Why use WordPress? So many options out there…

Wordpress Issues
1

Hey everyone, I’m working on something and trying to get a mix of opinions. Why do you all keep using WordPress when there are so many other options out there?

2

I’ve been using WordPress since 2008. It’s so easy to find gigs when I need them, and honestly, I’m just too tired to pick up something new after all these years of sticking with it.

3

What alternatives are you talking about that offer a CMS that’s quick to develop, scales well, and has solid community support?

4

KarmaKnight said:
What alternatives are you talking about that offer a CMS that’s quick to develop, scales well, and has solid community support?

Well, there’s Joomla, Drupal, Webflow, Typo3, and Hubspot CMS.

5

@betterblogger
Drupal is really powerful, but the user experience is tough. Typo3? Mostly a Germany thing. Joomla has had major security issues, and Webflow can get expensive, especially when you need more editors or want to add e-commerce.

6

@KarmaKnight
Drupal is a nightmare for non-developers, but if you’re a developer working with large teams or enterprise-level sites, it’s great! The coding practices are solid, and it’s built to scale. Plus, it’s far more secure and developer-friendly than WP in many ways. WordPress is easier for the click-and-drag folks or designers using builders like Elementor. I use both, but Drupal shines in its own way if you need a complex, dynamic site.

7

@KarmaKnight
So, WordPress is better because it’s easy to use and cheaper?

8

betterblogger said:
@KarmaKnight
So, WordPress is better because it’s easy to use and cheaper?

To sum it up:

  1. It’s modular—add plugins as you need.
  2. Great value for the cost—nice themes can be $80 and still do everything a client needs.
  3. Huge community support.
  4. Lots of themes and plugins available.
  5. WordPress security gets a bad rep, but there’s a lot of effort to keep it safe. Sure, the user might be the weak link, but that’s true for any platform.
  6. You can always find affordable PHP/HTML/CSS/JS developers for custom work.
9

@betterblogger
I built a site on HubSpot CMS, but unless your client’s already using HubSpot for CRM, I wouldn’t recommend it. There are better choices unless they specifically need those CRM features.

10

KarmaKnight said:
What alternatives are you talking about that offer a CMS that’s quick to develop, scales well, and has solid community support?

I’d suggest Wix or Squarespace.

11

Evans said:

KarmaKnight said:
What alternatives are you talking about that offer a CMS that’s quick to develop, scales well, and has solid community support?

I’d suggest Wix or Squarespace.

Why choose Wix or Squarespace over WordPress? Genuinely curious. Also, Square is a payment system, not a CMS. I think you meant Squarespace?

12

@Zack
Yeah, for users who don’t want to worry about security or hosting issues with platforms like WordPress.

13

Evans said:
@Zack
Yeah, for users who don’t want to worry about security or hosting issues with platforms like WordPress.

So… you don’t really prefer Wix or Squarespace, you just don’t like dealing with the WP hosting drama?

14

@Zack
Exactly. Platforms like Wix take care of all security updates for you, so you don’t have to deal with it.

15

Evans said:
@Zack
Exactly. Platforms like Wix take care of all security updates for you, so you don’t have to deal with it.

But with Wix, you’re paying for those updates in your monthly plan. Same with WordPress if you go with a managed host.

16

Evans said:
@Zack
Exactly. Platforms like Wix take care of all security updates for you, so you don’t have to deal with it.

Wait, aren’t WordPress security updates automatic? I’m looking at my settings right now, and I see an option to ‘update automatically.’

17

@Umbrielle
True, but automatic updates can sometimes break sites if you don’t have a staging environment set up.

18

I love using Gutenberg blocks and Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). It lets me do a lot more with custom layouts.

19

I’ve been building websites since 1994. I’ve worked with different platforms, but last year, I gave WordPress another shot and was amazed by the improvements. WP saves me tons of time over custom PHP work. I even have a blueprint site ready to go.

To be fair, though, if it weren’t for Bricks Builder (which gives me full control and clean code), I might not still be using WP. That tool changed the game for me.

20

It’s got solid documentation, lots of developers, it scales well, and the security is good for a platform of its size.