Quick Overview
- WordPress is free software that lets you build and manage a website without coding skills
- It powers 43% of all websites on the internet including major brands and small UK businesses
- You need three things: a domain name, web hosting, and WordPress itself
- Real costs in the UK: domain £10-15/year, hosting £15-50/month, WordPress software is free
- Perfect for UK small businesses who want control, SEO capabilities, and room to grow
If you run a small business in the UK, you’ll know that everyone says you need a website. And if you’ve started looking into how to actually get one, you’ve probably heard the name WordPress mentioned more times than you can count.
- But what actually is WordPress?
- Is it a website builder?
- Software you download?
- Something only developers can use?
You’re not alone in being confused.
Between all the jargon about CMS platforms, hosting, domains, and plugins, it’s hard to work out what WordPress really is and whether it’s the right choice for your business.
The truth is simpler than you might think.
WordPress is the world’s most popular way to build a website. It’s software that lets you create and manage a professional website without needing to write a single line of code.
This guide will explain exactly what WordPress is in plain English, how it works, what it actually costs in pounds, and whether it’s the right fit for your UK small business. No jargon, no technical waffle, just the facts you need to make an informed decision.
Table of Contents
WordPress Explained in Plain English
Let’s cut through the confusion straight away. WordPress is free software that runs websites.
Think of it like Microsoft Word, but instead of creating documents, you’re creating and editing web pages. You log in, type your content, add images, click publish, and your changes appear on your live website. No coding required.
More technically, WordPress is what’s called a content management system (CMS). That’s just a fancy term for software that lets you create, edit, and manage all the content on your website through a simple dashboard.
You don’t need to understand how the technology works behind the scenes any more than you need to know how Word processes your documents.
WordPress was created back in 2003. It started as blogging software but has grown into something far more capable.
Today, it powers about 43% of all websites on the internet. That includes small business sites in the UK, major newspapers, universities, and even household name brands. The Rolling Stones website runs on WordPress. So does Microsoft’s blog. If it’s good enough for them, it’s probably good enough for your business.
Because WordPress is open-source (which means it’s free to use and maintained by thousands of volunteer developers worldwide), anyone can use it, modify it, and build on it. This is why there are so many themes, plugins, and extensions available.
It’s also why WordPress constantly improves without you needing to pay for upgrades.
Here’s the thing that confuses most people: WordPress needs to be installed on a web server. You can’t just download it to your computer like you would Word or Excel. Instead, you need web hosting (which is space on a server where your website files live), and WordPress gets installed there.
Don’t worry, though. Most hosting companies will install WordPress for you automatically, so you won’t need to wrestle with any technical setup.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: What’s the Difference?
Right, here’s where it gets confusing.
There are two things both called WordPress, and they’re quite different.
Understanding this distinction will save you a lot of headaches later.
WordPress.org is the free software we’ve been talking about.
You download this version, install it on your web hosting, and you have complete control.
This is what most people mean when they say “WordPress” and what this guide focuses on.
You own everything, you can do anything, and there are no restrictions. This is the version that powers 43% of the web.
WordPress.com is a hosted service run by a company called Automattic. It’s more like Wix or Squarespace.
You sign up for an account, and they host your website for you. Sounds convenient, right? It can be, but there are serious limitations on the free plan, and the paid plans get expensive quickly.
You can’t install most plugins, you’re limited in design options, and you don’t truly own your site in the same way.
For UK businesses, WordPress.org is almost always the better choice.
Yes, you need to sort out your own hosting (which costs a few pounds a month), but you get complete freedom and control. You can install any theme or plugin, you own your content, and you can move your site to different hosting if you want.
WordPress.com might seem easier at first, but you’ll quickly hit restrictions that’ll frustrate you.
How WordPress Actually Works
You need three separate things to run a WordPress website: a domain name, web hosting, and the WordPress software itself.
Think of it like renting a shop.
The domain name is your shop’s address (like yourcompany.co.uk), the hosting is the physical shop space you’re renting, and WordPress is the shelving and till system that lets you display your products and serve customers.
Domain Name
Your domain name is what people type into their browser to find you.
You register this through a domain registrar for about £10-15 per year. Many hosting companies let you register your domain through them, which keeps everything in one place.
Web Hosting
Web hosting is server space where all your website’s files live. The hosting company maintains the servers, keeps them online 24/7, and makes sure your website loads when people visit. In the UK, you’ll pay anywhere from £3 to £20+ per month depending on the hosting package you choose and most companies offer packages specifically designed for WordPress.
WordPress Software
The WordPress software itself is completely free. Your hosting company will usually install it for you with a single click. Once it’s installed, you log in through your web browser (just like checking your email) and you’ll see the WordPress dashboard. This is your control panel for everything on your website.
From the dashboard, you create pages and posts using a visual editor that looks similar to Word. You type your content, add images, format text with bold or italics, and insert links. When you hit publish, those changes appear instantly on your live website. You can also preview changes before they go live.
You don’t need to install anything on your computer. Everything happens through your web browser. You could manage your WordPress site from your laptop at home, your tablet in a cafe, or your phone on the train. As long as you have internet access, you can log in and make changes.
What Makes WordPress So Popular?
WordPress didn’t become the world’s most popular website platform by accident.
There are solid reasons why millions of small businesses (including thousands across the UK) choose WordPress over alternatives.
Here are the main ones that actually matter to you.
It’s Free (But You Still Pay for Hosting)
The WordPress software costs absolutely nothing. There’s no purchase price, no monthly subscription, and no fees for updates. You download it, install it, and use it forever without paying a penny to WordPress.
However, you do need to pay for hosting and your domain name. In the UK, expect to pay around £10-15 per year for a .co.uk domain (often cheaper than .com) and anywhere from £15 to £20+ per month for decent hosting. So your first year might cost you £150-200 depending on the hosting package you choose.
Compare that to website builders like Wix or Squarespace, where you’re paying £10-30 per month just for the platform itself, plus you still need to pay for a custom domain. Over time, WordPress works out significantly cheaper, especially because you’re not locked into ongoing subscriptions for the core software.
You Can Customise Almost Anything
One of WordPress’s biggest strengths is how flexible it is.
There are over 11,000 free themes that control how your website looks, covering every style from modern minimalist to bold and colourful. Don’t like something about your theme? You can customise colours, fonts, layouts, and more. If you outgrow a theme, you can switch to a different one without losing any of your content.
Then there are plugins, which are like apps for your website.
Need a contact form? There’s a plugin for that. Want to improve your SEO? There are plugins for that too.
- Booking system?
- Newsletter signup?
- Image gallery?
- Security improvements?
- Automatic backups?
Every plugin adds specific functionality to your site. There are over 60,000 free plugins available, plus thousands more premium ones.
This means you can start with a simple website and gradually add features as your business grows. You’re not locked into the features that came with your original setup. If you decide you need e-commerce next year, you install WooCommerce (a free plugin) and you’ve got an online shop.
It’s Built for SEO
If you want customers to find you through Google, you need your website to be search engine friendly. WordPress is built with clean, readable code that search engines can understand easily. This gives you a solid foundation for SEO before you even start optimising.
But it gets better. Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math make search engine optimisation accessible even if you don’t understand the technical side. They guide you through setting up title tags, meta descriptions, sitemaps, and all the other SEO elements that help Google rank your pages. You don’t need to be an SEO expert or hire an expensive agency to get the basics right.
You also have complete control over every aspect of your site’s SEO.
- Want to edit a page title?
- Change a URL?
- Add structured data?
- Optimise an image?
You can do all of it.
Many website builders restrict what you can customise, which limits your SEO potential. WordPress gives you full access to everything.
What Can You Build With WordPress?
When WordPress started in 2003, it was just for blogs. Those days are long gone. Today, you can build virtually any type of website with WordPress. Here are just some of the options:
Business websites
Business websites showcasing your services, portfolio, and company information are probably the most common use. Whether you’re a consultant, plumber, solicitor, or hairdresser, WordPress can handle your business site easily.
E-commerce stores
E-commerce stores selling physical or digital products work brilliantly with the free WooCommerce plugin. Thousands of UK businesses run their entire online shops through WordPress, from small craft sellers to established retailers.
Blogs
Blogs and content sites are still WordPress’s sweet spot. If content marketing is part of your strategy, WordPress makes it easy to publish articles, organise them with categories and tags, and keep your audience engaged.
Membership sites
Membership sites where you charge customers for access to premium content are increasingly popular. With the right plugins, you can create members-only areas, manage subscriptions, and deliver exclusive content to paying customers.
Booking systems
Booking and appointment systems work well for businesses that need customers to book time slots. Salons, consultants, personal trainers, and therapists all use WordPress with booking plugins.
Themes and Plugins
Themes and plugins are how you customise WordPress without touching code.
Understanding what they do will help you get the most from WordPress.
What Are Themes?
A WordPress theme controls how your website looks. It’s essentially a pre-designed template that determines your site’s colours, fonts, layouts, and overall visual style. Install a new theme and your entire site’s appearance changes, but your content (pages, posts, images) stays exactly the same.
There are thousands of free themes available directly through WordPress. They cover every industry and style you can imagine. Many businesses use free themes happily for years. If you want something more specific or sophisticated, premium themes typically cost £40-100 as a one-time payment. That theme is then yours forever.
Themes are customisable too. You can usually change colours, upload your logo, adjust layouts, and modify fonts without needing any technical knowledge. If you do decide to switch themes later, your content doesn’t disappear. You just need to set up the new theme’s options and customise it to match your brand.
What Are Plugins?
Plugins add specific features to your WordPress site. Think of them like apps on your phone. Each one does a particular job. You install them through your WordPress dashboard with a couple of clicks, activate them, configure their settings, and they start working.
Here are some examples of what plugins can do: add contact forms so visitors can get in touch, improve your SEO with tools and guidance, enhance security with firewalls and login protection, create automatic backups of your website, add image galleries and sliders, integrate with your email marketing service, speed up your site with caching, manage bookings and appointments, add live chat to help customers, create pop-ups for special offers, and connect Google Analytics to track visitors.
Most essential plugins are free. Some offer premium versions with extra features, typically costing £30-100 per year. The key is not to go overboard. You don’t need dozens of plugins. Start with the essentials (security, SEO, backups, contact forms) and only add more when you have a specific need.
What About Page Builders?
Page builders are special plugins that make designing your pages much easier. Tools like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi let you create custom page layouts using drag-and-drop interfaces. You can add text blocks, images, buttons, columns, and other elements visually without touching any code.
Many WordPress users love page builders because they give you design freedom without needing technical skills. However, they can add complexity and sometimes slow down your site if not used carefully. Some themes come with built-in page builders, while others work alongside the standard WordPress editor.
For complete beginners, it’s often better to start with a good theme and the standard WordPress editor. You can always add a page builder later if you find you need more design control.
WordPress Challenges You Should Know About
WordPress is brilliant, but it’s not perfect. You should know about the potential challenges before you commit.
There’s no ‘set it and forget it’ option!
You (or someone) will need to regularly review the site, check that everything is working OK and apply any updates.
Maintenance Is Your Responsibility
Unlike website builders where the platform handles everything, WordPress requires ongoing maintenance. The WordPress software releases updates regularly to improve security and add features. Themes and plugins also release updates.
You need to apply these updates to keep your site secure and running smoothly.
In itself, this isn’t difficult.
Most updates apply with a single click. But it is something you need to remember to do regularly. Ignoring updates leaves your site vulnerable to security problems. Many hosting companies offer automatic updates as part of their service, which can take this worry away.
You also need to handle backups. If something goes wrong, you want a recent backup to restore from. Some hosting companies include automatic daily backups. Otherwise, you’ll need a backup plugin. Either way, backups are your responsibility.
Security is another important consideration.
WordPress itself is pretty secure, but poorly coded plugins or themes can create vulnerabilities. Using reputable plugins, keeping everything updated, and employing basic security measures (like strong passwords and security plugins) will protect you. But the responsibility is yours.
Plugin Overload Can Slow Your Site
Because there are so many plugins available, it’s tempting to install loads of them!
Every plugin adds extra code that your website needs to load. Too many plugins (especially poorly coded ones) can slow your site down, which frustrates visitors and hurts your Google rankings.
The solution is discipline. Only install plugins you actually need. Choose quality plugins from reputable developers with good reviews. Regularly review your installed plugins and remove ones you’re not using. Five well-chosen plugins are better than twenty mediocre ones.
Each plugin is also another thing to maintain. More plugins mean more updates to apply and more potential compatibility issues to troubleshoot. Keep your plugin list lean and purposeful.
Get Protected with WordPress Maintenance
WordPress updates and error fixes are included in our £99 per month maintenance service. This flat fee covers monthly updates, daily monitoring, routine backups and error fixes when they occur.
Sign up for WordPress maintenance today and get your site covered. Your site will be properly maintained, regularly backed up, constantly monitored and quickly repaired if problems occur.
Book a FREE consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, WordPress software is completely free. However, you need to pay for web hosting (£5-25/month) and a domain name (£10-15/year). The WordPress software itself costs nothing and has no subscription fees, making it much cheaper than platforms like Wix or Squarespace over time.
WordPress.org is the free software you install on your own hosting, giving you complete control. WordPress.com is a paid hosting service with restrictions on plugins and customisation. Most UK small businesses choose WordPress.org for greater flexibility and true ownership of their website.
No, you don’t need coding skills for basic WordPress use. Creating pages, writing posts, and adding images works through a visual editor similar to Word. However, advanced customisation might require some technical knowledge or help from a developer. Most UK sole traders manage their own sites successfully.
Yes, WordPress handles e-commerce excellently through the free WooCommerce plugin. You can sell physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, and bookings. Thousands of UK businesses run their entire online shops through WordPress with WooCommerce. You’ll just need SSL and payment gateway integration.
WordPress is excellent for SEO. It has code that search engines understand easily, and plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath make optimisation straightforward even for beginners. You control all SEO elements including titles, meta descriptions, URLs, and structured data. Many top-ranking UK sites use WordPress.
WordPress core software is secure, but you must keep it updated along with your themes and plugins. Use strong passwords, install a security plugin, choose reputable themes and plugins, and maintain regular backups. Most security problems come from outdated software or weak passwords, both easily preventable.
Yes, WordPress scales excellently. It powers some of the world’s busiest websites including major news sites and e-commerce stores. As your business grows, you can upgrade to better hosting, implement caching, and optimise performance. WordPress grows with you from small start-up to established business.