6 Important Reasons Why You Should Use WordPress for Your Website

One of the questions that we often get asked is: Why should I use WordPress? Isn’t my old site good enough? Why do I need to switch to WordPress from another platform? If you’re asking these questions, then you’re at the right place. In this article, we will share 6 important reasons why you should use WordPress. We will also cover all the different type of websites you can create with WordPress as well as showcase popular sites that are using WordPress.

Why you should use WordPress

Note: Throughout this article, when we say WordPress, we are talking about WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress. Please do not confuse this with WordPress.com which is a hosting service. For details, see our comparison of WordPress.org vs WordPress.com.

One of the most common misconception about WordPress is that it is just a blogging platform.

It is not.

While WordPress started as a blogging tool, it has evolved throughout the years into a powerful website builder and a robust content management system (CMS).

The best part about WordPress is that it’s easy to use and flexible enough to make different types of websites. That’s the main reason why WordPress has grown so much in popularity. According to a recent survey, WordPress powers 32.3% of all websites on the internet.

Due to it’s robust features, many of the top brands use WordPress to power their websites including Time Magazine, Facebook, The New Yorker, Sony, Disney, Target, The New York Times, and more.

Let’s take a look at why you should use WordPress to make your website.

1. WordPress is Free as in Freedom

WordPress is free and open source

WordPress is a free software. It means you are free to download, install, use and modify it to match your needs. You can use it to create any kind of website. To learn more, see our article about why is WordPress free?.

While the WordPress software itself is free, you need a domain name and web hosting to install it.

A domain name is the address of your website on the internet. This is what your users type in their browser’s address bar to access your website (for example, wpbeginner.com).

Web hosting is your website’s house where all your website files are stored.

We recommend using Bluehost. They are one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

They are also offering WPBeginner users a 60% discount on hosting and a free domain name. Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Need more hosting recommendations? See our pick of the best WordPress hosting providers.

If you want someone experienced to setup your WordPress site, then our talented staff members are happy to help you get started. The best part is that we offer a free WordPress blog setup service.

You can also do it yourself by following our step by step guide on how to install WordPress.

If you run into any issues with WordPress, simply type your question in Google and add wpbeginner at the end of your question. You will likely find the answer on our website.

2. WordPress is Easy to Customize with Themes and Plugins

WordPress themes

A large portion of people using WordPress are neither web designers nor programmers. As a matter of fact, most folks start using WordPress without any prior knowledge of designing websites.

For non-tech savvy folks, WordPress is the perfect solution because there are thousands of free website templates (themes) that you can choose from. There is a perfect WordPress theme for just about every kind of website (whether it’s a blog, business site, or an online store).

WordPress themes are easy to customize because a lot of them come with their own options panel allowing you to change colors, upload logo, change the background, create beautiful sliders, and truly customize it to your needs without writing any code at all.

You can also add custom functionality to your WordPress site by using plugins. WordPress plugins are like apps for your website that you can use to add advanced features like analytics, contact forms, membership area, and more.

Just like themes, there are thousands of free and premium plugins available for you to use. To learn more, see our article on what are WordPress plugins and how do they work.

WordPress plugins

Aside from adding extra functionality, some WordPress plugins can let you transform your website into a completely new platform. Take a look at our expert pick of essential WordPress plugins for every website.

3. WordPress is SEO Friendly

WordPress is written using standard compliance high-quality code and produces semantic markup. In non-geek terms, this makes Google and other search engines love WordPress.

This is why WordPress sites tend to rank higher than others in search engines.

By design, WordPress is very SEO friendly out of the box. You can also use WordPress SEO plugins to further optimize your website. For complete step by step instructions, see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide to properly optimize your website.

4. WordPress is Easy To Manage

WordPress comes with a built-in updates management system. This allows you to update your plugins and themes from within your WordPress admin dashboard.

WordPress also notifies you when there is a new version of WordPress available, so you can update your site by simply clicking a button.

To protect your data from any accident or hacking, you can easily use a WordPress backup plugin to automatically create backups and store them safely on a remote location.

You can also manage your WordPress site on the go with WordPress mobile apps.

5. WordPress is Safe and Secure

WordPress security

WordPress is developed with security in mind, and it is considered to be a very safe and secure platform to run a website. However, just like the real world, the internet can be an uncertain place.

There are intruders out there who want to get their hands on as many sites as they could. To protect your WordPress site, there are a few simple things that you can do to make it even more secure. For details, see our step-by-step WordPress security guide for beginners.

We use Sucuri on our websites to protect against common threats such as brute force attacks and malware.

6. WordPress Can Handle Different Media Types

WordPress media types

WordPress is not just limited to writing text. It comes with a built-in media uploader to handle images, audio, and video files.

WordPress supports oEmbed enabled websites which means you can embed YouTube videos, Instagram photos, Tweets, and Soundcloud audio by just pasting the URL in the WordPress post editor.

What ways to use WordPress?

WordPress can be used in many different ways from simple websites to eCommerce marketplaces and anything in between.

Following are just a few examples of different kind of websites you can make with WordPress.

See our full list of 19 different types of websites you can make using WordPress.

We hope this article answered your question about why you should use WordPress. The best way to truly experience the power of WordPress is by using it. Give it a try, and let us know what you think.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Source: Wordpres

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Team AA: Best Android games you’ve (probably) never heard of

Best underrated Android mobile games

There are literally thousands of mobile games on the Google Play Store, which makes finding the best Android games an absolute nightmare.

We’ve all seen Pokémon Go, Clash of Clans, Asphalt, and other big hitters dominate the Play Store charts for what seems like forever. But what about the hidden gems that get lost in the pile?

Editor’s Pick

Earlier this year our crack team of app aficionados at Android Authority picked out our favorite apps that you might have missed. Now we’re doing the same for mobile games!

The list below features premium games and free-to-play titles from a wide range of genres, so whatever your tastes you should hopefully find something to get your gaming fingers tingling.

Without further ado, and in alphabetical order, here are 10 of the best underrated Android games on the Play Store you may have never heard of!

Agent A

Price: $4.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Oh hey, it’s my pick first!

Agent A — or to give it its rather long-winded full title, Agent A: A puzzle in disguise — is a part-adventure game, part-escape the room style puzzler inspired by cheesy pulp spy fiction.

Imagine a perfect blend of Myst, The Room, Connery-era James Bond, and gorgeous 60s-inspired art and you’re about there.

Related: 10 best upcoming Android games — action, racing, strategy, and more

The brain-teasers are tricky but not too taxing and the writing is as sharp as the game’s femme fatale Ruby La Rouge’s tongue. The fluid gesture controls also earned it a place among the Google Play Android Excellence ranks for 2018.

My only minor negative is that it isn’t quite finished yet! For $4.99 you get all five episodes, with the finale — The Final Blow — expected to arrive before the end of the year.

Ollie’s honorable mention(s): Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story, Bury Me, My Love, Florence, Game Dev Story, Gorogoa


Concrete Jungle

Price: $4.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Scott Adam Gordon’s pick is Concrete Jungle, a city builder with a difference. Instead of having to wade through endless sub-menus, Concrete Jungle opts for an intuitive card-based system where the goal is to build your deck and please your city’s growing population.

“It’s a bit of an undertaking, and it’s masquerading behind a cartoon aesthetic, which I think might be one of the reasons it hasn’t really taken off,” says Scott. The slow-burn gameplay and occasionally confusing tutorials might not be for everyone, but if you like long-term rewards for your strategic play this is a belter.

Scott’s honorable mention(s): Klocki


Devil’s Attorney

Price: $4.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Matt Horne is giving a shoutout to Devil’s Attorney, a “fun and addictive turn-based strategy game” about the life of a morally flexible criminal defense attorney.

One of the few alternatives to Capcom’s superb Ace Attorney series in the goofy lawyer-em-up genre, Devil’s Attorney has all the charm and bravado of a 90s kids TV show. You can check out the wonderfully corny minute-long opening theme in the video above.

“As a practicing defense attorney at the time I decided to give it a go, and loved it,” says Matt, although he warns you’ll have to pay up the $4.99 asking price before your litigious journey can begin.


Potion Explosion

Price: $3.49
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

We’re big fans of Asmodee Digital’s many, many board game adaptations here at Android Authority, and that includes C. Scott Brown’s pick, Potion Explosion.

Described by C. Scott as the kind of game that’s deceptively easy to learn, but fiendishly hard to master, Potion Explosion adapts the award winning puzzle board game of the same name and brings all the potion brewing madness to mobile.

Budding wizards can play solo or compete against other trainee apothecaries in local play or online. The only problem with the online mode is that so few players have sampled Potion Explosion’s magic that it’s sometimes hard to find a matchup!


Returner 77

Price: $4.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

There’s no shortage of pick-up-and-play games to choose from on the Play Store, but it’s far harder to find a story-driven game you can really sink your teeth.

Enter Joe Hindy’s pick, Returner 77 — a sci-fi adventure game that mixes stunning cinematics and tricky puzzles with a tale of mystery and isolation.

While the puzzle elements can feel a little played out at times, Joe says they “fit into the atmosphere of the game perfectly.” There are also no ads or in-app purchases beyond the initial $4.99 fee, which is always a plus.

Joe’s honorable mention(s): The Sun: Origin, Meganoid (2017), Abi: A Robot’s Tale, AntVentor, Still Here… A cute Adventure, Holedown, Pocket City, Defend the Cake, Motosport Manager Mobile 3


Ridiculous Fishing

Price: $2.49
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Ridiculous Fishing is, as Hadlee Simons agrees, utterly ridiculous.

You know when you go fishing and you drop your line in, right? You let it drop past all the fish, avoiding them and all other obstacles as you try to reach the bottom. Then you haul the line back up, grabbing hundreds of fishy friends on the way before shooting them out the sky with military grade weaponry in a splattery haze of bullets and fish guts.

No? Well, that’s what you’ll be doing in Ridiculous Fishing. You’ll also be upgrading your arsenal of guns as you go, unlocking new weapons and special items to keep the game’s bonkers premise fresh.

Hadlee’s honorable mention(s): Super Hexagon


Sparkle

Price: $2.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Adam Doud’s pick, Sparkle, is a bit of an oldie, but absolutely a goodie. The first game in a series of three, Sparkle is a stupidly addictive puzzle game with a simple art style, great music, and a surprisingly enjoyable story.

Gameplay-wise, Sparkle is an orb-slinging connect three game in the style of arcade classic Puzzle Bobble, only here the orbs move around. There are also loads of power ups to try, multiple game modes, and even a colorblind option so everyone can play.

Adam loves it so much he’s played it through on six different platforms — although that may be partly because you can’t sync progress between devices.

Adam’s honorable mention(s): Flow Free


Stick Sports games

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Ankit Banerjee is so taken by the various Stick Sports games that he couldn’t pick just one, so we’re bundling them all in here.

A self-professed Stick Cricket Super League addict, Ankit warns that there’s a bit of pay-to-play involved in most of the Stick-centric sports games, but the addictive and challenging game are definitely worth a look for sports fans… and stick fans, I suppose.


Sword of Xolan

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Platformers can be incredibly hit or miss on mobile, but Sword of Xolan is among the best. Jimmy Westenberg says his action-fantasy game of choice is so fantastic he’s played through it three times already (with another playthrough now pending).

Featuring 30 levels, a neat pixelated art style, various difficulty levels, and controller support, Sword of Xolan looks, sounds, and plays like a retro classic. The only downside? There’s no Sword of Xolan 2!

“Sword of Xolan is The Perfect Android Game,” says Jimmy, and you know you can trust him as he modestly describes himself as a “person who knows what he’s talking about.”

Jimmy’s honorable mention(s): Hidden Folks, Alphabear 2, Alto’s Odyssey


Vampire’s Fall: Origins

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Vampire's Fall: Origins

Felix Mangus really loves Vampire’s Fall: Origins. Want to know how I know? When I asked Team AA for their favorite underappreciated games, most came back with one or two lines on what they liked and what they didn’t like about their pick.

Felix sent me a 300+ word review. Take it away, Felix:

Vampire’s Fall: Origins has a nice touch of a classic RPG feel set in a plausible medieval dark-fantasy setting.

Visually it delightfully reminds of Arcanum and Inquisitor, but is much lighter on the quests and lore.

The quests are abundant (actually, there are 60), and vary from ‘go to the map marker and kill a rat’ to actual old-school map cruising to find several location based off the vague hints.

The authors also added many nice twists and humorous elements, quite heavy on RPG-related meta humor, though.

The in-app ads and purchases basically set the new benchmark of how subtle and unobtrusive of the process these should be. I would’ve missed them entirely, if I did not talk to every NPC in the way. Amazing job here.

Leveling up happens well with kills and quests. Not too fast, not too slow. Gives a nice sense of progression.

Skill trees are varied, though only seem to provide about 2-3 different viable progress routes.

PvE is decent and encounter difficulty seems well paced with character development. From ‘oh God, please no more rats on my way to the safety of the keep walls’ to ‘I’m gonna kill all that moves’ quickly back to ‘oh God, please no more ghouls.’

It has an open world with subtle borders – you won’t get far into the areas you’re not supposed to visit (a bit like Dark Souls). Or you might, if you’re lucky enough.

In summary, it’s an amazing little gem of the game. Furthermore, it is apparently made by an indie team of just three people and it shows. You can see the personal touches, humor, and a great deal of love towards their creation in the little details and lines of dialogue here and there. It might not be the fastest, deepest, or most complete game (compared to PC alternatives), but for a mobile(!), free(!), classic-ish RPG, it’s probably the best there is.

10/10. Amazing job there.

Well, I’m convinced.

Felix’s honorable mention(s): Free Heroes 2


What do you think of our picks? Are there any forgotten games that you think deserve more love? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Android Zone

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Google Assistant gets alarm-linked routines, broadcast responses, and more new features

Just yesterday, Google hosted a small event in San Francisco where it showed off a bunch of new features for the Google Assistant. There’s a lot to cover here and we want to respect your time, so we’ve broken everything out in the order that we find most interesting.

Let’s get to it.

Google Home Hub

Respond to broadcasts

Almost exactly a year ago, Google introduced broadcasts. This feature allowed users to send messages through the Google Assistant-enabled speakers in their home. For example, a user could say, “Hey Google, broadcast ‘It’s time for school!’”, and the message would be relayed to any Assistant-enabled speaker in the home.

Today, Google is updating this feature. Now, you can respond to broadcasts from any Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker, smart display, or smartphone. For example, while prepping a holiday dinner, someone could tell their Google Home Hub to send a broadcast to their spouse’s phone asking them to pick up cranberry sauce, and the person on the other end could reply with a broadcast of their own. When the reply is received on a phone, users will be notified and the message will be automatically transcribed. Users can then respond with text or voice. It’s effectively voice-centered text messaging on any Assistant-enabled device.

Editor’s Pick

Broadcast responses will be rolling out to all smart displays and smart speakers in the coming weeks.

Link routines to your alarm

Google Clock App

If you didn’t know, routines are a way for the Google Assistant to automate tasks you would normally have to do manually, in sequence. The feature allows you to chain Google Assistant commands through a single phrase.

A common routine might be to tell Assistant you’re on your way home, which would set your Nest thermostat, launch Google Maps, and send a message to a family member. Announced today, integration with the clock app means you can take automation even further, automatically starting any routine when an alarm goes off.

For instance, when your alarm goes off and you dismiss it, you can have Assistant automatically start your smart coffee maker, tell you about your day, and how long it will take to get to work. You can obviously set up your routine however you like, but linking it to alarms is quite powerful.

Google Assistant routines will be accessible right from the Google Clock app, so you can easily tell Assistant what to do in the morning.

At the end of the day, you will be able to tell all your smart devices to go into Do Not Disturb mode with one command. This feature will be coming to Google Assistant sometime “soon”.

Better recipes suggestions

Google Home Hub

A lot of people with smart displays use them to check out recipes while in the kitchen, and Google wants to make it easier for them to find meals they’ll love. Now, smart displays will suggest recipes based on the time of day, as well as the season. Get ready for a lot of Thanksgiving and Christmas-based recipe suggestions.

A “Recommended Recipes” section will be added to the smart display home screen and the suggested recipes are based on your previous searches. If you love any of the recipes in particular, you can save them to your “cookbook” for future use.

More features for the kids

Google Assistant devices are particularly useful with kids, and Google is launching a few new features centered around them. They’ve partnered with Nickelodeon, Lego, and Spin Master to create special alarms for kids based on characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and LEGO friends. There will be a ton of voices, tunes, jokes, and catchphrases that will help the kids get out of bed in the morning.

Google has also added a new “read along” story – “Ara the Star Engineer”. This feature, which was introduced earlier this year, listens to you read a book and plays music and sound effects along with you for a more immersive experience. Google Assistant will also get 25 new stories to read out loud.

Finally, Google is adding more kid-friendly responses to Assistant, for things like dinosaurs, superheroes and crafts.

Better media control on smart displays

Lenovo Smart Display Podcasts

Google wants to buff out how you control your media on smart displays, so they’re adding things like podcast playback speed and smart device control to the dashboard. You can play things like podcasts at twice or half the speed, or tell it to skip 30 seconds when you need it with a simple voice command.

You can also play group games like trivia and other visual games, adding to the display experience.

Read next: Lenovo Smart Display review: Much more than a Google Home

Wrap up

These features will all be headed to Google Assistant and Google Home over the next couple of weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out.

Is there anything you wish the Assistant could do that it can’t currently? Let us know!

Source: Android Zone

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