A content management system is a software application that allows users to create, edit, publish, and delete content on their website, usually via a user-friendly dashboard on their website’s back end. Examples of popular CMS’s include Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and of course WordPress. WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system (CMS), currently powering approximately 36% of the internet, or roughly 19.5 million websites globally (Codeinwp.com, 2020).
WordPress is an incredibly flexible and richly-supported content management system. Initially a blogging platform, WordPress’s free and open-source software, and the evolution and proliferation of theme and plugin development, has facilitated WordPress’s growth as a CMS that is flexible enough to meet almost all design and website functional needs. If a functionality isn’t currently supported with available plugins, one can be custom-coded. Same with themes. WordPress is an immensely popular, user-friendly CMS with a phenomenal support ecosystem.
WordPress is an incredibly flexible and richly-supported content management system. Initially a blogging platform, WordPress’s free and open-source software, and the evolution and proliferation of theme and plugin development, has facilitated WordPress’s growth as a CMS that is flexible enough to meet almost all design and website functional needs. If a functionality isn’t currently supported with available plugins, one can be custom-coded. Same with themes. WordPress is an immensely popular, user-friendly CMS with a phenomenal support ecosystem.
When referring to WordPress development, we are generally speaking of WordPress.org’s open-source software that allows developers to build custom websites and applications. In contrast, WordPress.com is a service that hosts and maintains basic WordPress websites. Similarly named, these two entities are actually separate. If you are considering WordPress.com as an option, you can read more about both the pros and cons of that specific service here. For anything more than hobby-blogging, you’ll want consider options outside of WordPress.com.
Statistics from CodeinWP’s “The Ultimate List of WordPress Statistics”
The WordPress ecosystem is strong and extremely well-supported. Themes and plugins listed on the WordPress Directory must meet specific requirements to be included, and you’re often able to find reviews from users who have intimate experience using those products, as well as detailed information about when the plugin or theme was last updated and what kind of support is available. If you have questions about web development, finding answers as they relate to WordPress is fantastically easy. There are numerous forums, videos, guides, tutorials, meet-ups, etc. for WordPress development. Lack of documentation and support is seldom a WordPress issue.
Flexibility really separates WordPress from its competitors. The WordPress plugin and theme economy is extensive, allowing users without any coding experience to add plug-and-play functionality or update their site’s design with minimal effort. Additionally, the WordPress back end is intuitive and generally simple enough for even beginners to use, allowing the most tech-challenged of individuals to create and publish content. It’s ease-of-use and the ability to add functionality or new features with the simple upload of pre-packaged software (plugins), means WordPress builds can be leveraged to meet any client’s needs.
With a plethora of frameworks, themes, and plugins available, WordPress users can target additional functionality beyond that of a basic brochure site.
Setting up an online store? WordPress integrates quickly and easily with WooCommerce, which powers 28% of online stores worldwide (Codeinwp.com, 2020). Need to capture leads and generate a mailing list for outreach? Mailchimp will allow you to add forms to your WordPress site via API or plugin, capturing visitor information and automatically adding it to your mailing list every time a form is submitted. Need a slider to dynamically display images on one of your webpages? Visit WordPress’ Plugin Directory and do a quick search for “sliders”. You’ll likely be surprised at the amount of results.
The same works for form integrations, image galleries, pop-ups, security and cache plugins, and more. With WordPress, your initial build doesn’t need to be your final build. As your business grows and additional functionality is needed, your site can grow accordingly with relatively little hassle.
As is common, it honestly depends on your needs and goals. Hiring a professional developer means you’re going to get a faster, more secure, customized build that meets your specific functional and design needs. The build will also be responsive to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens if done correctly (this is extremely important as the share of people who access websites via mobile devices continues to grow). Hiring a professional WordPress developer will save you an immense amount of personal frustration and time.
The trade-off is obviously monetary. When you build a website yourself, the costs can be confined to purchasing a theme, some plugins perhaps, and selecting a basic hosting package. Building a WordPress website is certainly possible on your own, but does come with some inherent challenges, limitations, and time obligations (i.e. learning how to correctly build, launch, and maintain a website). You should consider these facets of development when making a determination as to how you want your site built. Here are some additional considerations to help guide your decision:
The trade-off is obviously monetary. When you build a website yourself, the costs can be confined to purchasing a theme, some plugins perhaps, and selecting a basic hosting package. Building a WordPress website is certainly possible on your own, but does come with some inherent challenges, limitations, and time obligations (i.e. learning how to correctly build, launch, and maintain a website). You should consider these facets of development when making a determination as to how you want your site built. Here are some additional considerations to help guide your decision:
If not, your options for theme and site customization will be limited to those edits allowed or set up by your theme’s developers. Significant edits can be made to the design and layout of a WordPress site with simple HTML, CSS, JS, and PHP, and it can be quite a bit of fun learning how to code in these languages, but it can take a substantial amount of time and practice to become proficient. If your tech skills hinder you from building a site that meets all your desired design and performance specifications, you’d be well served to recruit the professional skills of an experienced developer or agency.
SEO Idaho™ has built, hosted, and maintained WordPress websites for 100’s of clients. You can review previous builds and see the quality for yourself on Our Portfolio page. We take great pride in building fast, secure, and modern websites for our clients that meet their functional needs and exceed their expectations. Still not convinced. Read some of the Google and Facebook reviews left by our previous clients.
With the WordPress environment so well established, what’s the downside? As with all products, WordPress isn’t without its faults. As the most popular CMS in the world, it’s also the most popular hacking target (Codeinwp.com, 2020). This is why professional development and support is so important. Anyone can purchase a theme, install some plugins, and launch a site, but what comes after? Your site will require ongoing support and maintenance to ensure it is protected. Otherwise, hackers will use vulnerabilities such as those created by out-dated themes and plugins to harass and disable your site.
SEO Idaho™ handles these concerns for you. We perform monthly maintenance and security updates, and we back up your site. We’ll take the worry out of your web build and keep your site safe. With SEO Idaho™, we expertly build your website, customize it to your design and functional needs, and then we care for your site after launch. We take care of the technical concerns of your website so you can focus on the business concerns of your company.
SEO Idaho™ handles these concerns for you. We perform monthly maintenance and security updates, and we back up your site. We’ll take the worry out of your web build and keep your site safe. With SEO Idaho™, we expertly build your website, customize it to your design and functional needs, and then we care for your site after launch. We take care of the technical concerns of your website so you can focus on the business concerns of your company.
SEO Idaho™ has partnered with HostCozy to provide our clients with exceptional website hosting at incredible rates. We’re dedicated to keeping your website fast (important for SEO), safe, and live. You don’t need to shop around for the best hosting service available for your site. With exceptional rates, 24/7 support, and guaranteed uptime greater than 99.9%, you can be sure your site will always be accessible and performant with HostCozy.
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