WordPress is the biggest content management system in the world, with over 30% of websites using it. Here are some very good reasons why it’s so popular.

WordPress began way back in 2003 as a simple – but powerful – blogging tool, allowing aspiring writers to publish blogs online on their very own sites. Its major appeal was the fact that users needed little coding knowledge to set up, design and manage their own website and its content.

From its humble beginnings, the platform has grown to be the biggest content management system in the world – and not just for blogs either. Although blogging is still a prominent function of WordPress, there aren’t many types of website that you can’t build using it. WordPress powers everything from large business websites to online shops, forms to exclusive membership platforms. Unsurprisingly, mmunic’s website – where you’re reading this article – is also powered by WordPress.

However, just because WordPress is so popular, it doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for your new website, right? Here are some reasons why we think it is – no matter what kind of website you’re building.

1. WordPress is friendly for coders and codephobics alike.

Technically speaking, WordPress is written in PHP, which is a programming and scripting language used to create interactive websites.

Happily though, you don’t really need to know anything about that if it’s not your thing. That’s because WordPress makes it really easy to manage the vast majority of your website – including its design, colours, images, pages, blog posts and even your online shop if you have one – from its frontend.

Not convinced? See for yourself how easy it is to write and publish your own website content (using this very blog post as the example!).

However, even if you have a developer to hand, or you like to get stuck into code yourself, WordPress still offers plenty to sink your teeth into. The major benefit – for developers and non-technical users alike – is the simplicity of keeping your content up to date.

2. Need to add something extra to your website? There’s probably a plugin for that.

Plugins are bolt-on apps that can be used to extend your website’s functionality. It’s one of the key offerings that has helped boost WordPress’s status from blogging platform to full-blown website builder.

From contact forms to booking apps, reporting tools to chat bots, to there’s a bounty of plugins – over 50,000 to be more precise! – available for WordPress websites. Better yet, many of them have free versions that allow you to take advantage of their key features without raking up costs.

3. WordPress is free – including all its important updates

While we’re on the topic of free things, did you know that WordPress itself is free? That’s because it’s an Open Source software, meaning its source code is freely available and can be edited and modified as required by users.

Of course, when using WordPress for your website, you will still need to build in ongoing costs for your hosting and domain (or website address) registration, alongside any additional services you require for developing and designing your website from design agencies such as mmunic. However, once your site is live you’ll be able to maintain your website yourself by adding and editing its content. You’ll also get free access to all of WordPress’s updates going forward, helping to keep your website secure and up to date with the latest technologies.

4. WordPress sites are made to be found

Making sure visitors can find your website through Google, Bing and other search engines can be a complex affair. SEO (search engine optimisation) involves ensuring everything from your website’s content to its technical setup is on par with a search engine’s expectations. And just to make things more complicated, the methods by which search engines rank your website are always evolving too.

Thankfully though, when set up and used effectively, WordPress does a lot of the heavy lifting elements of SEO for you. It uses lightweight, high quality code, it’s optimised for viewing on mobile and tablet devices, and it neatly holds your website’s content in a clean, organised structure in the backend. All these things go a long way towards making sure search engines can understand – and therefore, rank – your site.

5. Help and support is available in abundance

Perhaps the biggest bonus of WordPress being so popular is that you’ll never be stuck for help and expert knowledge when you need it. You’ll find a huge array of online communities, forums and tutorial websites dedicated to sharing advice on getting the most from this widely used platform. If you ever have an issue or query, no doubt you’ll quickly find a solution online.

On top of this, because WordPress is so flexible and has been built with both coders and non-technical users in mind, you’ll find no shortage of website developers, designers and marketing experts able to bring your website to life using the platform, just as we do at mmunic. If you’re ready to discover more about what WordPress can do for you, just drop us a message.