In 2020, we published a post titled ‘3 Simple Reasons to Use WordPress‘, highlighting scalability, flexibility, and ownership as the key factors that make WordPress an excellent choice for site owners. These reasons remain as valid as ever in 2024 and we would like to take those core reasons and expand a bit on the many features and benefits that WordPress offers.
Whether you are an experienced WordPress user or considering it for the first time, we hope to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of why WordPress remains a robust, adaptable, and leading choice in the industry, powering 43% of all websites on the internet, that is over 35 MILLION sites running on WordPress, and it is not by coincidence. Let us show you why!
Unmatched Flexibility
WordPress is a versatile platform that caters to a wide range of users, from bloggers and small business owners to large enterprises and e-commerce sites.
One of WordPress’s most notable features is the variety of themes and plugins, which users can customize to fit their brand’s aesthetic and functionality needs. The plugin ecosystem, which is now over 60,000, expands the capabilities of WordPress sites, enabling everything from simple contact forms to complex e-commerce solutions.
Additionally, because WordPress is open source, it is constantly being developed by a large community of contributors. This results in a platform that adapts to current web trends while anticipating future needs. WordPress adapts to keep your site current, integrating the latest SEO practices and adapting to new web standards.
This flexibility allows businesses to adjust their website as their needs change, whether scaling up during periods of growth or pivoting in response to market changes. This flexibility will enable businesses to adapt their website as their needs change, whether scaling up during periods of growth or pivoting in response to market changes. WordPress provides a stable and adaptable foundation for your online presence.
Scalability for Growing Businesses
Let’s talk about scalability. Whether you’re just starting out or running a large-scale operation, WordPress has the remarkable ability to grow with you based on your needs.
Your business is not static; it changes, evolves, and hopefully grows. WordPress gets that. It is designed to handle small blogs and bustling e-commerce sites equally efficiently. This adaptability is crucial because it allows your website to keep up with your business’s growth with minimal interruptions.
While positive, handling an increase in traffic can be a real challenge for most businesses. One of the robust parts of the WordPress ecosystem is the wide variety of managed hosting options that offer flexible plans for growing businesses. If you need guidance on the best hosting options for your website, you can always schedule a 15-minute call with one of our experts.
Additionally, the beauty of WordPress is in its modular design. Start simple, and as your business needs get more complex, you plug in what you need. It’s like having a toolbox where you keep adding tools as your skills grow.
The WordPress community is another powerful asset for growing your business on WordPress. It’s a large community with people who may have already faced the same challenges as you. This gives you access to a wide range of resources, advice, and plugins, as well as agencies that specialize in WordPress and are ready to help you scale up, like Valet!
Ownership and Control
Two things that are super important but often overlooked when picking a CMS – Ownership and Control. With WordPress, the deal is pretty straightforward: you own your stuff and are in the driver’s seat.
Owning your content means you’re not tied to any specific service provider. If you decide to move your site, you can take everything with you – your posts, design, and user data. You’re not just renting space on someone else’s platform but building your digital property.
Control is another crucial piece of the puzzle. WordPress lets you call the shots on how your site looks, feels and operates. Want to tweak the design? Go for it. Need specific functionality? Hire a developer to create it for you.
This level of control extends to data and privacy, too. With growing concerns about data usage and privacy, having control over your site’s data is more critical than ever. WordPress makes it easier to comply with various regulations and ensures you’re responsibly handling your users’ data.
Enhanced User Experience
When it comes to websites, user experience is everything. And that’s where WordPress excels. It’s not just about making things easy for the person who manages the site; it’s also about ensuring a smooth experience for your audience.
Let’s start with the back end, where the site administrator spends much of their time. WordPress has a relatively intuitive interface. The process is pretty straightforward, whether uploading a blog post, updating a product listing, or tweaking the site’s layout. This simplicity saves time and makes the process less of a chore. The admin can also be extensively customized.
WordPress sites also tend to load faster, thanks to various optimization tools. Faster loading times mean happier visitors who are more likely to stay, browse, and even return for more.
SEO and Mobile Optimization
SEO – or Search Engine Optimization – is all about making your website more visible on search engines like Google. WordPress is relatively SEO-friendly straight out of the gate. It handles the basics well, like clean code and fast load times that search engines love. However, much of the genius is found in the plugins. Some excellent SEO plugins exist to guide you through optimizing each page and post to ensure you’re making all the right moves for better search rankings.
Then there’s mobile optimization. It’s 2024, and we can get a bit attached to our phones. WordPress and theme designers understand this. Most themes are designed to be responsive, which means they adapt themselves to look great on any screen, big or small, with lovely aesthetics and functionality. A mobile-friendly site keeps your audience engaged and improves your search rankings.
Community and Support
The WordPress community is one of the platform’s most valuable features. It’s like having a global team of experts that you can access anytime. This community is a game-changer, especially when managing a website.
The WordPress community is vast and highly active, with millions of users, developers, and enthusiasts worldwide. This means that no matter what challenge you’re facing, chances are someone else has been down that road and written a blog post or forum response about it (trust us, we know). The amount of knowledge and experience available is nothing to sneeze at.
WordPress doesn’t have a customer service hotline, but it does have something arguably better – a sprawling network of forums, blogs, online resources, and even local meetups and WordCamps. Whether you’re looking for technical help, design advice, or content strategy tips, the community is there to help.
With unmatched flexibility, scalability, and robust community support, WordPress is proving to be more than just a platform; it is a multifaceted, dynamic solution for any online presence.
WordPress provides the tools, flexibility, and support to meet the unique needs of small business owners, WordPress Pros at large corporations, and everyone in between. It is a platform that adapts to changing requirements and helps connect with audiences in meaningful ways.
As we look ahead, it’s clear that WordPress isn’t just keeping up with the digital landscape; it’s helping to shape it. With continuous improvements and strong community backing, WordPress is well-positioned to remain a leader in the CMS space for years to come.
Remember, if you’re looking to harness the full potential of WordPress, our team at Valet is here to help you every step of the way. Schedule a 15-minute call with our WordPress experts. We can provide guidance on hosting options, site maintenance, SEO, and more.