There are good reasons why WordPress is so popular, more than one-third of all websites use the WordPress platform.
What was once considered mostly for blogs is now used to create websites for large corporations. This may seem rather amazing that a free website builder is so popular with companies that can afford expensive software, but the truth is that WordPress has earned its reputation for being quite exceptional.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that is currently used by nearly 40% of all websites that have one. This makes the market share for WordPress at well over 60% when accounting for website that do not have a CMS. The market share is even more pronounced when the second-place CMS is considered. Shopify ranks well behind WordPress with only a 3.2% market share.
The secret to WordPress’s success can be found in the combination of being user-friendly and highly versatile. Normally, something that is user-friendly is too simple for more complex endeavours that require versatility. WordPress manages to have its cake and eat it too thanks to its remarkable structure.
This may come as a surprise to many who consider WordPress for blogging only. Over the past several years, WordPress has continued to improve and expand its reach, making it far and away the most popular CMS available. Plus, it includes many benefits. For those who are considering a CMS for their website, here are a few reasons as to why WordPress should be a top consideration.
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Blogs
It is a given that WordPress was designed for blog-building. That feature has been expanded with WordPress now serving all types of site needs. For businesses, the blog feature helps you keep in touch with repeat customers. This means that making updates, announcing new products, or letting everyone know when a sale is happening is easier than ever thanks to the blog feature.
You can combine with the blog with your social media efforts or have it stand alone, your choice. What can be said is that WordPress offers an integrated blog device that is built in and ready to be used to create a closer connection between your site and your customers or visitors.
Easy to Use
It says something that a website builder is simple enough to be used by those who have little to no experience in building a website. Even if you have never considered building a website before, WordPress offers a simple, easy to understand format that does not require knowledge of coding, though that may help with more advanced websites.
Instead, WordPress is free to download. All you need is a domain name and a hosting platform for your website. In fact, many hosting platforms offer WordPress knowing it is so popular. Within minutes, you can have your site up and running. Plus, it is easy to add new features and take your website where you want to go.
Features
One of the most distinctive aspects of WordPress and a strong reason why it is so popular are the sheer number of features available. Called plugins, you can add them to your site whenever you want to improve some aspect. For example, if you are running an online business, there are plugins that let your customers checkout, pay for items, and even access chatbots and other useful features to improve the overall experience on your site.
You can choose from the many free plugins available or purchase them designers and developer that have them for sale. You can even create your own plugins and put them on sale, opening up a new income stream for your business efforts.
Mobile-Friendly
One of the most important aspects for any website is to look good on desktop, laptop, and mobile device screens. Given that such screen can vary greatly in size, having it all look good without having to build separate sites is a powerful advantage. WordPress offers such versatility with themes that look great on any size screen.
Another advantage is that mobile-friendly sites are more likely to attract potential visitors which boosts the sales potential. Plus, by keeping it all on one site, you make things easier on yourself in terms of updating and improving your online business.
Search Ranking
For online business owners, one of the most important aspects of your site is to be found by customers. Whether you run a traditional eCommerce site or perhaps an information blog, the ability to increase traffic to your site is paramount. WordPress makes that easy because they are constantly being updated. This continued improvement makes them more likely to be ranked highly when searched for on search engines such as Google.
Plus, there are many plugins and tools that can help you optimise your website quickly and efficiently. For those who are using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), such tools makes it simple to improve the visibility of your site. After all, the higher your site ranks on search engines, the more people will visit, the more sales you can make.
Themes
The old saying, “it’s better to be different than better” is so true for online businesses that are trying to stand out from the competition. Whether you are in a highly competitive industry or just want your website to look different than the rest, you have many, many thousands of themes available. The themes not only set the format and colour combination for your site to make it visually distinctive. You can also speed up the download times, create a more user-friendly experience for visitors, and correct any issues or bugs that might get into the site.
You can change themes when you like, allowing you to keep up with the times or just mix things up when you desire. WordPress allows you to live preview your new theme to see if it works for you. If it doesn’t you can always choose another.
Versatile
It is true that WordPress was originally developed to create blogs. Its intention was to provide individuals with the ability to create a simple website on their own without the need of a web designer. And while many web designers build websites for their clients, using WordPress, it has expanded its reach to small and large businesses.
The versatility goes beyond businesses as freelancers and artists have a place to put their online portfolios. Plus, you can host social networks and even podcasts using the many different features that WordPress has to offer. The fact that you can pick and choose what works for your website makes WordPress quite versatile.
In the unlikely event WordPress is unable to handle your needs, a custom website or bespoke web design would be ideal.
Why Choose WordPress?
As you can see from the many benefits, WordPress is constantly being developed and improved for better usage. Because it is ever-changing, your website built on WordPress will also change with the times.
- Ease of Use
- Simple to Update
- Highly Versatile
- Continually Improving
- Customisable
These advantages alone make WordPress quite impressive. But when you add in the ability for third parties to create new features, WordPress stays ahead of the curve. Because it is not just one company adding improvements, but people around the world.
This is why WordPress is an excellent, all-round solution that can be tailored to fit your needs. It provides you with all the tools necessary to create an excellent website for all types of formats. Whether you run a small or large business, have a freelance site that holds portfolios, offer information vital to a particular field, or just want to grow your personal blog, WordPress has you covered.
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