When starting a new website for your business or organization, one of the first places to start is the platform that will be used to build your site. There is no shortage of options, and while each one offers advantages and disadvantages, my very favorite to use for nearly a decade has been WordPress.org. WordPress is a system that has been around for over 15 years and can be used to create a huge variety of websites.
More impressive than how long it has been in use is its prevalence- just over one-third of all websites are built using it! What makes it so popular? Here are just some of the things that I love about building sites using WordPress.
Its Versatility
WordPress originally started as a blogging platform. While it still makes an excellent platform to use as the basis of a blog, it has expanded over the years to support virtually any type of website one can think of. I’ve used it as a platform to create traditional business websites, searchable databases, e-commerce sites, membership sites, and community forums, just to name of few of the possibilities. WordPress supports completely custom code when needed, but also boasts an extensive repository of free and premium software meant to add features and improve built-in functionality.
Ease of Use
One of the best parts about building on WordPress is that, while it supports more complex functions and custom code, the basics of the platform are extremely accessible, especially for clients who don’t have any interest in becoming web designers or developers themselves. Once a site is configured, minor content changes and page additions are manageable without a steep learning curve or extended time commitment.
The Community
Last but definitely not least, the WordPress community is nothing short of phenomenal. There are online groups for just about every popular theme and tool out there and countless pages of tutorials, bug fixes, and support. The WordPress.org platform is notable for being open-source and community-driven. Its community is huge, active, friendly, and supportive- I’m thrilled to be a part of it!
