WordPress has been considered the best blogging platform for years, but it has been much more than that for a long time. A blog is just one of the possibilities it offers. Its most significant advantages come to the fore if it is used as a CMS (Content Management System) or a website content management system.
This free, open-source service is based on the PHP programming language and the free MySQL database management system. You can install WordPress on your own on a web server or use it as a service on WordPress.com, and there you can also create your blog for which you do not need a domain or hosting.
WordPress is essentially easy to use and flexible enough to be used for various purposes. Although it was created to simplify things for bloggers, further development has enabled the implementation of features required by sites with specific goals. Given that 40% of websites in the world use WordPress, it is clear that this is the most popular CMS globally.
There are many reasons for this. We had a talk with our friends from a Philadelphia website design company, and we summed up it to 9 reasons to use WordPress for your website.
1. Community and the possibility of earning
One of the most important reasons to use WordPress is the broad community you can rely on at any time. WordPress is translated into almost every language. If you have any problems, you can always contact one of the thousands of groups on the web. Since it is the most popular CMS globally, there are a handful of videos, information and blogs where you can find out when you get stuck somewhere.
In addition, you can create your add-ons or themes and even make money on them. WordPress has become a platform from which many agencies and freelancers live and, at the same time, contribute to code development or suggest new ideas for the future. You can buy a good theme for about $ 50. Still, its real value is much higher considering that the developers and designers spent many hours creating it. The only problem is that WordPress themes sometimes look generic, and some customers will prefer to pay more for a unique “custom” look.
2. Ease of use
The motto of WordPress is “installation in 5 minutes”. You need to have a database, hosting, and the latest version file from WordPress.org for self-installation.
Even the interface is straightforward and intuitive. If you have experience with Microsoft Office tools in WordPress, you will find it just as easy. Although it was initially just a blogging tool, it has grown into something much more due to its simplicity. Also, managing the roles on the page is very easy to have editors, subscribers, and writers on your website/blog.
3. Possibility of expansion – add-ons
Today, there are more than 50,000 plugins that expand the website’s functionality. It doesn’t matter if you are a developer or a layman – installing them is not complicated. Just be careful not to overdo it because too many plugins can harm a website’s performance, and its loading speed is a significant factor for users. Also, if you install them too much, one plugin may conflict with another, so it’s essential to test them with your theme version. Most add-ons are free, but many have paid-for PRO versions that include additional functionality.
4. Responsiveness
Since 2015, Google started penalizing non-responsive sites through a new update. WordPress with version 4.3 began to focus on the mobile user experience, closely related to SEO.
This means that a lot of the themes you use to create web pages are automatically responsive or allow you to check in the system how the page under construction will look on different devices. The WordPress interface also features a responsive design making it easy to use on the go.
5. SEO-friendly
To implement SEO strategies, the CMS platform must offer the ability to implement specific add-ons. This is precisely the case with WordPress, where it is possible to control all aspects of the site fully. Applying SEO rules using plugins, in this case, provides the ability to rank the website at the very top of searches on the Internet.
6. Possibility of modifications
Although millions of people use this software, your site can have a unique look and features thanks to numerous plugins and themes. Using already created themes (which are easy to install), you can completely change the site’s look. Depending on your needs, you can install various add-ons to enrich the site’s capabilities. Best of all, these supplements and themes can be purchased entirely free of charge.
7. Content control
All material you use on the site is located on the server you have leased, thus maintaining complete content control. Although you may think that this is implied, these options are not possible if you use e.g. wordpress.com. In that case, you are practically a guest on someone’s site, where you are only one subdomain with limited space and opportunities for work.
8. It’s free
WordPress is an open-source project, which means it’s free to use and modify. This means that no one is preventing you from installing it and starting to change things in the code itself. The only thing you will have to pay for is hosting and domain registration.
A lot of people who use WordPress are not web designers or developers. Many people start using WordPress without prior knowledge of website design, further down the road, becoming coding experts. Which is a great advantage since most of the popular recruiting agencies are looking for web designers that also have prior experience in WordPress development.
WordPress is the perfect solution for those unfamiliar with the technology as there are thousands of free website templates (themes) to choose from. In addition, there is an ideal WordPress theme for almost any type of website (be it a blog, business website or an online store).
WordPress themes are easy to customize. Many of them come with options that allow you to change colors, transfer logos, change backgrounds, create fantastic sliders, and customize to your needs without writing any code.
You can also add custom functionality to your WordPress page needs using plugins. WordPress add-ons are like applications for your site that you can use to add advanced features such as analytics, contact forms, membership area, etc. Like themes, there are thousands of free and premium add-ons you can use.
9. Wide range of themes
A lot of people who use WordPress are not web designers or developers. Therefore, most people start using WordPress without prior knowledge of website design.
WordPress is the perfect solution for those unfamiliar with the technology as there are thousands of free website templates (themes) to choose from. In addition, there is an ideal WordPress theme for almost any type of website (be it a blog, business website or an online store).
WordPress themes are easy to customize. Many of them come with options that allow you to change colors, transfer logos, change backgrounds, create fantastic sliders, and customize to your needs without writing any code.
You can also add custom functionality to your WordPress page needs using plugins. WordPress add-ons are like applications for your site that you can use to add advanced features such as analytics, contact forms, membership area, etc. Like themes, there are thousands of free and premium add-ons you can use.
