To use WordPress or not to use WordPress that is the question

21 May 2013

Here at Blue Wren we have been using WordPress as a content management system for a while now and found that it is not only a great system for us, but also for our clients. Many discussions have been had over whether to use WordPress or not. So below are our thoughts on the WordPress conundrum.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open source content management system used to make either a website or blog. It was created by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little and around 18% of all internet sites and blogs use WordPress as their content management system – it is the world’s most popular CMS by quite a stretch.

What are the main positives for WordPress?

Ease of use

One of the mains selling points for using WordPress is the ease of use once the initial setup of the website has been completed. Once built the client can upload and be in control of the website themselves. This provides the client with the freedom to keep their content fresh and up to date.  For designers and programmers the WordPress coding framework is very flexible. This allows a programmer to build a website that meets the client’s demands in a short amount of time (compared to building a site from scratch using hard coding).

SEO friendly

WordPress’s final output code is clean and easy to read for the search engines to identify and read what the site is about. WordPress also gives the option of adding key SEO information like meta tags, keywords, title and description very easily.

Plugins and site expandability

As a site grows, having a content management system that can cope with the expansion of information is essential. If a website has been custom made with a specific content management system, adding extra pages for fresh content could be difficult and expensive. WordPress is easily extendable and is simple to add more pages and content to the site.  An added feature to WordPress is plugins. WordPress has tens of thousands of plugins available which are either free or minimal in price. Plugins can be used to enhance a website and make it not only more visually appealing but also help with SEO.

Cost effective and future proof

WordPress is open-source code.  That means it shares all of its code and encourages developers to contribute to the development and improvement of the software.  This means it is always improving and not limited to a handful of developers deciding what developments to make.  It is also free to use, which means as web developers we can provide a sophisticated content management system without expensive licence fees.

Are there things to be aware of?

Updates

WordPress updates itself constantly – almost at a rate of 1 a month. Although this is comforting to know the software is keeping up to date with security hacks and making sure the site runs as smoothly as possible, it can be quite annoying and time consuming having to constantly update.

That is why as part of our hosting package we monitor and manage all WordPress updates so you don’t have to.

Security

Security is vital for all websites and whether it is a personal site or a multinational bank no one wants to be hacked. WordPress is very secure but is also prone to being hacked, mainly due to its huge popularity.

These hacks are only successful if the WordPress sites have been configured incorrectly – for example keeping the default login username as ‘Admin’ or installing a dubious plugin.

For all WordPress websites we develop we implement the tightest security measures possible and continually update changes to prevent security breaches.

Is it right for you?

As with all website projects it’s all about planning and deciding what you want to achieve from your website. It’s only after deciding what you want that you can decide if WordPress is right for you.

We have found that 99% of the time WordPress works well with our clients through developing a custom theme that suits their needs perfectly. The fact that our clients have control at the end of the design and build is essential, and knowing that if something goes wrong we’re only a phone call away is very comforting. We have found WordPress to be a great content management system and so do many other people.

If you are in need of a website or a re-design of an old site please get in contact to see how we can help you.