Is WordPress Still Relevant?

The short answer to the question, “is WordPress still relevant”, is yes! The future looks bright. The WordPress platform is highly customizable, very scalable and always dependable. WordPress continues to lead from the front. However, just like any web platform, it does face its share of challenges in the coming years. Features and functions must continue to be developed. Other competitors are continually trying to offer a better product. And yet WordPress continues to out perform other platforms with high marks.

Why WordPress?

WordPress is highly scalable. As your business grows, so to can your website. New functions, features and looks can be added on the fly. Some current platforms make scalability extremely difficult, if not impossible. That is not the case with WordPress. You can add new functionality via thousands of plugins, many which are free (or offer free versions). You can also have features custom created for your specific site.

WordPress is still one of the better platforms in terms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). WordPress is written using high-quality code which translates to proper semantic markup, meaning Google and other search engines like what they see. Right of the box, WordPress sites tend to rank fairly high in organic search results. Even better, there are a few free SEO-specific plugins available that can boost your site’s SEO even more.

From a back-end user standpoint, WordPress is fairly easy to navigate. Having worked with a variety of different platforms I can say that for most part, the back end of WordPress makes sense. For many clients, they either get it right off the bat, or already have had some exposure to the platform. For others, with a little training, they can easily create new pages, add content, change images, etc.

WordPress for eCommerce?

In my opinion, no. If you’re looking to have a product-intensive eCommerce store – there are many platforms on the market that were created solely for that purpose. Woocommerce (the eCommerce plugin for WordPress) was created as almost an after thought. It added the much needed ability for WordPress sites to sell products. In that respect it succeeded. Where it falls short is its feature set in comparison to eCommerce exclusive platforms like Shopify or Yahoo Stores. If your aim is to have an informational site and to offer downloadable items or a small selection of products, then WordPress/Woocommerce could be the right choice. However, if your aim is to have a product-heavy eCommerce store, going with a platform that was built for that sole purpose is likely the better way to go.

How much does WordPress cost?

WordPress is free! There’s of course a catch to that statement. The functionality for WordPress is indeed free. What you’ll end up paying for is the domain name, the hosting, potentially a theme and if you’re not web savvy, a developer to handle the initial site creation. You may also pay for a plugin or two. Domain names are cheap. Hosting (if you’re on shared-hosting) will run from $4-$15 a month. Most themes run between $50-$100. Hiring a developer can get expensive, but that depends on how complex your site needs to be. For most informational websites, around 10 pages in size, you’re looking to spend in the range of $2000-$3000 for a customized theme. Add that all up and you’ll most likely be paying a lot less than you would from many competitor platforms.

A few Interesting Facts

• According to W3techs, WordPress is the top content management system controlling over 58% of the market.
• 27% of the Internet is powered by WordPress websites! A survey by netcraft states that there are around 75,000,000 websites using WordPress. That’s a lot of sites!
• The download counter at WordPress.org shows that version 5.1 of WordPress has been downloaded a whooping 4,879,701. That number changes literally by the second. By the time I finished writing this, the number was already at 4,879,809!
• WordPress Websites make up almost 15% of the top 100 websites in the world.

What does the future look like?

WordPress has a bright future. The platform is strong and continuing to expand its functional capabilities. That said, it does have its share of challenges as all web platforms do. What’s ultimately important though is that WordPress continues to evolve to best serve the needs of its customers. You don’t become as dominant of a web platform as WordPress by resting on your laurels. If you’re considering WordPress for your future website, or you’re looking to migrate over from a platform you’re unsatisfied with, we’d love to speak with you. You can contact C Dev Web Design here.