WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) on the web. Used by more than 60 million websites, including almost a third of the top 10 million websites. It is trusted by businesses and organisations ranging from craftsmen to large multinationals such as Disney and Bloomberg and Sony Music.
I’ve created a large number of websites over the years. Originally this was hand-coded HTML and CSS files, but then WordPress came along and its development road-map transformed the creation of websites on the web. Here are some of the reasons why I choose to use WordPress.
1. It is the world’s most popular Content Management System
WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world. As of 21st January 2020, W3Techs reports that WordPress is used by 35.6% of the world’s websites, and has 64.2% of the CMS market (up from 59% in June 2018).
Being so popular, you can be sure of a great deal of support. In fact there are tens of thousands of WordPress developers and WordPress based website designers all over the world. If you are looking for a new website, or you decide that your own website designer is no longer up to the job, then there are plenty out there in your area that can take over.
2. It has credibility
If you run a small business or organisation and you are not sure what sort of website is right for you – and to be fair, you don’t have the time and/or knowledge to make the decision on your own, maybe this will help.
WordPress is currently, as of 31st July 2018, being used successfully by the following websites:
3. It is secure
You may hear from colleagues, or read on the internet, that WordPress is not secure. It has been said that, unless a computer is disconnected from the internet, switched off and encased in concrete, someone can hack it. Any computer system can be prone to attack, WordPress included. This means, as with other systems, you need to make sure that your WordPress site is as secure as possible. You can either do this yourself, or use a consultant to take care of this.
4. It is mature
WordPress has been around since 2003. As an open source system, there are thousands of programmers working on it. Problems with the code, especially security problems, are dealt with very quickly, and a great deal of time is spent on rigorous testing. Because of this, WordPress is a mature and stable platform on which to build your website.
5. It is extremely flexible
Through the use of plugins and themes, WordPress can be extremely flexible. Where you might have one or two ‘plugins’ on Wix or Joomla!, you can find 3, 4, 5 times as many on the WordPress plugin store. The WordPress store also allows user reviews and indicates how long it’s been since it was last updated. This means that you can choose a plugin that will most suit your needs. Using these plugins you could create any of the following websites:
- membership academy
- special interest forum
- photographer or 3D artist portfolio
- social network
- online store
- job hunting board
- newspaper
- corporate site
The type of site that can be built is limited only by your imagination.
6. It is easy for non-technical people to use
WordPress has become a lot easier to use over the years, and nowadays, the rise of page-builders (I generally use Elementor) has been instrumental in lowering the barrier to ownership. There are a number of different page builders available, each with their own strength.
Remember WYSIWIG (What you see is what you get)? Page builders such as Elementor and Beaver Builder allow you to create your website pages using drag and drop. I’m using a page builder right now to create this page.
7. Support
WordPress has a huge amount of support. The install base of this content management system has attracted a lot of passion. A simple search of Youtube, Facebook, Google, and any number of websites will provide you with online support for practically any question you may have.
With other systems, especially paid for site builders, you will find that support may be within business hours only, or you could be on the phone for a long time waiting for an agent.
