01789 632959

The Pros and Cons of WordPress

If you’re considering launching a website using WordPress or making the switch to WordPress, you’re probably pretty curious about the benefits. To make the choice easier for you, we’ve created a quick list of the pros and cons of WordPress, but first, let’s cover what WordPress actually is.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is currently the most popular, free content management system (CMS). It’s an open-source solution that is great for portfolios, blogs, e-commerce sites—almost anything you can think of.

There are two ways to utilise WordPress. You can create a WordPress site to host on your own domain or you can utilise WordPress hosting and have them host your site on a WordPress.com sub-domain for free or (for a fee) on your own custom domain.

WordPress Pros

  • Versatile. Browsing the web, you’d be hard-pressed to determine exactly which sites are WordPress sites and which aren’t. Why? Because there are numerous free to use and paid themes and plugins to help you customise your site. Your theme can highlight your images or focus on text. It can have a static front page or lead right into your blog.
  • Popular. Thanks to WordPress’s popularity, there are plenty of forums that offer support. It’s so widely used that it’s believed that 23% of all websites online currently use WordPress. Plus, this popularity means there are new themes and plugins being developed daily.
  • Easy to Use. Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, WordPress is one of the easiest CMSs to use. It can be customised with different themes and plugins, or for the more experienced, with CSS and HTML. As with any software, it can take time to get used to the system, but for basic tasks like blogging, it’s very simple to use.
  • Inexpensive. Depending on which hosting plan you use and which theme you pick, a WordPress site is generally much less expensive than a custom website. Plus, it will be easier to update than a custom site as well. WordPress offers different levels of hosting and you can also put a WordPress site on your own host.
  • No Coding Required. That’s right—you can create your own website without knowing how to code. Basic templates are great for launching a simple site. As you’ll see under cons, a custom site will require some coding.
  • Mobile Responsive. In this day and age, your website must be optimised for numerous types of screens. With most web searches occurring on smartphones, a mobile responsive site is a necessity. Most WordPress themes offer this capability.
  • E-Commerce Capabilities. If you’re looking to sell products on your website, WordPress is capable of housing e-commerce solutions. For larger retail sites like Amazon, however, it’s probably not the best solution.

This is just a quick list of some of the benefits of WordPress. There are a wealth of other benefits and if you want to find out more then click here to get in touch with us.

wordpress pros and cons

WordPress Cons

While a great solution for many website needs, WordPress isn’t for everyone. Here are some of the cons we’ve dug up.

  • Needs Updates. WordPress is not a “set it and forget it” solution. It does require updates, as do its themes and plugins. You can have WordPress automate some of the updates for you, however, you will need to authorise others. This can be a “con” in terms of the time it takes to authorise the updates, but generally, they help to make your website more secure.
  • Custom Layouts Require More Knowledge. If you’re trying to create an original site on a WordPress framework, you’ll need HTML and CSS knowledge. Similarly, some changes to themes will require a working knowledge of CSS. Partnering with a web design firm can help overcome this.
  • SEO Plugins Aren’t Enough. Yoast and other SEO plugins can be great. They can help you start optimising your posts to be more search engine friendly, however, they aren’t enough to help you move up in rankings and they don’t generally help you market to your target audience. In order to truly optimise your website, you’ll want to focus on more than just headings and keywords. If you want to find out more about getting your website more exposure on Google then check out the SEO service that TyMedia offers.

Making A Decision

For many people, the pros outweigh the cons, making WordPress a great solution for their CMS needs. If you still aren’t sure, or would rather have an expert help you craft your online presence get in touch to discuss your project in more detail. 

Related Articles

TyMedia Limited | Company Number 12447106 | © All Rights Reserved
Cookies & Privacy Policy