When we opened our business back in the early 2000s, we carefully considered what software we would use to build websites. We researched options and tried several. In the end, we chose WordPress.
We continue to review and evaluate options. However, nothing comes close to the reliability, flexibility or popularity of WordPress. Let us explain why we continue to work with it almost exclusively.
Why we choose to work with WordPress
Proven ability to adapt
What began as a blogging platform has evolved into a full service web development platform. In the nearly two decades that we’ve been professional web developers, there have been so many changes to the fundamental structure of web design. Yet, WordPress continues to be the leader in development and adaptation.
- Back in the early 2000s, the only practical way to access the web was using a desktop computer with a fairly standard-sized monitor. There was no such thing as mobile-friendly or responsive. Now every website has to work equally well on devices ranging from the smallest hand-held to the largest desktop screen. WordPress makes this possible.
- In 2009 Google introduced Structured Data. This code is written in such a way that search engines can use it to display search results in a more specific and richer way than plain HTML. WordPress supports structured data.
- The Internet used to mean AOL, Internet Explorer and static web pages. Today’s internet is more interactive and fluid, and WordPress is a leader in this arena.
- Website accessibility, long overlooked, is now recognized as being integral to any web presence. WordPress is committed to being as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Powerful content management system
The content management system (CMS) allows our clients to manage much of their website content on their own. The WordPress CMS makes it relatively easy to add, change or remove content without having technical knowledge of web development or design.
WordPress is open source
WordPress is an open-source platform. There’s no license fee to use it, and everyone is free to use it and adapt it in any way they choose. And, while there is a core team of developers, anyone can use the source code to build new plugins and apps.
Tens of thousands of independent developers all over the world are creating solutions for both general-purpose and highly specific tasks. What this means is that, rather than having to hire a programmer to custom develop systems for your site, most things are available off-the-shelf.
With so many people building websites with WordPress and creating add-ons, the software is incredibly flexible. Most anything you could want to build the website of your dreams is probably readily available.
SEO capabilities
WordPress features, such as the ability to generate search-friendly URLs and XML Site Maps, offer the opportunity of achieving good search results, and a variety of plugins are available for on-page SEO.
It’s the single most popular CMS in the world
Why does popularity matter? Work on WordPress never stops and changes are frequent. This makes for a system that is constantly evolving and improving. According to w3techs.com, at the time of writing:
- WordPress has a greater than 63% share of the CMS market.
- Almost 36% of the world’s top 10 million websites run on WordPress. The next closest competitor, Joomla, has just 2.4%.
- The WordPress Plugin Directory features more than 55,000 plugins.
- WooCommerce powers 22% of the top 1 million ecommerce sites in the world (source: kinsta.com).
Still undecided?
If you’re still undecided about which platform to use for your website, call us at (518) 392-0846 or email [email protected]. We can answer your questions. And if you’ve decided that WordPress is for you, contact us about our website design and development services.