Why WordPress? The Pros & Cons of Using WordPress for Your Next Website

If you’re looking for a content management system (CMS) to help you build your blog or website, you’ve probably considered the options already available to you. CMSs such as WordPress empower web owners to build and maintain their own websites without needing to hire a web developer or content strategist to do it for them. Furthermore, WordPress is the most popular CMS with a market share of around 30% globally (according to Statista). So if you’re curious about why WordPress is so commonplace, continue reading.

Why Should I Choose WordPress?

WordPress has established itself as the go-to CMS for bloggers and online publishers because it offers several compelling benefits.

• Free: The basic version of WordPress is completely free. You don’t need to pay a penny. Furthermore, you don’t need to register or sign up for an account to use WordPress. Simply download the software, upload some content, and begin building.
• Open Source: WordPress is an open-source CMS meaning that its source code is available to anyone who needs to review or contribute to its functionality. This is a great option for developers who want to leverage existing code to create or add features to their own projects. If you’re looking to build a WordPress-based site, you can benefit from the work of others while avoiding redundant coding.
• User-friendly: With WordPress, you won’t need to be a software developer to create or modify web pages for your site. The interface is incredibly easy to use even for those with minimal technical knowledge. Not only that, but beginners will enjoy using WordPress’ “drag-and-drop” functionality to build out their site’s content.
• Secure & Responsive Design: Securing your WordPress site is as easy as adding an SSL certificate (more on that later) and ensuring that your web host is offering “full HTTPS support.” Responsive design is a feature within WordPress where individual elements of a website such as the text size, layout, and color will change based on the device or screen that is viewing it. When used correctly, responsive design allows for optimal viewing on any device.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Using WordPress?

Although there are several advantages to using WordPress, there are also some significant drawbacks.

• Limited Customization: The great thing about WordPress is that it’s extremely customizable. However, this also makes it vulnerable. Since WordPress’ code is open source, anyone can modify it to fit their needs. This frequently results in unexpected site behavior and malfunctioning when new features are incorporated. To avoid this, most WordPress users heavily restrict the version of the software that is accessed and used on their sites. Furthermore, not all web hosts offer the same level of support for the free version of WordPress. If you’re looking for a robust platform for your content-driven website, you might want to consider paying for a premium version or deploying your own instance of WordPress on a dedicated server.
• Slow Growth: One of the significant drawbacks of WordPress is that it doesn’t grow as fast as some of its competitors. Statista predicts that by 2022, CMS Marketshare will report a 17% drop in overall market share while WordPress retains a 31% share.
• Less Than Perfect For All Clients: One of the most significant drawbacks of WordPress is that it’s not an appropriate choice for all clients. If you’re looking for a content management system that can be customized to fit the design aesthetics of your digital agency or marketing firm, you might want to look elsewhere.
• Not As Flexible As You’d Like: The great thing about WordPress is that it is extremely flexible. However, this makes it a less than ideal choice for certain scenarios. For instance, WordPress is ill-suited for those who need to create a blog for marketing or sales-related material. If you’re looking for a more formal platform for collecting and displaying content in a categorized archive, you might want to consider using a content management system that is more suited for higher-end corporate environments.
• More Security Issues: The great thing about WordPress is that it is extremely secure. However, this also makes it more vulnerable to hackers. The good news is that WordPress has one of the most active security teams in the industry working hard to keep users safe from online threats. Still, this is a significant downside considering that hacks can and do happen. So if you’re looking for a platform that can be exploited by cybercriminals, you might want to consider a different option.

Features Of WordPress That Make It A Perfect Fit For Blogging

To help you determine if WordPress is the right choice for your content-driven blog or website, let’s examine a few of its most significant features.

• Multifunctional: One of WordPress’s most prominent features is that it can serve as a blogging platform, a web store, or a web directory. These are just some of the various ways in which WordPress can be used.
• Static & Secure Pages: One of the great things about WordPress is that it provides users with a template-based approach to building out their pages. This means that each page is completely independent from other pages and can be saved for later reuse. This feature alone makes WordPress ideal for blogging. As a content strategist, I’m always searching for ways to save time while maintaining brand consistency across multiple platforms. In most cases, I’m using WordPress to power my blog because it allows me to effortlessly build out new articles with little to no effort. If you’re looking for a free blogging platform that is both secure and easy to use, you might want to give WordPress a look.
• Custom CSS: With WordPress, you have complete control over the styling of your content. This means that you can adjust the colors, layout, and font on a per-page basis through its administration panel. If you’re looking for a content management system that is both flexible and easy to customize, you might want to check out WordPress.
• Advanced Moderation: One of WordPress’s great strengths is that it provides advanced moderation tools for users. This means that administrators can step in and remove content that is deemed to be inappropriate at any time. Furthermore, they can also lock certain content down so that it can’t be accessed by other users. These tools allow for a more collaborative environment within your blogging community while also maintaining the integrity of your content.
• Dedicated Support: In most cases, WordPress comes with excellent support. If you encounter any problems or questions while using the software, you can contact the community for assistance. Alternatively, you can use the WordPress forums which are also very active and full of helpful contributors.

WordPress is, in many ways, the perfect choice for a content-driven website. Still, it’s important to keep in mind its significant drawbacks before making a decision. If you’re interested in using a CMS for your digital marketing or corporate communications firm, it’s important to consider all the options available to you and choose the one that is the best fit for your needs.