, and more. Features Squarespace is a powerful website builder with a suite of features that can help you easily create a professional website. Here are some of the features of Squarespace: Pros Cons Pricing Pay Monthly: Zyro Zyro is an AI-powered website builder that helps you create professional websites without coding. It offers an intuitive drag and drop editor, professional design templates and powerful features to help you create engaging and interactive websites. Zyro also offers eCommerce and blogging features and third-party integrations for website customization. Features Pros Cons Pricing X-Cart Another popular eCommerce builder is X-Cart; x-cart is a shopping cart software for online stores and e-commerce websites. It is a PHP-based platform designed to meet the needs of online merchants of all sizes. It offers a variety of features, such as an easy-to-use admin interface, customizable design options, built-in payment processing, and powerful marketing tools. X-Cart is available in several editions, each tailored to a specific type of online store. Features Pros Cons Pricing Volusion Volusion is an eCommerce platform that provides businesses with tools to build and manage their online stores. It offers a variety of features, from website building tools to in-depth marketing and analytics. It also provides payment processing, inventory management, and shipping tools. Features Pros Cons Pricing
Strategies for Effective Business Development
Growth is a life aspect that pervades everything we do. Before a business or firm can be considered successful, it must constantly grow. Imagine a business where certain people aren’t in charge of growing and developing the business. There is no agenda to grow or be informed of new business prospects, market trends, or developments. Not even the hearts of competitors are known, let alone how to reach target audiences. You can agree with me that such a business is like a time bomb, and success is still far away. This and many more are the reasons why some people are assigned to business development practices, and they put in place some strategies for effective business development. In this blog post, we’ll give you an overview of some good ways to build a strong base for your business. Read on for proven tips that can kickstart your journey towards business growth. What is Business Development? Business development is a term that includes all of the things that a business does to grow and expand. This includes making new products or services, going into new markets, finding new ways to make money, increasing sales, giving better customer service, using technology, and a lot more. Finding these interconnected networks is an important part of growing a business since they will lead to new growth opportunities. The goal of business development strategies is to find growth opportunities and figure out how to take advantage of them for long-term success. Businesses can grow, make money, and stay in business for as long as possible if they understand and use these strategies. Business Development Versus Sales Strategies It must not be mixed up with sales. Driving revenue or producing profits is the foundation of the sales process. Sales departments have only one common goal: to transfer goods while keeping a profit margin. On the other hand, business development professionals look for and develop new ways to work together that make money in indirect ways. The company development process looks at the whole trip, while the sales function only looks at the end result. Despite requiring some small sales abilities like bargaining, business development strategies are mostly marketing activities. Typical goals of business development strategies are to grow market sales, spread the word about the brand, get new customers, raise brand awareness, etc. Selling goods or services directly to customers or clients is the role of sales. The goal of business development executives is to make sales to customers easier by working with partners or channels. Alignment of the sales department alongside activities with marketing teams with clear business development initiatives have potential for customer retention identification of prospective customers. Business Development Agents’ Responsibilities Business development representatives, or BDRs, are individuals that work for your business development department. BDRs work with almost all of your departments to find and implement new strategies, goals, customers, and methods for your business. BDRs must bring particular skills and attributes to the table because they interact with several people and require a wide range of skill sets. It would be impossible to detail every activity that goes into business growth due to the broad range of duties. Following are the main duties your BD team will probably concentrate on: Investigating Market Trends, Business History, Rivals, and Prospects Business development agents help find out about market trends, the history of a business, competitors, and potential customers by researching the industry and gathering information about possible opportunities. They use this information to find new markets, figure out what customers want, and come up with plans for how to get into these new markets. They also look at the products and services of your competitors to find gaps that your business can fill. Investors Mapping Business development agents help with investor mapping by finding possible investors who might want to invest in your business. They look at how stable these investors’ finances are and what they like to invest in to see if they are a good fit for your business. They also make connections with possible investors to boost their chances of securing funding. Recognizing Possibilities for Growth Business development agents help a company find ways to grow by looking for new business opportunities. They look at market trends, customer needs, the strategies of competitors, and news about the industry to find possible growth areas. Additionally, they stay up-to-date on emerging technologies and innovations that can be used to create new products or services that will meet customer demands. Generating and Qualifying Leads Business development agents help make leads and decide if they are good enough to follow up on by doing research on potential customers and judging how qualified they are. They find target markets, figure out what customers want, and come up with ways to reach out to prospects. They also track the progress of leads throughout the sales funnel and follow up with them on a regular basis. In addition, they use data analysis to ensure those leads Departmental Project Management Business development agents help manage projects for their departments by working with other departments to make sure projects are finished on time and on budget. They collaborate with marketing, sales, customer service, and other teams to set goals, develop strategies for meeting those goals, and monitor progress. Additionally, they provide feedback to the team about changes that need to be made. Partnership Administration Business development agents help in partnership administration by researching potential partners and negotiating deals. They find the companies they want to work with, evaluate how qualified they are, and make a list of criteria for choosing the best partner. They also negotiate contracts and draft agreements that benefit both parties and protect them. Lastly, they monitor the performance of partnerships to make sure they are meeting expectations. Data Evaluation Business development agents help evaluate data by collecting and analyzing it to find trends, figure out how well the market is doing, and come up with plans for growth. They look at feedback from customers,
Everything You Need to Know About Going Headless with WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) used today, powering millions of websites worldwide. But what if you want to take it further and go headless with WordPress? In this article, we’ll explore the ins and outs of headless WordPress and how it can make your web development process much easier! Let’s dig in! What Is a Headless CMS? A headless CMS is a management system built to deliver content through an API (Application Programming Interface) rather than generating HTML pages. This type of CMS typically uses JSON or XML as its data format, allowing users to access and manage their content from any device. A headless CMS has no frontend tools, unlike traditional CMSs, which rely on templates to render pages. Instead, it provides an API with endpoints (or URLs) that can be used to access the content data. Developers can then use this data to create custom web or mobile applications on the client side. What Is Headless WordPress? Headless WordPress is a type of Content Management System (CMS) that allows developers to create, manage, and deliver content to any device or interface without needing a graphical user interface (GUI). This is done by decoupling the backend functions of WordPress from its front-end output. In other words, headless WordPress allows developers to manage content from the WordPress admin panel while enabling them to use a different front-end framework of their choice. This approach is becoming popular as the best choice for developers, allowing for greater flexibility and customization when creating modern digital experiences. It also allows faster deployment times since all content changes can be managed without updating the entire website. For example, a headless content management system website might be built using JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue.js while content is managed from the backend of WordPress. This allows front-end developers to use all the features and benefits of WordPress, such as customization, scalability, and security reasons, without worrying about the front-end design and development. Benefits of Using Headless WordPress Headless WordPress is becoming increasingly popular among web developers and brands looking for a more streamlined and efficient way to manage their content. Here are some key benefits of utilizing a headless WordPress setup: Quicker Development Times A headless WordPress setup allows developers to build pages quickly, leveraging the existing WordPress framework and its content management capabilities. This reduces the time spent on development and helps ensure that pages are developed consistently. Streamlined Workflow By separating the backend functionality of WordPress from the frontend design, developers can focus on creating well-structured content rather than worrying about page styling. This allows for a more streamlined workflow and faster development times. Easy Maintenance With headless WordPress, maintenance is much easier. Instead of updating a website’s backend code and frontend design, developers only need to make changes to one part of the platform. This reduces the amount of time and money spent on maintenance. Improved Performance Headless WordPress websites can be delivered faster and more efficiently using API-endpoint-driven architecture. This leads to improved performance boosts and user experience. More Scalable Headless WordPress sites are easier to scale than traditional WordPress websites. This is because the front and back ends can scale independently, allowing developers to add more features and capabilities easily. Drawbacks of Headless WordPress Headless WordPress has some drawbacks that should be considered. While it can offer powerful flexibility but causes extra workload, there are a few things to consider: Additional Maintenance Sites running on a Headless WordPress system require additional maintenance, as they have the same components (WordPress and a web server) to be managed. For example, if the web server needs updates or security patches, it must be done separately from the WordPress core environment, which can be time-consuming and tedious. It’s like having two houses with their upkeep—double the work! Complexity Rendering dynamic content often requires a considerable amount of effort with headless WordPress. This is because no default user interface can create the desired data structure. Since the developer has to build it manually without proper knowledge, they may save time figuring out how to structure the data. Higher Development Cost Picking headless WordPress over a traditional setup requires extensive development, which will cost you. Though the initial costs of setting up a headless CMS are relatively low (as compared to buying an entire content management system), the long-term costs associated with customizing and maintaining it can be substantial. Due to the complexity of setting up a headless WordPress CMS, developers will often charge higher hourly rates to manage the project. Furthermore, as your development team can add more features and functionality to your website/app, you may be paying additional costs for plugins, extensions, and other customizations. Limited Support and Compatibility with Plugins and Themes Headless WordPress does not support all existing plugins and themes, as many are designed for traditional WordPress websites. Furthermore, since headless WordPress is a relatively new technology, there needs to be more technical support available to help you if something needs to be fixed. Your content team may need to hire a developer or an experienced user group to get your help. Examples of Companies that Use Headless WordPress Headless WordPress has quickly become one of the most popular tools in web development and is now being used by many companies. TechCrunch, for example, uses Headless WordPress to power its website. It’s one of the biggest technology blogs on the internet and is hosted on WordPress.com VIP. In 2018, they completely rebuilt their website using Headless WordPress to capitalize on advances in web development since their last overhaul. This allowed them to deliver a better user experience and make building future improvements easier. Frontity, another company that utilizes Headless WordPress for its website development needs, Frontity also states that they have experienced an increase in page speed due to their use of this technology. Finally, Beachbody On Demand, an online fitness platform, uses Headless WordPress to power its streaming service. With this technology, they can
10 Best Free WordPress Themes in 2023
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that runs on various devices. WordPress themes are the very first thing that visitors see on your site. They are also an important part of your design. WordPress themes make it easy for users to create a website with minimal effort. However, choosing a suitable theme can be tricky, especially with many options available. We have compiled a list of the best free WordPress themes for 2023. These themes are suitable for any type of website and offer powerful customization options, responsive designs, and support for plugins. Whether you want to create a portfolio, blog, or online store, these free WordPress themes will help you get started quickly in 2023. Tool name Best For Key Features Cheapest Plan Free Plan Rating from WordPress.org Astra Theme Flexible Customization Super-fast WordPress theme Free Yes WordPress.org: 4.9/5.0 Neve Theme both sites and shops Lightweight, Performance-Optimized Design (Including AMP Support) Free Yes WordPress.org: 5.0/5.0 Hello Elementor Building a lightweight wordpress site Hello theme is built with minimal styling and scripts for maximum speed and design freedom Free Yes WordPress.org: 4.5 /5.0 Kadence Theme Creating beautiful fast loading and accessible websites Responsive design and optimized for mobile devices: Free Yes WordPress.org: 5.0/5.0 ColorLib Theme Building multi-purpose and Professional WordPress Site Responsive & Flat Design Free Yes No review Divi Theme Building websites faster and more efficient Extensive library of modules and layouts Free Yes WordPress.org: 4.8/5.0 GeneratePress Theme Blog, eCommerce or any kind of website Compatibility with WordPress Plugins Free Yes WordPress.org: 5.0/5.0 Blocksy Theme Creating professional-looking websites. Modern Web Technologies Free Yes WordPress.org: 5.0/5.0 Zakra Theme Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Compatible with key page builders Free Yes WordPress.org: 5.0/5.0 Qi Theme Creating stunning portfolio websites Fully Responsive Design Free Yes WordPress.org: 4.2/5.0 Astra Theme Astra is a highly versatile and user-friendly theme that stands out for its lightweight yet fully customizable design. It offers a multitude of customization options, from background images to fonts, colors, and layouts, making it an ideal choice for any type of website. Its pre-built websites are also a unique selling point, as they can be imported with just one click. This makes it easy for users who don’t know how to code or design to set up a site that looks professional quickly and easily. Whether you’re building a personal blog, an e-commerce store, or a corporate website, Astra’s versatility and ease-of-use make it a top choice for many website builders. Features Some common features of Astra include: Pros Cons Some of the features that may not be available in the free version include additional layouts, color options, font options, and more advanced customization options. Neve Theme Unlock the next level of website design and user experience with this theme – it comes packed with starter sites, proven performance enhancements, and extraordinary customizability. Neve is a WordPress theme designed to help you create stunning websites quickly and easily. It is fully responsive, which means your website will look great on any device. It also offers a clean, modern design and is optimized for speed and SEO. Features Neve has various features that make it stand out from other WordPress themes. Pros Cons Hello Elementor With over 5 million active installs, Hello Elementor is one of the most popular free WordPress themes available today. This theme is designed to work with the popular Elementor page builder plugin and has various features to help you quickly and easily create a stunning website. It features a modern design optimized for speed, SEO, and usability. The theme is also WooCommerce-ready and comes with multiple page templates, a custom header and footer, and a blog layout. Features Common features include: Pros Cons Kadence Kadence Themes is a WordPress theme and plugin shop specializing in creating modern and beautiful themes for the WordPress platform. Their themes provide a range of features and customization options that make it easy to create a unique and professional website for any purpose. Features Pros Cons Colorlib Colorlib Themes is a collection of free, high-quality WordPress themes designed to help you create beautiful websites quickly and easily. Colorlib Themes provides a wide variety of themes for various types of websites, including blogs, businesses, e-commerce, and more. Each theme is fully responsive and includes various features, such as sliders, social media integration, Google Fonts, and more. Features Pros Cons Divi Theme Divi is a popular WordPress theme developed by Elegant Themes. It is a multi-purpose theme with an intuitive drag and drop page builder, making it easy to customize your website. Divi also has pre-designed templates and modules that can be used to create stunning websites in minutes. Features Pros Cons GeneratePress GeneratePress is a lightweight WordPress theme built with a focus on speed and usability. It is very customizable and easy to use, making it ideal for creating any kind of website. GeneratePress also comes with a powerful page builder, allowing you to create stunning layouts easily. With a wide range of features and customization options, GeneratePress is a great choice for any website. Features Pros Cons Blocksy Blocksy is a WordPress theme created by CoBlocks that focuses on creating a powerful and flexible website building experience. It combines the power of the WordPress block editor, Gutenberg, with a lightweight and modular design to create a compelling and customizable website experience. Blocksy comes with a wide selection of starter sites, page templates, and blocks to help you get started building your site quickly and easily. Blocksy also supports WooCommerce, giving you the power to create a fully-functioning online store. Features Pros Cons Zakra Zakra is a modern, flexible, multipurpose, and lightweight WordPress theme. It is a perfect platform to create any type of website such as a business, corporate, portfolio, blog, or WooCommerce storefront. Zakra is SEO friendly and has powerful features and options to make your website look amazing and perform better. It is also optimized for Gutenberg and provides tons of color options. Zakra is easy to customize and
WordPress Outsourcing: Finding the Perfect Developer in the WordPress Marketplace
For years, WordPress has held the title of most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. WordPress is so widely used that it powers the majority of well-known websites. The Walt Disney Company, the New York Times, BBC News, and so forth are a few examples. There is no doubt that WordPress is the best option because a website speaks for your company. But in order to fully benefit from this treasure trove, you must pay attention to the WordPress development specialists to complete the technical side. In this blog post, we’ll talk about how small businesses, entrepreneurs, and digital agencies can use WordPress outsourcing services to make the most of their budgets, get more online exposure, and improve customer engagement while saving time. Outsourcing: What is it? Outsourcing has become a popular trend in the business world today. In simple terms, it is a technique that entails delegating some tasks and duties to people and organizations outside of your own company. An effective way for companies in need of custom functionality to save money and time is by transferring some of their workloads to independent professionals or agencies that specialize in specific areas. An outsourcer is a person or team of experts who offer their skills to another company rather than an end client. What WordPress Work to Outsource? WordPress is a powerful and versatile content management system (CMS). For online business owners looking for a good online presence, standout website services, and development team, outsourcing part of the work can be an excellent option. Some of the work that can be outsourced include; Theme Development and Design Designing and developing a custom theme is a specialized skill. It requires expertise in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and other related coding languages. Hence the need to outsource to save time. Custom Plugins To enhance the custom functionality of your website, you must keep up with plugin updates. This can be tailored to your specific requirements. Outsourcing this work to a dedicated team can be beneficial for businesses. Maintenance and Support Your website needs regular maintenance, updates, backups, and security checks to keep running well. These tasks require expertise to ensure that your website stays up-to-date and secure while freeing up more time for you to focus on other areas of your business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) By giving this work to experienced professionals, you can get the most out of your SEO efforts, boost your conversion rate, and make sure your website ranks higher in search engine results. Digital Marketing Your business’ success or failure can depend on how well you run your digital marketing campaign. You can make sure your website is reaching its full potential by outsourcing digital marketing services like content creation, keyword research, and business analytics to digital agencies. Complete PSD-to-WordPress Conversion Converting well-organized design files or graphic designs, like a Photoshop design into a WordPress website takes advanced coding skills and knowledge of WordPress standards. In the absence of this skillset within the organization, people with these coding skills can be reached out to through outsourcing. Manually Code Editing to Add Additional Functionality Manual coding and editing is an option for online business sites that want to add better user experiences, additional features, and more functionality. Your clients will occasionally request something that is difficult to accomplish with plugins. This type of work requires a specialized skill set and can be time-consuming. Outsourcing companies can save precious resources and ensure that the job is done right the first time. WordPress Client Support for Problems WordPress can be a tricky platform to navigate, especially for beginners. Many businesses have found success by outsourcing client support tasks such as troubleshooting problems, providing customer services, answering queries, creating help documents, and providing training materials. How to Outsource WordPress Work The process of outsourcing WordPress involves several steps, and there is a need to decide what approach you should take when outsourcing. Here are a few paths to follow: Hire a Freelancer It’s possible to find experienced WordPress professionals on freelance websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour. This option is cost-effective, but it can take some time to find the right person for you. Pros Cons Hire an Agency Another option for outsourcing WordPress work is to hire a WordPress development agency. Most agencies have their own ideal team of experienced professionals who are experts in certain development projects, like web development from scratch, plugin development, basic theme customization, or SEO optimization. This route can cost more than hiring a freelancer, but it offers the advantage of a more comprehensive service. Pros Cons Create an In-House Team For businesses that want to have full control over the development process, creating an in-house team can be a viable option. This requires hiring developers and designers, as well as providing them with the necessary tools and infrastructure. Pros Cons Where to Outsource WordPress Work WordPress projects can be cumbersome and time-consuming to manage in-house. Outsourcing is an excellent way for businesses to get the most out of their budgets while still ensuring that their website looks great and functions perfectly. In this blog post, we’ll discuss where to outsource WordPress services. Codeable An elite freelance WordPress marketplace, known for rejecting unqualified applicants. Its rigorous guidelines for showcasing only qualified freelancer profiles has helped Codeable establish its popularity among WordPress experts over time. There are numerous freelancing opportunities available here, and with a minimum hourly wage is of $80. Payperhour Payperhour is a popular freelance marketplace for WordPress outsourcing services. It allows clients to find experienced developers and designers from around the world who can help build custom websites, plugins, or themes. They offer flexible payment options that allow businesses to pay only for the time it takes to complete each task. Upwork Founded in 1999, Upwork is one of the oldest and most trusted freelance marketplaces. It offers an extensive database of skilled professionals from a wide range of disciplines, ranging from web development to SEO marketing. Upwork
