WordPress

What is WordPress? And What are the Benefits?

What is WordPress?

Planning to launch a new website or migrate an existing one? There’s a good chance your web developer has already suggested WordPress. That’s not just a random preference — WordPress powers a huge portion of modern websites and has become the go-to CMS for businesses of all sizes.

In this guide, our web development team in Perth explains:

What WordPress is (in simple terms)
The difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
The types of websites you can build with WordPress
The key benefits of using WordPress for your business
A quick jargon buster to help you follow along

By the end, you’ll know whether WordPress is the right foundation for your next website project.

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites. It provides an easy-to-use interface for adding pages, blog posts, images, products and other content without touching complex code.

Originally released in 2003 as a platform for blogging, WordPress has since evolved into a powerful, flexible web development framework. Today it’s used by:

Because it is open-source, thousands of developers around the world contribute to WordPress core, themes and plugins. This community-driven approach is one of the reasons it has grown so fast and stayed current with web standards, security and features.

Why is WordPress so popular?

A few big reasons:

Low barrier to entry – You don’t need to be a programmer to manage content.
Huge ecosystem – Tens of thousands of plugins and themes for almost any functionality.
Scalability – Can power small brochure sites or high-traffic enterprise platforms.
Ownership – With self-hosted WordPress.org, you truly own your website and data.

In short: WordPress sits in the sweet spot between ease of use, flexibility, and long-term scalability.

What Types of Websites Can You Create With WordPress?

WordPress is no longer “just for blogs.” With the right combination of plugins, themes and custom development, you can build almost any type of website, including:

Personal or blog websites
Share articles, stories, opinions and tutorials using a built-in blogging engine and categories/tags.
Business websites
Promote your services, showcase your team, add case studies and integrate lead forms to capture enquiries.
E-commerce websites
With plugins like WooCommerce, you can sell physical or digital products, manage stock, handle payments and automate emails.
Portfolio websites
Designers, photographers, writers and agencies can create visually rich portfolios to showcase their work.
Restaurant or hospitality websites
Add menus, online bookings, locations, reviews and event information.
Job boards and listing sites
List jobs, properties, events or other directory-style content with advanced filtering.
Membership and online course websites
Restrict content, manage memberships, or deliver online courses and digital programs.
News and magazine sites
Publish frequent content, use multiple authors and organise articles into sections and categories.
Community and social websites Create forums, private communities, social networks and intranets using community plugins.
Non-profit and charity websites Accept donations, promote campaigns, recruit volunteers and share impact stories.
Government and education portals
Provide information to citizens, students or staff with role-based access and secure content.
Government and education portals
Provide information to citizens, students or staff with role-based access and secure content.
Knowledgebase / wiki websites
Build internal knowledgebases, FAQs, documentation and support hubs.

In other words, if you can imagine it, there’s a good chance you can build a version of it with WordPress.

WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: What’s the Difference?

Many people get confused by the two “versions” of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Both are related, but they work quite differently.

WordPress.org (Self-Hosted WordPress)

Purchasing a domain name
Buying and managing hosting
Installing WordPress
Managing backups and updates (or arranging a developer/IT partner to do this)
Installing plugins and themes
Handling security and performance

This is usually the preferred option for business websites, eCommerce, and organisations that want complete control over their online presence.

WordPress.com (Hosted WordPress Service)

Which One Should You Choose?

For most growing businesses in Perth and beyond, self-hosted WordPress.org is the better long-term investment.

Key Benefits of Using WordPress for Your Website

Now let’s look at the specific advantages that make WordPress such a strong choice for business websites and online stores.

1. Exceptional Flexibility

WordPress is highly flexible and can be tailored to almost any use case:

Developers can extend WordPress with custom code and advanced integrations, while non-technical users can still manage day-to-day content without needing to touch the underlying code.

This flexibility also means your website can grow with your business. You can start with a simple information site and later add a blog, online store, booking system, or member area without rebuilding everything from scratch.

2. Huge Library of Plugins and Themes

One of the strongest advantages of WordPress is its ecosystem of plugins and themes.

There are:

Examples of popular plugin use cases:

This rich ecosystem allows you to create a tailored solution without reinventing the wheel every time.

3. Minimal Coding for Everyday Tasks

WordPress is designed as a content-first platform. Most everyday tasks can be done with minimal or no coding:

The block-based editor (Gutenberg) makes it easier to build layouts using blocks for text, images, columns, buttons and more. For many businesses, this means:

For complex functionality, you’ll still want professional development support. But for content updates and small tweaks, WordPress keeps things accessible.

4. Mobile-Responsive and Mobile-First Ready

Mobile first websites-Computing Australia Group

With most users browsing on mobile devices, mobile responsiveness is non-negotiable.

WordPress supports mobile-friendly websites through:

When your site is properly built on WordPress:

5. Easy to Use for Non-Technical Users

Even though WordPress is a powerful development platform, it’s also designed for non-technical users:

An intuitive admin dashboard with clear navigation
Built-in tools for managing posts, pages, media and comments
Role-based access (e.g., admin, editor, author) to control who can do what
Simple, familiar editing experience similar to word processing software

Once your site is set up, most content editors can be trained to:

This reduces bottlenecks and helps keep your website fresh and up-to-date.

6. SEO-Friendly by Design

SEO Plugins

Plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math allow you to:

Clean Structure and URLs

WordPress can generate:

Combined with good development practices (fast hosting, caching, image optimisation), WordPress gives you a strong technical foundation to rank well in search engines.

7. Built-In Blogging and Content Management

Because WordPress started as a blogging platform, its blogging features are first-class:

Even if your main focus is not blogging, having a blog built into your website makes it simple to:

You don’t need a separate platform for your blog — it’s already integrated into WordPress.

8. Strong Community and Support

As a free, open-source platform, WordPress enjoys a large global community of:

This community contributes to:

If you run into an issue or need a specific feature, there’s a good chance someone has already solved a similar problem. And if you’re working with a professional web development partner, they can leverage community knowledge and tools rather than building everything from scratch.

9. Cost-Effective for Businesses

WordPress itself is free to use, but there are costs associated with running a professional website:

Even with these costs, WordPress often works out more cost-effective over the long term than proprietary website builders or custom-built systems:

However, for complex, mission-critical websites, it’s still important to invest in professional web development services to ensure the site is secure, fast and scalable.

These are some of the benefits of WordPress websites. Like how the raw materials you use for your office building affects your business’s look and functionality, the website building platform affects the website’s performance, look and functionality. Need to create an optimised website for your business? Contact us or Email at sales@computingaustralia.group. We will help you design the ideal website that will increase conversions for your business.

Jargon Buster

E-commerce – Electronic commerce – Online Buying or selling of products and the transactions involved in executing these processes.

CMS – a cyber attack in which information is stolen or taken from a system without the owner’s knowledge.

Sitemap – An XML file that displays URLs’ list that you want to be indexed by search engines.

Plugin – a software add-on installed to a host program to add additional functions while not altering the host program itself.

SEO – Search Engine Optimisation – a set of tactics to boost your website traffic quality and quantity via organic search results.

SSL Certificate – Secure Socket Layer Certificate is a data file that allows encrypted communication between a web browser and a web server.

David Brown

FAQ

Is WordPress secure enough for a business website?

Yes — when it is set up and maintained correctly. WordPress core is regularly updated with security patches. The real risk comes from outdated plugins, weak passwords, poor hosting and lack of maintenance. Working with a reliable host and web development partner, enabling SSL, installing security plugins and performing regular updates significantly improves security.

Can WordPress handle high traffic and large websites?

Absolutely. Many high-traffic blogs, news sites and enterprise websites run on WordPress. Performance and scalability depend on your hosting infrastructure, caching, code quality and optimisation. With proper configuration (e.g., good hosting, CDN, database optimisation), WordPress can comfortably power large, busy sites.

Do I own my content and data with WordPress?

If you use self-hosted WordPress.org, you fully own your content and database. You can back up your site, move it to another host or export your content at any time. With fully hosted platforms or proprietary builders, you may face limitations or lock-in.

How much does a professional WordPress website cost?

Costs vary based on design complexity, custom functionality, content volume and integration needs. A basic business website can be built for a relatively modest budget, while large eCommerce or custom systems require more investment. A good approach is to discuss your goals and budget with a web agency, who can recommend a phased rollout if needed.

Is WordPress better than website builders like Wix or Squarespace?

It depends on your needs. Website builders offer quick, simple setups with less flexibility and less ownership. WordPress requires more initial setup but offers more control, scalability and customisation. For serious business websites, especially those needing SEO performance, advanced functionality or long-term flexibility, WordPress is often the stronger choice.