If your business is thinking about switching to WordPress, it wouldn’t be the first.
The most popular content management system (CMS) on the market, WordPress powers more than 28 percent of the web. Since its release in 2003, it’s become the go-to CMS for bloggers, business owners, developers, writers, and more. Both novices and experts alike use WordPress to build beautiful, powerful websites that represent their brand.
If you’re considering switching your CMS over to WordPress, here are five reasons that will solidify your decision.
1. Ease of use
WordPress is known for its easy-to-use interface and beginner-friendly features. In fact, it boasts a five-minute installation process so that even the most novice users can set up their website in a cinch.
WordPress provides excellent and in-depth documentation for beginners or those not so familiar with the CMS. It also has a full support system so that you can navigate through each step of the setup. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, you can also visit its support forums for more technical questions.
Due to its range of popularity and endless sources of support, if you want to outsource setting up your WordPress site, there are tons of freelance developers and designers out there who are willing to do it for you.
2. Free to set up
Regardless of whether you want to use your website to blog or set it up for eCommerce, WordPress lets you do it for free. If you’re on a budget or waiting for the right moment to splurge, this is the perfect option for you. The main feature people usually pay for is domain and hosting so that their URL can be under their own name rather than represented by a WordPress URL.
Because it’s an open source software, that means you have free reign to edit or alter its coding as you see fit. There are no hidden charges involved and no surprise fees to start, proving WordPress to be the most cost-effective content management system out there.
3. Endless customizations
Your website is the first thing people see when they check out your business and what it’s about. If it looks less than impressive, who will take you seriously? Fortunately, with WordPress’ open source coding, it’s never been easier to create a stunning website that isn’t difficult to set up.
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If you’re a developer, using your own theme is as simple as uploading the file and clicking OK. For beginners, there are thousands upon thousands of both free and premium themes to choose from.
It’s important for business owners that their website represent their brand and its mission. With WordPress providing options for easy customization, this is both simple and possible. Choose different color schemes, layouts, and widgets that best suit your style. If you decide to change these, the switch is simple and takes no time at all. Before you do though, make sure it doesn’t affect any aspect of your current layout.
4. Mobile-friendly features
Becoming mobile friendly isn’t just good for your SEO. With 3.9 billion mobile users in 2018 according to Statista, it’s imperative you have a CMS that works across all devices. With the rise of smartphones, people prefer to use mobile to browse the web and use the internet.
If you aren’t sure if your website is mobile friendly, use Google’s mobile-friendly test to find out.
Some tips for creating a mobile-friendly website that Google’s algorithm approves are:
- Responsive design. This means that, regardless of what device consumers are using when visiting your website, it’ll automatically configure itself to fit that device for the best viewing experience.
- Easy to consume content. Make it as easy as possible for someone to visit your site and not have to squint or zoom in to see clearly. Use images with high resolution that aren’t pixelated or grainy. Adjust your color scheme so it’s easy on the eyes and make the size of buttons bigger.
- Compress images for faster site speed so users don’t get frustrated with long loading times.
- Keep it simple. You don’t want a million ads, pop-ups, and links bombarding your visitors and showing them the door before they’ve even looked around.
- Test, test, and test again. Check the mobile version of your site frequently to make sure all links are accessible and content is easy to digest.
5. Thousands of plugins
With over 50 thousand plugins available for download, the options for customizing your website to your specific needs are endless. They add functionality, usability, and security to your site so that running your business online is a cinch.
No matter what it is you need, plugins are there to provide it for you. Everything from contact forms to SEO to visual editors, you can count on there being a plugin for it.
Over to you
There are endless reasons why your business should switch its CMS over to WordPress. Given its customization abilities, mobile-friendly usage, and simplicity among other things, it’s no surprise that it’s the number one platform businesses use for their websites. In just a short five minutes, WordPress could be your CMS too.