WordPress is one of the most versatile platforms for building almost any website you can imagine. Over the years, we’ve explored and built various kinds of sites using WordPress, from personal blogs to full-scale eCommerce stores.
One of the best things about WordPress is its flexibility. WordPress offers the tools to make it happen, whether you’re aiming to create a business site, a portfolio, or even a social network.
In this article, we’ll walk you through some top examples of websites you can create with WordPress. Each example highlights WordPress’s unique ability to adapt to different needs and ideas.
Getting Started With WordPress
WordPress powers more than 43% of all websites on the internet, which makes it the most popular website builder on the market.
There are two types of WordPress websites: WordPress.com, which is a web hosting company, and WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress. To learn more, see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
Throughout this article, when we say WordPress, we are talking about self-hosted WordPress websites. We recommend using WordPress.org because it gives you full access to all WordPress functionality out of the box.
We use WordPress for all our websites. See our complete WordPress review to learn more.
To get started, you’ll need WordPress hosting and a domain name.
We recommend using Bluehost. They are offering a generous discount + free domain name to WPBeginner users. Basically, you can get started for $1.99 per month.
Why We Recommend Bluehost:
- We personally host several websites on Bluehost and have thoroughly tested their performance. For details, see our complete Bluehost review.
- It is an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider
- Bluehost offers competitive pricing with a free domain name, which makes it easier for beginners to start a new website without investing a fortune.
We have a step-by-step guide on how to create a WordPress website.
If you just want to play around with WordPress, then you can install it on your computer. Take a look at our tutorials on how to install WordPress on Windows and Mac computers.
Let’s look at some of the most popular types of websites you can create with WordPress.
1. Blog or Personal Website
WordPress started out as a simple blogging tool and quickly evolved into a powerful content management system. During the last 18 years, those blogging and personal website components didn’t disappear.
They have become more polished, sophisticated, and powerful. WordPress is still the best blogging platform in the world, and it is used by small websites and large publications.
Due to its flexibility, WordPress is equally good for personal and multi-author blogs. It allows you to create content-rich websites that can easily grow into a business.
For more details, see our guide on how to start a WordPress blog with step-by-step instructions for a beginner blogger.
2. Business Website
WordPress is the easiest way to build a professional-looking business website. It is so powerful that many big name brands use WordPress to power their websites.
Business owners love its ease of use and flexibility. By using WordPress plugins, you can add social media integrations, optimize your site for search engines, track marketing data, and add any other feature you need.
You can choose from thousands of themes and easily customize the design, all without hiring a web designer.
To get started, see our complete guide on how to make a small business website using WordPress.
3. Ecommerce Website / Online Store
WordPress with WooCommerce is the world’s most popular eCommerce platform. It supports top payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, making it easy to accept payments online.
You can use WooCommerce to sell both physical and digital products. It allows you to easily add any type of product to your store, and has tools to manage inventory, orders, shipping, taxes, and more.
For step-by-step instructions, you can check out our tutorial on how to start an online store.
Apart from WooCommerce, there are other eCommerce plugins for WordPress, like Easy Digital Downloads and MemberPress, that can be used to sell digital goods and subscriptions.
Most of our partner companies use Easy Digital Downloads to sell software. You can learn more about it in our detailed Easy Digital Downloads review.
4. Membership Website
Membership websites sell subscriptions. This allows you to put some of your content behind a paywall, sell pay-per-view content, or run an online community.
MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market. It comes with powerful access control, subscription management, user management, and integrations with third-party tools and payment gateways.
We use MemberPress for our free WordPress Video Courses website. You can learn more about it in our detailed MemberPress review.
For more details, take a look at our step-by-step tutorial on how to create a membership website.
MemberMouse and WishList Member are also great alternatives for creating a membership site with WordPress.
5. Online Courses Website
WordPress can be used to easily sell courses and build an online learning community.
MemberPress Courses is the best WordPress LMS platform to sell online courses from your website. It comes with an easy-to-use interface to create courses, control access, and sell subscriptions.
To learn more, check out our tutorial on how to make an online course website with WordPress.
If you’re looking for an alternative, you can also use Thrive Apprentice or AccessAlly to create and sell online courses.
6. Online Marketplace Website
Don’t have any products to sell? How about creating a marketplace for other vendors to sell their products online?
WordPress has some incredible plugins that turn your website into an online marketplace. Third-party sellers can then list their own products on your website, and you earn a fee on each order.
For details, see our tutorial on how to create an online marketplace in WordPress.
7. Pay-Per-View Website
A pay-per-view website allows you to sell exclusive content on your website on a pay-per-view basis.
You’ll be able to directly sell content to users, instead of relying on advertising revenue, affiliate links, or other ways to make money. You can sell subscription plans, digital passes, set levels of access based on pricing, and more.
To learn more, see our tutorial on how to make a pay-per-view website in WordPress.
8. Podcast Website
WordPress and podcasting go hand in hand. Most popular podcasters on the web are using WordPress for their podcasting websites.
There are several excellent podcasting themes and plugins for WordPress, which make the whole process way easier. Plus, you can integrate any podcast hosting service to serve files from your own website seamlessly.
For more on this topic, check out our step-by-step guide on how to start a podcast with WordPress.
9. Dropshipping Website
Dropshipping is a type of eCommerce store that doesn’t keep the products in stock. Instead, when a customer purchases a product, the store owner places the order with a third-party vendor who ships the item directly to the customer.
WordPress has some excellent dropshipping plugins that help you easily add third-party products to your website.
For more on this topic, take a look how to make a dropshipping website with step-by-step instructions.
10. Affiliate Website
Want to make a commission by referring your users to products and services?
Millions of marketers use WordPress to create highly successful affiliate websites. It has many affiliate marketing tools and plugins that will help you boost your earnings.
You can sign up for individual affiliate programs or create an Amazon affiliate store that relies on just one giant affiliate network.
For more details, see our complete affiliate marketing guide for beginners.
11. Coupons Website
Want to earn affiliate commissions from thousands of websites offering special discounts on their products and services? Then, you can use WordPress to make a coupon site.
With the right plugins, you can easily add coupons to your site. You can control the expiration dates and other details, and your users can even rate and vote for their favorite coupons.
Need more details? Take a look at our tutorial on how to make a coupon site in WordPress with detailed instructions.
12. Micro Job Website
A micro job website is an online marketplace where employers can list tasks or gigs, and individuals can apply for them. As the website owner, you can make money by charging a fee for each listing.
For more instructions, check out our tutorial on how to create a micro job website like Fiverr.
13. Job Board Website
Several popular sites like Smashing Magazine, ProBlogger, and others use job boards as an extra source of income. There is a growing demand for niche job boards catering to the needs of a specific industry or specialization.
WordPress allows you to easily create a job board where employers can post job listings and professionals can respond to them.
14. Business Directory
Like job boards, there is an increasing demand for niche business directories online. Some great WordPress business directory plugins allow you to create a business directory easily.
We have a guide on how to create a web directory like Angie’s List or Yelp.
15. Auction Websites
Want to run your eBay-like auction website? With WordPress, you can create a fully functional auction website.
Users can bid online and make payments, and you can earn money by simply providing a platform for your niche auctions.
See our tutorial on how to make an auction website for detailed instructions.
16. Non-Profits and Religious Websites
WordPress is free, as in freedom (see our guide why is WordPress free?). This makes it an ideal solution for nonprofit organizations.
With WordPress plugins, you can easily add a donation form to raise money for your cause. There are also many great WordPress themes for churches and nonprofits.
17. Portfolio Websites
Need a place to showcase your work? You can easily add a portfolio to your WordPress site with stunning image galleries and beautiful slideshows.
You can use your portfolio site to feature your writing skills, showcase your music, embed videos, or display your photography.
WordPress can provide a sleek and polished user experience for your portfolio site, making it easier for others to browse and learn about your work.
18. Travel Website
WordPress is the perfect platform to make a travel website. You can share your own travels or launch destination guides and build a business upon that.
For examples and instructions, take a look at our guide on how to make a travel website for beginners.
19. Fashion / Lifestyle Website
WordPress is a popular choice among fashion and lifestyle businesses. That’s because it’s easy to create a professional-looking website or blog, and you can even sell your own products or affiliate products.
For more on this topic, take a look at this guide on how to make a fashion website using WordPress.
20. Multilingual Websites
Want to create a website in multiple languages? WordPress has you covered.
Out of the box, WordPress is available in dozens of languages. Plus, it can also be used to create multilingual websites using WordPress translation plugins.
Need help? See our guide on how to create a multilingual website in WordPress.
21. Online Forums Website
Online forums are a popular way to build a community and leverage user generated content to bring more search engine traffic to your website.
With bbPress, you can easily add online forums to your website. bbPress helps you convert your website into an easy to manage forum. Plus, you can still use the same website for other features like a blog, online store, or a business site.
For more details, see our tutorial on how to add an online forum in WordPress.
22. Social Network Website
Want to build a more active and engaged online community? WordPress allows you to easily build your own social network website with BuddyBoss.
Users can join your community, manage profiles, view activity, join groups, and more.
For more details, take a look at our step by step guide on how to build a private online community with BuddyBoss.
23. Wiki / Knowledge Base Website
Want to create a knowledgebase or wiki-like website?
WordPress allows you to easily add a documentation or knowledgebase section to your website. This allows you to use a powerful CMS to manage all your content under one dashboard.
You can pick any of these WordPress knowledge base plugins to start your own wiki website.
We recommend the Heroic KB Plugin because it’s easy to use and offers features like instant search, user feedback, article attachments, and more. Check out our complete Heroic KB review for more information.
See our guide on how to create a wiki knowledge base in WordPress for more details.
Bonus Resources for WordPress
The following are some additional useful resources to help you create, manage, and grow any kind of WordPress website.
- Proven Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
- How to Sell Cleaning Services Online with WordPress
- How to Start an Online Thrift Store Using WordPress
- How to Make a Print on Demand Shop in WordPress
- Useful Tools to Manage and Grow Your WordPress Blog
- How to Learn WordPress Basics for Free
- How to Use AI to Boost Your Marketing
We hope this article gave you a good idea of the types of websites you can create using WordPress. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide to the most important things you need to do after installing WordPress, and our expert picks of the best web design software.
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.
Olaf
This article really demonstrates the versatility of WordPress. Even today, I still encounter the view that WordPress is just a blogging platform. Sometimes, this myth is hard to dispel, but WordPress has advanced in recent years, and now it’s possible to create anything with it, from a small personal portfolio to an e-commerce store handling dozens to hundreds of daily purchases. Perhaps that’s why its popularity is growing so much. I haven’t yet come across a client request that couldn’t be done on WordPress. That’s the magic of it.
Richard
Can I create a membership subscription for sellers of services (marketplace) and have buyers register through the site. But buy direct from the sellers? Then be sent an email from the seller to leave a review on my site? I want my site to advertise sellers services with reviews giving buyers a list of the services available.
WPBeginner Support
You can create a site like that, for a starting point we would recommend taking a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-an-online-marketplace-using-wordpress/
Admin
Jiří Vaněk
I feel that anything I needed to accomplish was possible with WordPress and WooCommerce. Sometimes it can be quite complex, but I’ve found answers to many questions here. Yes, WordPress is not only powerful but also a very liberating tool, and the community around it makes it what it is today. I’m glad I learned how to work with WordPress because it has opened up new opportunities for me. The list is perfect, but I sometimes feel that with WordPress, you can do so much more. In my opinion, it’s number one, especially considering that you can get so much out of it for free right out of the box.
Achraf Hebboul
Currently, I’m thinking of switching my personal website from Firebase as a backend to WordPress, to avoid unwanted costs, I made the frontend with ReactJS and I can use WordPress as a backend technology as headless cms where I will use Advanced Custom Fields aka ACF to build required custom post type for my personal website, with that i can reduce the amount of hosting since i will use shared hosting, because it’s budget-friendly.
WPBeginner Support
That is certainly something that can be set up but not something we recommend for most sites and especially beginners
Admin
Marko Kozlica
You can make anything on WordPress; the evidence is the likes of Disney that has its website on this platform.
Currently, we are developing a new website for our long-term client, which is the company directory for a specific niche. Even though we are not using ready-made themes, the ACF Pro, Elementor Pro, and custom coding do the job well. We chose Hello Elementor for the basis, but the complete design and functionalities are custom.
Moinuddin Waheed
Really appreciate the wide range of spectrum that we can make a website with WordPress.
I think wordpress is way powerful than it used to be because of its flexibility and ease of use.
I am working to make an agency for website building.
This list is very helpful for making range of websites.
Moinuddin Waheed
Great list of all the websites that could be made in WordPress.
I might have thought maximum of ten types among these but the list can be even more exhaustive depending on if we further micro categories this.
Mitch
Can I use Wordpress to create a forex trading website ?
WPBeginner Support
While it is possible, we do not have a plugin we would recommend to set that up. You would likely need developer support for the moment.
Admin
Serena
Hi, can I use WordPress to create a website to look for professionals in the area?
WPBeginner Support
For what it sounds like you’re wanting, we would recommend taking a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-a-micro-job-website-like-fiverr-with-wordpress/
Admin
Danny
What do you think about creating a sport web
WPBeginner Support
Yes you can create a sports website
Admin
Thobza
Hi, can I use WordPress to do dropshipping?
WPBeginner Support
You can, you can see our guide on this below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/ultimate-dropshipping-guide-for-wordpress/
Admin
Kyaune Cornelius
Can I use word press to create a news website?
WPBeginner Support
Yes, you certainly can create a news website.
Admin
Selma
Very Great Content , Simple clear and well explained Thank you so muuuchh !!!
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Tatiana
A well written and clear article that we can follow. After reading through the full content just wanna ask: what if I need three websites, like for example Bog, eCommerce, and Portfolio? Or does WordPress.org only allow one website/ domain? Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
You can have all of that on one site or across multiple sites if you want.
Admin
Sumon
Very Helpful Content.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad you like our content
Admin
Tayo
Academic Journal not listed. WordPress can’t be used for it?
WPBeginner Support
That would normally be considered a blog, yes WordPress can be used to create that type of site
Admin
Girish KP
Nice work .
Thank you
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Ezekiel
Please can i create a site that can be used for booking using WP ? A link provided with the answer would definitely help. Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Yes you can, you would want to use one of the plugins in our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/5-best-wordpress-appointment-and-booking-plugins/
Admin
chandra kant
nice article
WPBeginner Support
Thank you
Admin
Monika MBATOURS.in
Very good article, it has been made very well, it has very good information, its content is also very good, thank you
WPBeginner Support
Thank you
Admin
SHIVANI UMEACADEMY. COM
Your blog is very good, has got very good information in it, there is everything in it, the content is also very good, it has helped a lot from your blog.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our content could help
Admin
Munachimso A. Ezenwanne
Good day to you all,
Please i need help with creating an Ecommerce website. Where i can be able to buy and sell products effectively and make reasonable income. Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
Hi Munachimso,
Please take a look at our step by step guide on how to start an online store.
Admin
Saksham
Just a suggestion from a fellow developer. It would be helpful to show the comments thread with collapsed replies. This will allow the user to browse more comments and they can expand the reply/replies to any comment which they are interested in exploring without having to unnecessarily scroll through everything.
Cheers, helpful post as always!
Abdirahim Ali Adow
Hello i want to create a website to make money in online , is that possible through word press ? Thank you
Starr
Yes man, Just keep posting and posting uunless you have thousands of visiters everyday and they you can earn money by referring, popups and redirection.I hope it helps you.
Ron
I want to create a market place website as like amazon.com by wordpress. is it possible? I don’t need all feature of amazon.com. I want to create website myself but I don’t have any idea about coding. Can i create website myself?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Ron,
Please see our article on how to create a marketplace website using WordPress.
Admin
Mahira
Nice info…any body can guide me that how can i create a list website?
Like, email listing type.
Max Runge
You can either code it on your own like, and than or with a plugin…. i would prefer a plugin if you don´t have any coding experiences
Donovan Casares
I want to know if there is a way that you could create a website that can convert writings on paper to the actual website.
Emmanuel Agbanagba
Thanks for the reply to my question. I want you to kindly recommend at least three wordpress theme for the kind of website I am talking about – The website is an entertainment news website.It will have a envira gallery plugin..,buddypress plugin and awpcp plugin. Your recommendation will be highly regarded. Thanks once again-!
Emmanuel agbanagba
Please can i create a wordpress site with a photo gallery plugin,buddypress plugin and classified ads plugin installed all at once; and if yes x what theme is suitable for the website?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Emmanuel,
Yes you can use these plugins together. The choice of theme depends on what kind of websites you want to build, and your own design preferences. Please see our guide on how to choose a WordPress theme to learn more.
Admin
Owusu Marfo
Simply put!
WordPress can be used to create almost every website.
Jerry
I want to create job and service advertisements website that will allow users to upload pictures and short videos in there dashboard which can be viewed when published. Can I use wp job manager, envira gallery and bbpress plugins to build the website? Please reply me ASAP and if no what is the best option available for such a website. Thanks
Alexander Azuka
please I want to make a social network site like whatsapp
Oladimeji Tobi
To be frank, i’m overly confused…i’ve been trying to create a personal blog via wordpress…but it hasn’t been going well…..kindly help me out with a plausible info.
Henry nwala
I want to create a dating website which plugin will be best for me thanks.
alex granier
hi. what about news portals? thank you
matthew ukwadia
please i want to build a professional sport anlysis, tips and review site what plugins will be best for this
WPBeginner Support
Hey Matthew,
Please take a look at our list of essential WordPress plugins. Review the list and install the plugins you think you will need.
You will probably also need plugins that can handle functionality specific to your website’s niche. For that you can search WordPress plugin directory. Also check our beginner’s guide on how to choose the best WordPress plugin.
Admin
Blink
Very informative article. Thanks for sharing..
Bibak
Sir I Want to Make News Site Which Theme Will Be better .
I Am In Big Confusion
Karabo
I would like to use the wordpress to put all actives in my area,so that people would know what happening in that area.
a4nanand
It is very useful for me. i actually needed that. you solved my big problrm regarding seo.
Anthony
I have entered the wpbeginner log in and I like to know the best theme for my site, which I know a lot about this products. At the moment im using Memorable theme and is not complete. Any suggestion thanks
Sharon Nepe
I have just signed up for the basic blog website but later want a website that can do more than this. I want to create a community and post videos and eventually run an online business. Can I update my website. What would I update it to?
Kuldeep Singh
Yes you surely can update your website. Here’s your solution:
1. To create community: Try BuddyPress
2. For Video Solutions: Lots of plugins there or search for theme that does that in a site like ThemeForest.
3. For Online Solutions: For WordPress, the one & only WooCommerce
Good Luck!
Shami
It’s a very helpful tutorial for every people thanks for sharing with us.
Kay Toe
I would like to build a document distribution and information sharing websit for our organization. What type of website sutable for me.
Best regards,
Kay Toe
Vincent Walter
How possible is it to create a 100% totally free website for calls. I mean a website for making calls. Can someone throw a little light on this please?
Barry
Is there a wordpress template/plugin for surveys?
Gene
I want to create a blog that offers Clickbank affiliate products. Can anyone suggest a suitable WP theme for this please?
Leland Garner
Hi! – I recently had a website for interactive learning with video, audio and question forms that users could answer online. The problem was all of those things used Flash. Can a WordPress site be set up with plugins which will do all of those things with HTML 5?
Tawhidul Islam
That’s cool list
Jalisa Reitz
Event Websites should be listed- they are so popular lately!
We also use WordPress for event websites over at EventAppi.
You can either build in event management/registration into your business website OR many times people build an entire website just for conferences, events, etc. WordPress is the best way to build event websites in our mind!
Dale
Hi, we are looking at creating a new website for my sailing club and wondered if there is a plugin that allows you to manage it members. We would want to be able to edit type of membership, enter people details etc. Any ideas on a plugin?
WPBeginner Support
There are several membership plugins for WordPress which can do that.
Admin
Sunday Adeniran
Good list but which template can I use for student/teacher interactive environment?
WPBeginner Support
Take a look at our guide, Selecting the perfect WordPress theme – 9 things you should consider.
Yasmin abdi abdilahi
This is amazing ideas and templates I will use one of those ,I wanna to create my own website