What is WordPress?

If you’ve been thinking about a website for your business, you’ve probably heard the word “WordPress”. It sounds technical, but the idea behind it is simple. This guide explains what WordPress is, why so many small businesses use it, and how Digital Rose fits in. No tech jargon, we promise.

WordPress is free software that lets you build and manage a website without needing to write code. Think of it like a word processor, but for websites. You type, add photos and click “Publish”, and your changes appear online.

It helps to picture your website as a shop:

• • Your domain (like digitalrose.com.au) is the shop’s street address.

• • Your hosting is the building itself, where everything lives and stays open 24/7.

• • WordPress is the fit-out inside: the shelves, signs and displays you can rearrange whenever you like.

WordPress is hugely popular. Around two in every five websites in the world run on it, from local cafés to large news sites. In fact, the Digital Rose website you’re reading now is built with WordPress.

How is WordPress used?

WordPress can power almost any kind of website. Small businesses and nonprofits commonly use it for:

 

• • Business websites: your services, opening hours, contact details and a map.

• • Online shops: selling products with a shopping cart and secure payments, using a free add-on called WooCommerce.

• • Nonprofit and community sites: sharing news, promoting events and taking donations.

• • Blogs and news: posting updates, tips or stories to keep customers coming back.

• • Booking and enquiry forms: letting customers book appointments or send a message.

Once your site is set up, everyday changes are easy. You log in, click on the page you want to change, edit the text or swap a photo, and save.

Why do so many businesses choose WordPress?

 

• • It’s free to use. The WordPress software itself costs nothing. You pay for your domain, hosting and any design help you choose.

• • You’re in control. You can update your own text, photos and prices without waiting on (or paying) a developer every time.

• • It grows with you. Start with a simple five-page site, then add an online shop, bookings or a blog later.

• • Thousands of add-ons. Called “plugins”, these add features like contact forms, galleries or newsletters in a few clicks.

• • Good-looking designs. Ready-made themes give your site a professional look, even on a small budget.

• • Easy to find help. Because it’s so widely used, there are plenty of designers and support people who know it well.

• • You own it. Your website isn’t locked to one company, so you can move it to another designer or host if you ever need to.

Alternatives to WordPress

WordPress isn’t the only way to build a website. Here’s a quick look at some popular options:

 

• • Wix and Squarespace: The website is hosted by Wix or Squarespace themselves, with a monthly subscription that covers both the design tools and the hosting. Easy to use, with everything in one place.

• • AI website builders: Tools like Durable, Hostinger AI Builder, Framer and Lovable create a ready-made site from a few questions or prompts about your business. A quick way to get started, but keep an eye out for hidden costs: low introductory prices often go up at renewal, and things like your own domain name, business email or extra features may cost more.

• • Static websites made with Claude or ChatGPT: You can ask an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT to create a simple website for you. The result is a set of basic files that load quickly and can be hosted almost anywhere, including with us. The trade-off is that there’s no easy editing screen, so updating text or photos usually means going back to the AI or asking someone technical to help.

Whichever you choose, we can help. If your website is on Wix, Squarespace or another platform, we can still maintain and look after your domain name and business email. If it’s on WordPress, we can host your website too. And if you’re still deciding which one to go with, give us a call and we’ll talk it through with you.

WordPress needs a home: that’s where hosting comes in

WordPress is the software, but it needs somewhere to live so people can visit your website. That place is called hosting. Going back to our shop: you can have the best fit-out in the world, but without a building to put it in, no one can come inside.

Good hosting makes a big difference to how your WordPress site performs:

 

• • Speed: pages load quickly, so visitors don’t give up and leave.

• • Reliability: your site stays online day and night.

• • Security: your site is protected against hackers and spam.

• • Backups: if something goes wrong, your site can be restored.

• • Updates: WordPress and its plugins need regular updates to stay safe and working properly.

How Digital Rose helps

Digital Rose provides the home for your WordPress website, so you can focus on running your business. We’ve been looking after Australian small businesses, nonprofits and online stores for over 20 years.

 

• • Reliable hosting that keeps your WordPress site fast and online.

• • Regular backups so if something goes wrong, your site can be restored quickly.

• • WordPress updates taken care of, keeping your site and plugins safe and working properly.

• • Domains and business email set up and managed in one place, alongside your website.

• • Website security to help protect your site from hackers and spam.

• • Real local support from people who know your account, not an overseas call centre.

• • Plain-English help. No jargon, just honest advice when you need it.

Working with a web designer? We’re happy to work alongside them. They build your site, and we make sure it has a safe, reliable home.

In short

WordPress is the easy-to-use tool that runs your website. Hosting is the home that keeps it online, fast and safe. Together, they give your business a professional website you can manage yourself.

Thinking about a WordPress website, or need a reliable home for the one you have? Call us on 1300 775 825 or contact us for a free, no-obligation chat.

Sources: WordPress usage figure from W3Techs via WPZOOM, 2026.