Learning WordPress
What is a WordPress website?
A WordPress website is a site created with the WordPress platform, a widely used content management system (CMS). It enables users to build, edit, and publish content with ease, even if they don’t have advanced coding skills.
What are the other Website Content Management Systems Available?
While WordPress is the most widely used content management system, it isn’t the only option available. Popular competitors include Wix and Squarespace, which offer drag-and-drop website builders ideal for beginners who want simplicity and all-in-one hosting. Shopify is a strong alternative for e-commerce sites, providing built-in tools for managing products, payments, and shipping. For those seeking more advanced customization, Drupal and Joomla are robust CMS platforms favored by developers. Each alternative has its strengths, but WordPress continues to stand out for its flexibility, massive plugin ecosystem, and strong community support.
What is WordPress Used For?
WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) designed to help people create and manage websites without needing advanced coding skills. Originally built as a blogging platform, it has grown into a flexible tool that supports many different types of websites—from personal blogs to complex e-commerce stores.
Here are some common ways WordPress is used today:
- Blogging: WordPress started as a blogging tool and is still one of the most popular platforms for publishing and managing blog content.
- Website Building: Whether for small businesses, personal sites, or large organizations, WordPress offers themes and plugins to build almost any type of website.
- E-commerce: With plugins like WooCommerce, WordPress can power full online shops, complete with payment processing, product catalogs, and shipping options.
- Portfolio Sites: Creatives such as photographers, designers, and artists use WordPress to showcase their work in customized portfolios.
- Membership Sites: It’s possible to restrict content access and build membership communities directly on WordPress.
- Online Learning (LMS): With specialized plugins, WordPress can be turned into a platform for delivering courses and managing students.
- Community Forums: Tools like bbPress allow you to create discussion boards and online communities inside your WordPress site.
What is WordPress Hosting?
WordPress hosting is a form of web hosting created specifically for websites built with WordPress. It provides server setups, performance boosts, and security measures that are optimized for the platform. Common features often include one-click WordPress installation, automatic software updates, and built-in caching to ensure faster load times and stronger protection.
How to Login to your WordPress Website
You can access the WordPress login page by adding /wp-admin to your site URL. For example, if your website is www.example.com, enter www.example.com/wp-admin in your browser’s address bar to reach the login screen. From there, simply enter your username and password to access the dashboard.
WordPress Theme
WordPress Template
WordPress Admin
WordPress Download
Kadence
Kadence is one of the most popular tools in the WordPress ecosystem right now.
Kadence is a WordPress theme and plugin suite designed to make building websites easier, faster, and more customizable — without needing to code.
It comes in two main parts:
- Kadence Theme (free + pro upgrade) – a lightweight, fast-loading, and highly customizable WordPress theme.
- Kadence Blocks (plugin) – a set of advanced blocks for the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), giving you more design options than the default editor.
What does Kadence do?
Kadence helps you:
- Build beautiful websites quickly with starter templates (importable demos).
- Customize layouts, headers, footers, colors, and typography easily.
- Add advanced Gutenberg blocks like accordions, tabs, sliders, galleries, pricing tables, testimonials, forms, and more.
- Keep your site lightweight and fast (SEO-friendly).
Essentially, it’s an all-in-one design framework that replaces the need for heavy page builders like Elementor or Divi.
Is Kadence easy to use?
Yes — it’s known for being user-friendly.
- The drag-and-drop header & footer builder makes layout changes very intuitive.
- The customizer settings are clearly labeled, so you don’t need to dig around.
- Kadence Blocks integrate directly into the normal WordPress editor, so you don’t have to learn a separate page builder.
If you’ve used WordPress before, Kadence feels natural. Even if you’re new, the starter templates make setup simple.
How do you use Kadence?
- Install the Kadence theme (or keep your current theme and just use Kadence Blocks plugin).
- Activate Kadence Blocks plugin to unlock advanced design features.
- Customize your site via:
- WordPress Customizer (appearance, fonts, layouts, colors, header/footer).
- Gutenberg editor (Kadence Blocks for page/post content).
- Import a starter template if you want a done-for-you design to tweak.
How do you install Kadence?
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Themes → Add New.
- Search for Kadence, then click Install and Activate.
- (Optional) Go to Plugins → Add New and search for Kadence Blocks. Install and activate it.
- (Optional) Install Kadence Starter Templates plugin if you want pre-built site designs.
Benefits of buying a theme with Kadence Pro
The free Kadence theme is great, but Kadence Pro unlocks advanced features, such as:
- Extra header elements (buttons, search, contacts, dividers).
- Conditional headers (different headers on different pages).
- Sticky elements (like sticky header or sticky sidebar).
- Custom layouts (like custom page sections).
- WooCommerce extras (if you run an online shop).
- More design controls (spacing, colors, typography).
Buying Pro gives you more flexibility and professional polish.
Is it easier to use Kadence with a theme than without one?
Yes — it’s easiest when you use the Kadence Theme + Kadence Blocks together.
- If you only use Kadence Blocks with another theme, you’ll still get powerful blocks, but your design options (headers, sitewide styles, layouts) depend on that theme’s limitations.
- If you use Kadence Theme + Kadence Blocks, they work seamlessly together, giving you full control over both site structure and page content.
So, while you can just use the blocks plugin, the best experience (and least frustration) comes from pairing it with the Kadence Theme.
Watch this video to learn more.
Elementor
- What it is: A visual page builder plugin for WordPress.
- How it works: Instead of using the normal WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), Elementor gives you a drag-and-drop builder with its own interface. You design pages in real time, placing widgets (like text, images, buttons, sliders, forms) anywhere you want.
- Strengths:
- Very flexible for design (pixel-level control).
- Huge template library.
- Large community and lots of 3rd-party add-ons.
- Weaknesses:
- Can feel heavy/slow compared to block-based solutions.
- Lock-in effect — if you disable Elementor, your designs often break.
- Learning curve for non-designers.
Elementor = best if you want a drag-and-drop “what you see is what you get” experience and don’t mind a slightly bulkier site.
Divi (by Elegant Themes)
- What it is: A theme + page builder combo.
- How it works: Similar to Elementor, but it comes built into the Divi theme (though you can also use the Divi Builder plugin separately). It also has a drag-and-drop visual builder with modules (like text, galleries, sliders, testimonials).
- Strengths:
- Lifetime pricing option (one-time fee for unlimited sites).
- Tons of premade templates.
- All-in-one ecosystem (theme + builder + extras).
- Weaknesses:
- Can be slower and heavier than lighter solutions.
- Not as tightly integrated with Gutenberg (WordPress’s default editor).
- If you disable Divi, content can get messy.
👉 Divi = good if you like an all-in-one solution and plan to build multiple sites with lifetime value.
Kadence (compared)
- What it is: A theme + blocks plugin built for WordPress’s native editor (Gutenberg).
- How it works: Instead of replacing WordPress’s editor with a whole new system, Kadence extends it with extra design controls and blocks.
- Strengths:
- Very lightweight and fast (good for SEO and performance).
- Uses WordPress-native tools (future-proof, less lock-in).
- Great starter templates.
- Seamless integration of theme + blocks.
- Weaknesses:
- Less “pixel-perfect” drag-and-drop freedom compared to Elementor/Divi.
- Some advanced layouts might feel trickier if you’re used to page builders.
Kadence = best if you want a fast, modern, block-based site that plays well with WordPress’s future direction.
Quick Summary
- Elementor: Drag-and-drop page builder plugin, flexible but heavier.
- Divi: Theme + builder combo, lifetime deal, but heavy and locked-in.
- Kadence: Lightweight theme + blocks plugin, works with WordPress’s default editor, future-friendly.
