Did you know that WordPress powers 43.6% of websites on the internet? That makes WordPress the most widely used content management system (CMS). The credit for this widespread popularity goes to several features of WordPress, such as user-friendliness, extensive customisation options, and the vast ecosystem it offers to every user. So, if you are all set to embark on your web development journey, WordPress is a tool that can support you at each step and help you create and deliver an outstanding online presence. To help you make an informed decision, let us take you through a few reasons why you should use WordPress for your website.
Let’s get started!
What is WordPress?
Before we dive into the reasons why you should choose WordPress for your web development journey, let’s have a closer look at what it actually is. WordPress is a website builder and content management system (CMS). It was originally launched in 2003 as a blogging platform, but today, WordPress has evolved into a powerful tool capable of building almost any type of website, from small blogs to enterprise-level sites. It is a beginner-friendly platform that allows you to create and manage diverse aspects of your website, from design to content.
10 Reasons to Choose WordPress For Your Website
Open Source
Released under the GNU General Public License, WordPress is an open-source platform that allows anyone to download, install, and use WordPress without paying any licensing fees. With full access to the source code, you can modify it however you like to add new features, change functionalities and develop a custom website without any restrictions. You can also share your modified version with other users and even sell it commercially. All you need to do to get started is pay for the domain name and web hosting.
If you are a small business with a limited budget for your web development initiatives, WordPress is the perfect choice for you.
User-Friendly Interface
WordPress is user-friendly – even an individual with little to no technical knowledge can easily access the platform and use it for web development. It has an intuitive dashboard that brings all key tools in one place. With clear labels and all key tools just a click away, finding your way around the platform is always easy. Within minutes, you can familiarise yourself with the platform and use it effortlessly to meet your end.
You can also customise the interface by rearranging widgets and menus to suit your workflow. Furthermore, Gutenberg Block Editor, the default content editor in WordPress, makes editing content easier than ever. Be it text, images, videos or buttons, you can drag, drop, and customise without writing code.
Highly Customisable
With thousands of free and premium themes to choose from, you can easily design and develop a website that best echoes the personality of your brand. You can access 10,000 free themes from the official WordPress repository or buy premium ones from trusted marketplaces like ThemeForest, Elegant Themes, and TemplateMonster.
Next comes plugins. WordPress has an extensive plugin ecosystem. You can use over 60,000 plugins and add diverse SEO (Yoast SEO, Rank Math), security (Wordfence Security, Sucuri Security), and e-commerce (WooCommerce, Shopify for WordPress) features. These plugins allow you to add multiple functionalities without any codes. No need to manually implement complex features; just use an appropriate plugin, and you are good to go.
SEO-Friendly
In this competitive digital landscape, SEO-friendliness is what determines the online visibility and reach of any business. Built with SEO best practices in mind, WordPress is an SEO-friendly platform that helps you develop websites that are ready to navigate this digital race. Certain features make it an SEO-friendly platform –
- Clean and structured codes that are favoured by search engines.
- SEO-optimised URLs that include keywords.
- Responsive design for better user experience.
- Built-in blog functionality.
- Caching plugins to improve load times.
- Optimise images with Smush or ShortPixel, add ALT text to images and improve accessibility and SEO.
All these elements together will improve the ranking of your website on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).
Scalable and Flexible
With WordPress, your website can grow as much as your business does. Beyond allowing you to design and develop websites of all scales, it gives you complex flexibility to expand your digital presence as your business grows. You can add as many new features and pages as you like and even migrate to a new platform without rewriting your site from scratch. As WordPress is built on modular architecture (independent, self-contained components), you can easily integrate with third-party services and enhance the functionality of your website.
It also offers tools for bulk editing, categorisation, and content scheduling, allowing you to manage thousands of pages, files and posts with ease without any need for manual operations.
Mobile Responsive
As per Statista’s 2023 report, 58.67% of global website traffic comes from mobile devices. This means if you want your business to reach this considerable population, your website should be mobile-responsive. It becomes even more significant as mobile responsive websites are ranked higher on search engines, enhancing your visibility and credibility.
If you wish to build a mobile responsive website, WordPress can be your go-to platform.
- Many WordPress themes, both free and premium, are built with responsive design principles – the layout automatically adjusts to fit different screen sizes and resolutions.
- The fluid grid systems and flexible layouts offer enhanced adaptability, ensuring no content is cut off while switching between screen sizes.
- WordPress includes a built-in Live Customiser – you can preview how your website will look on mobile devices and tweak it accordingly.
- You can utilise diverse plugins like AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for fast loading speed, WP Mobile Menu for better navigation, etc.
All these and several other features of WordPress allow all users to design, develop and launch a mobile-friendly website.
Secure and Reliable
With robust security measures, WordPress is one of the most secure platforms out there.
- It is backed by a global community of developers and security experts who constantly monitor the security elements and implement regular updates to address any vulnerabilities.
- WordPress has several built-in security features – SSL support, secure login mechanisms, and role-based user permissions.
- Equipped with diverse security plugins like Wordfence, Sucuri Security, and iThemes, WordPress offers firewall protection, malware scanning, login attempt monitoring and more.
Today, cyber-attacks and security breaches are common. WordPress, with its diverse security features and plugins, allows you to navigate associated challenges and create a secure digital presence.
Large Community Support
WordPress’s continuous growth, security, and accessibility can be credited to its vast and active community consisting of developers, designers, content creators, and enthusiasts who actively contribute to the platform. This network results from the open-source nature of WordPress – as the source code is freely available, anyone can view, modify and improve it.
If you encounter any trouble, you can access the WordPress Support Forums and find a quick and easy solution. You can also make use of WordPress Codex and developer resources to understand the functionalities and features of WordPress. With WordPress being such a popular platform, there are several online courses and tutorials, both paid and free, that will walk you through the specifics and train you in its effective usage.
E-Commerce Ready
Strive forward in your e-commerce initiatives with WordPress. WordPress not only simplifies e-commerce website development but also helps you edit and add with ease – add unlimited products with a few simple steps.
With plugins like WooCommerce, you can easily build an online store tailored to your specific needs. From managing products, inventory, payments, and shipping, it has tools that will support you in each aspect of your e-commerce journey. WooCommerce supports major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe and Square and is integrated with leading shipping providers like FedEx and DHL, all simplifying your e-commerce operations. Other prominent features include multi-currency plugins, multilingual support, mobile-friendliness, scalability and more.
All of these elements together will help you build a robust e-commerce website that is ready to deliver and succeed.
Simple Content Management
With WordPress’s user-friendly content management system, you can create, edit, and manage content without any hassles.
- With its block-based editor called Gutenberg and drag-and-drop interface, editing your content becomes easier than ever.
- WordPress also has a built-in media library where you can upload, store, and manage images, video files, documents and more.
- With drag-and-drop builders, you can build an efficient website without prior coding knowledge.
- Diverse plugins allow you to schedule posts in advance and overview them whenever required.
- You can grant role-based permissions like Administrator, Editor, Author, etc and control access.
Once you build a website with WordPress, you will be able to make the necessary changes with ease at any time.
Channel the Full Power of WordPress with Us at Make My Website
Now that you know why WordPress is the best partner for your web development journey, it’s time to make the most of its powerful features. At Make My Website, our team of experienced and skilled WordPress developers will leverage every available feature and functionality to help you build a strong, impactful online presence. Get in touch with us today and start your web development journey on the right foot.