If you’re a business owner, chances are you’ve heard of other businesses and people using WordPress. WP is an open source content publishing system created in 2003 through a merge of platforms by developers and entrepreneurs Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg. Each update has introduced powerful features like mix-and-match plugins, widgets, static pages, built-in theme installation, and media management.
Why is it so popular? Isn’t it just another bland publishing system that only shows what you type? Well, we would argue that it is anything but bland. WordPress is such a versatile, super-friendly content management system, that not only is it used by Fortune 500 companies like eBay, GM, and Reuters News, it is also used by over 7.5 million other sites of all sizes and niches.
Why, then, is WordPress so widely used? Here are five excellent reasons.
1. Plugin stability and autonomy
Most WordPress plugins do not need other plugins which require updates at differing times. This spares the user from extra monitoring and maintenance. If your online business presence has little room for downtime or costly maintenance, this is an ideal platform. The average multi-plugin update takes about 15 minutes if you back up your database manually, a few minutes with a backup plugin, and a few seconds for run-of-the-mill maintenance.
2. Multisite option
One very exciting option recently introduced is the ability to host multiple WordPress sites on the same installation. This feature allows you to create a site for each of your sales agents or representatives without purchasing extra websites or hosting packages.
3. Plugin power and versatility
Do you need to sell your timeshare? Perhaps you have to list and filter your content, so jobs automatically show on one page and blog posts on another. Are you building an effective and unobtrusive SEO interface for your bloggers? Are you tasked with planning and listing events, or perhaps selling classified ad space? WordPress is home to many masterwork plugins such as My Calendar, List By Post, All In One SEO Pack, ShareThis, and Advanced Custom Fields.
4. Ease of use
If you’ve ever plodded through hand-coding a website or worked with an unnecessarily complex CMS, you’ll be pleased with WordPress’s easy learning curve and organization. You can switch themes in under ten seconds, use quick-edit options to insert a tag you forgot without re-opening your article, make a post sticky, or link to existing content from a drop-down menu. When time is money, WordPress is your financial advisor. When you’re looking to outsource your web design needs to a tech company you can also rest easy that maintenance won’t soak up a large part of your budget.
5. Themes
From lightweight frameworks to elegant powerhouses, free and paid themes abound, created by casual coders and professional designers alike. Whether you need a theme geared toward load time, appearance, or features, then WordPress has it.
In short, WordPress is a user-shaped content management system with immense creative and practical potential. A reasonably skilled user can build a site with social sharing, SEO, e-commerce, maps, new post types, and custom site structures in just a few hours.
Do you use WordPress? Tell us about your experiences with this uniquely flexible CMS.
