You can absolutely build a website with WordPress, and it's one of the most practical choices available. WordPress started as a blogging platform in 2003 but evolved into a full content management system that now runs everything from personal portfolios to enterprise sites handling millions of visitors monthly. The core software is free and open-source, meaning you only pay for hosting (typically $5–30 CAD/month) and a domain name. For basic sites, you can use pre-built themes and page builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder to create professional layouts without writing code. You'll get a functional 5–10 page site up in a few hours if you're comfortable with technology. The WordPress plugin ecosystem gives you instant access to contact forms, SEO tools, galleries, booking systems, and nearly any feature you can imagine—most with free versions available. The tradeoff is that WordPress requires ongoing maintenance. You'll need to update the core software, themes, and plugins every few weeks to patch security vulnerabilities. Skipping updates is the primary reason WordPress sites get hacked. You're also responsible for backups, though plugins like UpdraftPlus automate this. For custom designs or complex functionality, you'll want a developer. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we build WordPress sites when clients need content control and SEO flexibility—it's our go-to platform for most projects in the 500+ domain portfolio we manage. A developer-built custom WordPress site typically runs $3,000–15,000 CAD depending on design complexity and features, versus $500–2,000 for a DIY build using premium themes and plugins. WordPress shines for content-heavy sites, blogs, local business sites, and anyone who wants to edit their own content long-term. It's less ideal if you need a simple 3-page site that never changes (a static HTML site is simpler) or if you're building a highly custom web application (frameworks like Laravel make more sense). But for the vast majority of business websites, WordPress delivers the right balance of flexibility, cost, and control.