Celebrating Pride Month with WordPress.com

Happy Pride Month! My favorite parts about celebrating this month are the stories shared from LGBTQ+ folks, their loved ones, and organizations looking to show support. At WordPress.com, we strive to be a platform that democratizes publishing so that anyone can share their stories regardless of income, gender, politics, language, or where they live in the world. This month is a great reminder for why we work hard to expand the open web.

For me, democratizing publishing means more than just my ability to publish my own story. It’s about being able to share, but also being able to receive. As I celebrate Pride Month as a young, queer person, I think back to early online communities on which I found other LGBTQ+ people and how much I resonated with their stories. I feel lucky to be able to share my own story, but there are many LGBTQ+ folks who can’t.

To this end, we wanted to provide resources, inspire, and highlight organizations to support as you celebrate Pride Month in your own way, whether that’s seeking out stories or writing your own.

Resources

The LGBTQ+ community is vast — I’m part of it, but I’m still learning new things daily. Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not, make sure you properly represent the community at large when you share your story with the help of these resources:  

• It Gets Better Project’s Glossary
• The Trevor Project’s Glossary
• ILGA Europe’s Glossary

We know how important it is to find an image that perfectly fits your writing and, since stock-image libraries have historically struggled to represent all experiences, we wanted to share some free image options to ease your search this month:

• The Gender Spectrum Collection from Vice
• Pexels’ Pride Images
• Pexels’ LGBT Images

Have any resources to recommend? Please share them in the comments below! Part of our company creed is to never stop learning, and I’d love to learn what resources you all have found useful.

Tip: Use the #celebratingpride tag to connect with other folks sharing their stories. Here’s more information about using tags.

Inspiration from WordPress.com Bloggers

If you want to write but are feeling stuck trying to find the words, take some inspiration this month from these writers with strong voices and varied perspectives:

• CN Lester, the author of Trans Like Me, shares their experience at A Gentleman and a Scholar.
• Sam Dylan Finch explores queen/trans identity, mental health, and self-care on his personal blog, Let’s Queer Things Up!
• Blogger and memoirist Lori Duron shares her parenting journey of raising a gender–creative child at Raising My Rainbow.
• Marlo Mack writes about her experience as a single mom of a transgender daughter at Gendermom.

Tip: Make sure to follow these sites so you don’t miss any future posts.

Organizations to Support from Around the World

In partnership with Out in Tech, volunteers, including some of my awesome colleagues, have worked together over the last few years to create websites for LGBTQ+ organizations around the world. As you look to find organizations to support, remember to think globally, especially considering there are still 73 nations with laws against being LGBTQ+. We hope this list gives you a great place to start:

• Roopbaan (Bangladesh)
• Samabhabona (India)
• Almas Cautivas (Mexico)
• TransWave Jamaica (Jamaica)
• TweetIndia (India)
• Hombres Trans Panamá (Panamá)
• Russian LGBT Network (Russia)
• Diversidad Dominicana (Dominican Republic & Carribean)
• SAIL: Stop Aids in Liberia (Liberia)
• African Queer Youth Initiative (Across Africa)
• Rainbow Egypt (Egypt)
• Rasan (Iraq)
• The Rustin Fund (USA)

Happy WordPress-ing. Happy Pride.

For those of you sharing your own stories of being LGBTQ+ in this world, thank you for your bravery and vulnerability.

For those of you who can’t share your story, please know that it gets better and that you aren’t alone this month.

For those of you seeking out other people’s stories, thank you for being supportive, being open, and seeking to expand your perspective.

How Start a Web Design Business in 14 Practical Steps

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, and for clients in almost any industry. You don’t even need to know how to code (at least not to get started). Your journey starts here.

Why start a web design business?

Your reasons for starting a web design business will carry you forward when times get tough. Here are some powerful reminders for those moments:

• Work for yourself. When you’re the boss, you get to choose your projects and clients, and how to fill your time.
• Leave a dead-end job. No more cubicles, commutes, office politics, mandatory meetings, or deadlines you didn’t choose.
• Gain more freedom. Web design is a remote-friendly career. Whether you’re on a beach, in a mountain cabin, or exploring a new city, your work goes where you go.
• Set your own hours. Work when you’re most productive and take breaks when you need them.
• Learn new skills. Web design includes many aspects, from wireframes to user experience design to CSS. Learning new skills makes you more valuable and versatile.
• Do something meaningful. Contribute to projects you care about and create work you’re proud of.
• You can start lean. You don’t need inventory, an office, or expensive equipment to start a web design business.
• Scale your income. Your salary has a ceiling, but your business doesn’t. As your skills grow, so can your rates, your client base, and your income.

What do you need for a web design business?

Although overhead is minimal, there are some requirements for building websites for a living.

Relevant skills

Running a web design business is mostly a matter of acquiring the right skills and knowledge. For starters, you need to:

• Understand web hosting and domains
• Know the different types of websites, parts of websites, and layouts
• Learn how to create a website and the stages of the web design process
• Pick up basic business skills such as invoicing and doing taxes

To make sure the sites you build can compete on the web, you’ll also have to:

• Study how to improve site speed with techniques like image optimization
• Be able to implement security measures like user roles, SSL, and software updates to combat malware and DDoS attacks
• Familiarize yourself with search engine optimization (SEO) to rank for relevant topics

Finally, while it’s absolutely possible to build websites for a living without coding, having at least a basic understanding of programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP allows you to make more significant changes and build more advanced features.

Thankfully, you don’t need to master all of these at the start; you just need to know more than your clients. You’ll learn many of these as you go.

Plus, you can outsource some of them with a managed hosting provider like WordPress.com. We take care of security, performance, software updates, and more, so you can concentrate fully on designing websites.

Tip: Gain access to the WordPress.com agency partner program with discounted pricing, referral earnings, and extra tools. You can also easily move your sites to WordPress.com.

Reliable equipment

Another thing you need is the right hardware and software. At the minimum, you should have:

• Laptop or desktop computer
• Reliable internet connection
• Headset or earbuds with microphone
• Code editor (e.g., VS Code)
• Local development tool (like WordPress Studio)
• Some sort of backup solution

Additional nice-to-haves include:

• Second screen
• Printer/scanner
• Project management software
• Time-tracking software (like Toggl)

• Accounting and invoicing software
• Tools to create contracts/proposals
• A customer relations management (CRM) solution

Keep in mind that buying business equipment can lower your tax burden or even give you back VAT.

14 steps to start your own web design business

Once you have the necessary skills and equipment, follow these easy steps to create your web design company:

1. Pick your web design niche

Defining exactly who you’d like to work with helps you create a better offer. For example, “I design websites for yoga instructors who want to sell online classes” immediately makes your services more relevant to that targeted group than a generic “I’m a web designer.”

When choosing your niche, consider the following:

• Select an industry you’re experienced in. That way you already know your customers. It might be the industry you’re currently working in, a hobby, or some other niche you belong to.
• Pick something you’re passionate about. You’ll likely work in this area for a long time, so pick a sector that interests you.
• Consider targeting a particular location. While the internet makes it possible to work with anyone, geographically limiting your clientele can also have its benefits. For example, it may allow you to meet them in person, which is often beneficial in building close business relationships.
• Choose a niche with available budgets. Ensure that potential clients have the means to pay for your websites.

2. Set your goals

Setting goals gives you a direction to work toward. To know where you want to move, ask yourself questions like:

• What am I trying to achieve with my business?
• Which problems am I solving?
• Who do I want to be for my clients?
• How do I want to be different from the competition?
• Ideally, how much do I want to earn?
• What do I want my everyday life to look like?
• How many clients do I want to work with at any given time?
• What’s my long-term plan?

Consider writing a mission statement that summarizes your answer to these questions, as a way to keep you on track when you feel directionless.

3. Decide on your products and services

Web design is a wide field, allowing you to provide a number of different services, such as:

• Logo design
• Branding
• UX design
• Programming
• Website content
• Visuals
• SEO
• Web accessibility
• Website management
• Maintenance

Decide what you want to do and can provide. While you can always branch out later, deciding on a baseline allows you to figure out your pricing.

Don’t think only about the immediate needs of your customers (such as a website), but also future requirements they’ll have, like content changes, design refreshes, or software updates. In addition, decide whether you want to offer pre-defined bundles, individual services, or both.

Finally, do market research to gauge demand for your planned services. Check competitor websites for their pricing, services, reviews, and positioning. Look at relevant job postings on job boards like Upwork or Toptal and analyze what clients are in the market for. You can also research relevant keywords in Google Trends or SEO tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush, and Ahrefs.

4. Figure out your pricing and rates

Your pricing model depends on your offerings. For example, you might charge a project fee for website design, but a monthly recurring retainer for site management and maintenance. To make things easier, base your prices on concrete deliverables, like the number of web pages.

When deciding your rates, factor in the following:

• What your competition is charging: This can give you a way to differentiate yourself and also avoids severely undercharging for your services.
• Your cost of living, fixed costs, and business expenses: Divide required costs by the number of hours you plan on working (including time off and vacations) to get the rate you need to continue operating your business. You’ll need to add a percentage in order to make a profit.
• Your clientele and the value of your services: To a high-ticket business, a new website could mean a huge increase in revenue, so price accordingly.

5. Settle on a name for your business

A fun part of striking on your own is finding a name for your business. You’ll want to pick something that’s:

• Easy to remember and pronounce
• Appropriate for your industry, location, services, and goals
• Short and attention-grabbing
• Not already in use by someone else

Before making a decision, check whether your desired domain and social handles are available. Also, consider your long-term goals — if you plan on building a team, naming your business “Kevin Jones Web Design” might not be the best choice.

6. Handle the legal stuff

Depending on where you reside, there will be some bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Find out what licenses, permits, insurance, and other requirements you need in order to operate your business. If necessary, seek legal advice.

An important step is choosing your business structure, which affects your taxes, liability, and legal requirements. The most common options are:

• Sole proprietorship: This is simple and easy to set up, but offers no personal liability protection.
• LLC or equivalent: This involves more setup and paperwork, but protects your personal assets if your business fails.

It’s not the most fun aspect of starting your own web design business, but don’t neglect it — you’ll thank yourself later.

7. Create your branding

Branding is your company’s identity. It usually consists of the following elements:

• Logo
• Color palette
• Fonts
• Voice/personality

Compile these elements into a style guide for easy future reference. This is great practice to prepare you for how to approach client projects.

8. Register your domain and build your website

You can’t start a web design business without your own website. It’s part of your portfolio and directly shows what you can do for others, so build something clients would be happy to pay money for. Below is a great example of one designer’s cohesive and high-quality web presence that’s sure to impress potential clients.

Go through the same steps you would if working with someone else. Take copious notes to document your process. At the very least, your site should have:

• A homepage with a call to action
• Service and pricing information
• Contact information and/or a contact form
• Your portfolio of past work
• An about page
• Social proof, such as testimonials from happy clients

Publish it under your own domain, so you can set up a professional email address.

Tip: If you’re building websites for clients, you shouldn’t need too much advice from us. If you do need some guidance on building a site for yourself, follow this guide.

9. Start building a portfolio

Your past work is one of the best ways to convince people to work with you. It’s living proof that you have the skills you claim to possess.

But how can you create one if you never had a client?

• Do personal projects. Design a web presence for a fake company or redesign an existing site with your own ideas.
• Reach out to your network. See if anyone you know needs web work or can refer you to someone who does. Consider offering a special rate to fill your portfolio.
• Use freelance websites. Services like Upwork are not known for their great earning potential, but it can be worth doing a few projects to create a showcase.

Be sure you do an absolutely stellar job for your portfolio pieces and make sure to collect testimonials for your website.

10. Establish processes and workflows

Formalizing your web design process makes it much easier to repeat it later on. It also makes you look professional and provides a streamlined client experience.

This typically consists of these steps:

1. Goal-setting
2. Scoping
3. Resourcing
4. Project management
5. Sitemap/wireframes
6. Content creation
7. Staging site setup
8. Visual design
9. Testing
10. Launch
11. Site maintenance

To put yourself in the best position, plan them out beforehand and document them as you go along. You can use our customizable checklist template, which includes more details on each step.

11. Create proposal and contract templates

Formalizing templates for work proposals and contracts helps you standardize your process, set expectations, and agree on terms, such as:

• Scope
• Timelines
• Deliverables
• Deposits and payment schedule
• Penalties for late payments
• Cancellation policy
• Copyright

This assures both you and your client agree on the important aspects of the project and avoids unpleasant surprises. Always be sure to protect your income stream by getting a deposit (usually 25–50%) before starting work, and hand over the finished site or files before being paid in full.

AI can help you create first drafts or you can use service providers like PandaDoc, Proposify, The Contract Shop, or Contract Killer. You may also wish to consult a lawyer.

12. Promote your business

After putting the important pieces in place, you need to work on being seen. This starts with SEO to promote your website, which can include writing blog posts that address and solve issues common to your target group.

In addition, claim and fill out your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and/or local alternatives. This ensures you’re visible to local clients.

Social media should also play a role in your promotion. Pick one or two platforms that make sense for you, create a simple content strategy, and start publishing. It may also make sense to create a YouTube channel and/or podcast to share your insights and promote your offerings.

13. Approach clients

Relying solely on inbound marketing isn’t always enough to find web design clients. You also need to play an active role with outreach.

If you’ve picked your niche well, it shouldn’t be hard to find relevant companies in your area who may need your services. Make a list of them and pitch your services to their marketing team. The more concrete and tailored your proposal, the higher your chances of being hired. You can also offer something with actionable value for free, like a consultation on how to improve their homepage.

Your personal network is also a good place to look for clients; job boards and Facebook groups are also worth trying.

Find ways to network with potential clients in person. Attend business functions, chamber of commerce events, industry meetups, and similar gatherings. Focus on understanding business problems and providing your expertise as a solution to them. Stay in contact and follow up so you can build relationships before pitching your work.

Once you have clients, ask them for referrals — it’s often easier to land a new client through an existing one.

14. Keep learning

Web design is constantly evolving. Trends come and go, requirements change, and new technologies emerge often. If you want to stay competitive, you need to stay informed.

Developing new skills, learning additional tools, and acquiring more knowledge enables you to better serve your clients, which in turn allows you to offer more services and charge higher fees.

Start your web design business today

A web design business can be an amazing vehicle to build a fulfilling and flexible career. The barriers to start and the risks are low, though it takes effort and patience.

Need high-quality managed WordPress hosting for your clients? Consider WordPress.com. See what our hosting services have to offer.

Background Post and Media Uploading with WordPress for iOS 9.8

Version 9.8 of WordPress for iOS rolls out this week, and includes some great enhancements to publishing: background media and post uploading.

Adding images to a post or page? Now, you can publish — and accomplish other tasks — while your media uploads. No more waiting inside the editor while images gradually upload! Tap the Publish button and the app takes care of uploading and publishing, leaving you free to leave the post editor and get on with other things.

You can do the same thing while saving drafts. And yes, you can have multiple posts uploading media in the background concurrently.

We’ve also spruced up the interface, and added notifications so that you always know the status of your posts and uploads. Visit your post list at any time for a progress report on all your uploads.

You can even leave the app and the upload will continue in the background while you check other things on your device.

Here is a video of the new functionality:

Give feedback and get involved

Download WordPress for iOS on the App Store. We’ll be rolling out the update over the course of the week, so it may be a couple of days before you see the update on your device. You can always manually check for an update by searching “WordPress” in the App Store if you just can’t wait

Do you have feedback on the app? Please share it!  If you’re a developer and would like to contribute to the project, here’s more information on how you can get involved.

Subdomain vs. Subdirectory: A Guide for Site Owners

Despite Google’s official claim that it treats subdomains and subdirectories equally in indexing, website owners sometimes report substantial traffic gains after switching from the former to the latter.

The reality? It’s far more nuanced than these site owners suggest.

In order to make smart decisions about when to use subdomain or subdirectory, you need to evaluate your goals, technical capacity, and projected website growth.

That’s what this guide covers. You’ll learn the key differences between a subdomain and a subdirectory, when to use each, and how to choose the right one for your specific needs.

What is a subdomain?

A subdomain is a label that appears before your main domain name (e.g., blog.example.com, shop.example.com, support.example.com). 

Contrary to what people think, a subdomain doesn’t always function as a separate website hosted elsewhere. A subdomain can point to the:

• Same content (e.g., www. as a subdomain).
• Different content on the same hosting (e.g., fr.support.wordpress.com for localized content, a type of web content adapted to a specific language or region).
• Different hosting and content (e.g., hosting blog.example.com on a server completely separate from example.com).

Businesses with diverse product offerings often use subdomains to organize content hierarchy and ensure easy navigation.

Take Google, for instance. It deploys its business apps and solutions through separate subdomains, such as mail.google.com, drive.google.com, and docs.google.com, improving the user experience.

When should you use a subdomain?

Though requiring more technical setup (which we’ll walk you through later), subdomains excel at organizing distinctly different sections of your content.

Use them when you want to:

Host client portals

Hosting dedicated portals on subdomains helps you manage each client’s project deliverables, digital assets, and legal documents in a centralized space. Depending on your web hosting provider, it can also improve security by limiting access to sensitive data.

Set up a staging environment

A staging environment is an isolated testing ground where you test updates, redesigns, and new features before deploying them to a live website. Technically, they can be created on a subdirectory instead (and we’ll cover what those are in a bit), but using a subdomain is widely considered best practice.

A staging environment hosted on a subdomain provides an isolated space where you can implement and refine changes without risking your main website. Just be sure to secure it with a password to prevent unauthorized access.

Tip: Want to set up a staging environment for your WordPress website? Start here.

Build authority in a new niche

Search engines treat subdomains as independent entities — the backlinks and authority from your main domain won’t transfer over. This creates a fresh foundation to establish dominance in your new niche or market segment.

Imagine you’re an entrepreneur with three revenue streams: a baking membership community, a copywriting course, and a series of business ebooks.

These offerings target different customer segments with unique search behaviors. Instead of lumping your three business lines together on one domain — which risks confusing visitors and diluting your site’s authority — create subdomains with each strategically positioned to build targeted authority.

Creating distinct site subsections

There may be other instances where you need to add a section to your site that has its own distinct branding and functionality.

One example is WordPress Playground, a platform for users to build and experiment with WordPress on any device, all within a web browser. Note the subdomain in the URL address bar. 

How to connect a subdomain

For WordPress sites, creating a subdomain requires more technical steps than a subdirectory.

Your process primarily involves your DNS management system (like Cloudflare) rather than your web host. To begin, locate its support documentation and complete the step-by-step instructions for a smooth setup.

Next, follow these steps to connect your subdomain with your WordPress.com site.

First, log in to your account and go to the WordPress dashboard of the site you want to use with your subdomain.

If you’re using WP Admin, navigate to Hosting → Domains (or Upgrades → Domains if you’re using Default View). On the top right, click the down arrow of the “Add a domain” button and select “Use a Domain I own.”

Enter your desired subdomain (e.g., subdomain.example.com) and click the “Continue” button.

In the “Connect your domain” section, click the “Select” button.

Congratulations! You’ve created your subdomain.

Since your website uses WordPress.com name servers, the DNS records for your subdomain should automatically configure. Test your new subdomain URL in a web browser to see if it’s working.

What is a subdirectory?

A subdirectory is a subfolder within your main website. It appears as a page after the root domain (e.g., example.com/blog, example.com/shop, example.com/about) and is preferred by SEO professionals running smaller websites.

When should you use a subdirectory?

Subdomains are overkill for smaller websites, as they unnecessarily fragment your SEO efforts. If you’re managing a smaller web presence, subdirectories offer a more practical solution.

Use them when you want to:

Simplify SEO tracking

Analyzing SEO data across multiple subdomains creates unnecessary complexity.

Unlike subdirectories, subdomains require technical overhead like configuring cross-domain tracking and modifying session cookies. If you prefer to streamline your analytics tracking under one roof, opt for subdirectories.

Organize related content for better SEO

Since search engines treat subdomains as separate sites, backlinks pointing to your main website won’t transfer SEO value to them.

Subdirectories, on the other hand, consolidate your SEO equity within a single domain and amplify your overall search visibility. This makes them the preferred choice for most SEO specialists.

To illustrate how subdirectories work in practice, consider this example. If you’re a freelance writer for B2B marketing and sales companies, you could organize your website with subdirectories targeting these keywords:

• Homepage: Freelance [SEO/marketing/SaaS] content writer.
• Blog posts: How to increase leads, conversion content, and research competitor keywords.
• Services: Content writing services in [country], [ebook/white paper/B2B] content writing services.

By interconnecting these pages under your main domain, you create a content cluster that shares SEO equity. The “backlink juice” from other sites that link to your pages flows throughout your entire website and fuels it as a whole.

Eventually, this leads to higher domain authority, better search rankings, and increased organic traffic.

Maintain brand consistency

Consistent branding boosts revenue by up to 20% — and subdirectories play a small part in achieving it. They can provide better continuity in user experience and a cohesive brand presence, boosting recognition and trust.

How to create a subdirectory

Creating a subdirectory is easier than setting up a subdomain. You can whip one up in seconds with any website builder.

If you’re hosting on WordPress.com, here’s how it works:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Go to the dashboard, click Pages → Add Page. 
3. Build and format the rest of your page as desired.
4. Customize the URL subdirectory in the right sidebar menu.
5. Click Publish.

Tip: You can add more subdirectories under the page you created. This step is particularly useful if you want to organize different topics on your blog (e.g., a food blog might add the following child pages: breakfast, lunch, and dinner under a Recipes parent page). 

Go back to the dashboard:

1. Click Pages → Add Page.
2. Click None next to Parent.
3. Choose the parent page previously created.
4. Build and format the rest of the page accordingly.
5. Click Publish.

WordPress.com runs the same WordPress software trusted by over 40% of the web. Easily create new subdirectories — and leave the hosting, security, performance, and maintenance to us.

Your first year of annual hosting includes a free domain name. Register your domain today.

Differences between subdomains and subdirectories

The debate between subdomains and subdirectories never ends. Here’s a snapshot of their differences to help you choose the right option for your website.

First, let’s start with the fundamental structural differences.

URL structure

A subdomain appears before the primary domain and is separated by a period. It looks like shop.example.com or portal.example.com.

Whereas a subdirectory appears after the main domain and is separated by a slash. It looks like example.com/shop or example.com/portal.

Maintenance

Subdomains demand more technical maintenance and resources.

Often, there are more DNS records, SSL certificates, and duplicate content to manage. Depending on your business and site setup, you may also need different content management systems (CMSs) to run each subdomain, increasing technical complexity and resources.

Subdirectories, conversely, are easier to manage. With all content in a single website architecture, you reduce technical overhead and streamline maintenance.

For example, if you run an ecommerce store with a blog, you can manage both sections through a single WordPress.com dashboard. When you update your plugins or theme, these changes apply to the entire site automatically. There’s no need to implement the same updates across multiple platforms.

Indexing and ranking

Subdirectories usually see higher rankings and traffic.

Despite Google’s official stance that both receive equal treatment, many SEO professionals report substantial traffic gains after migrating from subdomains to subdirectories.

The HotPads blog is one example — it saw a 98% traffic increase after the shift.

Take these results with a grain of salt, as the reality is a lot more complicated.

During HotPads’ migration to subdirectories, it simultaneously upgraded from Typepad to WordPress. This suggests multiple factors influence SEO performance beyond domain structure.

In HotPads’ case, it could also be the CMS, hosting environment, and internal links.

Which is better: a subdomain or a subdirectory?

For most bloggers, creatives, and small business owners, subdirectories will work just fine.

That’s because subdomains create more work.

Managing additional DNS records and SSL certificates creates potential technical hurdles for non-tech-savvy users, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Without dedicated technical support, subdomains can become overwhelming quickly.

Moreover, subdomains excel specifically for enterprise-scale content or specialized sections that operate independently from the primary website. Smaller sites usually don’t reach the content volume threshold where subdomains become necessary.

Unless you’re managing thousands of pages needing intuitive navigation — and aiming to improve the user experience that search engines prioritize in rankings — you can get by with subdirectories.

Ultimately, it depends on three factors: your business, bandwidth, and current and projected website scale. If you’re still stuck, here’s a simple decision flowchart to help you decide which is right for you.

WordPress.com functions as a domain registrar and hosting platform (and website builder!). Manage your domain and host your website in one place.

Final thoughts: subdomain vs subdirectory

Use subdomains to separate content experiences from your primary site. Client portals, staging environments, and specialized sections targeting new market segments benefit from this approach, giving visitors a distinctive experience.

Choose subdirectories if you prefer to leverage your SEO benefits within your main site. Your hard-won “backlink juice” will beef it up as a whole.

Whether you want to connect multiple subdomains or create new pages, WordPress.com can do it all with a few clicks. We handle everything from hosting and security to performance and maintenance.

Save immediately with a free domain name included in your first year of annual hosting.

The 5 Best Things About WordCamp US 2025

Last week, I was excited to join 1,000+ other attendees in Portland, Oregon, for WordCamp US. This is the largest event in the US for the WordPress community to contribute to, showcase, share knowledge on, and learn everything WordPress. 

I’ve been lucky enough to attend, volunteer at, and speak at several WordCamps. I usually jump at the chance to attend and spend time with the WordPress community. But if you haven’t been, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. So I’ve put together 5 of my personal highlights from WordCamp US 2025. 

Were you there? Please share your own experiences in the comments!

1. The diverse program offered learning and connection

WordCamp US spanned four days from August 26-29: contributor day, showcase day, and two presentation days.

On contributor day, nearly 300 community members across 19 teams spent the day contributing to the open source WordPress project. Anyone could walk up to these teams at their tables, sit down, and contribute.

Showcase day highlighted real-world examples of how WordPress is used, from the people behind them. There were plenty of talks, panels, and several in-depth workshops to get attendees energized about the possibilities of WordPress.

Then, it was time for the two presentation days. These featured keynote speakers, and three tracks of talks and panels from folks around the WordPress community. Topics ranged from using AI to code plugins and in neuroscience research, to design systems, data visualization, and accessibility.

On August 28, I spoke about Putting Creativity to Work. In my talk, I nerded out about P2 (the system of WordPress.com blogs we use to communicate internally here at Automattic), and I even gave away copies of my P2 comic in zine form.

This was my fourth time speaking at a WordCamp, and it reminded me of the incredible power of sharing your ideas at an event like this. Even though I had plenty of nerves (and imposter syndrome) for the days leading up to my talk, the many wonderful interactions I had afterwards reminded me that all the effort was worthwhile.

2. There was cool swag and great conversation in the sponsor hall

I overheard one attendee say “There are so many great talks, but I’m here for the hallway track.” It’s true that a huge benefit of WordCamp US is that so many interesting people are gathered in the same physical space. Why not take advantage of that, by introducing yourself and having impromptu conversations?

The sponsor hall had many areas for these spontaneous connections. Cozy sitting areas, lawn games, a photo booth with props, skeeball and pinball games, displays of art from the WordPress photo directory, and even a live mural artist made for an energetic and inspiring space. Also featured in the space was a happiness bar, career corner, and creator studio, where attendees could troubleshoot WordPress issues, learn about available jobs in the ecosystem, and access a recording studio for creating content.

Another highlight of every WordCamp is swag. Every sponsor booth had some kind of gift to give away, from stickers to food items, water bottles to tote bags. One standout was a poster, designed by Blue Ivory Creative, that was intricately illustrated with all kinds of WordPress and WordCamp imagery. There was even a claw machine filled with stuffed Wapuu toys. This was the only claw machine I’ve seen that actually wants you to win a prize!

Not to mention eating! With Portland being a famously foodie town, WordCamp organizers ensured attendees had access to its best-known treats. From a Voodoo Doughnuts truck in the sponsor hall to s’mores at the after party, I was never hungry.

I staffed the WordPress.com booth, which featured a prize wheel that made a very satisfying clicking noise when spun. This made for some great conversations about our powerful hosting for developers. I was proud to stand alongside other Automattic brands (WooCommerce, Jetpack, Gravatar, WordPress VIP, Pressable) to talk about the value we offer across the entire WordPress ecosystem.

3. Portland is a vibrant and interesting location to explore

WordCamp US attendees were not only lucky enough to participate in all the fun of the event, but in our downtime I could also enjoy other delights of the city — like Powell’s Books, Forest Park, the Nike company store, and multiple vibrant neighbourhoods with hip bar and food scenes.

All these attractions were easy to get to on Portland’s public transit system. With a station right between the convention center and hotel, the MAX light rail made it super easy to get around. At registration, WordCamp US attendees were given a free pass for the duration of the conference, and I enjoyed taking it downtown, to the closing party, and to the airport.

4. The WordPress community is warm and welcoming, even for newbies

Although I am now familiar with many folks in the WordPress community, I still remember walking into my first WordCamp without knowing anyone. That’s always a daunting experience, no matter which space you’re entering. But at a WordCamp, you can expect lots of friendly faces, and people always willing to help you or engage in conversation. It’s a very inclusive space — all are welcome, from beginners to seasoned pros.

One personal highlight — I was invited to the Creator’s Studio to chat with Michelle Frechette and Darian Lusk, and ended up going live on TikTok with their guests Christian Taylor and Michael Cunningham. You just never know what’s going to happen!

5. The future of WordPress is bright

Overall, WordCamp US showed me that there is no slowing down in the ecosystem of the world’s most popular content management system. This is a vibrant and productive community, with a diverse range of talented people helping each other, sharing knowledge, and moving the software further.

In WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg’s closing address, he highlighted the momentum and growth of WordPress, what’s shipping next (block-level commenting is so exciting!), and how AI will shape the project in the future.

I hope you can join us for one or more flagship WordCamps happening in 2026: WordCamp Asia in Mumbai, WordCamp US in Phoenix, or WordCamp EU in Krakow. Also, look out for local WordCamps near you.

See you there!

Learn at Your Own Pace With Our Free Courses

Whether you’re building your very first website, starting a blog, or looking to improve your site’s visibility, WordPress.com offers a growing library of free courses to help you every step of the way.

Our goal is simple: to give you the knowledge and confidence to bring your ideas online — with clear and practical guidance. 

Explore Our Courses

We currently offer three self-paced courses:

Create Your Website on WordPress.com (video course)

Perfect for anyone launching a new website, whether it’s for a small business, portfolio, or personal project. This course walks you through choosing a theme, setting up your homepage, editing your header and footer, adding essential content, and preparing to launch.

• Self-guided 
• Step-by-step
• No registration required
• Bite-sized video lessons
• Go at your own pace

Create Your Blog on WordPress.com (video course)

Ready to share your thoughts with the world? Whether you’re launching a niche blog, starting a personal journal, or building your online presence, this video course will guide you through every stage. You’ll learn how to:

• Choose a theme that matches your style
• Write and format your first blog post
• Organize your content using categories and tags
• Customize your blog’s layout and navigation
• Engage with readers and grow your audience

Introduction to SEO (text-based course)

If you want more people to discover your site through search engines, this text-based course is for you. The learning objectives for this course are:

• Understand how search engines find and rank your site
• Identify and use keywords that match what your audience is searching for
• Structure your content with headings, internal links, and media to make it easier to read and easier to find
• Use tools like Jetpack Stats and Google Search Console to monitor performance and make improvements

In today’s crowded internet, good SEO helps you stand out from competitors and connect with your target audience. Higher search rankings lead to more visitors, increased engagement, and potentially more conversions for your business or cause.

Lifelong learning 

We know that learning how to use a website platform can feel overwhelming at first. These courses are designed to give you a clear path forward, one step at a time. You can learn at your own pace, explore the features that interest you, and skip the ones you know.  

Each course is built for independent learning and hands-on discovery so you stay in control the whole way through.

Who Will Benefit Most?

These courses are ideal for:

• Beginners who are just getting started with WordPress
• Small business owners building a web presence
• Creators and bloggers looking to grow their audience

What’s Next?

We’re always looking to expand our course selection to support users’ WordPress journey better. What course would you like to see next? Share your suggestions in the comments!

Start Learning Today

All our courses are free and available now. Whether you’re building, blogging, or growing, we’re here to help you along the way.

Is Your WordPress Site Slow? Here’s How to Fix It

Slow websites frustrate visitors, reduce your site’s visibility in search engines, harm conversion rates, and damage your brand.

Whether you built your website for fun and just want more people to enjoy your content, are using your site to promote your services and find clients, or are running a business website, slow load times are limiting its effectiveness.

Fortunately, you can fix a slow WordPress website.

In this guide, we cover the common causes of slow load times and how you can fix them. You’ll also learn how to test the speed of your site and record objective measurements of your site’s performance.

The costs of slow-loading websites

Here are some of the issues that slow site speed can cause:

• Increased visitor abandonment rates: Studies show that over half of mobile users will abandon sites that take more than three seconds to load. 
• Poor search engine rankings: Speed has long been a ranking signal used by Google to determine where to display sites in their search engine results. According to Google documentation, the main content of a page should load in under 2.5 seconds.
• Lower conversion rates: Google reports that each one-second delay in load time causes retail conversions to fall by 20%.
• Bad user experience: Even if the speed of your site isn’t slow enough to cause visitors to leave, it can still deliver a poor user experience, harming engagement, your brand perception, and the likelihood of a return visit.

With the cost of slow load times being so high, testing the speed of your website and then taking action to improve its performance is highly recommended.

How to test your site speed

There are several ways to test your site speed, each offering slightly different insights into its performance and potential areas for improvement.

Here are our recommended tools for testing the speed of your site:

• WordPress.com Speed Test: Our free tool is specifically designed for WordPress sites, providing clear and easy-to-understand insights into your site’s performance, with helpful suggestions for improvement.
• GTmetrix: Get free insights into site performance with multiple test locations and waterfall charts providing request-by-request visualization of the page load to help you identify problems in your content.
• PageSpeed Insights: Google’s free tool highlights issues with the metrics used by its search engine to evaluate site performance and determine rankings.
• SolarWinds Pingdom: Test the speed of your site for free from a range of locations, with a paid version that automatically tests load times at regular intervals and emails you the results.

Review the results for both mobile and desktop tests to get a comprehensive picture of your site’s performance.

Which metrics actually matter

When testing your site, you’ll see a range of metrics, including performance grades, letter ratings, and marks out of 100, as well as the page size and the time it takes to fully load.

These metrics can help you assess the impact of changes made to your site. However, they’re not the most useful when it comes to determining if your site is loading quickly enough.

For a better indication of how fast your site loads and its impact on user experience, conversion rates, and SEO rankings, the Core Web Vitals metrics are more important.

Core Web Vitals are a set of user experience metrics defined by Google. They focus on how fast, stable, and responsive a webpage feels to users, rather than just the time it takes them to fully load. This gives better insight into the impact of load times on the user experience.

There are currently three main Core Web Vitals that you should focus on:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures the time it takes for the page’s main content to load. Aim for LCP to occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measures the time it takes for the page to respond and visually update after a user interacts with it, such as clicking a button. Aim for an INP of less than 200 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures the extent to which visible content, including images and buttons, unexpectedly shifts during loading. Aim to have a CLS score of less than 0.1.

The tools mentioned in the section above measure these metrics.

Once you start testing the performance of your website, you’re going to get a lot of data. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by this, and focusing on the Core Web Vitals will be the most effective use of your time and effort.

Common causes of slow-loading WordPress websites

Below are the most common causes of poor performance, along with steps to fix them. Working your way through this list will get you well on the way to being the proud owner of a fast WordPress site and enjoying all the benefits of improved load times.

Shared hosting

The quality of your web hosting has the biggest impact on how quickly your site loads. For example, sites using low-cost, generic shared hosting load more slowly than those using high-quality, managed WordPress hosting.

Upgrading your hosting can significantly impact the speed of your site. Depending on your starting point, upgrading your hosting is probably the biggest lever you can pull when it comes to improving site speed.

When upgrading, your main option is to switch to a higher-performance plan from your current host or move to another provider altogether. For a quick win, consider moving to WordPress.com managed hosting. Moving is easier than you think, thanks to its straightforward migration process. 

For more information on choosing a host, check out our guide to the different types of web hosting.

Using a slow website builder

Adding a website builder to your WordPress site is an excellent way to take control of its design. However, not all website builder plugins are created equal, and some have the potential to slow down your site due to the way they’ve been built and the designs they produce.

One way to assess the impact of your website builder plugin on your site’s speed is to install a plugin like Code Profiler, which can help detect possible performance problems with themes and plugins. You should also test the load time of any pages you create with the builder to see how fast they’re loading compared to the other parts of your site.

Switching to a more performance-focused website builder, like WordPress.com’s website builder, can help solve the problem. However, any existing page designs will have to be recreated with the new builder if you want to improve their load times.

Unoptimized images

Images on your WordPress site can significantly slow it down. The larger their file size, the longer they’ll take to load and be displayed.

Running your site through a reliable speed test tool will highlight any images that could be causing problems. A good tool will also provide recommendations for improving image-related issues.

Ways to optimize your images so they don’t slow down your site include compressing them before uploading, using the appropriate file format, and enabling “lazy loading.”

Another option is to use the Jetpack Site Accelerator (CDN). This tool is available as a standalone plugin and is also included on the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans. It can automatically resolve image-related load time issues.

Plugin bloat

Each plugin you add to your site has the potential to slow it down. Therefore, it’s best to only add those you need, while also choosing plugins that are well-maintained and have positive user reviews.

A tool like Code Profiler can help identify the plugins on your site with the longest execution times. You can then swap these plugins for faster alternatives.

Another option is to replace multiple plugins with a single plugin that provides the same functionality. An example of this is Jetpack, which has a wealth of features covering backup, security, analytics, and SEO functionality, enabling it to replace multiple individual plugins.

You can also choose a web host that includes functionality currently covered by multiple plugins. For example, WordPress.com hosting includes backup, security, caching, social sharing, AI, monetization, and newsletter features that remove the need to install multiple single-feature plugins.

Lack of caching

Caching speeds up load times for return visitors by storing copies of a site in a location that’s faster for them to access. There are several types of caching, including browser, page, and object caching, all of which can improve site speed.

Some web hosts, including WordPress.com, provide caching as part of their service. If your host doesn’t provide effective caching, many plugins for WordPress can add this functionality to your site, including Jetpack Boost, LiteSpeed Cache, and others.

Outdated WordPress or PHP versions

WordPress runs on PHP, a server-side scripting language, and like the WordPress software itself, new versions are released fairly often.

To keep your site running smoothly and as fast as possible, it should use the latest version of WordPress. Additionally, your hosting environment should be using the latest version of PHP, as newer releases often include performance improvements, enhanced optimization, and bug fixes.

Running older versions of WordPress and PHP can cause plugin compatibility issues, which can slow down your site or even cause it to malfunction. To help with this, enable automatic updates for your WordPress site. However, it’s essential to back up your site before updating WordPress in case something goes wrong.

Tip: Some web hosts, including WordPress.com, automatically back up your site before updates and keep the WordPress software and PHP updated for you, helping to prevent this issue.

Outdated theme or plugins

Like PHP and the WordPress software, themes and plugins are regularly updated, with older versions having the potential to slow down your site. This is due to new releases often containing code and performance improvements that can enhance load times and prevent issues that could be slowing things down, such as incompatibilities and security vulnerabilities.

Tip: Many plugins and themes can be set to automatically update every time a new version is released. Backing up your site before updating is recommended. Some hosts, including WordPress.com, automatically take care of that for you.

Too many ad or tracking scripts

Ad and tracking scripts are typically added to a site to collect data on user behavior, including how visitors interact with the site, often for analytics and marketing purposes.

If you’re using third-party services like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel, then ad and tracking scripts will be active on your site.

These third-party scripts increase the amount of data that’s loaded when a page is viewed. The overall size of the page increases, and the visitor’s browser must load data from a range of external sources. This slows down your site.

It’s usually not one script that’s having a large impact, but the combined effect of all of them.

To see which scripts are loading on your site and how long they’re taking to load, you can use WebPageTest and access the Waterfall and Request Details sections. The scripts will appear as entries with a domain that’s different from your site.

You can also use the Network tab in the Chrome browser DevTools to get similar insights.

Some ad, tracking, and other third-party scripts are inevitable if you want to have certain features on your site. However, be aware of how these scripts affect load time. You can then decide whether the impact is worth it.

Testing site speed before and after adding any features that require third-party scripts is also highly recommended.

Excessive pop-ups

Pop-ups are an effective way to grow your email list and promote offers, but they can slow down your site. This usually happens when they’re used excessively and are inefficiently coded and designed.

To prevent pop-ups from slowing down your site:

• Use them sparingly.
• Ensure that you’re not loading more than one pop-up per page.
• Make them as lightweight as possible by optimizing any images you add to them.
• If your plugin allows, set them to only display after the page has fully loaded.

Tip: For a lightweight pop-up tool, consider the Jetpack Newsletter feature.

Using HTTP instead of HTTPS

If your site isn’t using HTTPS, which you can easily check for yourself, it could be slowing your site’s load times. With HTTPS enabled, your site can use modern protocols to load faster through improved compression and the ability to load multiple files simultaneously over a single connection. 

Using HTTPS also helps keep sensitive data secure. Therefore, it’s something you should add to your site by purchasing an SSL certificate or using one issued by your hosting provider.

Tip: WordPress.com hosting customers don’t need to worry about enabling HTTPS, as our plans include SSL certificates at no extra cost.

Improperly embedded third-party media

Adding third-party media to your site, including YouTube videos and Instagram posts, can be a great way to enhance your content. However, if embedded improperly, they can slow down your site due to multiple network requests and the use of additional scripts to display the content.

Enabling “lazy loading” settings can prevent this media from being loaded until it’s in the visitor’s viewport. Replacing embedded videos with static thumbnails can also help stop content from loading until it’s needed.

You can ensure any third-party media is embedded properly by using the official WordPress Embed block or the blocks built for specific platforms, such as YouTube.

Excessive redirects

Redirects automatically send visitors from one URL to another. Redirects are often used when the address or URL of a page has changed, and when you’re merging and removing old content.

When used correctly, redirects can maintain your SEO and a user-friendly experience. However, too many redirects can slow down your site. This is especially true when multiple redirects are used consecutively, creating a redirect chain: As the visitor is redirected from one point to the next, the load time increases.

Online tools can help you fix the issue of excessive redirects by identifying them on your site. Once identified, you can remove any unnecessary redirects. You can also check site links and navigation elements, including menus, to verify they point to the current page URL and not an outdated one.

Heavy themes

One of the best reasons to build your site with WordPress is its vast library of high-quality themes. However, poorly coded themes or those bloated with excessive features, such as page builders, font libraries, and sliders, can unnecessarily slow down your site.

To avoid this, look for themes from reputable sources and check their reviews. Opt for themes marketed as being lightweight rather than all-in-one solutions. Avoid themes packed with features that your web host already provides or that you don’t need.

Tip: WordPress.com hosting plans include access to themes that are vetted for performance and quality, helping you to find a design for your site that won’t slow it down.

Database bloat

WordPress uses a database to store your site’s content, including posts, pages, and images. 

Over time, this database can become bloated with unnecessary data, such as post revisions, deleted content, spam comments, and data from plugins. As the database grows larger, it takes longer to find and retrieve the necessary data for pages to load.

There are several plugins you can install to keep your database optimized and running smoothly. However, managed hosting companies like WordPress.com take care of this for you, making it another task you won’t have to worry about.

Additional solutions and preventative measures

Other tips to correct a slow WordPress site include:

• Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Reducing the size of your site’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files by removing unnecessary spaces and characters can improve its load times.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A CDN distributes your site’s content across a global network of servers, helping it load more quickly, regardless of your visitors’ locations.
• Install an optimization plugin. Optimization plugins that can help speed up your site include WP Super Cache, WP-Optimize, and Jetpack.
• Hire a professional. Hiring a professional who’s skilled in optimization can help you identify and resolve the specific issues currently slowing down your WordPress site, as well as those that may arise in the future. As a cost-effective alternative, consider signing up with a managed hosting service that provides expert one-on-one support.

Ready to move to WordPress.com?

Moving to a faster web hosting provider is the one change that can have the most significant impact on the speed of your WordPress site. If you’re ready to get access to fast, secure hosting with a built-in website builder and many other useful features, try WordPress.com hosting. There’s even a hassle-free migration service to simplify the move.

Is WordPress Easy to Learn? Here’s the Real, Honest Answer

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 along the way, and how to overcome them.

How hard is it to learn WordPress

You’re far from alone if you find WordPress hard to learn, especially in the beginning. The WordPress.com forums are full of users — beginners and pros alike — asking questions and sharing advice.

Here are some common things new users find challenging:

WordPress is extremely flexible

Using WordPress is like baking a cake from scratch rather than using a boxed mix. You get complete control over everything — your web host, domain registrar, layout, plugins, and more. That customizability is what makes it powerful, but it can also feel overwhelming. For beginners, the freedom can seem more like a lack of direction.

Tip: WordPress.com offers excellent courses and support documentation that will guide you through setting up your site.

WordPress has its own language

The WordPress ecosystem contains features and terminology that are unique to the platform. For example, it’s easy to get confused about the difference between themes and templates since both affect the appearance of your site. Terms like “widgets,” “slugs,” “custom post types,” and “child themes” may also take some time to fully grasp. Until you’re familiar with the lingo, navigating WordPress can feel like learning a new dialect.

Tip: Our glossary will help you quickly understand basic WordPress terminology.

WordPress setup takes time

WordPress’ customizability means that setting up a website involves several moving parts, like buying a domain, choosing a hosting provider, installing plugins, customizing your theme, and so on. The whole process can take time, even for seasoned WordPress users. But that time investment pays off in the long run because you’re building a website that’s tailored to your needs and goals.

Tip: If you decide to outsource building your website, our website design service offers excellent quality, competitive pricing, and quick turnaround times.

WordPress offers endless choices

The plugin and theme libraries are packed with thousands of options for every feature you could ever need. However, that abundance (especially for plugins that perform the same function) can be overwhelming. Using a bloated theme or adding too many plugins can also slow down your website. It takes time (and trial and error) to find the right combination that works for your needs.

Tip: WordPress.com includes tons of features via Jetpack at no extra charge. All WordPress.com themes are built to perform well too.

Site maintenance is more complex

With WordPress, you’re responsible for your website’s upkeep. That includes managing security, performing regular updates, and creating backups. Skipping these basics or installing poorly vetted plugins can leave your site vulnerable to performance issues, conflicts, or attacks. It’s a bit of extra work, but it’s essential to maintain a stable and secure website.

Tip: Managed hosting providers like WordPress.com can handle all your site’s maintenance and updates, so you’re free to focus on doing what you love.

5 benefits of using WordPress

WordPress can be intimidating at first. But the unmatched flexibility and long-term benefits it offers are something other site builders and CMS platforms simply can’t match.

Despite its learning curve, WordPress is well worth the effort because once you get the hang of it, you unlock a powerful, flexible platform that can grow with your needs for years to come.

Here are five benefits of using WordPress:

1. You own your website and content

The biggest benefit of using WordPress is that it’s open source. This means you own your website entirely, including your content, data, and design. You’re not locked into a specific platform.

The same can’t be said for other website builders, where you can often migrate content, but not the whole site structure and design.

2. You have limitless customization options

With WordPress, you can customize everything about your website. Want to add a new feature using a plugin? Easy. Want to build a one-page site? Possible. Want to create a full-scale e-commerce website? You can do it.

Other site builders make it easy to get started, but it’s much harder to customize your site exactly as you wish.

3. Your CMS and hosting scale with you

Most website builders think of what you need today. But what happens tomorrow? Or five years down the line?

WordPress’ customizability (which can be a little overwhelming at first) also makes it a long-term companion. Its open-source foundation gives you the flexibility to adapt your website as your needs evolve. And with reliable hosting (like WordPress.com), your site can handle surges in traffic while continuing to run smoothly.

4. You become more self-sufficient

Learning WordPress makes you more independent and capable of running your site with confidence. You won’t have to rely on a developer or customer support every time you want to change a layout, add a feature, or update your content.

Over time, these skills can empower you not only to manage your own website but also to offer your services to others. Many freelancers, marketers, and small business owners have turned their WordPress knowledge into a side hustle or even a full-time career.

5. You have a massive community to rely on

Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com offer thorough support documentation, including step-by-step guides and video tutorials. There are also millions of users on forums, Reddit threads, and niche communities that can help with troubleshooting or customizing your site to your liking.

Now that you know why WordPress is worth learning, let’s talk about what the learning process looks like.

Tip: Need a head start? Tools like WordPress.com’s AI website builder make the process even easier, helping you generate a layout, customize it to your needs, and go live in minutes.

How long does it take to learn WordPress?

The time it takes to learn WordPress depends on your goals, how much time you can dedicate, and whether you’ve worked with websites before. While you can get a basic site up and running in a day or two, mastering the platform’s more advanced features takes a bit longer.

Where do you learn about WordPress? A great place to start is with WordPress.org courses. They cover the fundamentals and can be completed in about 10 hours total:

• The Beginner WordPress User course takes about four hours.
• The Intermediate WordPress User course takes about three hours.
• The Advanced WordPress User course takes about three hours.

You don’t need to take all three courses to learn how to use WordPress — you can simply start using the platform and learn on the go.

The exciting thing about WordPress, and web development in general, is that the learning never really stops; there’s always something new to discover or improve.

How I learned WordPress (and why you should, too)

I first started tinkering with WordPress at age 17. I wanted to build a blog to sharpen my writing skills and explore the world of content marketing. In the beginning, I hit all the typical roadblocks when setting up the site, choosing the right hosting provider, customizing the theme, and dealing with spam comments. But once I got the hang of it, things clicked, and managing my site became second nature.

I ended up running that website for years and used it as a portfolio for multiple internships. And here’s the kicker: Many of the companies I worked with didn’t just hire me for my marketing skills — they valued the fact that I knew my way around WordPress.

It wasn’t just that I could navigate the backend without breaking anything (though that helped). It was that I had taught myself how to solve problems by reading documentation, watching tutorials, and tapping into the WordPress community.

Later, when I left my full-time job to become a freelance writer, setting up my own site to establish credibility and showcase my portfolio was like riding a bike. The skills I picked up earlier made it easy to hit the ground running.

That’s why I strongly believe that WordPress is worth learning. It’s more than just a CMS or website builder — it’s a valuable skill set that makes you more independent, helps you stand out, and opens up real opportunities.

Whether you’re building your first blog or launching a business, the time you invest in learning WordPress will pay off for years to come. And, like me, once you get into it, you’ll be glad you stuck with it.

How to learn WordPress

We’ve already covered the WordPress course, which explains a lot about how WordPress works and how you can customize it for your needs. Here are a few more resources you can use:

• WordPress.com’s excellent support documentation: Clear, detailed documentation to help you troubleshoot issues as they come up.
• WordPress.com courses: Step-by-step lessons on how to create your site or blog and optimize it for SEO.
• WordPress.com blog: Stay updated on new features, get practical tips, and find inspiration from real-world examples.
• WordPress.com YouTube channel: Follow easy-to-understand video guides to navigate and customize your site.
• WordPress Dev and Deploy newsletter: Perfect for aspiring developers, with actionable tips, product updates, and WordPress news.

What if you need help from the support team or a fellow WordPress user? Here’s where to reach out:

• WordPress.com’s support team: Get direct help from WordPress experts via chat or email.
• WordPress.com forums: Ask questions and get answers from the WordPress community.
• WordPress meetups: Connect with local WordPress users for in-person or virtual support and networking.

Hosting with WordPress

Many of the frustrations people face with WordPress aren’t with the platform itself, but rather from poor-quality hosting. When your site is slow, buggy, or keeps crashing, it’s hard to enjoy the process of building anything.

The solution? Choose a hosting provider like WordPress.com, which combines the best features of WordPress (customization, flexibility, and long-term value) with the ease and convenience of reliable hosting, built-in security, and hands-off maintenance.

How to Use AI to Write Blog Posts (Without Losing Your Soul)

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 copy editing. If you’re struggling to manage all these steps, AI can do some of the heavy lifting for you.

Let’s look at the ways you can use AI tools to write blog posts that are worth your readers’ time.

Remember: You have to be intentional about using AI. These best practices and prompts will work best when you put time and thought into them.

1. Uncover unique topics and angles 

To create a standout blog post, you need to say what people haven’t already heard before. You can cover topics that nobody has answered properly or pain points that need easier solutions. To do that, turn to your audience.

Your best content ideas can come from listening to real people. Pay close attention to:

• The questions people are asking
• The problems frustrating them
• Their aspirations
• The topics they’re discussing 

Instead of guessing what your audience wants to read, use AI tools to find and analyze relevant conversations on platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, Threads, and more.

Here’s a prompt to find what your audience cares about:

Help me learn more about my audience by finding relevant real-life conversations about my topic.

My topic is [your blog topic].

Search through public online discussions, such as Reddit threads, Quora questions, YouTube comments, Amazon reviews, or niche forums, and do the following:

- Summarize recurring themes, questions, or misconceptions that real users express about this topic.

- Group those into useful categories: pain points, conflicting opinions, emotional triggers, and potential solutions.

- Highlight any insights that appear frequently or carry emotional weight (such as frustration, confusion, or enthusiasm).

Present your findings with clearly labeled sections

Once you’ve gathered enough context about your potential readers, zoom out and look for patterns. This is where you’ll find unique and interesting angles for your blog.

Think about themes or insights that other creators and brands have overlooked. For example, a skincare brand blog could:

• Challenge common assumptions with the post Why Natural Skincare Isn’t Automatically Better for Your Skin.
• Present contrarian takes with the post Your 10-Step Routine Might Be Making Your Skin Worse.
• Offer practical advice with the post How to Simplify Your Skincare Routine Without Sacrificing Results.
• Tap into emotions with the post What No One Tells You About Feeling Insecure During a Skin Flare-Up.

AI can help you go even deeper. Feed your audience research insights into it and ask it to identify themes, overlooked questions, and unconventional ways to reframe a common topic.

Try this prompt for finding blog topics that resonate with your readers:

Help me brainstorm topics for my blog based on insights about my target audience. My blog focuses on [your core theme].

I want to find fresh, relevant, and original blog post ideas that haven’t been overdone.

Here’s what I need help with:

- Identify 5–7 subtopics or emerging conversations within this theme that are currently underexplored or gaining interest.

- For each subtopic, list 1–2 unique angles I can take based on audience pain points, misconceptions, or recent trends.

- Suggest one blog post idea that takes a contrarian, fresh, or deeply specific approach — something that’s unlikely to have already been written hundreds of times.

- My target audience is [brief description of your audience].

They’re typically struggling with [common challenges or questions].

Format your response into a table so I can evaluate the angles and topics easily.

Below is the response from ChatGPT’s o3 model, with the same skincare brand blog example.

You can pick topics from this list to design your editorial calendar for an entire month or quarter. If more topics are needed, simply ask the tool to list more angles for each subtopic.

2. Research existing viewpoints to find data

Once you’re ready with a topic and angle, it’s tempting to immediately start outlining your blog post. But if you want to say something new, start by studying what’s already been said.

Read top-ranking articles, watch relevant media, and use a “dump document” to collect all the useful insights and ideas you find.

This could include:

• Excerpts from other articles and essays 
• Transcripts from podcasts or videos 
• Links to social media discussions 
• Anything relevant you find interesting

Then, use AI to dig deeper into these findings and extract meaningful insights. 

Here’s a prompt for familiarizing yourself with the existing perspectives:

I’m researching a topic to write a blog post on [topic]. Help me build an informed perspective on this topic based on the resources below.

Here’s what I need from you:

- Analyze the material I’ve shared and summarize the key takeaways, claims, and arguments across sources.

- Highlight where sources agree, where they contradict, and what ideas are evolving or emerging.

- Identify a few provocative questions or opinions I could explore further.

- Help me absorb and reflect on the material so I can form a strong, original point of view.

- Here’s the material:[Links or attachments]

By the end of this exercise, you’ll have more clarity on how to pursue your topic.

In the next steps, you can lean on AI tools to find examples, data points, and other relevant research materials.

Here’s a prompt for digging deeper into your topic:

I’m working on a blog post about [your topic].

The goal of this post is to help [target audience] understand or take action on [key takeaways].

Help me find relevant supporting material, such as:

- Recent statistics (from the past 2–3 years) with source links

- Real-world examples or case studies related to this topic

- Social media posts referencing this topic

Below is the result from using this prompt in Perplexity. You can select specific sources in this tool, such as web, academic, social, and finance.

Aside from collecting insights via secondary research, you can also interview subject matter experts (SMEs) to get firsthand knowledge.

AI tools can help you generate thoughtful interview questions to get useful context from your SMEs.

Use (and customize) this prompt to extract relevant questions for your blog posts:

I’m preparing to interview a subject matter expert for a blog post about [topic].

The purpose of the post is to help [audience] understand or take action on [key takeaways]. The expert I’m interviewing is experienced in [brief description of their background, role, or area of expertise].

Based on this, suggest a list of 10–12 thoughtful, original interview questions that:

- Go beyond the basics and invite nuanced answers

- Elicit examples or real-life stories from the expert

- Tie back to the blog post angle and audience needs

- Uncover fresh insights that haven’t been widely shared

Organize the questions into categories, such as: 

- Background/context

- Strategy/methods

- Reflection/perspective

3. Structure your research into an outline

At this point, you’re likely looking at pages of scattered notes, screenshots, interview transcripts, and half-baked thoughts. It’s a mine of information, but you have to dig deeper to strike gold.

This is another great place to bring AI into the loop and structure your ideas into a solid outline.

The quality of your AI-generated outline depends entirely on the clarity of your input. By giving AI tools important context about your blog post, you can generate a high-quality outline.

Share context within your prompt by adding details about:

• Target audience: Describe your readers by discussing their struggles and concerns. Also, talk about the transformation they’re looking for.
• Existing viewpoints: Summarize what other creators/brands have already covered about this topic.
• Informational gaps: Highlight where others miss the mark and the gaps you want to fill with your article.
• Your unique angles: Discuss your content angle and share in-depth context around what your article is about.
• Research material: Add all the relevant resources you want the tool to refer to in understanding the topic.

Once you’ve collected all these insights, try this prompt for building an outline:

I’m working on a blog post, and I’ve gathered a lot of raw research material. I want you to help me turn this into a clear, structured blog post outline.

Here’s all the context you need to generate a high-quality outline:

[Target audience]

[Existing viewpoints]

[Informational gaps]

[My unique angle]

[Research material links]

Based on all of the above, prepare an outline that includes:

- A clear introduction

- Logical flow of sections

- Opportunities to emphasize originality or depth

Keep the structure practical, engaging, and tailored to this specific audience.

Most AI tools allow you to create a dedicated space or project for organizing topical information.

Added all your research material to the space. Upload documents and add links in addition to writing specific instructions for your project.

Using this space saves you the hassle of sharing the entire context repeatedly, for each prompt.

4. Write in your voice and style 

Most writers make the mistake of starting their AI prompts with something like “write a blog post about…”

Instead, you want to first share a few samples of your writing so the AI tool can understand your tone and style.

It’s even better if you can create a set of guidelines that describe your writing style. These can include notes on words you tend to avoid, how long your sentences are, and any particular details unique to you.

Help me write a blog post in my voice.

I tend to write in a conversational, clear, and slightly contrarian tone.

I use short sentences and punchy phrasing to keep the momentum.

I avoid filler phrases, fluff, and generic intros (such as “In today’s world…”).

I prefer concrete phrasing over abstract jargon.

I also speak directly to the reader and occasionally ask rhetorical questions.

I like to close sections with sharp takeaways or unexpected turns.

Below is my blog post outline and some notes. Help me expand this outline into a rough first draft written in my style described here. [Outline and notes]

The bottom line: Don’t simply hand a topic and ask AI to write your entire post from scratch. That’s how you end up with something passable, but forgettable.

To produce great content, lean on your critical thinking and writing skills with some help from AI to keep the momentum going when you feel stuck. Share your research material, outline, and voice notes to let AI support your writing process. You can use these tools to jumpstart a section, rework a messy paragraph, or rephrase a sentence that feels clunky.

5. Draft, refine, and localize your posts within WordPress.com

The Jetpack AI Assistant, available as a block within the WordPress.com editor or on any Jetpack-powered WordPress website, can help you refine your blog posts with a few prompts.

You can ask the AI to write an entire post from scratch, smooth clunky phrasing, fix spelling mistakes, or adjust the tone. The tool can also translate your content into several languages to reach a global audience.

Because this AI assistant works inside the block editor, it makes in-context edits without the need to shuttle between tabs.

6. Refine your blog posts 

Once your blog post is ready, AI can help add the final touches.

For starters, ask your AI tool to summarize your draft in 3–4 lines. Then read this summary to check whether it captures your main angle, and if it sounds generic or similar to existing content.

If the summary misses the mark, your post probably does, too. To correct that, ask more questions about exactly what to revise in your draft.

Here’s another prompt to get concrete suggestions for editing drafts:

I’ve written a draft blog post on [topic] and I want your help to improve it. Don’t rewrite anything. I want your suggestions to sharpen the ideas, tighten the structure, and make it easier to read.

Here are some aspects to focus on:

- Are there typing errors or grammatical mistakes in this draft?

- Does any sentence, paragraph, or section feel vague/confusing?

- Are there any repetitive sentences or sections that I should cut?

- Does the draft flow logically from one idea to the next?

- Any suggestions to improve transitions between sections?

- Where can I add an example, insight, or stronger phrasing to make the message more compelling?

Please show your suggestions inline (or note the edits section by section), and don’t remove my original content. Here’s the draft: [Pasted full blog post or uploaded document]

When you’re done with editing, you can use AI for packaging your draft. That means generating some options for meta titles, headlines, and meta descriptions.

Write three alternate headlines for this article: one curiosity-driven, one benefit-focused, and one for a more advanced audience.

7. Visualize complex information 

Visuals can simplify your message and help readers quickly understand the insight. With AI tools, you can easily brainstorm ways to visualize complex ideas in your blog post.

Here’s a simple prompt to conceptualize an infographic for any idea:

I want to create an infographic that visually explains this idea:[idea summary or write-up discussing this idea]

Suggest a simple infographic concept that would help readers understand this easily. Include:

- The type of visual (comparison chart, timeline, flowchart, etc.)

- A rough breakdown of what each part should include

- What the visual will look like

Make it easy for a designer to understand.

You can then use that concept to have AI tools design visuals for you. In the example below, ChatGPT interprets the response to the above prompt to create an image.

You can also add text guidance on the content and style of the visual, such as the following example produced by Napkin’s AI tool.

Become a better blogger with AI 

If you’ve stared at blank drafts for far too long, it may be time to leverage AI to help you write and refine high-quality blog posts. Create a simple document to save all these prompts (and others), so you can easily use them whenever needed.

Ready to share your thoughts with the world? Start your blog with WordPress.com and bring your ideas to life.

Staging Sites, Now More Powerful Than Ever

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 all Business and Commerce WordPress.com plans. 

Why now?

We’re committed to ensuring WordPress.com is the best place to build and host WordPress websites. That means continually reviewing the product, conducting walkthroughs, and listening closely to your feedback.

A recent audit of the Hosting Dashboard surfaced three key friction points: unclear sync behavior, unintuitive environment switching, and hard-to-find destructive actions like “delete.”

We also added selective sync to WordPress Studio, our free local development tool, last month. This feature — one of the most requested enhancements — lets you choose exactly what content is synced from your local sites to staging or production on WordPress.com.

To create a seamless workflow from local to staging to production, we brought the same level of control to staging sites on WordPress.com. The result is a redesigned interface that aligns with our modernized navigation and introduces the same selective sync experience you already have in WordPress Studio.

More power and control for your staging sites

The updated staging site interface gives you greater flexibility, clearer actions, and better visibility into what is happening and when.

Here’s what’s new:

• Top navigation environment switcher: Quickly move between staging and production from anywhere in your dashboard.
• Selective sync: Push or pull only the folders you choose between staging and production, avoiding all-or-nothing syncs.
• Cleaner layout and updated visuals: A streamlined interface with clear separation of actions and status indicators, consistent with the rest of the Hosting Dashboard.
• More intentional staging site deletion: The delete button now lives in your site settings, keeping destructive actions separate from daily workflows.

These updates make plugin and theme development, as well as quality assurance workflows, more efficient. They also reduce the risk of unwanted syncs and give you precise control over your staging and production environments.

Get started today

With the latest enhancements to staging sites, you’ll enjoy more flexibility, less clutter, and an overall better hosting experience — all for the same flat rate, starting at just $25/month.

If you’re on a Business or Commerce hosting plan, you can start using selective staging site sync and the updated interface today. Just head to your Hosting Dashboard, where you’ll also find full documentation and support if you need help getting started.

After trying the new staging site features, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your feedback and suggestions in the comments below.