Updated for 2024.
Many people ask if WordPress is good for a small business website. I’m here to answer that question. In this short article, I hope to educate you on why you’d want to consider using WordPress, and when. I will also cover the negatives of using WordPress because I believe you need to be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. Don’t feel frightened though, WordPress is a great platform as long as you use it the right way.
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Why Use WordPress for a Small Business Website?
There are four main reasons why you’d want to use WordPress for your small business website.
- The first would be that It’s a quick and easy way to establish your online presence.
- The platform’s user interface is beginner friendly and available from (almost) every website hosting provider.
- Plugins make installing custom features and integrations easy for non-tech savvy users.
- Help is available pretty much everywhere. WordPress makes up 43% of the internet, meaning any issue you have likely has a solution.
Are there any Cons to using WordPress?
Under the hood, its a monster. There are so many menus, buttons, features and options to play with that it might be a little overwhelming. Even worse, one wrong click can crash or ruin your entire site. And there are no undo buttons to fix your mistake either.
Another gripe with WordPress is regarding its limitations. Developers usually know how to make things work with WordPress, but sometimes its not the right tool for the job. When you need to do something outside WordPress’ specialty, that’s where the headaches begin. WordPress shines when used for basic purposes – like throwing up a few pages and maybe a contact form. But if you’re looking to use it for something more complex, like a web app or an online store, you should reconsider your tech stack (the tools used to build your site). WordPress can hold you up or stop you in your tracks down the line if you aren’t ready for it. And the last thing you want to do is be forced to start over. That’s just a huge waste of time and money.
Ironically, one negative thing about WordPress is also a positive – that being, its popularity. WordPress based websites are under constant threat of being hacked thanks to its wide adoption rate on the internet. There are so many ways a bad actor can compromise your site, like through plugin exploits. Of course this is mitigated by following best practices like making sure your plugins are up to date, but the fact of the matter is, nothing is foolproof. The possibility of getting hacked is still there. That’s why I often recommend going with a static HTML website if you aren’t going to be updating the site frequently. This kind of issue is exceedingly rare with them.
Should I use WordPress?
In my opinion, despite its negatives, WordPress is fine for a basic, no frills website. If a site owner can spare some time to learn its intricacies, best practices, and how to safely use the platform, there shouldn’t be any problems. That being said, if you do encounter an issue with your WordPress site, worry not, for there are plenty of developers around that can help : like me!
Feel free to reach out if you having trouble with your WordPress website. I have plenty of WordPress experience (this site is made with WordPress) and despite this website’s title, I am not restricted to clients only in New York City. I can help anyone around the world!
Looking for more information on whether WordPress or HTML is better? Check out my blog post : WordPress vs. HTML – Which is Better?