WordPress started out as a platform for bloggers. Today, the platform is used by 45.8% of all websites on the internet. Small e-commerce businesses, large nonprofits, major corporations, and a whole host of other organizations and individuals utilize this easy-to-use content management system (CMS).
WordPress has a lot going for it. This CMS is user-friendly and responsive and has thousands of available themes and customizable plugins. However, it isn’t right for every website. It does require regular updates, and adding different features can get expensive (and slow down your website). Below, we outline the pros and cons of using WordPress so that you can make a smart decision for your website.
At Inclind, our award-winning website designers and developers collaborate on on-site builds using popular CMS like WordPress and Drupal. We understand that each CMS has its own benefits and drawbacks, and we explain these factors to our clients before starting a website design or redesign project. If you’re interested in exploring all WordPress offers for your website, reach out today to talk to one of our experts.
Pros of Using WordPress
WordPress didn’t get to be so popular for no reason. This CMS is widely used for a reason - or many reasons, as we discuss below. If you are building or migrating a website, here are some of the reasons why you might choose to use WordPress.
WordPress Is User-Friendly
As noted above, WordPress began as a platform for bloggers. Most people who started a blog didn’t have expertise in coding. WordPress reflects that reality with its easy-to-use design.
Through the administrative dashboard, website managers can upload new content, edit pages, and otherwise navigate through the website's backend. Running a WordPress website is relatively straightforward, even for those without specific information technology experience.
Building a basic website with WordPress is also relatively easy. WordPress users choose from thousands of themes, which set the basic framework for the site's appearance. They can then add plugins for functionality. For example, if you want your website to be available in multiple languages, you can add a translation plugin - simple!
WordPress Is Open-Source
WordPress is an open-source software. This means that the source code is available to everyone. Programmers can study, change, and redistribute the platform’s source code. This is how many themes and plugins are available - because WordPress programmers can share and create new bits of code.
Another major benefit to working with an open-source CMS is flexibility. Many major tech companies sell proprietary software, like Adobe Experience Manager. This software tends to be expensive. It also limits your ability to customize your website to what is made available through the company that owns it. Because WordPress is open-source, the sky's the limit when it comes to customization - and getting support from developers in the WordPress community.
WordPress Can Easily Be Customized
There are tens of thousands of free and paid plugins available to WordPress users. Each of these plugins is a bit of code that allows users to customize their WordPress website, such as by adding the ability to change the font size on the website to be more accessible for people with limited vision.
With WordPress, if you want to add a specific function to your website, there is a strong likelihood that there is a plugin that can do that for you. The key is always to make sure that plugins are secure and up-to-date.
WordPress Is Mobile Responsive
If you’re like most people, you spend a good chunk of your web-browsing time on your phone or tablet. That is why it is so important that websites are designed to be viewable no matter what device a person is using - a computer, tablet, or smartphone. A mobile responsive site is also important when it comes to search engine results, as sites like Google prefer mobile-friendly websites.
WordPress is great for creating a mobile-responsive site. Most of its themes and plugins are designed for responsiveness, making it easy to create a website that works well regardless of what device is being used.
WordPress Is Great for SEO
Search engine optimization—or SEO—is vital for any website. With WordPress, optimizing your website with a large library of SEO plugins is pretty straightforward. These plugins help make your website more search-engine friendly.
WordPress Can Be Low Cost
The core WordPress product is free to use. You can choose from free themes to get started and even add free or low-cost plugins. Of course, like anything else, if you want unique or more customized features, you will have to pay for them. However, it is possible to build a WordPress website for very little money. If budget is a concern, this can be a big bonus with WordPress.
Cons of Using WordPress
While WordPress is great, it isn’t always the top choice for every platform. There are some drawbacks to WordPress that may lead you to choose another CMS like Drupal, Wix, or Squarespace.
WordPress Requires Regular Updates
When you use WordPress, you will choose a theme and various plugins. These features are great, but they can cause issues when they need to be updated.
Updates are critical to the health and security of a WordPress website. However, if they aren’t done properly, they can create problems. In some cases, an update can cause problems, so you have to revert back to a prior version of WordPress.
These updates aren’t always easy for a non-tech person to handle. If you have a WordPress website, you may need support and maintenance assistance from a WordPress developer.
WordPress Can Be Slow
One of the cool things about WordPress being open-source is that anyone cancontribute code to create themes and plugins. This is also a drawback, particularly when it comes to speed.
Certain themes and plugins may contain unnecessary code. This can reduce the speed of your site, causing slow load times—which translates to slow load times and frustrated visitors. If you don’t have coding experience, it may be difficult to isolate the problem and fix it—or to pick more “lightweight” themes and plugins from the start.
WordPress May Be Vulnerable
As noted above, anyone can access the WordPress source code. This can make it vulnerable to potential hacks, mainly if you aren’t careful about regularly updating your themes and plugins and choosing these bits of code with care.
Before you install any theme or plugin, you should make sure that it is high-quality. An experienced WordPress developer can help you pick themes and plugins that are not only lightweight and responsive but also secure. They can also assist you with updating your site to protect it from security vulnerabilities.
WordPress Can Get Expensive
The basic version ofWordPress is free. However, most companies and organizations want more than the lowest-level theme and plugins. Building a WordPress site can be expensive when you start adding themes and plugins. This is particularly true if you are working with a WordPress developer who is helping you build a more highly customized, flexible site.
Considering a WordPress Website? Give Inclind a Call
WordPress didn’t get the status of the most-used CMS by making a subpar product. For many companies, nonprofits, healthcare practices, and other entities, WordPress is a fantastic option. It is highly customizable, user-friendly, and responsive. While WordPress has some downsides, like the need to install updates, these can be mitigated by working with a WordPress developer who can also provide ongoing support for your website.
Based in Delaware, Inclind works with clients throughout the United States to help them build secure, effective, and beautiful websites. We have a wealth of experience using WordPress and other CMS like Drupal to build websites. If you are debating between CMS or don’t know where to start when choosing a CMS, we can help.
We're here to chat if you want to learn more about our WordPress website design, development, and support services. You can call 800-604-8139 or fill out our online contact form to talk to one of our team members about your WordPress website.