There it is again: the tug on your heart, the yearning in your soul, the little lump that forms in your throat every time you daydream about quitting your job, starting a business, and finally living the way you want to. It’s never been easier to strike out on your own, and one of the most accessible ways to do it is to start your own web design business. Think about it: As more of our lives move online, the demand for high-quality websites is only increasing, as is the need for people who can build them. Web design is a job you can do from anywhere, with minimal setup,…
WordPress is a top-tier offering for anyone choosing a content management system (CMS) for their website. But one question often holds people back: “Is WordPress easy to learn?” Yes. There’s a learning curve, but anyone can learn to use WordPress. With a bit of practice, you can build any kind of website you want. However, WordPress is different (and slightly trickier to learn) than other site builders. That’s for good reason: WordPress offers far more customizability and long-term value, which is why it powers over 43% of websites on the internet. Let’s take an honest look at how hard it really is to learn WordPress, the challenges you might face…
Your mind is buzzing with ideas, insights, stories, and opinions that your audience wants to hear. But turning these ideas into blog posts feels like pulling teeth. That’s where AI comes in. AI can help you find the pulse of your audience, structure your ideas, and support your writing process, without compromising the originality of your voice. In this guide, you’ll find: A proven workflow for using AI to write blog posts Reliable AI prompts Tips to stay in control of your content 7 smart ways to use AI for blog posts Much goes into writing a good blog post: in-depth research, a structured outline, multiple rounds of drafting, and…
Staging sites let you safely experiment, like testing new themes, trying plugins, updating content, or fine-tuning your design, all without making unwanted changes to your live site. But staging site management can sometimes be challenging. A cumbersome interface and limited sync options can slow development, increase the risk of errors, and make it harder to rely on your staging environment, especially when you’re working across local, staging, and production. That’s why we’ve redesigned the WordPress.com staging site experience to streamline the process, giving you the flexibility to move between environments with confidence and decide exactly what gets synced between staging and production. As a reminder, staging sites are included on…
Picture this: You’re on the road when you get a notification that someone new just subscribed to your newsletter. You want to know more about this reader: are they engaging with your content? What other posts resonated with them? Until now, getting those insights meant waiting until you were back at your computer. That all changes with the Subscribers feature in the Jetpack mobile apps. Ever wonder who’s actually reading your content? Content creators face a common challenge: understanding their audience while managing busy, mobile lifestyles. You might publish consistently and see your subscriber count growing, but key questions remain unanswered: Who exactly is reading your content? Which subscribers are…
You’re sifting through a lot of conflicting advice on how long it takes to build a website. Some say it takes a few days, others say weeks. So, who’s right? The truth is, most website development timelines are just guesstimates. These generic timeframes don’t factor in variables that could make or break your development process. That’s why we spoke to our partners at WordPress.com to get realistic timelines for building a website. Drawing on their years of experience, our website development experts also share key factors to consider when estimating these timelines. TL;DR: Here’s how long it takes to build common types of websites Small site (five pages or less):…
Take it from someone who’s been burned by hosting companies: you don’t want to skimp on thoroughly evaluating your hosting provider. Overwhelmed by hundreds of web hosting providers online, I shrugged, “This one looks the cheapest,” and purchased a yearly plan without a second thought. Poor customer support, inaccessibility, and a migration later, I regretted not spending more time choosing a better web host. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Put in the time to make the right web host choice in the beginning so you don’t have to deal with a headache later. What should you even evaluate in a web host? There are several features on their…
