If you are in the beginning stages of creating a website, you likely have questions about which platform to use. WordPress is a content management system that is very popular around the world, but is it right for you? We will be discussing some pros and cons of using WordPress and in which situations it is best suited.

History of WordPress

In 2003, the creators of WordPress built it to be the replacement of two different types of blogging software. WordPress is open-source, meaning that anyone can access the source code and make modifications. Contributors to WordPress often submit patches, suggestions for enhanced security features, and fixes for bugs.

Pro

Helpful Resources

WordPress has countless users, and many of them have asked the same questions that you have. When you find yourself confused or struggling to build your website, you can easily ask a question online and find an answer. There are also direct customer service resources such as support tickets, which you can access through a plugin.

Con

Frequent Updates Required

Since WordPress is open-source, there are constantly new updates available to download. This includes updates to your WordPress itself, as well as your themes and plugins. If you neglect your updates, you will increase your risk of experiencing hacking and cyber attacks.

When you choose a WordPress hosting provider, you can go with a managed plan. This means that your hosting provider will take care of most of the updates for you. You will still need to check for updates occasionally on some of your plugins.

Pro

Seamless Integrations

WordPress shines when it comes to integrating with third-party platforms, particularly social media sites. This is especially important for business owners who are trying to build up their social media followers. You can share your new WordPress posts to your business’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram accounts with just one click.

WordPress also supports a variety of plugins to assist with your social media campaigns. For instance, some plugins display the number of followers you have on each platform. After each post or marketing campaign, you can view these numbers to determine if they moved up or down.

Con

Potential for Slow Speeds

Upon installation, WordPress is unlikely to have all the features you will need for your websites. Due to this, you will probably have at least a few plugins or add-ons. Additional features typically have a corresponding negative effect on speed because of the scripts and files that need to load.

Luckily, there are several methods of improving the speed of your WordPress site, but these could be time-consuming or expensive to implement.

Pro

Comparatively Inexpensive

WordPress is free for anyone to use, although some premium themes and plugins may have a cost. Overall, WordPress is a budget-friendly option as compared to hiring a website designer. Hiring outside contractors can result in an effective, unique product, but the costs can quickly add up.

Con

Vulnerability to Attack

The fact that WordPress is open source is a benefit in many ways, but it also leads to an opportunity for cyber attacks. Hackers and cybercriminals have the same access to WordPress’ source code as everyone else and therefore can use it to their advantage. They can exploit the platform and find all the security cracks.

You should also be cautious when downloading plugins. Certain third-party plugins may be hiding malware that you inadvertently unleash on your site. Before you download anything, take a minute to read a review of the plugin online and keep an eye out for obvious clues regarding quality.

Pro

User-Friendliness

WordPress is often a favorite for beginners because of its ease of use. You can use it without any prior knowledge of web design or coding. The platform is set up so that the admin can log in to modify and organize the content on the site in a manner as pain-free as possible.

When to Use WordPress

After discussing various pros and cons to using the software, you might be wondering what the best time is to use WordPress. The optimal uses of WordPress include but are not limited to the following:

• eCommerce shops
• Blogs
• Online course platforms
• Forums

Even though these are the optimal applications for a WordPress site, you can use this CMS for virtually any type of website.