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.

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.

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.

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.

That all changes with the Subscribers feature in the Jetpack mobile apps.

Ever wonder who’s actually reading your content?

Content creators face a common challenge: understanding their audience while managing busy, mobile lifestyles. You might publish consistently and see your subscriber count growing, but key questions remain unanswered:

• Who exactly is reading your content?
• Which subscribers are most engaged with your newsletters?
• How can you add new subscribers when you meet potential readers in person?
• What’s the best way to track your community growth over time?

The Subscribers feature puts these insights directly in your pocket, transforming your mobile app into a comprehensive audience management tool.

Your complete subscriber dashboard

The Subscribers feature gives you a detailed view of everyone who follows your content, whether they’re email newsletter subscribers or visiting from the WordPress.com Reader. Here’s what you can see at a glance:

Subscriber profiles: Profile pictures, names, and email addresses help you put faces to your audience. You’ll also see when they subscribed and the country they’re reading from, giving you a better picture of your community.

Engagement insights: For each subscriber, you’ll see valuable metrics including emails sent, open rates, and click-through data. This helps you identify your most engaged readers and understand which content truly resonates with your audience.

Smart search and filtering: Need to find a specific subscriber quickly? Search by name or email address, then filter by subscription type—email subscribers who get your newsletter directly, or Reader subscribers who follow you through WordPress.com. Sort by join date or alphabetically.

Streamlined subscriber management

Adding new subscribers is now simple and secure, whether you’re adding one person or multiple subscribers at once. Built-in email validation prevents typos, while clear consent notices ensure you’re following email marketing best practices. Plus, you can directly contact engaged subscribers right from the app.

For creators with paid newsletters, the feature includes subscription plan details, billing cycles, renewal dates, and revenue tracking per subscriber—giving you complete visibility into your newsletter business.

Insights in your hand

Content creation isn’t just about writing great posts — it’s about building meaningful relationships with your readers. The Subscribers feature transforms your mobile device into a powerful audience management tool, giving you the insights you need to create content that truly connects with your community.

Whether you’re a blogger building your first following or a newsletter publisher managing lots of subscribers, this feature helps you understand your audience better and foster stronger connections with the people who matter most: your readers.The Subscribers feature is currently available in the Jetpack mobile app. If you already have the app, go check it out. If you don’t, download it today for iOS or Android.

The truth is, most website development timelines are just guesstimates. 

These generic timeframes don’t factor in variables that could make or break your development process.

That’s why we spoke to our partners at WordPress.com to get realistic timelines for building a website. Drawing on their years of experience, our website development experts also share key factors to consider when estimating these timelines.

TL;DR: Here’s how long it takes to build common types of websites

• Small site (five pages or less): ≤ 1 week
• Dropshipping ecommerce site (<1000 products): 2-4 weeks
• Large education website (school/university): 3-4 weeks
• Government website: 4-6 weeks
• Large media website: 6-8 weeks
• Enterprise website: Several months to over a year

The site you’re reading right now would likely take 6-10 weeks to build.

Note: These estimates cover how long it takes to launch a site, and don’t include considerations for future content creation or maintenance.

Key factors that affect your website design timeline

There’s no universal timeline for building a website. Some sites go live in weeks, others stretch across months.

But you don’t have to rely on guesswork for your website design timeline. Here are the three factors that will determine whether your project stays on track or spirals into delays.

Planning and strategy

The planning phase sets everything in motion.

Start by identifying:

• Core purpose: Do you want to show your work, generate leads, sell products, or something else?
• Target audience: Who exactly do you want to reach? And what can they expect to get from your site? 
• Essential functionality: What are the must-have features of your site, like lead capture forms, payment gateways, dynamic content, and more?

A week spent planning all these details upfront can save you months of revisions (and frustration) later. The goal is to keep everyone aligned on what success looks like and prevent scope creep or backtracking later.

Defining the scope

Scope defines the size and complexity of your site. 

Scope creep can start with something as small as adding a new page, and suddenly, you’re two months behind schedule.

That’s why you want to finalize specifics like:

• Number of pages 
• Type of features/integrations
• Level of design and animation

The more pages, integrations, or custom features you add, the more development time it takes.

As a best practice, you can divide your site’s scope into different phases. Phase 1 can include all essential features you need for the main launch, and the next phases can cover additional details. 

Stakeholder alignment

Nothing kills momentum like conflicting feedback from different stakeholders. It can stall your progress for weeks. 

The solution: Align your key decision-makers before you start building.

Make sure all stakeholders agree on:

• Overall vision and goals
• Target audience and messaging
• Budget and timeline expectations
• Who has final approval on which aspects of the site

Experts at rtCamp, an enterprise WordPress solutions provider, emphasized the importance of these factors for realistically determining website development timelines.

Once there is clarity on scope and decisions, a competent agency can go faster than even the times mentioned above. If clarity and alignment are still being worked out after kicking off the project, it can significantly stretch the project. However, sometimes that is required too. In many cases, clarity & alignment only happen once you get started.

– rtCamp

Put simply, this alignment ensures that everyone is working toward the same vision. 

Note: Not familiar with business terminology like “stakeholder”? It’s just a term referring to anyone whose input is required to get a website launched. If you’re building a website for yourself, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

How long does it take to build a website using different methods

Once this legwork is complete, it’s time to start building. 

We’ll break down two common methods for creating a website to help you determine your development timelines.

Here’s what our experts say about the timeframe for creating websites of different sizes:

Looking to build a simple website with five pages or fewer? Use our website design service to get a professionally designed website in four days. 

And if you want to create a more complex custom website, we can match you with a web design agency suited to your business, budget, timeline, and expectations. 

1. Do-it-yourself approach 

• Best for: Small business, side project owners, hobbyists
• Type of websites: Personal portfolios, simple brochure sites, small blogs

WordPress.com lets you build a professional website entirely on your own, even if you don’t have any coding or design skills. 

With this approach, you’re investing your hours learning a platform and creating a site one block at a time. It’s a trade-off between time and money, but it’s ideal for those with tight budgets and a desire to learn.

Tip: WordPress.com lets you create sites of all kinds. Check out the different types of websites you can build with this platform.

Here’s how you might get started with WordPress.com. After you create an account, you’ll need a theme that matches your vision for your website. 

Choose from thousands of options available in WordPress.com’s library. Browse by specific use cases and industries, like real estate, health and wellness, music, and more. Plus, every WordPress.com theme is mobile-friendly by default, so you don’t have to spend more time making your site responsive.

After landing on the perfect theme, you can customize it to match your style.

At this stage, it’s tempting to tweak every color, button, and font till you find the best combination. But what really moves the needle is creating a proper structure and layout for your site. Think of this step as setting the foundation before the real work begins.

Instead of jumping straight into design edits, you should define:

• Which pages your site will include
• Layout for every page
• Navigation structure 

Tip: Want to learn how to build a website with WordPress, step by step? Our free video course will show you how.

How long should you expect this work to take? We chatted with Mike Ilsley, Solutions Architect for our website design service, to see how long this DIY approach takes. He shared:

For first-time WordPress users, building a five-page site can take anywhere from a few hours to several days or even weeks, depending on how comfortable they are with the tools. That includes time spent learning the platform, choosing a theme, customizing content and design, and troubleshooting along the way.

– Mike Ilsley, Solutions Architect @ WordPress.com

WordPress.com’s AI Website Builder can slash this timeline from weeks to days (or even hours).

Simply add a prompt describing the type of website you want to build. Something like: “I’m launching a freelance photography business.” Then, answer a few questions about your business and goals. 

In a few minutes, you’ll get a full-fledged website designed to meet your preferences. Edit this first draft to add your creative touches and roll it out when you’re happy with the result.

2. Working with professionals  

• Best for: In-house teams, mid-to-large businesses
• Type of websites: Enterprise sites, government or education sites, media or news platforms, large ecommerce sites

If you want to build a custom website that truly stands out but don’t have months to master design tools, working with professionals can be a smarter move.

Think of it this way: you could learn to rewire your house, but you’d probably rather call an electrician to save yourself all the hassle.

When hiring a professional, you have two main options:

• Freelancers: They’re perfect when you need quality work without a hefty price tag. You can hire specialists for design, development, and copywriting. 
• Agencies: They bring an entire team to cover all bases for your website design project. Work with an agency for complex sites with tight deadlines. You can choose a small or a big agency based on your budget.

Unlike the DIY approach, working with professionals involves a few different steps before you can get to the final product. Plan for these phases if you take this route.  

Vetting and hiring 

You can expect to spend anywhere from a few days to weeks finding the right vendor to build your website. This search involves browsing portfolios, interviewing shortlisted candidates, and comparing prices.

Onboarding and briefing

Once you’ve selected a designer or agency, you want to take a week or two to clearly outline your expectations. 

Create a detailed creative brief covering your goals, target audience, must-have features, and brand guidelines. Curate helpful references to share your creative vision with the designer. 

The bottom line: You want to provide clarity and show what success looks like for you. The more clarity you can offer at this stage, the fewer revisions you’ll need later.

Setting timelines

From there, you can establish communication channels and align on milestone-based timelines. For example, week 1-2 can be about wireframing, and week 3-4 can be about creating the first draft for the homepage. 

Map out clear milestones for both sides to stay accountable and prevent any delays in the web design process.

Tip: Stay involved in the process without becoming overbearing. You can plan weekly check-ins or status reports to keep tabs on your site’s progress.

Design and development

Now, it’s time for you to take a step back and let the professionals work their magic. The timelines for this phase depend on the scope and complexity of your site. 

In the design phase, you’ll see static/interactive mockups of every page.

These wireframes give you a sense of the site’s look and feel. Typically with large website design projects, you can request iterations based on your creative preferences and align on the designs before starting the development cycle.

In other words, think of it like working on your dream house. 

You review detailed blueprints, request changes, and only start construction once you love the plans. Much easier to make changes on paper than after the foundation is poured.

Once the designs are final, the development phase turns these layouts into live, functional pages. 

In our chat with Mike Ilsley, he highlighted that build time depends on the site’s complexity, integrations, and the amount of content involved. Talking specifically about enterprise sites, he explained how it can take several months to complete projects of such scale:

Enterprise websites can take anywhere from several months to over a year to fully build and launch. Even for experienced teams, projects at that scale typically involve multiple stakeholders, custom development, ongoing QA, and a phased rollout. It’s not uncommon for large organizations to work with dedicated teams over many months to get everything in place.

– Mike Ilsley, Solutions Architect @ WordPress.com

Testing and review

Finally, your site goes through several rounds of testing and review before you give the final approval. 

Professionals often send a checklist or staging site for you to review. You should thoroughly check every detail on every page. Test on different devices and browsers to find any bugs or areas of friction in the user experience. 

Remember that it’s much easier to fix issues before launch than after.

Ready, set, launch on schedule

Building a website can be messy. And you’re bound to lose time without proper planning.

Use this guide to map out everything you need to go from idea to launch and plan your timelines realistically. Remember to build in buffer time at every stage. 

Want to fast-track this process? 

WordPress.com’s AI website builder does the heavy lifting for you. In minutes, you’ll have a complete, professional site that would normally take weeks to create from scratch. Customize it to match your vision, and you’re ready to launch!

Try WordPress.com’s AI website builder and see how quickly you can roll out your website.

Poor customer support, inaccessibility, and a migration later, I regretted not spending more time choosing a better web host.

Don’t make the same mistake I did. Put in the time to make the right web host choice in the beginning so you don’t have to deal with a headache later.

What should you even evaluate in a web host? There are several features on their pricing pages, and many of them look similar. Which criteria are important? What can you compromise on? We’ll cover all that (and more) in this article.

What should you know before evaluating web hosts?

You can’t examine the various web hosting providers accurately if you aren’t 100% clear on what you need. Here’s a quick checklist of questions to help you nail down your requirements:

• What kind of website are you building? Get clear on your website’s category — is it a portfolio or a blog? Or are you planning to run an online store? The kind of website you build determines which features are the most valuable to you in a web host.
  
• How much traffic do you expect your website to receive? Your expected traffic and plans to run ads will help you choose web hosts that can scale as you grow.
  
• What security features do you need? If you are running a site that will store a customer’s payment details or any other sensitive information, you need a web host with strong security features.
  
• What is your budget (now and in the future)? Your web host provider should be able to grow with you as your website’s needs evolve, without breaking the bank. Have a rough estimate of what you can spend on a web host now and in the future.
  
• What is your technical skill level? If you can (and want to) configure everything yourself, your web host needs will look different than someone who isn’t tech savvy and/or doesn’t prefer to handle the hosting technicalities themselves.

Once you’ve answered the above questions, you’ll be much more confident in evaluating the various web hosts in the market. You should answer the above questions even if you’re migrating your site from one host to another — it will help you pinpoint what additional services you’re looking for.

Now that you know exactly what you need, let’s get into the nitty-gritty and examine each individual factor you should vet in a web host.

10 factors to consider when choosing a web host

Here’s a comprehensive list of factors you should consider for each web host you examine:

1. Type of hosting

There are several types of web hosting — each suited to unique website sizes, traffic levels, technical skills, and budgets. Pick the right one for your needs.

• Shared hosting is when you share your server with other websites. This makes it more affordable, but slower.
  
• VPS hosting is when you share your server resources with other websites, but have a dedicated slice of your own. It’s more reliable and scalable than shared hosting, but it also costs more and requires technical know-how.
  
• Dedicated hosting is when you have a server all to yourself. Your website is fast and reliable. Plus, you have complete control over every aspect of your website, but it can be expensive, and you have to manage everything (or pay someone else to manage everything).
  
• Cloud hosting is when your site runs across multiple cloud servers. It’s reliable and fast, but may require setup and monitoring.

Some web hosts in the market provide all these hosting types, while others provide specialized hosting. Choose web hosts that offer the kind of hosting you need now and might need in the future.

For example, if you’re building a food blog from scratch, you might be A-OK with shared hosting in the beginning. However, as your website traffic grows, you might need to move to VPS or dedicated hosting to improve your site experience. In this scenario, look for web hosts that offer both shared and VPS hosting.

While you’re at it, it’s also worth evaluating the types of hosting at the service level.

• Unmanaged hosts provide a barebones server that you manage yourself. This means that you have to handle any updates, firewalls, backups, etc. It’s more cost-effective, but only recommended when you want a customized server setup and have in-house technical resources to manage it.
  
• Managed hosts handle the majority of the technical tasks, such as server setup, security, backups, and more. It often costs more than unmanaged hosting, but the peace of mind (and time saved) is worth it.

Your web host always manages shared hosting. This means the host is responsible for configuring the distribution of resources and ensuring each site is secure. If you’re opting for shared hosting, it’s especially important to evaluate the quality of your management host because you don’t have control over your website’s security and resource allocation.

You can choose between managed or unmanaged hosting in all other hosting types. However, as discussed before, unmanaged hosting is the right choice only when you need to customize the server stack and know how to do it well. For everyone else, managed hosting is the better alternative because it allows you to focus on growing your site rather than doing upkeep tasks.

Tip: If you choose WordPress.com (which offers managed WordPress hosting), your site will stay fast, secure, and online without any hassle. Your whole website management — including backups, updates, and infrastructure — is on us.

2. Pricing

Price is an important factor when it comes to choosing web hosts. You don’t want to make the mistake of thinking that the cheapest or the most expensive is the best option.

Instead of considering extremes, evaluate web hosts based on their ROI: are they providing you with all the features you need (and maybe a few additional perks) at a reasonable price?

Once you do that, the second step is reading the fine print. Many web hosting providers offer a lower price in the first year and significantly raise the prices the next year. The solution? Evaluate renewal rates to ensure you’re making the right long-term choice.

While you are at it, also look at the “perks” like website backups — they might be free for the first year only. Check their cost at the time of renewal, and consider fees for backups, SSL certificates, and migrations. Look closely at all of these factors and add up the total price you’ll pay at the time of initial purchase, as well as renewal.

Many web hosting providers also offer a money-back guarantee, but exclude fees for additional services — like setup, migration, or domain registration — from this promise. Ensure you know this before you sign up for a web host so you know what you can get back and what you can’t.

Regarding billing options, many web hosts offer significant discounts on yearly or multi-year payments. Commit to a web host for multiple years if you’re confident they are the one you want.

If you’re signing up for numerous years with a web host, research their price increase history first. Many hosts might increase their prices too much compared to their competitors after a few years.

Tip: In addition to monthly and annual plans, WordPress.com offers options to pay every two or every three years. All annual and multi-year plans offer discounted pricing, even after renewal, so you can save money while knowing your site’s long-term home on the web is secured.

3. Security

Your website is prone to viruses and malicious attacks if your web hosting provider doesn’t have strong security features. Here’s what you should look for:

• Access controls to ensure no unauthorized person can access your IP address.
• Automatic website backups and updates.
• Firewall and malware protection.
• SSL certificates.

Some security features — like SSL certificates — are standard across most web hosting providers. Many even offer it for free for the first year. If your website handles sensitive customer information or has significant traffic coming in, however, you need to go beyond the basics. Monitor the security features closely to ensure it matches what you need.

Tip: If you have chosen managed hosting via WordPress.com, for example, your website’s security and safety are fully accounted for. There’s brute-force protection to protect your account password, shield from DDoS attacks, automated malware removal, and a lot more. You can sleep peacefully knowing the security of your site is in good hands.

4. Speed and reliability

Your website’s performance depends on uptime and load time. Your host dictates both of those things. Look for hosts that offer a high uptime guarantee — the industry standard is 99.9% uptime or higher. You can also check your terms and conditions to understand if your web host offers compensation for downtime.

Your site’s speed is affected by various factors. For starters, if you choose shared hosting, you share your resources with other customers, which means if other servers experience too much traffic, your site might slow down. Examine how your web hosting provider configures resources in a shared hosting plan.

You also want to look for web hosts with data centers close to your audience’s location to speed up loading times. Or you could choose a web host like WordPress.com that offers a global content delivery network (CDN) with 28+ edge locations already built in.

Lastly, monitor other performance features such as SSD vs. HDD storage (SSD is faster), built-in caching mechanisms, and server response time.

Tip: WordPress.com offers 99.99% uptime (seriously). However, if your site does experience downtime (Business plan or above), you will get alerts the minute downtime is detected.

5. Storage and bandwidth

Storage is how much data you can store on your server, including website files, images, videos, emails, backups, etc. How much storage you need is unique to your website and needs. For example, someone building a one-page website (like a portfolio) might not need a large amount of storage space, but a small business expanding rapidly might.

In shared hosting, some web hosts might list “unlimited” storage, but restrict the number of files you can store under fair usage policies. Make sure you read the clause details properly to know your storage limitations.

On other hosting types, you can customize the storage you need based on the various web hosting plans. For example, WordPress.com offers 13 GB of storage in its Premium plan, while our Business and Commerce plans start at a generous 50 GB (with the option to purchase more storage).

When monitoring hosting storage plans, check if you can increase your storage without downtime and whether there are any file type restrictions.

Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred between you and your visitors. The amount of bandwidth you need depends on your average page size, monthly visitors, page views, and unexpected traffic spikes. You can use a website bandwidth calculator to determine how much bandwidth you might need.

Some web hosts — like WordPress.com — offer unrestricted bandwidth. Others might slow down your site after you exceed a certain limit. A few also charge for stretching the bandwidth. Choose a web host that can comfortably meet your bandwidth needs not just today, but in the future. 

6. Customer support

Imagine you have an online store and your website is down for a few days. This isn’t just inconvenient, it’s revenue lost. Website issues are often urgent and need to be resolved quickly.

Choose a web host with reliable 24/7 support (in multiple formats), so you get the help you need instantly. Ideally, you’d want to look for live chat or phone support to get quick responses. However, you should also look at ticketing systems and promised resolution times to understand how quickly your web host will respond to larger issues that might arise.

It’s also worth checking out the support documentation of web hosting providers. Do they answer FAQs thoroughly? Do they have video guides for beginners? Is the knowledge base regularly updated? Would you be able to resolve many issues independently?

Some web hosts, however, don’t deliver on their promises. Check reviews from third-party sites like TrustPilot or G2 to understand if the web host lives up to their promises. 

Tip: In addition to top-tier customer support, look for hosts that provide high-quality support documentation.

7. Ease of use

The control panel of your web hosting provider should be user-friendly. You should be able to navigate it and manage your database, emails, backups, etc. If you need assistance doing basic tasks, too, you may get frustrated and unnecessarily waste time opening your web host account.

This is, again, where an extensive knowledge library is invaluable. If your web hosting provider has laid out tutorials and blogs on building a website using their tool, you won’t be stuck trying to figure it out.

8. Migration

If you are moving your site from another web hosting provider, check if your new one offers a free migration service. For instance, if you want to move your site to WordPress.com, we provide a free migration service.

You also want to check the process of moving your website. Is it easy to import your site files? Are there any risks of losing your data? How much time does the whole process take from start to finish?

Understanding the above before migrating your site to a new web host will help make the process smoother and risk-free.

9. Integration with CMS/website builders

Most popular web hosts offer integration with popular CMS platforms and website builders like WordPress and others. You want to choose a web host that connects seamlessly to your CMS or website builder.

Many web hosts — like WordPress.com — are fine-tuned for a specific CMS (like WordPress). CMS-specific hosting offers tailored support, automated updates, and CMS-specific firewalls.

10. Additional features (like custom email, domain name, etc.)

Can you purchase your domain name, professional email address, and web host from different providers? Of course. Many web hosting companies, however, bundle them together and offer a discounted price, helping you save money and admin work.

For example, all WordPress.com sites get a free domain for one year. There are also other perks, like tons of Jetpack-powered features at no extra cost. Look at the various perks website hosts offer and choose the ones that make the most sense for you.

A web host is your site’s home

Your website host is your website’s home on the worldwide web — make the choice with careful consideration. You don’t want to pick a home that costs less but has a leaky roof.

If you don’t want the hassle of continually working to maintain your site, opt for managed hosting via WordPress.com. We ensure your website remains online, fast, and secure regardless of traffic spikes, so you can focus on growing your business on the internet carefree.

What can you do with plugins?

With plugins, you can go beyond the basics and unlock powerful features for your sites:

• Boost your visibility with advanced SEO tools like schema markup, redirect management, and fine-tune how your content appears in search engine results.
• Add niche features such as recipe cards, event calendar, booking tools, and more without coding.
• Design with more freedom with additional blocks, page builders, and styling controls.
• Streamline your workflow by adding editorial calendars, role editors, and custom content types specific to your site’s needs.
• Sell products or services with e-commerce plugins and many more.

Think about that one feature you’ve been missing; now you can try it out for yourself.

Why now?

Plugins open the door to even more ways to customize your site and bring your ideas to life. On our Business and Commerce plans, we offer these tools along with the extra support and flexibility they require to run your site smoothly. Many of you have asked for the chance to try plugins on Personal and Premium plans, so we’re making it happen for a limited time.

This window from August 12 to August 25 is your chance to explore plugins on all paid plans that usually don’t include them.

After August 25, plugin access returns to WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans only. Customers who have bought during the two-week promotion period will be able to keep plugin access as long as they keep their original plan.

Who’s this for?

This offer is for anyone ready to start something new on WordPress.com — whether it’s your first site or your next one. If you purchase a new Personal or Premium plan during this two‑week window, you’ll unlock plugin access for that site.

• New sites signing up for WordPress.com Personal or Premium plans during the offer
• Free plan users upgrading to WordPress.com Personal or Premium plans

If you already have a paid Personal or Premium plan, this offer doesn’t apply, but you can upgrade to a WordPress.com Business or Commerce plan anytime to get plugins. Offer is not applicable for downgrades and renewals at this time.

Ready to try that plugin you’ve been eyeing?

This is your chance to try WordPress.com without limits. Grab a new Personal or Premium plan by August 25, 2025, and unlock plugins for that site — forever — and build the site you’ve been dreaming about.

We’re excited to experiment with this alongside you and see what you create. This is a chance for us to learn together, discover what you build, and explore how plugins can help you achieve your goals. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback as you try new things, share what works, and tell us what you would like to see next.

This offer ends on August 26 at 7 a.m. (UTC).

I’m really looking forward to this year’s WordCamp US. It’s always such a great opportunity to learn from the people who use and shape WordPress every day.

Events like WordCamp US also help ensure we’re building in the right direction, as we work to make WordPress.com the go-to place for WordPress, for anyone, anywhere, at any scale.

Why go to WordCamp US?

WordCamp US is one of the largest WordPress gatherings each year, bringing together developers, designers, bloggers, business owners, creators, and contributors from around the world. 

Whether you build with WordPress, publish with it, or help shape the software itself, WCUS is where conversations happen, ideas are initiated, and the community connects over a shared desire to push WordPress and the open web forward.

With so much progress happening in the WordPress ecosystem, the WCUS agenda reads like a front-row seat to what’s next. I’m personally excited about checking out Amy Sample Ward’s talk on changemaking, James LePage’s presentation on AI, and, as always, the Keynote. 

Come visit the WordPress.com booth

The WordCamp sponsor area is always a source of good conversation, connection, and (of course) swag. So why visit the WordPress.com booth at WordCamp US this year? 

Demos and answers to your questions

You’re probably aware that WordPress.com offers professional WordPress hosting. But do you know just how much value we pack into our hosting plans?

Our team will be at the WordPress.com booth all week, ready to answer your questions and showcase what WordPress.com can do for you today. Whether you’re curious about our hosting features, our AI website builder, our developer tools, or WordPress Studio, visiting the WordPress.com booth is a great chance to get a hands-on look and share your feedback directly with the people building and supporting the products.

Some serious swag

Of course, no WordCamp is ever complete without great swag. 

This year, you can expect limited-edition pins, stickers, totes, hats, and more at the WordPress.com booth, and you’ll even have a chance to be entered to win some premium swag from all of the Automattic booths. 

And if you’re a developer or site builder, be sure to find someone from the WordPress Studio team for a chance to snag some exclusive Studio-branded swag.

Will we see you there?

If so, we’d love to see you at the WordPress.com booth. If you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet, use code wpcom25 at checkout for 25% off.

We’re building WordPress.com to help more people do more with WordPress, and your ideas and feedback play a big part in that. We’d love to chat.

See you in Portland!

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.