WordPress: What you need to know with Pros and Cons
It’s time to create a new website. Hence, you have undoubtedly encountered the well-known WordPress Content Management System (CMS). Both bloggers and website owners have come to rely on the platform as their go-to resource. Yet, it’s crucial to carefully weigh all of the main WordPress benefits and drawbacks before dipping your toe into the ecosystem.
- In the end, the kind of project you’re working on, your personal tastes, and other crucial variables like your budget will determine which web development technology you use.
- Yet there are several explanations for why WordPress now powers nearly 50% of the internet. Sites created using it perform well on a variety of devices and are generally inexpensive and simple to master.
- Even while everything here seems positive, WordPress is not without its problems. Problems with software updates, expensive customization costs, and even potential security risks all be obstacles you have to overcome.
This thorough examination of the most important WordPress advantages and downsides should help you decide whether WordPress is the best choice for your project if you’re not sure whether it is. But first, let’s have a look at an introduction to WordPress.Wordpress provides you with a:
- Very quick and simple CMS installation and use
- So “free” is open source software.
- Very customizable and more popular worldwide, CMS
- Many premium and free themes and addons
- A CMS designed specifically for blogs
The benefits of WordPress (Why Use WordPress)
It’s crucial to realize that there are two separate WordPress platforms: WordPress.org and WordPress.com, in order to properly comprehend the benefits and drawbacks of the platform. Although the underlying programme for all versions is the same, there are some significant variations that will impact how you use it.
- WordPress.org is an open-source, totally free online publishing tool that allows you full access to all of the program’s features and functionalities. You may add any plugin, theme, or other extensions to your site with this version. You will, however, need to download and install it on your hosting server or local storage. It is also known as self-hosted WordPress for this reason.
- WordPress.com, on the other hand, is the more constrained proprietary version. With this variation, WordPress will handle site hosting and other tasks for you in exchange for a payment. But, depending on your membership level, the types of themes and plugins you may use are restricted.
To get the most out of WordPress, we always advise utilizing WordPress.org. As a result, only the benefits and downsides of WordPress listed below apply to WordPress.org.
Pros of using WordPress
1. Beginner-friendly and simple to Start
- The main benefit of utilizing WordPress is that you may create your own website without any prior knowledge of coding or web development. The majority of WordPress providers currently let you add WordPress with a single click to your hosting account.
- Once you’ve done that, you may utilize the setup wizard on the default dashboard to navigate the system fast. You will find it simple to give your website a name, choose a color scheme, add a theme, and even install a plugin. Activating many plugins also instantly directs you to a setup wizard.
- It’s also not too difficult to add material to your website (either as a page or a post). You may quickly create nearly any form of website using content blocks thanks to the Gutenberg Block Editor’s simple user interface (UI).
After you’ve mastered the programme, moving up the corporate ladder is likewise fairly simple. For instance, purchasing a premium WordPress theme with extra functionality or upgrading your web hosting plan are both simple solutions.
2. Affordable Web Development Solution
WordPress is comparatively more affordable than any other conventional web development tool for building websites. You need often engage a designer or developer if you want to set up a website utilizing web development stacks. And this frequently has a high cost.
With WordPress, you can get started with even a small budget thanks to the no-code beginner-friendly solution. The fact that the WordPress software is open-source and free is by far the largest benefit here. All you have to do is pay for site hosting and domain name registration.
3. WordPress provides a huge selection of free themes.
The theme you choose will determine how well you’re WordPress site turns out. WordPress offers a variety of both free and premium themes that you may personalize to suit your needs.
A theme is a group of PHP code, CSS styles, and JavaScript files that define how a website will look.
The theme has a layout, a design, and other features. Customers are expected to select the option that best suits their interests and purposes on the site. Some are made to cater to particular sorts of websites, such as themes for travel websites, food blogs, magazines, and many more. One is frequently constrained by the sheer quantity of subjects available. It is one of the reasons why, if you want to decide swiftly, you should first take into account:
- Make the appropriate decision.
- Choose a free or paid theme
- Analyze the theme’s level of popularity.
- Examine the features provided.
- Don’t forget about the design
4. Many plugins are also available to tailor your use.
A plugin is an addition you may make to your website in order to improve it and, if feasible, modify it. They resemble little programmes that may be used to enhance a website’s functionality or aesthetics. Before utilizing the plugins, you don’t need to be an expert in coding or web language.
Depending on their complexity, WordPress extensions in its directory can be utilized for free or for a charge. Additionally keep in mind that a plugin cannot function on its own without customization and a host.
5. WordPress may be applied in several contexts.
- Blog
WordPress has grown to include website development, but it hasn’t lost sight of its origins. A blog is a weblog that can be a standalone page on your website or an important element of it. You may use it to post articles, pictures, and videos, as well as to generally follow the news and engage with your audience through comments.
2.Portfolio
You may display your abilities and submit your works in the portfolio. But you should also have a website nearby or incorporate your online portfolio into one.
3. E-commerce
It enables a business to market and sell its goods. Having an e-commerce site may help you grow your clientele locally, nationally, or even globally. It can also appeal to people who don’t want to visit a real shop, whether you do or not. This kind of website may be made with WordPress due to the WooCommerce plugin.
6. Upgrades often and heightened security
Another amazing thing about WordPress is how simple it is to update its many parts. Also, the core programme is often updated by Automatic, the parent company of WordPress. This guarantees that the most recent versions of PHP are being used by your website.
7. E-Commerce features plus online marketing and social media sharing
- Installing the free WooCommerce plugin is all that’s required to get started whether you want to sell physical or digital goods on your website. Your site now has highly potent eCommerce functionality thanks to this plugin. It currently powers more than 99% of all WordPress stores in the US, Canada, and the UK, which explains why.
- When you’ve created your shop, you may also link your social media accounts to keep your fans informed whenever you add new goods, services, or instructional materials.
- You can simply locate the required resources when you also need to develop advertising campaigns online (either on your site or as paid advertisements).
Cons of using WordPress
1. Maintaining Up-to-Date Is a Key Concern
Here’s another benefit of WordPress that may quickly turn into a drawback. The regular WordPress upgrades improve security and functionality. Yet, due to the likely presence of several plugins on your website, keeping up with these upgrades might be difficult.
Thankfully, if you choose managed WordPress hosting, your provider will handle many tasks including plugin and software upgrades. Also, many plugin creators offer automatic upgrades. If not, you might have to manually update the plugin or theme by logging into your WordPress dashboard.
2.There are too many options available.
There is undoubtedly a drawback to having so many options available when selecting a WordPress plugin or theme. Most newcomers find it daunting to sort through hundreds of items they know little or nothing about. Also, WordPress offers a lot of features that could be a bit challenging to comprehend.
3. Threats to Security
On both sides of the WordPress pros and drawbacks, security is a significant issue. WordPress websites are susceptible to spam and hacking just like anything else on the internet. Due to the open-source nature of WordPress, the risk may occasionally be higher. In addition, hackers frequently attack it because of its popularity.
You may more effectively address many of these security vulnerabilities with the use of WordPress security plugins. To keep your comment area and forms free of spam, you may use employ anti-spam software.
4. Increasing Site Speed May Be Difficult
Most of the time, several plugins and extensions are required to supply your site’s essential features on fully working WordPress websites. Although modularity is beneficial, over-plugging your site might slow it down and degrade its performance. Your page loading speeds may suffer significantly when combined with additional elements like an unstable web host.
Using a reputable and effective web host with the finest server locations for your intended audience is the first step in resolving this.
Conclusion
As nothing is perfect, WordPress too has benefits and drawbacks, but overall, the positives outweigh the downsides. And the drawbacks are things you may simply fix if you speak with a WordPress specialist. So, you should work with a WordPress development company, and your website will function flawlessly.
You can simply solve the issues after weighing the benefits and downsides. On the plus side, WordPress should be your business content management system if you are not familiar with coding languages for website development.