39 Reasons You Should Be Using WordPress for Your Online Presence

Many Brands are Using WordPress. And So Should You!

It seems that every two to three weeks I talk to a potential client who absolutely does not want to use WordPress. They give me a slew of reasons why they are against using WordPress. I am partially writing this post top save myself from endlessly repeating the benefits of having a WordPress website for your business or product brand.

And I am by no means alone with this recommendation. According to W3Techs WordPress powers 34% of all websites on the Internet. Keep in mind that many websites do not use a Content Management System (CMS) at all, so the percentage of CMS sites using WordPress is actually 64%!

The next four most popular CMS platforms, Joomla, Drupal, Squarespace and Wix, have only 13.2% total market share. That is all four of them combined. Individually the numbers are much lower. There is just no comparison, no matter what you see or read online. Please note that I am not against any of the above.

If you prefer you are certainly free to use them. But please keep in mind that all of them pale by comparison. And don’t come crying to me if you can’t achieve your actual business objectives by using them.

If you are creating a business website or e-commerce store you should be using WordPress. This content management system has quickly become a favorite among both web-savvy users and web-novices alike because of how simple-yet-powerful it is. If you are still not convinced, consider the following 39 reasons how using WordPress will benefit you and your online presence.

Why a WordPress Website?

Yes, I know there are all kinds of choices for your business website platform. From DIY website builders to enterprise-level solutions there are many different options. And while the selection of your website platform depends in part on your specific requirements, I always recommend that you consider WordPress for your website or e-commerce store.

And I am not alone with this recommendation. WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) for business websites. And simply by having a WordPress website you automatically get all kinds of other benefits as well!

Common Objections to WordPress

Here at PixoLabo we are experts at WordPress design and development, and we love building mobile-first WordPress websites. However, some business owners are not so sure about having a WordPress website when we first talk to them. Most often this is based on incorrect or outdated information. Here are some of the most common objections to WordPress.

It’s Only for Blogging

Yes, there was a time when WordPress was simply considered to be a blogging platform. But that changed a long time ago. In 2019 having a WordPress website is a very common and effective option for almost any business, organization or product brand.

It Gets Hacked Easily

Another common concern is that WordPress is easy to hack. If you look at it that way almost any website is easy to hack. If you don’t protect your WordPress website you leave it vulnerable, that is true. Lucky for you there are many very effective options to protect your WordPress business website.

It Has Too Many Limitations

And many business owners still confuse the FREE hosted WordPress version with the full version of WordPress. I definitely do not recommend the free version for your WordPress website. It is perfectly fine for a small personal site or blog, but it has too many limitations for a business website.

Basic Reasons for Using WordPress

WordPress is Free

Concern: I don’t have a lot of money to spend on my website platform.

I hear you. And unlike some proprietary CMS systems that charge initial or monthly costs simply to use their platform WordPress itself is actually free to use. Yes, FREE! WordPress does not cost you a dime, regardless if it is a commercial website or a personal blog.

And WordPress does not charge extra if your site starts to get more traffic than you anticipated, either. Compare that to Squarespace which already starts at $96 per year for the most basic plan.

Using WordPress is Cost-Effective

Concern: My website expenses need to fit my budget.

Once again, I hear you! And I have good news. Since WordPress is free you are basically looking at the cost of building your WordPress site or online store. That is usually a one-time expense that many business owners budget for and absorb over time. Because there are many pre-built WordPress themes available you can start for very little money and build up from there.

That pretty much leaves your WordPress hosting, purchasing and registering your domain name, and some basic website support and maintenance as your only monthly or yearly costs. Of course, if you need help with online or social media marketing, search engine optimization, or other online marketing services you need to budget for those.

Open Source CMS

Concern: I don’t want to be held hostage by a proprietary platform.

I completely understand. We have helped many clients transition from a proprietary platform over to WordPress. Using WordPress means you never have to worry about being held hostage again. WordPress is an open-source platform.

Open source only means that the actual WordPress code is free and can be accessed by all users.  Anyone can download and alter the WordPress code as needed. However, not all changes or modifications may be accepted by the WordPress team.

The Most Popular CMS

Concern: I hear not many people are still using WordPress.

No worries, you are not alone here! As I mentioned earlier WordPress is the most popular CMS, and many sites are using it.

Big Brands Trust It

Concern: I hear only small brands and businesses are using WordPress.

Actually, the opposite is true. Some of the world’s most well-known brands with millions of pageviews per day are on WordPress. The list includes Mashable, NASA, Mozilla, Coca Cola, the Wall Street Journal, and even Beyonce. I have absolutely no hesitation recommending using WordPress as a serious business website solution.

Used by 23% of the Top 10K Sites

Concern: WordPress is only for small websites.

While many small business websites are built on WordPress, it is also used by a significant portion of the most popular sites as well. As a matter of fact, 23 of the top 10,000 most-trafficked sites in the world are using WordPress. No other content management system comes even close to that.

Continuous Improvement

Concern: Will WordPress meet future needs and expectations?

Yes, it will! Because of its open-source coding and innovative developers, WordPress keeps improving as the years go by. Whether the WordPress staff are adding new features, developers are creating new plugins, or coders have programmed new features to customize your site, the CMS keeps evolving for the better. With WordPress you are prepared for the future.

Not Just for Blogging

Concern: Isn’t WordPress just a blogging platform?

Yes, back in the day WordPress started out as an ideal platform to blog. A lot has happened since then. Today businesses and product brands are using WordPress as a complete website solution. WordPress features both post and page structure, so you can post regular blog articles without affecting your static or shop pages.

Many Hosting Options

Concern: I heard that WordPress must be hosted by WordPress.

You may be referring to the hosted WordPress version that only works on WordPress servers. But that version is fairly limited and not really suited for business or e-commerce websites in the first place.

As a matter of fact, WordPress websites can be hosted by just about any reliable hosting provider. For the best performance, reliability and security I recommend you use a WordPress hosting provider such as WPEngine, Kinsta, Siteground or LiquidWeb.

Using WordPress to Meet Your Website Needs

Multi-User Capability

Concern: I need to assign different users to my website.

Many businesses have several people focusing on different aspects of their website. There may be marketing people concerned with content creation, shop keepers running the online store, and the folks over in IT keeping the whole site running smoothly.

WordPress makes it simple to assign different access roles for different people. Here are some of the roles you can assign directly from the WordPress dashboard or through plugins:

• Super Admin – has total access to website features.
• Administrator – has access to administration features.
• Shopkeeper (for e-commerce sites) – has access to e-commerce features.
• Editor – can publish their own posts and approve or remove the posts of other users.
• Author – can manage and publish their own posts.
• Contributor – can manage and write their own posts but must rely on the administrator to approve them.
• Subscriber – can view and edit their own profile (essentially, a user with their own account).

WordPress is Ready to Use

Concern: I don’t want to spend a lot of time getting set-up.

I understand! You want to start playing with your new toy (using your new website) right away. And WordPress is ready to go right out of the box. You can start using WordPress as soon as you install it.

There is no configuration required, aside from any customization you add to your theme, as well as installing the plug-ins you require. Most of the things you are looking for come with the basic WordPress installation, such as integration social media feeds, ability to blog or comment, etc.

Simple to Use

Concern: I am not very Internet savvy.

Not a problem at all. In fact, most of our clients feel the same way. And a main benefit of WordPress is its simplicity. This CMS is about as user-friendly as it gets, and very easy even for newbies to learn, and there are many online learning resources available. And for most users, the platform is very intuitive.

No Coding Required

Concern: I don’t know anything about code.

Actually, not that many people do. And WordPress does not actually require you to code anything. Unless you want to that is. You can create content using WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get), meaning you can easily create pages and posts without having to know HTML, PHP, Javascript, etc.

Universal Dashboard

Concern: I need my website info to be easily available.

It really does not get any simpler and easier than using the WordPress universal dashboard. Even better, YOU get to customize it to display exactly what YOU need or want to see. You can easily add things to your WordPress dashboard, such as your daily stats, lists of new or recent posts, recent comments and news updates.

Using WordPress to Create a Unique Online Presence

Fully Customizable

Concern: I don’t want a cookie cutter website.

I fully agree. Unless you are in the cookie cutter business that type of website doesn’t work. Each business is unique in some way, and your online presence needs to reflect that. And by using WordPress you have virtually limitless options for customizing your online presence.

You can make your WordPress website look any way you want with a customized theme. Many businesses start with an existing theme developed by a reputable WordPress developer, and go from there. By adding a few plugins, you can create just about any website look and functionality.

For even greater flexibility I recommend you use a modular grid framework. That way can add and arrange features to make your WordPress website function and perform just the way you want. Even better, WordPress is at the heart of the thriving freelance development community. That means whenever you do require assistance, you will be able to find it with ease.

Limitless Design Options

Concern: Will I be limited by available design options?

Absolutely not! With WordPress, you can change up the look of your site on a whim by using any of the WordPress themes available, either through WordPress or on third-party sites. Giving your website a new appearance can keep your brand fresh in the eyes and minds of your customers. Just don’t overdo it, or you will simply end up confusing your audience.

Integration Options

Concern: I want to integrate different functionality on my website.

Not a problem. WordPress integrates with many popular 3rd-party platforms to make your website more modern. There plugins that let you send out email campaigns and newsletters. Other plugins allow you to accept credit card payments for an e-commerce site. There are plugins for just about every kind of function you want to add to your site. Just be sure they are compatible with the latest version of WordPress, and your WordPress theme.

Social Media Integration

Concern: I want to integrate my social media profiles and networks.

Visitors can connect with your social media profiles, and post comments on your site using their own social network accounts. And WordPress makes it easy for people on social media to find and interact with you using accounts they already have established.

E-Commerce Solutions

Concern: I want to sell products and take payments on my site.

A great way to attract and engage mobile consumers is to sell products, including virtual products, on your website. With WordPress you can convert your website into an online store using the extremely robust and customizable WooCommerce plugin.

Sell Memberships and Subscriptions

Concern: Can I sell memberships or subscriptions on my site?

If your website is providing a non-tangible service, WordPress offers plugins you can use to sell memberships and subscriptions on your website. This way, you can earn revenue by charging people to see exclusive content on your website. You can even offer individual lessons or training sessions.

WordPress Can Be Used for More than Websites

Concern: What else can WordPress do for me and my business?

I am glad you asked! WordPress enables you to use the WordPress Rest API, which opens up the door for developers to create all kinds of interesting apps based on WordPress. This will enable you to use all of your WordPress content in new and interesting ways, such as by creating your very own WordPress app.

Using WordPress to Get Found Online

SEO Friendly

Concern: I heard WordPress is not very good for SEO.

Well, you heard wrong. Right out of the box WordPress is very SEO friendly. Popular search engines, like Google and Bing, tend to rank WordPress websites higher than those using another CMS. This is because the WordPress framework makes it easy for search engines crawlers and spiders to crawl a WordPress website.

WordPress is designed to be SEO friendly from the ground up. WordPress makes your website attractive to all search engines. The WordPress core is written using W3C compliant clean code.

There is another reason why WordPress will improve your search rankings. WordPress gives each page and post unique Meta tag keywords. This allows for much more precise search optimization and even schematic markup.

WordPress Provides a Better User Experience

Fast Loading

Concern: I want my website to load fast.

In 2019 this is a very valid concern. Website visitors will expect your site to load in 3 seconds or less. Your page load speed has a direct correlation to how much time visitors will spend on your site, and how much money they will spend buying your products. Using WordPress is one way to improve your page load speed. As a matter of fact, it is possible to achieve page load times under one second using WordPress.

Mobile Friendly

Concern: I need my website to be mobile-friendly.

You may have already noticed that the number of mobile website users is growing fast. Which makes having a mobile-first website absolutely essential in 2019. Google is penalizing sites that aren’t mobile-friendly by ranking them lower on their result pages. Once again, using WordPress will make creating the best possible mobile-first user experience easy.

With WordPress, you don’t have to overhaul your entire site to make it accessible on tablets and smartphones. Most WordPress themes and frameworks are fully responsive. WordPress also has an option for websites to be viewed in “mobile view” for themes that aren’t responsive, but I don’t really recommend it.

Multilingual Compatibility

Concern: My target audience speaks more than one language.

The world is becoming ever more connected, and most likely you are competing in a global marketplace. But don’t worry if your intended audience does not speak English. The WordPress translation team has translated WordPress into 169 different languages. Many plugins also offer translated versions, so be sure to check for that. In addition, you can easily create a multilingual site using translation plugins. Our multilingual website design team uses WPML, but we also recommend plugins such as Polylang, Weglot and TranslatePress.

WordPress is Accessible for All Users

Concern: Will visually impaired visitors use my website?

Some people who want to use your website may have vision, or other, impairments. And websites do need to comply with ADA requirements. By using WordPress, you are already ahead of the curve. The WordPress core team puts a special emphasis on making WordPress software accessible to everyone.

Adaptability

Concern: What if my website needs a change in the future?

The website you have or build today most likely is not the website you will have in a few years, or maybe even in a few months. Websites are not static or frozen in time but need to be updated and enhanced on an ongoing basis. And using WordPress makes that not only possible, but relatively fast and easy.

WordPress is flexible enough to accommodate all needs through a large number of extensions and plugins that are available. The range of options is virtually limitless! But I do recommend that you exercise some caution. Always consider your audience expectations and the website usability they actually expect. Don’t simply add something just because it is new or seems cool!

Using WordPress Improves Website Security

Built-In Security Measures

Concern: I heard that WordPress websites get hacked a lot.

You may have misheard or misunderstood that. Yes, it is true that WordPress is a popular target for website hackers. But don’t forget that one-third of all sites on the Internet use WordPress. That alone makes WordPress a tempting target. But the sites that actually get compromised are usually not protected from attacks.

An open CMS such as WordPress does not make your online presence more vulnerable. In fact, by using WordPress, you have already taken an important step to improve security for your website. Another reason why WordPress is so popular are the security measures developers take. WordPress constantly updates the actual CMS, along with the plug-ins that integrate with it.

Of course, WordPress users should always exercise caution and only download plugins from trusted sources, preferably while directly logged into WordPress itself, and make sure their WordPress website and plugins are always up-to-date.

Security and Website Updates

Concern: How can I keep my site updated?

This is one of the more common concerns I get from potential clients. Keeping their website up-to-date should be important to business owners of all kinds. Using WordPress makes that really easy and straightforward. WordPress is integrated with an automatic updater for security purposes. The CMS also notifies you when new updates are available for plug-ins. As such, you’ll always have the latest and safest platforms to keep your site safe.

Security Options

Concern: How can I Protect my WordPress website?

By using WordPress, you have access to a large number of plugins and services to help you protect your WordPress website. The first thing you must do is to invest in a secure and trusted WordPress theme and plugins. I strongly recommend you stay away from any free themes or plugins that have only a few users and are not compatible with your version of WordPress.

Next you should consider utilizing a backup service like VaultPress or UpDraft, or any other security back-up plugin. There are both paid and free options, but make sure to carefully review them before deciding to install one.

Next you should install at least one WordPress security plugin. I highly recommend both Wordfence and Sucuri. While each of those has a basic free version, the paid versions will provide you with more options and flexibility, as well as enhanced website security.

By following the above steps you will not only make it harder for hackers to penetrate your website, but you also make it a lot easier to restore your WordPress website after it got hacked or otherwise compromised.

Using WordPress for Content Creation and Publishing

Easy Content and Page Creation

Concern: Will I be able to add content, images and pages on my own?

Yes, absolutely! As a matter of fact, WordPress makes that super easy for you. If you can create a text document in Microsoft Word, you can create a formatted post in WordPress. No coding or tweaking required. Using WordPress to add text content is as easy as using your favorite text editor.

The same goes for uploading images. If you have ever uploaded an image to Facebook or Instagram, and who hasn’t, you will be able to upload and add images to your WordPress posts and pages.

If you want to go all out and actually add new pages, or tweak existing pages to your liking, WordPress page builders can help you without needing to know a single line of code. So go knock yourself out. It’s your WordPress website after all!

Multimedia Support

Concern: Can I upload my own video or other multimedia files?

Once again, using WordPress allows you to easily integrate video either by uploading your own, or by adding embeddable code through the HTML areas. You can also add audio files, imagery, and other forms of media to keep people interested and browsing your site.

Immediate Content Publishing

Concern: Can I quickly publish content to take advantage of a new opportunity?

Yes, of course you can. It is essential to your online success to be able t take advantage of opportunities as they arise. So, if a celebrity stops by for coffee, or you get featured on the news, using WordPress makes it super easy to publish new content right away simply by clicking your mouse. And if you have the WordPress app on your smartphone or tablet, you can publish your post from anywhere, anytime!

Content Scheduling

Concern: Can I create content and schedule it to publish later?

Creating fresh content is essential if you want to keep your website relevant to your audience. But that may not always be an option for you. By using WordPress, you can schedule the content you publish. This way, you can write all your content at once, and have it published at specific times of the day, over many days. This is most convenient if a majority of your traffic tends to visit during a particular block of time.

User-Generated Content

Concern: Can I easily add testimonials and other user-generated content?

Yes, you can! Having testimonials on your website about products or services is a great selling tactic. There are several plugins available that make it easy to publish customer testimonials and reviews. Some of them offer widgets that show reviews about your business on a scroll.

If You Need Help Using WordPress

Online Support

Concern: What if I get stuck using WordPress?

No worries, there is lots of help online. A simple Google search for “WordPress + the issue you are dealing with” will bring up tons of videos, blogs, guides and tutorials to help you solve just about any WordPress issue or problem. Even better, many forums allow WordPress users to help each other out, creating a very interactive community.

Affordable Experts

Concern: I don’t have a big budget for website help.

I understand, and the numbers are on your side when it comes to locating WordPress experts of all kinds. Many web developers are experts in dealing with WordPress, which means you will have an easier time finding one to work with. There are also many web design firms that specialize in building WordPress websites.

Marketing on search visibility is another reason for using WordPress. WordPress is the CMS of choice for SEO professionals, and WordPress has many SEO plugins that allow SEO experts to provide a higher level of support, customization, optimization and user support.

Finally, while requirements may differ in each specific case, SEO set-up and design often take less time than creating an entire CMS directly from scratch.

Using WordPress to Rule the World

It Can Guide Missiles

This may be a little outside of your basic requirements, but there was this one time when WordPress was caught guiding missiles.

You Should Be Using WordPress

As you can see, you can use WordPress for a personal blog, small business website, online store or enterprise-level website. There are virtually no limits to what you can do with this powerful content management system. If you aren’t using WordPress, the 39 suggestions above should have given you enough incentive to make the switch to WordPress.

When it comes to website development, I know that not everyone wants to spend all their working time working on their online presence. That is why I believe that using WordPress is the best option for beginners and experts alike to create the online presence they need to meet their short and long-term business objectives.

WordPress is free, responsive, secure, and highly customizable. In case you are looking for a digital publishing platform with ease of use, try WordPress. It is a highly effective tool for creating the best possible consumer experience. And we are here to help you at every step of the way.

Need Help Using WordPress?

Our innovative mobile-first web design team can help you develop just about any type of WordPress website. We are experts at carefully crafting custom mobile-friendly websites to meet (almost) any budget. From designing new WordPress websites, redesigning or updating an existing website, building responsive e-Commerce websites to creating a multilingual online presence for your business we work directly with the client to prepare them for the ever more demanding mobile consumer. Why not get started by requesting your free web design estimate?

And if you are still not sure how you can benefit from using WordPress, don’t worry! Simply reach out and contact us. Our expert team will listen to you, answer your questions, and determine the best way to build and maintain your WordPress website. It is one of our specialties, after all!

Are You Using WordPress?

Are you using WordPress for your business or product brand? If so, how has this helped you better meet your mobile user expectations? If not, what is your biggest objection to using WordPress? Do you have other problems with your business website design? Please feel free to let us know so our audience can benefit as well and grab our feed so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our post with your audience!

Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!

By Gregor Schmidt
Co-Founder / CXO
@gregorspeaks