In the digital age, it is safe to say that having a website is now a necessity for every business. It is one of the best ways a business can maintain its online presence. However, not everyone has a formal technical background in web development. This is where a content management system (CMS) can come in handy. Content management systems allow anyone to create and maintain a website without the need for a formal background in web development. Currently, the top choice of industry leaders in all niches is WordPress CMS for small business.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a free, open-source content management platform that allows individuals and organizations to build websites on its platform. It is the best CMS for small businesses and the most commonly used content management platform in the world today, holding 62% of the CMS market share. Moreover, it is estimated that there are 455 million WordPress websites globally. With these whopping numbers, it is not a surprise why the popularity of WordPress continues to grow each year. Some of the top companies that use WordPress-powered websites include BBC America, OptinMonster, The Walt Disney Company, and Van Heusen.
Who are the competitors of WordPress?
There is no shortage of content management systems in the industry today. Some of the content management platforms that compete with WordPress include:
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Webflow
- Weebly
- Jimdo
- Joomla!
- Webnode
- Site123
- Medium.com
- Shopify
Despite having a lot of competitors, no other content management system can come close to the popularity and market penetration that WordPress has, which is why WordPress is the best CMS. WordPress powers over 13 times the number of CMS websites compared to Joomla, the second most popular CMS host. Today, WordPress’s popularity continues to grow, with the CMS registering over 1.1 million new domains every six months.
What are the advantages of WordPress?
Listed below are the top 25 advantages that explain why WordPress is the best CMS.
- WordPress is extremely easy to install and set up.
- WordPress is simple, straightforward, and easy to use.
- WordPress is cheap and cost-effective.
- WordPress is SEO friendly.
- WordPress allows for more responsive website designs and themes.
- WordPress is mobile-friendly.
- WordPress-powered websites can be accessed anywhere in the world.
- WordPress is continuously improving.
- WordPress highlights web security.
- WordPress has the most plugins.
- WordPress has an active blogging functionality.
- WordPress offers a lot of web design options.
- WordPress takes website functionality to a whole new level.
- WordPress is incredibly flexible.
- WordPress boasts an intuitive backend interface.
- WordPress offers fast and convenient website creation and maintenance.
- WordPress has plenty of support forums.
- WordPress has a large community.
- WordPress needs zero coding knowledge.
- WordPress is open source.
- WordPress-powered websites are highly scalable.
- WordPress themes are 100% customizable.
- WordPress supports self-hosting.
- WordPress supports multiple users with different permission levels.
- WordPress offers excellent e-commerce solutions.
WordPress is extremely easy to install and set up.
Getting started with WordPress is no rocket science, and this is one of the reasons why it’s the best CMS for small businesses. It is meant to be used by both novice users and experienced professionals. With that said, there are a few common methods to install WordPress, depending on your level of knowledge and expertise. For beginners, installing this content management system can be as easy and convenient as choosing a web host that comes pre-installed with WordPress. Professionals can go more technical by installing WordPress directly on their computers.
WordPress is simple, straightforward, and easy to use.
One of the reasons why WordPress is preferred by beginners is that it was created with the most novice of users in mind. This content management system is intuitive and provides easy-to-understand directions and tutorials to help you get started and keep you going. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, you can choose from its default website templates or work with a professional web developer for more customized web designs and features. Moreover, this allows you to devote your time to growing the other aspects of your business.
WordPress is cheap and cost-effective.
WordPress is an open-source content management system. Thus, it is 100% free to use for everyone seeking to build a website for personal or commercial use. For those who want to maximize its features, they may choose to use the paid version, use plugins, and get their own domain name. These additional services can cost a few extra dollars, but all in all, using the WordPress platform this way will most likely cost users less than $100. This makes WordPress one of the best small business CMS out there.
WordPress is SEO friendly.
In a video, Matt Cutts, the former head of Google’s webspam team, said that “sites built with WordPress are capable of ranking higher in search results because the CMS takes care of 80-90% of Google’s crawling issues.” True enough, among the most visited websites in the world, WordPress CMS powers 38% of them, making its market share of the top 10,000 sites. This is even higher than its overall market share. With WordPress as your CMS, your website can get more traffic via search engines.
WordPress allows for more responsive website designs and themes.
Long gone are the days when Internet users access the web mainly via desktop computers. Nowadays, people use a myriad of electronic devices. If you want your website to adjust to any device it is accessed from and provide your visitors with a seamless experience, using WordPress is the way to go. The web designs and themes that WordPress offers on its platform are responsive and can look great on any screen or device.
WordPress is mobile-friendly.
In relation to the advantage stated above, WordPress is the best because it is a mobile-friendly content management system. During the fourth quarter of 2021, mobile devices generated 54.4% of global website traffic, consistently hovering around the 50% mark since the beginning of 2017 before consistently surpassing it in 2020. With this, your website must render well on mobile devices because search engines will judge it by its mobile version. You can achieve this by using WordPress as your CMS.
WordPress-powered websites can be accessed anywhere in the world.
Although 71% of websites powered by WordPress are in English, you can choose from 62 languages to be used on your website. What’s more, it also offers translations for more than 162 languages. WordPress is the best CMS because you can easily create a multilingual website that can reach a wider audience anywhere in the world. If you are a small local business owner and you want to launch a website in your local language, WordPress can do just that through its language translation plugins.
WordPress is continuously improving.
The world wide web is changing and evolving every day. Content management systems need to keep up with these changes to stay relevant. WordPress stays on top by regularly updating its platform with the best web development practices and latest technological advancements. It has had 36 major version releases since its launch in 2003. On average, WordPress releases major versions every 152 days. Furthermore, WordPress provides regular, automatic updates that only require a single click to implement.
WordPress highlights web security.
WordPress was given a five-star privacy rating by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and it comes with good reasons. Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) internet protocol is a built-in feature for WordPress-powered websites. The content management system also offers security plugins that can help enhance the security of your website. This protects it from hacking and other vulnerabilities. For small business owners, it means that they don’t have to spend more time, money, and effort to keep their websites safe.
WordPress has the most plugins.
Currently, there are over 55,000 plugins on the WordPress Plugin Directory, with many new options added daily. Among all other content management systems, WordPress has the highest number of available plugins that allow for more customization options for your website. Plugins are applications that add new features and functions to your website, such as adding contact forms and creating an online store. What’s more, you can also get custom plugins developed for your specific requirements.
WordPress has an active blogging functionality.
Originally, WordPress was created for blogging. It was launched in 2003 as an improved version of b2/cafelog, a blogging software. When b2/cafelog was about to be discontinued, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, the founders of WordPress, decided to improve and fill in the gaps with the content management system that we know today. Currently, WordPress has about 60 million blogs built on its platform. Blogging is an important aspect of search engine optimization and is a great addition to any website.
WordPress offers a lot of web design options.
WordPress offers a lot of different website themes on its platform. The content management system has more or less 6,000 free themes on its theme directory. Furthermore, 11,000 WordPress themes are available on ThemeForest, the world’s most popular WordPress theme marketplace. With this, you can surely find the perfect theme that matches your brand identity and business niche. Themes incorporate different functionalities into your website and allow you to experiment with different looks and feels for your web design.
WordPress takes website functionality to a whole new level.
Functionality is one of the best features that make WordPress the top CMS choice by industry leaders. While HTML website builders only support basic website functionality, WordPress takes the concept to a whole new level. With over 55,000 plugins available on its platform, you can pretty much get your website to do anything you want. WordPress plugins can turn your website into an e-commerce store, social network, or forum. They can also allow you to add smaller features like a social media feed within your website.
WordPress is incredibly flexible.
One of the greatest strengths that WordPress can boast of is flexibility. The WordPress ecosystem offers a lot of freedom that you can create just about any type of website. Whether you want to build a simple personal blog, an e-commerce store, or a corporate website, WordPress can be easily modified to suit your needs and preferences. And in terms of its users, the content management system can cater to everyone, even those without hard coding skills.
WordPress boasts an intuitive backend interface.
In the WordPress ecosystem, the backend refers to the admin area where you can create content, install plugins, manage design settings, and more. It is also called the wp-admin or WordPress admin area. Now, this might seem too technical for a beginner to take at first, but the WordPress backend interface is so intuitive that anyone can manage their website with relative ease. Easy-to-follow labels, smooth navigation, and a user-friendly interface—all these qualities will allow even the most novice users to build their website with confidence.
WordPress offers fast and convenient website creation and maintenance.
The speed and convenience of creating and maintaining websites are among the best advantages of WordPress. It allows you to build a website from scratch in just a few steps and implement real-time changes thanks to its unparalleled flexibility and functionality. What’s more, you can set up websites using the same WordPress installation. This is great for organizations that need to run multiple websites but want to manage them under one dashboard.
WordPress has plenty of support forums.
We have already discussed how user-friendly and intuitive WordPress is to most users. However, chances are you will eventually come across a problem you can’t solve alone. Whether it’s about installing and creating plugins or seeking to do more advanced things with WordPress, WordPress.org has just the right support forum that you can refer to. There is a good chance somebody has already asked a question similar to yours. You just need to look for the answers you need.
WordPress has a large community.
With WordPress, you will find that the support it offers doesn’t just stop with its support forums. WordPress has a large community of users that can be attested by its massive social media following. On Facebook alone, it has more than 1.3 million followers. Meanwhile, its Twitter page is followed by 600,000 users. If you can’t find the answer in support forums, ask it on social media. With these whopping numbers, you will never be alone if you need anything with your website.
WordPress needs zero coding knowledge.
Even though it offers the most flexible and powerful CMS platform, WordPress is relatively easy for beginners to use. It has a low entry barrier for website creation and development that even the most novice user can build a modern website with relative ease. Zero coding knowledge is required for one to use this content management system like a pro, but the option is available should you want to use your coding skills in the future.
WordPress is open source.
OSS or open-source software is a software application whose code is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can view, modify, and distribute the code according to their needs. Open-source applications are developed in a decentralized and collaborative way, relying on peer review and community production. WordPress falls under this category. It offers the best content management platform through the collaborative efforts of the most talented and skilled computer professionals in the world.
WordPress-powered websites are highly scalable.
As the renowned futurist Jim Carroll once said, when it comes to business, one must “think big, start small, scale fast.” This means that companies must have big ambitious goals, achieve these goals one small step at a time, and determine key areas where they can move forward more aggressively. In relation to website development, it means starting a small website with a few pages and adding more as your business grows. With WordPress, you can do this without compromising site performance.
WordPress themes are 100% customizable.
Let’s say you have a specific idea of what your website should look like, but when you browse through the available WordPress themes, nothing seems to match your vision. There is no need to be frustrated because WordPress allows for full customization of its themes. Yes, you can modify a theme to suit your preferences. You just need to find the right way to do it. Here are some of the things you can do to customize your website’s theme as you see fit:
- Install a plugin.
- Use the Customizer in the WordPress admin screen.
- Use the features of a page builder.
- Use any of the available child themes (for theme frameworks).
- Edit the theme’s code directly.
WordPress supports self-hosting.
In website development, hosting refers to the process of housing, serving, and maintaining the files of one or more websites. There are many web-hosting services that a website owner can choose from. These options include shared web hosting service (multiple websites reside on one server), software as a service (the software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted), and dedicated hosting service (a client leases an entire server to host their website). Aside from these services, a website owner may also choose to self-host. In self-hosting, your WordPress-powered website is hosted on your own physical server, virtual private server (VPS), or shared hosting pack. This option is a great choice for tech-savvy individuals.
WordPress supports multiple users with different permission levels.
As your business website grows, you will need more people to manage it. Alternatively, you may be a small business owner who needs to focus on other business matters, so you delegated the task of maintaining your website to someone else. In either case, it is important to set the limits of what a user can or can’t do on your website. With WordPress, it is possible to have multiple users, including you as the admin, with different permission and access levels.
WordPress offers excellent e-commerce solutions.
Although WordPress was initially developed for blogging purposes, it has grown to become a perfect platform for small businesses with online stores to run. WordPress’s most popular e-commerce plugin, WooCommerce, has a 25% market share and generates 7% of all online sales, including those from low-traffic websites. It competes with other e-commerce-related content management systems like Shopify and Magento. What’s more, WooCommerce comes with over 300 extensions that allow for additional features like selling subscriptions and variation swatches.
What’s the Takeaway?
Choosing WordPress as your content management platform offers a lot of advantages for small business owners. From user-friendly and intuitive features to more advanced web development functions, WordPress provides an all-in-one solution to your website needs.
Proweaver specializes in developing WordPress-powered websites for any business industry. From health care to professional services, you can count on our team to build a custom web design tailored to your needs. Call us at +1-877-216-0852 today!