Most people associate WordPress with blogging – which is totally fair. But what if I told you that you can use WordPress for many other purposes? In this post, we’ll tell you which type of website can be built using WordPress.
➡️ If you only were to look at these famous brands that use WordPress, you would get the idea. So, expect websites you wouldn’t have thought were possible to create with a platform that’s primarily known for blogging.
Let’s dive in!
What is WordPress?
Before revealing which type of website can be built with WordPress, let’s first clarify what WordPress is.
WordPress is a content management system that your website needs in order to function. It’s like a mediator between you, the content creator, and your audience.
You build, customize, and create content in the back-end (aka your dashboard), then WordPress presents your work in a friendly and easy-to-follow interface to the people visiting your website. In short, WordPress makes your content readable and fun for the audience.
But WordPress is not just a platform that helps you build websites. WordPress is, in fact, the undisputed leader of the management system market, running 43.3% of all the websites in the world.
While we let that sink in, make sure to check out our post to learn more about what WordPress is and what makes it so cool and loved around the world.
Types of websites you can build with WordPress in 2022
Moving on, let’s briefly talk about which type of website can be built using WordPress. We grouped the websites into ten important categories, as follows:
🖊️ Blog / personal website
Blogging is probably the most common use of WordPress and the most widely known purpose of this platform. It’s very easy to set up a blog on WordPress, and the process of customization is pretty straightforward.
But you don’t have to stick to blogging in order to create your own online presence. You can use WordPress to build a website that you can personalize the way you want and where you can showcase any kind of content.
For example, you can build a temporary website about your wedding, which can be used as an online invitation for your guests. There, you can announce all the details that everyone needs to know prior to the event.
Or, you can create a site where you keep your good life memories – pictures, videos, stories, etc. Something similar to a journal.
We’ll leave the imagination to you.
Meanwhile, check our guides to learn how to start a blog with WordPress:
🛍️ Online store
Another popular purpose among people who need an online presence is eCommerce. With WordPress, you can build a website specifically for selling literally anything online. The platform has all it takes to start and grow an online store by yourself or together with your team.
If you already have a WordPress website, you just need to configure it by installing WooCommerce – the most popular WordPress eCommerce plugin. If you do not own a website yet, here’s how to create an online store with WordPress from scratch.
💼 Business website
If a business idea is what brought you here, then rest assured that you can start a business website with WordPress. Promote your services, hire people on your team, start a side project, tell people about your new book, create a newsletter…whatever reason you might have, WordPress is the right platform to give it a try.
🖼️ Portfolio
If you’re working in a field where actual projects speak about your skills, a portfolio website is a must. With WordPress, you can build awesome portfolios, which you can customize afterwards for a personal touch.
You might as well be a student who needs exposure in order to get hired, in which case a portfolio could make a difference. WordPress is an affordable way to get your work online in a beautiful fashion, with little effort.
Here’s our full guide on how to build a portfolio site with WordPress:
🎧 Podcast
If you want to launch your own website where you can showcase your podcasts, WordPress does come with a variety of quality plugins that will ease your job a lot. Actually, you can create an entirely podcast-oriented website with WordPress and make everything look professional – from appearance to functionality.
We wrote a complete tutorial that explains the process of starting a podcast business with WordPress. Here’s how to build a podcast site from scratch.
🏪 Online marketplace
With WordPress, you are able to build your own online store. But in addition to that, you can partner with other vendors and give them an opportunity to bring their products to your website. You can build an online marketplace and expand your eCommerce business by listing external sellers.
WordPress lets you do that, too. Moreover, you can use WordPress for dropshipping. This means that you can build a dedicated site where you allow people to register and dropship in order to make extra cash. This platform has all the gear you need for this kind of business.
👨🏫 Online courses
With the WordPress platform, you can also start online courses in any format you fancy. WordPress comes with a good number of options and settings for this purpose, so that you don’t have to spend too much time on the configuration.
You start the website, pick the right design, install the necessary plugins or modules, and you’re set. You can then focus on producing the content for your projects.
Read our post to learn more on this topic:
📋 Directory or wiki
That’s right, WordPress can handle directories and wikis, too. If you want to build a website to post various listings from any field, you can go ahead because WordPress has got your back. You can choose between the many good-looking directory themes and configure your site via the right plugins and integrations.
It’s no different if you want to create a wiki with WordPress. Actually, we have expanded on both topics on this blog, teaching you to create directories and wikis without the need for technical help:
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻 Forum / social network
If your plan is to create communities online, you can check out what WordPress has in store for you. Spoiler alert – yes, you can configure WordPress to achieve this goal. It actually has its own official plugin for social networks and forums – BuddyPress – but you don’t have to limit yourself to this tool.
You will find many other plugins and options to create beautiful and engaging pages where you can gather dedicated communities to discuss their favorite topics.
We wrote more about creating community websites with WordPress. Setting up this feature is easy, so read this post to learn the steps:
🗞️ Media and news
Since WordPress is famous for blogging, it can handle media and news websites as well. How? By providing the right tools, widgets, designs, and gimmicks to make the most of your media business.
If you use the right templates, customize content in detail, and make sure your hosting can handle large audiences, then yes, you can grow a successful news website with WordPress.
In this post, we explain more of the above and also give you a walk-through of building a news website by yourself:
Conclusion on which type of website can be built using WordPress
These are the main categories of sites that you can build with WordPress. As you have already noticed, WordPress comes with plenty of opportunities for your personal and professional endeavors.
Most importantly, it can handle all the primary purposes one could have in mind to start an online journey – from business to communities, personal projects, events, media coverage, online shops…the list goes on.
🤩 Now you can get to work and start your WordPress site!
What type of website do you plan to build with WordPress? Is there something we missed that you would like to share with us? You can tell us more via the comments section.