Self-hosted WordPress software is free, but you pay for infrastructure and add-ons. A typical small site costs a domain about $10–$20 per year and shared WordPress hosting around $3–$20 per month (intro deals can be lower, renewals higher). SSL is often free. Optional costs include a premium theme ($50–$100/year), paid plugins (anywhere from $0 to $200+ per year), backups, email, and maintenance help. For higher traffic, VPS or cloud hosting can run $20–$100+ per month. If you register extra domains, need more storage, or want a CDN, the budget rises. WooCommerce stores often buy extensions, shipping tools, and stronger caching.

A dedicated server for WordPress is a physical machine rented for your site (or your company’s sites) only. Unlike shared hosting, no other customers share CPU, RAM, or disk, so performance is stable under heavy traffic. You get deeper control over server settings, caching, PHP versions, firewalls, and backups, which helps with security and advanced setups. Dedicated servers cost more and usually require system administration skills, or managed support from the host. They are best for high-traffic WooCommerce stores, large membership sites, or mission-critical websites needing maximum speed, isolation, and customization. It can also improve uptime planning and compliance needs.

You access the WordPress admin dashboard by logging in to your site’s admin URL. In most cases, open your browser and go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin or yourdomain.com/wp-login.php. You will see the login screen, where you enter your WordPress username or email and your password. After you sign in, WordPress redirects you to the Dashboard screen. If you forgot your password, use the “Lost your password?” link to reset it by email. Some security plugins change the login URL for protection, so your site owner may give you a custom link. You also need an account with the right role, like Administrator or Editor.

Yes, WordPress is beginner-friendly, especially for basic websites. You can install it quickly, choose a theme, and start adding pages with a visual editor. Many tasks need no coding, like changing colors, menus, and layouts. Plugins add features such as forms, SEO, backups, and security with a few clicks. The dashboard is clear, and there are tutorials for almost every problem. Beginners still face a learning curve with hosting, updates, and plugin choices. But with a simple setup and good guidance, most people build a working site confidently. Start small, keep plugins minimal, and you will learn faster every week.